skykitten

1) waitress 2) fast food cook 3) jewelry sales 4) novelty item sales (at Spencer's) 5) nurse's assistant 6) office worker at the sports dept. at TSU 7) telemarketer 8) pizza delivery (ROCKS! High pay for cleavage...) 9) blimpy's (sub shop) mgr. 10) market research 11) clarinet tutor 12) golf pro-shop staff 13) pleasure palace (PORN shop) mgr. 14) grocery store mgr. 15) computer tech 16) shoe sales 17) eBay seller 18) deli/catering not to count being a slave at my farm... oh, and pastry chef and hooker? When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

Reading through this is pretty amazing. Again, thank you all for your posts. My personal story goes a little like this: Around the age of 13 I started to exhibit some symptoms of depression. By 17 I was essentially out of control. At 20 I enrolled in college, where I started actively seeking help... which didn't help at all, and the downward spiral continued. (You are angry because you never knew your father... write him letters, then burn them...) Dropped out of college after one semester, partied, got engaged, broke it off, broke my ankle and tried to kill myself with pain killers and alcohol. It didn't work, mainly because of a friend showing up at the right time. Partied more, got enrolled again at the age of 23. One semester ok, and on the last day of the semester I cut my wrists. Went on Prozac. Things went alright at first, but then it boosted me into a manic phase. More drugs. More alcohol. More dropping out. I could go on, but I won't. I believe in the efficacy of some drugs on some people. Anti-depressants make my mother tolerable... nay, pleasant to be around. They made me freaking nuttier than ever. I gave up on life for a few years... the only thing keeping me going was my unwillingness to impart pain to my family... and to take care of my cat. Small enough reasons, but reason enough. I am forcing myself to find happiness now. I'm actively seeking out things to improve my quality of life, and making myself not take the easy way out by sleeping or abusing or whatever. Part of my regimine is meditation, going to the gym, and lots of talking with friends. Thinking about my AFF training is also something that gets me up.

Lurch, man, kick ASS.

Are there undefined disorders or undiscovered chemical imbalances out there? More than likely. It seems as though there are new classifications every time I turn around. That being said, there's probably not a person in the world that doesn't exhibit at least one or two diagnostic criteria for some disorder. This does not, however, mean someone has a mental illness. Another facet that is a point of contention... how many of these disorders are truly that? A disorder? Person A exhibits such and such behaviour that causes a disruption in his/her life. Often, it is difficult to determine the reason for the behaviour, and due to financial or time constraints, only limited periods are spent with qualified individuals. The person gets labeled as having a disorder. Now let's assume that Person A is just going through a rough spot in his/her life. Due to lack of coping mechanisms or a personal support network, said person develops some unhealthy habits or is put under mental strain. Person A, who previously thought of him or herself as a healthy human being, now has this label to fall back on. Failure or "bad" behaviours are now qualified by this lable. This provides an easy excuse for continuing the behaviour, rather than putting for the effort to make a positive change. Was the disorder there before being diagnosed, or did the diagnosis essentially -create- the disorder? My original poll was quickly put together, and left out several big disorders. My further posts brought in other issues. The information I am collecting is going into a big melting pot and useful bits will be scooped off the top. But everything that is being said is making an impact and changing a view. Thanks to everybody who has posted so far with their own experiences, and to those others who have brought up new questions. Bit by bit, we break down big walls. When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

I agree, I can go out and find a load of info on mental disorders, brain chemistry, risky behavior... you name it. I do, however, believe there is a real gap in information available to people interested in the subject. For the most part, you can find books that take it from a clinical standpoint... the why and why not, the seratonin and dopamine conundrums, and numerous theories on every aspect of every condition known to man. (Which is some boring stuff, btw. )Then you've got books like "Girl, Interrupted" and "Prozac Nation". Very heartwrenching, especially if you can identify with the feelings described, but too personal. The common thread in all is therapy and medication. But, with skydiving, I've seen people, who were on the verge of breakdown, come back with such vigor, such renewed vitality... it's incredible. I'll be scoping out this and other sports... car racing, skateboarding, etc... to see if these lifestyles are effectively helping people to regain their lives. Without drugs... or supervised discussion groups. I am TIRED of hearing that the only way to heal is with hours spent with a psychiatrist or with a drug cocktail that Hunter S Thompson would be impressed by. I know that hobbies and religion are touted as being supplemental healing tools, but what if, by some chance, we are actually healing a bit more every time we jump? (Or drive fast or zoom down a hill on a funky shaped board that has our feet attached to it?) That's the gap I want to fill. The questions I want to answer. Something between science and personal experience... that shoots from the hip and shows a few more options geared towards living a fulfilling, happy life. Too many people are breathing, but not living. You know what I mean? When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

So true. It was a brain fart. This is a test run, I'll be compiling a pretty all inclusive questionaire for this in a day or so. When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

On a somewhat serious note, I am doing a research study on people with mental disorders finding meaning in extreme sports. The premise behind this study is to determine the whether or not a relative stability can be achieved with the induction of an extreme activity... or rather, if jumping out of airplanes (or doing other such things) can help people stay sane. I deal with depression issues. My life has been turbulent, to say the least. After my first jump, things came into perspective a bit, and my determination to become a skydiver is preventing me from dropping back into old habits. Perhaps it is the life affirmation in the act of deploying one's parachute, or the knowledge that you are, essentially, completely in control of your own life for a few minutes. feel free to share stories or PM me. The research conducted will (hopefully) be integrated into my forthcoming book. Thanks!

Top three theatrical productions: 1) The African Queen with Bogart and Hepburn 2) Out of Africa with Streep and Redford 3) Das Boot with... uh... those guys. Top three producers of tunes: 1) Depeche Mode 2) Stone Temple Pilots 3) Cake When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

A couple of days ago on German mtv there was a special featuring the guys from Jackass. Towards the end of the program, they had a few people come in and do "Jackass-ish" type stunts. The first guy ate a hot dog doused in urine, which the Jackass dudes could handle... but the next chick up ate a sandwich made with (I know, this is bad) ear wax and hair removed directly from the guys on air. I thought Johnny Knoxville was going to throw up. He stated that the ear wax consumption was pretty much the most disgusting thing he had ever seen. Apparently those guys never clean their ears... you should have seen what they were digging out. I think I saw a chihuahua pop out of Steve-O's ear, but I can't be sure. When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

I am firing myself. That's what I get for trying to hold a conversation with a real life person and read a post on here at the same time. Sorry about that. With new perspective, a bashful grin, and one foot sticking out of my mouth (minus two toes, as I am a bit hungry) I think it's great that he's starting his own business and even more wonderful that you're supporting him. Best wishes, hope you guys make it gangbusters and you can jump all you want, and I'll go be quiet in the corner now. When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

http://darwinawards.de/old/DELETE.darwin1998-19.html There's the whole story. When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

I'm a bit confused as to why you would feel compelled to stop skydiving just because your SO is looking for work? You said that the house and car were yours... is your partner helping you pay those off? If he is, and you're still short on cash, I understand why you might want to slow down on your jumping... but if this person has a free ride thing going on, don't you believe it is part of a relationship to pay for things together? Besides, when you get your license, jumps are going to start getting cheaper. Just something to think about. When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

whoa! how much did you make on that? we could set up a stand! five bucks per minute, let me know what you think! When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

Dammit! Wingnut, you are FIRED! That was the most entertainment I've had all night... and German TV sucks. Bleh. Star Trek dubbed in Deutsch is just freaky. When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

what's the song??? When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

A thief and fraud has been grounded, courtesy of Adams County, IL (Quincy, IL). Craig Nash, originally of Cook County, IL (Chicago) was sentenced to three years and six months in the Illinois Department of Corrections due to probation violation in the form of bad checks. Craig was at WFFC 2002 and helped with transporting skydivers (you know, the unfortunates who landed in fields and such.) He claimed to be an Australian skydiving instructor from Bondi Beach, Australia. Craig managed to steal a bit over 2 grand from me, and may have been responsible for the theft of two tony suits at the convention. If any of you were victims of Craig Nash (who typically borrowed money from people) please contact me. He's also being investigated for over forty-thousand dollars worth of eBay fraud. Anyone who has more information on Mr. Nash is urged to drop me a line. Thanks! When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

another NSFW When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

This is an interesting thread to read after a weekend on the Nürburgring. My bf is a driver, a total afficianado of extremely fast cars, and thinks I'm nuts because of the desire to skydive. Maybe a better comparison would be skydiving vs. racing. The ring in Nürburg allows anybody (read ANYBODY) on their track as long as the vehicle goes over 65km/hr. That is not fast. People have done it on motor scooters. Most people, however, are in Porsches or BMWs. We did it a few times in a Mercedes and holy carp! I left sweat puddles on whatever I was holding on to. I'll jump out of a plane three times for every time around that track (which means I need to go out and skydive at least six times before I go back to Nürburg. Those people are nuts!) When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

"Fighting crime, trying to save the world, here they come just in time... the Powerpuff Girls... Powerpuff!" A fight between Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles vs. Betty and Wilma would be like watching a pitbull vs. a gerbil. Saving the world before bedtime! When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

Hear about the new Asain cook book? Yeah, it's called "101 Ways to Wok Your Dog." Best kitty 'torture' is to loosely tie a sock around your furry feline friend... it totally messes with their sense of equilibrium and they walk around like they are tanked on half a gallon of moonshine. Unfortunately, somebody ran over my cat, Kitty Turbo, yesterday. She's off chasing butterflies on the other side now. When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

I generally think children are frightening and smelly. In this case, I'll make an exception. What a doll! When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

Hey, just out of curiousity... any of ya'll racers or porsche/bmw fanatics? My boyfriend is a racer and wants to know if he'll have anybody to hang out with when we head off to the boogies next year. Otherwise, he's going to go driver supercars while I jump out of planes. Catch up with you guys later! When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

3 colleges and several years later, I'm just now ready to get back into school to finish up my degree(s). Philo/Psych/Biz with a minor in Latin, yo. Regina et filia waccam spectat. It's kind of weird hopping back into school at 26... all those little chumps in there looking at me like I've got asparagus growing out of my ears... but at least when the professors make references to 80's bands and movies, I know what they are talking about. Go me! When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

I'm sorry, did you say -before- skydiving? What's that? When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.

Haha! Kitten has found a home... As long as I don't drink enough tequila to forget where I am, I'll be just fine. Thanks for the warm welcome, ya'll. :) When walking up to an officer, it is not advisable to say, "Trick or Donut." Seriously.