Some people are just born with a certain body type. You are a very petite woman, and I know you're going to hate me for saying this, but you're so lucky! I weigh over twice what you do at only 7 inches taller than you, and I've struggled with my weight for ages.

Unfortunately, you're getting to the end of your growth time. However, often womens' metabolisms will change as they get older. You might find that all of a sudden you're able to gain weight. Especially if you have children, you'll pad out a bit. As for height, though, there's really nothing you can do about it except wearing heels!

I'm going to tell you what I tell everybody who asks for a quick, easy way to kill themselves.

There isn't one.

I got a little taste of what happens when you try to kill yourself just before Christmas last year. I tried to overdose on antidepressants, because I thought that I would be able to just slip into unconsciousness and leave behind the mess that is my life. Simple enough, right? Wrong.

The physical misery didn't matter to me. It wasn't the hours of throwing up until blood came up, it wasn't the terrifying neurological symptoms that followed, it wasn't the muscle twitches I experienced for weeks. It was the emotional pain of it all that made me determined to never get in a situation like that ever again.

My fiance was there when it happened. He was crying and holding me and telling me not to go. I had to call my parents and tell them what had happened. My father went off into a depressive spiral, started drinking a lot and ended up having to see a psychiatrist and taking antidepressants. My mother cried, and I don't think I've heard her cry since I was about 8 years old. My little sister was told after she wrote her exams, thank goodness, but it messed her up really badly. It hurt everyone around me, and I wasn't even successful. It's not easy, and it's not quick for anyone but you. Your family would be wondering for the rest of their lives what they could have done to save you. Your friends who mistreated you would blame themselves for it. Their lives would change forever. Committing suicide is a hostile act that hurts everyone around you.

If you're depressed, you need to get help. You need to get to a hospital, to a counselor, anywhere where you will be safe from yourself. With counselling and medication, you can get out of this and stay out forever. It takes a lot of work (trust me, I've been there and done that... still doing it, in fact) but it's worth it. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that everyone has a lot to live for. Every tiny thing in life is worth living for. The smell of your favourite flower, a sunny day, your favourite song, puppies! It's all worth it, because you'll never have that again if you're gone.

Backstabbing friends aren't worth killing yourself over. Be your own best friend for a while. Take some time to enjoy your own company. Read a book outside. Go for long walks. Don't depend on others to make you happy. You don't have any time or energy for people like that. Remember that you deserve nothing but the best in friendships, so don't settle!

If you're on the verge, call a suicide hotline or go to the nearest hospital emergency room. Don't let one bad decision end your life.

Wait it out. It sounds like a joke, based on her laughing. She'll probably make an exception for you. Chances are you'll see an invitation in the mail eventually.

As for her not coming to your gatherings, it's hard for a person who's 10 years older to hang out with younger people. She's just at a different stage of life from you, and doesn't get pleasure out of the same things. It doesn't mean she's not your friend.

Hey. I wasn't hijacked. I was going through old questions and rating, when I came across this at the end of a response...

"(if my suggestion isn't that great, then please don't rate)"

I found that to be rather rude, and it certainly grated against my nerves. If you'd like, I can change the rating to a higher one, but I think that presumptuousness like that rather warrants a lower rating than the advice that went along with it.

Don't worry... I haven't gone insane, and I certainly hope there's no need for banning (eep!). I got nothin' against chocolate lava cake! I do, however, have something against someone telling me exactly HOW to rate (or not rate) their advice.

In any case, it's a super-old question (I haven't lived in that house for 2 years now!) and no matter what rating it had received, it wouldn't contribute to their overall rating, right? Because now I'm having nightmare visions of this person crying into her pillow because I've ruined her. I just wanted that person to know that their little addendum wasn't appropriate, that's all, and I told them so in the feedback. You can pass on my apologies if you'd like.

If your family can't/won't support you going to college out of state then you've got a couple of options. You can even combine them for maximum effect.

- You can work your buns off to get fantastic grades and try to get scholarships. Apply to every scholarship you possibly can. It will involve writing about a million essays, but it can be very profitable.

- Student loans. Now, I'm not a big fan of them. They're a really big commitment, especially in the States, because tuition is so high. You have to make sure that you'll be able to pay them afterwards. That might mean getting a second job after school if you can't get that dream job right away.

- Work your way. Waitressing can be a great way to earn some extra money during the school year (my friend used to bring in $150 a night in tips alone!), but it's also really hard to maintain a full class schedule and work.

I have 12 hermies, and I think they're the best small pet ever.

Pros:

- They don't smell, unlike rodents and the like. You change their substrate twice a year, and that takes care of any possible dirt.

- They don't eat much, and what little they do eat isn't specialty food. They can eat little scraps of fruits, veggies and untreated, cooked meat. Mine love peanut butter!

- They're quiet. I have heard one noise out of the terrarium in almost a year of ownership.

- They're far more interactive than a fish, and much less work.

Now, I know you say that you know everything about them, but there's a lot of bad information out there. You need to provide both salt and fresh water (not tap water... make sure it's purified), and make sure that the humidity stays within a good range. Also, don't use sand in the terrarium, because it's irritating to them. Get a coconut husk based substrate instead, because it helps to retain moisture.

Also, you don't want to get just one hermie. They're pack critters, so they're happiest in groups of 2 or more.

Good luck convincing your mom!

Existentialism is when you believe that everyone should find their own purpose in life, and to live that life with passion.

However, you've got the definition of nihilism a little incorrect. Basically, nihilism just means that people believe that something that most people take as given doesn't exist.

Existential nihilism is actually the most common form of nihilism. It holds that life is meaningless. There are other kinds of nihilism as well, like moral nihilists who believe that morality doesn't exist.

Ooh, I love picking names. Here are some Spanish names that I love and what they mean (which is often why I liked them):

ALEJANDRO: Spanish form of Latin Alexandrus, meaning "defender of mankind." (short form Alejo)

ANDRÉS: Portuguese and Spanish form of Greek Andreas, meaning "man; warrior."

ARTURO: Italian and Spanish form of Celtic Arthur, possibly meaning "bear-man."

ELOY: Spanish and Portuguese form of Latin Eligius, meaning "to choose."

LEANDRO: Italian, Portuguese and Spanish form of Latin Leander, meaning "lion-man."

MARCIAL: Spanish form of Roman Latin Martialis, meaning "of/like Mars."

MATEO: Spanish form of Hebrew Mattithyah, meaning "gift of God."

MARCELO: Portuguese and Spanish form of Roman Latin Marcellus, meaning "defense" or "of the sea."

RODRIGO: Spanish and Portuguese form of Old High German Hrodric, meaning "famous power."

This is the list I looked at, in case you want to take a poke:

http://www.20000-names.com/male_spanish_names.htm

It's totally normal.

Often when guys who aren't circumcised have an erection, their foreskin just slides back a little bit, not all the way past the head unless it's put there. If it causes pain for him to have it move back to just behind the head, he may have a condition which can be surgically fixed (important, because if he can't move the skin, he can't clean underneath!)

Guacamole is actually pretty expensive and takes a bit of time to make.

Your average avocado in a grocery store costs about 1$ (at least where I live it does). Add to that tomato, garlic, fresh herbs, jalapenos, chiles and maybe some other ingredients if the restaurant gets fancy with it, and the cost is up there for a relatively small amount of guacamole. It also has to refrigerate for an hour after making it, so it takes a disproportionately large amount of time to make it, versus something like salsa that you can make ahead of time in big jars and use as you need it.

I took my westie/schnauzer cross to PetSmart once, and he wasn't very happy when we picked him up. My family's old dog was actually cut by one of the groomers, and because he snapped at them, they blackballed him. Overall, not good experiences with large chain groomers.

However, I went to a place owned by a woman who just loved dogs. She adores my dog and has always done a fantastic job. It costs a little more, but she grooms him exactly the way we want it. We've been incredibly impressed with her work, and the dog loves it there.

If you don't like how your dog is treated at one place, try looking around for independent groomers who love what they do. Your pup has the right to good treatment!

Nope! It's safe. When you get turned on (like when you're having sex) it gets a lot deeper. I have never EVER heard of a case of a cervix tearing, and my father-in-law is a gynecologist.

If you are feeling pain (sometimes it can get bruised if the penetration is too deep) then you should tell your boyfriend to keep it shallower. This is why sex requires a lot of communication!

It's neither!

You have found your cervix; the opening between your vagina and your uterus. The hymen is closer to the entrance of the vagina.

It's surprising, isn't it? The vagina, when relaxed, is only about 4-5 inches long. When you get aroused, it lengthens considerably.

Now, I'm Canadian, so I'm going to probably have a different insight.

Yes, the United States is a seriously messed up country. I can't fathom living in a first world country where good health care and schools are only available to the wealthy, where people go bankrupt paying for cancer treatments. Where millions are brought up in intolerance and hatred of others.

Now, your beef with the law for arresting you for drunkenness? Totally unjustified. You could have hurt someone else. You could have hurt yourself. If the police officer thought you were behaving drunkenly enough to arrest you, then they were well within their bounds to do so. Freedom extends not just to the individual, but to the society. You have the freedom to choose how much you drink; society has the freedom to live without nuisance drunk people.

It's too bad that you feel that your country hasn't repaid what your family has lost. It's terrible to lose people who are in the military, especially when you don't see the effects of what they're fighting for. Thing is, they're not fighting for freedom within your country. They're fighting for what your government feels will bring freedom and a better life to the rest of the world.

With a criminal record, you're not going to be allowed to emigrate to another country. That's just how it is. I know that to get into Canada without refugee status, there are really high requirements. I'm sure it's the same elsewhere.

What can you do, then, stuck in a country you hate? Try to make it a better place. Vote. Volunteer in your community. Become active. Instead of complaining about how terrible everything is, do what you can to improve it. Make your country, or your county, or your town a place you can be proud to live in.

I'm not into most rap, because I'm probably the whitest suburban chick ever and I just can't relate to it.

It's hard to find good music. I've been finding that on the rock stations, it's all this inoffensive milk junk, which I don't like either. Where I have had luck is on indie websites.

This is my favourite: you have the option to complete quests, but you can also just chill and listen. You choose based on your favourite genre, and you can bookmark your favourites.

www.thesixtyone.com

I asked my fiance, who is my Batman authority.

He says:

"If you like Batman Begins more than The Dark Knight, read Year One first. Otherwise, read Dark Knight first. The storylines don't depend on each other, so even though Year One takes place before Dark Knight Returns, it won't matter what order you read them in."

:)

Whatever you do, don't put it in the freezer. The water will freeze and possibly crack the components in your phone.

How long did you leave it in rice for? Was your phone on when you dropped it?

The rice trick works. It takes as long as 4 or 5 days for it to fully dry out, though. I recently fixed a camera that was dropped in a lake this way. However, if the phone was on when it was dropped, it may have shorted out your phone, in which case it will need to be repaired by a professional or replaced.

Thank you for the follow-up :)

I don't know what province you're in, so I'm not sure what things are like. I live in Ontario, so here's what I've found:

Some psychiatrists are free to go to under OHIP. Depending on the city you're in, it may have great access to mental health care facilities. Where I am, there's a huge mental health clinic covered by OHIP, so I work with a counselor, a psychiatrist and an occupational therapist and it doesn't cost me anything. Make sure that your doctor knows that you can't pay for treatment so he can refer you to the right person.

Especially if you're heading off to university soon, you should make sure you get a diagnosis. I only just found out a little while ago that mental illness counts as a disability and entitles you to special treatment in school (things like extended deadlines, separate test writing rooms) and that can be the difference between passing and failing.

I also live in Canada and deal with mental health issues.

It's not your doctor's job to ask you about every facet of your health. Our system is incredibly overtaxed right now. Heck, I don't even have a family doctor because there aren't any with openings in my area!

You should not be treated by a family doctor for depression. I was, as a teenager, and ended up seriously messed up as a result of a family doctor overstepping his bounds when he should have referred me to a psychiatrist.

You need to go in there, tell your doctor that you're experiencing symptoms of depression and that you want a referral to a psychiatrist. If he refuses, get a different family doctor, because he's putting his concerns ahead of yours. It's an unfortunate thing that happens pretty often; my old family doctor tried to convince my mother that he should do a biopsy to test for skin cancer... in HIS office!

Don't leave his office until you're satisfied. You have a right to decent treatment. If you don't agree with something or understand it, ask for more information so that you can make the right decision for you. Whatever you do, don't let him treat your depression, because it's not just a matter of pills. There's a lot of other stuff that you need in order to really overcome symptoms that you just won't get from a family doctor.

If I had to hazard a guess, it would be a quote from the movie "Despicable Me". I say this because my fiance and I keep saying it :)

There's a scene where the youngest girl wants a fluffy unicorn from a carnival game, and he gets it for her. When she's got it, she shouts "It's SO FLUFFY!" and it's adorable.

My Personal Forum

My name is Amanda and I'm 26 years old. I'm currently studying electrical engineering. Armed with a fairly odd sense of humour and a sunny outlook on life, I'll take on just about anything. I'm also cussedly stubborn, which has its ups and downs. Things get tough sometimes, and I've never been one to run from it.

In my last 8 years with Advicenators, I've gone from honours student to failing out of university (and getting back on top again!), from single to married, from tenant to homeowner.

Until lately, I have been struggling with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and OCD, which had basically ruined my life and taken just about everything from me. I'm thankful every day for every experience I've had because of this ordeal, because it's helped to make me who I am today. Things like that really make you appreciate what you do have. Now that I'm back in work and school and starting to become myself again, I couldn't be happier. I credit Advicenators with saving my life back when I was a teenager, which is a big part of why I'm still here.

I won't necessarily give you the answers you want to hear, but I'll always be honest and do my best to help.

Gender:
Location:
Occupation:
Age:
Member Since:
Answers:
Last Update:
Visitors:
Main Categories:




Favorite Columnists