What are your crutches?

[Representing_Tromba]

When most people think of crutches they think of smoking or drinking but there are more, less noticeable crutches. For example, anything that relaxes you can be considered a crutch. Reading, getting a massage, spending time with friends, or even just taking a nice bath can be considered crutches. What do you think are your crutches and how do they help you get through the day?

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Reading?

 

[CarburetorThompson]

Sleeping. Most of my good friends have moved cross country, and I’ve cut off most of those who live near by due to their drug problems. With nearly all my school being online I have a lot of free time even after working, since I’m not on many hours right now. So I just sleep a lot.

 

[T.K._Paradox]

When most people think of crutches they think of smoking or drinking but there are more, less noticeable crutches. For example, anything that relaxes you can be considered a crutch. Reading, getting a massage, spending time with friends, or even just taking a nice bath can be considered crutches. What do you think are your crutches and how do they help you get through the day?

 

[Ilikewaterkusa]

When most people think of crutches they think of smoking or drinking but there are more, less noticeable crutches. For example, anything that relaxes you can be considered a crutch. Reading, getting a massage, spending time with friends, or even just taking a nice bath can be considered crutches. What do you think are your crutches and how do they help you get through the day?

I'm not that old, but my body is one I guess

 

[T.K._Paradox]

Oh and coffee.

 

[Mr.Grey-Cat]

Sleeping. Most of my good friends have moved cross country, and I’ve cut off most of those who live near by due to their drug problems. With nearly all my school being online I have a lot of free time even after working, since I’m not on many hours right now. So I just sleep a lot.

 

[BlackKnightX]

When most people think of crutches they think of smoking or drinking but there are more, less noticeable crutches. For example, anything that relaxes you can be considered a crutch. Reading, getting a massage, spending time with friends, or even just taking a nice bath can be considered crutches. What do you think are your crutches and how do they help you get through the day?

Reading, sleeping, making new friends.

 

[owotrucked]

Reading, getting a massage, spending time with friends, or even just taking a nice bath can be considered crutches

Those activities are clearly not crutches in my opinion. They are plainly what life is about.

Reading for feeling or generate new thoughts/ massage for a healthier, enjoying the sensation of being in one's body/ exerting your body in demanding sports for extreme sensations / spending time with friends to have good time together or having their feedbacks and exchanging emotional and material support... all of these activities one form or another manifestation of the meaning of an individual life.

Drinking or smoking takes away from life. They may provide temporary comfort acting on dopamine and opioid pathway but they fulfill no real psychological need, leaving user with only yearning and wasting the precious neurotransmitter to motivate and enjoy meaningful life.

Crutches are the back up solution for people without the available resources (time and money) or the opportunity to monetize their strengths.

Many situations may call for crutches. Being laid off, being stuck at an unenjoyable job, being at war, putting your personal needs aside for survival, to withstand harsh time with scarce resources, having lost motivation after a great failure and loss, etc.

In the end, everything may feel similar because the brain doesn't distinguish between the source of dopamine and opioid. But there's one side that is tied with the love of oneself, and the other that is hollow and disconnected from all reality.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

Those activities are clearly not crutches in my opinion. They are plainly what life is about.

Reading for feeling or generate new thoughts/ massage for a healthier, enjoying the sensation of being in one's body/ exerting your body in demanding sports for extreme sensations / spending time with friends to have good time together or having their feedbacks and exchanging emotional and material support... all of these activities one form or another manifestation of the meaning of an individual life.

Drinking or smoking takes away from life. They may provide temporary comfort acting on dopamine and opioid pathway but they fulfill no real psychological need, leaving user with only yearning and wasting the precious neurotransmitter to motivate and enjoy meaningful life.

Crutches are the back up solution for people without the available resources (time and money) or the opportunity to monetize their strengths.

Many situations may call for crutches. Being laid off, being stuck at an unenjoyable job, being at war, putting your personal needs aside for survival, to withstand harsh time with scarce resources, having lost motivation after a great failure and loss, etc.

In the end, everything may feel similar because the brain doesn't distinguish between the source of dopamine and opioid. But there's one side that is tied with the love of oneself, and the other that is hollow and disconnected from all reality.

Fair enough. Though I think that people can use such things to disconnect from reality. Yeah, some may be better for you than others but people still use them to get through the day. Anything can be used as a crutch and most of them can be bad for your health or lifestyle if you were to overuse them. For example, I like taking long walks through the woods to clear my head. It acts as a disconnect from reality by letting me forget about my problems for a bit but it isn't unhealthy. People can use them in moderation and it is healthy but that doesn't mean that it can't be a crutch to help them get through their day or week.

 

[SakeVision]

ritalin

 

[Viator]

Reading?

This! I, (and I suspect others here) have a serious reading addiction. So much so that it actually gets in the way of my daily life, and I don't do things I know that I should because I can't stop reading. It is a relaxing and fun disassociation, but it can also be a problem. The worst part is, when you try to tell people you have a reading addiction and it is a bad thing for you, the immediate response is. "Isn't reading a good thing?" There is absolutely no recognition that over-reading can have a dark side and actually interfere with your relationships and your life.

Reading is my crutch, and I am constantly working on trying to cut back but it is hard. Thankfully I am better than I used to be. I used to read without giving any thought to eating or drinking, or even getting up to go the bathroom, only to come up after finishing a good book feeling like absolute trash by being starved and dehydrated. Reading is a great activity in moderation, but it can have serious negatives. Especially if you are someone who has a tendency to hyper-focus like I do.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

This! I, (and I suspect others here) have a serious reading addiction. So much so that it actually gets in the way of my daily life, and I don't do things I know that I should because I can't stop reading. It is a relaxing and fun disassociation, but it can also be a problem. The worst part is, when you try to tell people you have a reading addiction and it is a bad thing for you, the immediate response is. "Isn't reading a good thing?" There is absolutely no recognition that over-reading can have a dark side and actually interfere with your relationships and your life.

Reading is my crutch, and I am constantly working on trying to cut back but it is hard. Thankfully I am better than I used to be. I used to read without giving any thought to eating or drinking, or even getting up to go the bathroom, only to come up after finishing a good book feeling like absolute trash by being starved and dehydrated. Reading is a great activity in moderation, but it can have serious negatives. Especially if you are someone who has a tendency to hyper-focus like I do.

I know how you feel. When you find a good book you can zone out of reality for a whole day or even longer without breaks and it be a problem. Though I don't know how to counteract it without giving up on reading till you have an entire day to yourself. Though this may be hard if you don't have a job or school to keep you busy.

 

[greyblob]

I consume copious amount of shit tier mangas and novels, mostly isekai. it's become a daily routine now

 

[Representing_Tromba]

I consume copious amount of shit tier mangas and novels, mostly isekai. it's become a daily routine now

that isn't a bad crutch but it will affect your writing quality if you're not careful.

 

[greyblob]

that isn't a bad crutch but it will affect your writing quality if you're not careful.

i don't think writing quality is the thing to worry about. I'm pretty sure I've already lost more than a handful of braincells

 

[owotrucked]

I get your point, and I totally see what you mean. We are being vague about the 'crutch' term so I allow myself to play with its frame to expose what lies inside people.

My problem is that the term 'crutch' could imply that the activities you mentioned (fulfilling personal needs) is superfluous or something that could be disregarded if one can 'walk normally'.

I wanted to clarify that this is not necessarily the case.

For instance, take a fish out of the water. It needs to return back into the water to get through the day. It sounds a little weird to me to call that dip in water a crutch. It is more than a crutch, it reveals the character and the tip of the iceberg that is the identity.

It also begs the question: what puts so much strain on your life that you couldn't meet your needs healthily?

With this frame in mind, I could tell you that my crutch would be listening to music. Which is an easy way to arouse the feelings I need when I spent time around kids, exerting all my willpower to not fling them into walls and beating the crap out of them.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

I get your point, and I totally see what you mean. We are being vague about the 'crutch' term so I allow myself to play with its frame to expose what lies inside people.

My problem is that the term 'crutch' could imply that the activities you mentioned (fulfilling personal needs) is superfluous or something that could be disregarded if one can 'walk normally'.

I wanted to clarify that this is not necessarily the case.

For instance, take a fish out of the water. It needs to return back into the water to get through the day. It sounds a little weird to me to call that dip in water a crutch. It is more than a crutch, it reveals the character and the tip of the iceberg that is the identity.

It also begs the question: what puts so much strain on your life that you couldn't meet your needs healthily?

With this frame in mind, I could tell you that my crutch would be listening to music. Which is an easy way to arouse the feelings I need when I spent time around kids, exerting all my willpower to not fling them into walls and beating the crap out of them.

I get it. Sorry if I sounded rude.

 

[owotrucked]

This! I, (and I suspect others here) have a serious reading addiction. So much so that it actually gets in the way of my daily life, and I don't do things I know that I should because I can't stop reading. It is a relaxing and fun disassociation, but it can also be a problem. The worst part is, when you try to tell people you have a reading addiction and it is a bad thing for you, the immediate response is. "Isn't reading a good thing?" There is absolutely no recognition that over-reading can have a dark side and actually interfere with your relationships and your life.

Reading is my crutch, and I am constantly working on trying to cut back but it is hard. Thankfully I am better than I used to be. I used to read without giving any thought to eating or drinking, or even getting up to go the bathroom, only to come up after finishing a good book feeling like absolute trash by being starved and dehydrated. Reading is a great activity in moderation, but it can have serious negatives. Especially if you are someone who has a tendency to hyper-focus like I do.

I used to do the same. If it's not too rude, what's your job? Have you ever thought about working in artistic fields?

I get it. Sorry if I sounded rude.

No worry, nobody got offended.

I just think it'd be a too bad to mistake what's the core of the self for something inadequate and unneeded, hence my intervention

 

[Deleted member 54065]

When most people think of crutches they think of smoking or drinking but there are more, less noticeable crutches. For example, anything that relaxes you can be considered a crutch. Reading, getting a massage, spending time with friends, or even just taking a nice bath can be considered crutches. What do you think are your crutches and how do they help you get through the day?

My crutches are:

Reading and watching documentaries or manga, sleeping, and/or slow driving after an intense day at work or after writing a full chap (4k words).