Welcome to the saga of the working-class adventurer! Enjoy the complete story with new annotations daily!
The Automan's Daughter
Mike Stamm
Aisha Osman and her uncle Siddig outwit bikers, spies and kidnappers while gearing up for a showdown with the formidable Widowmaker mecha.
Goodbye to Halos
Valerie Halla
Cuddles, gay flirting, weird feelings, and magic-fueled knife fights - it's an adventure across the queer multiverse!
Real Science Adventures
Brian Clevinger
Spin off stories and other adventures from the world of Atomic Robo!
Astral Aves
Moon Cabal
A fantasy coming-of-age following the adventures of Astra The Black and friends, as they navigate the mysterious world around them. It's politics, adventure, and the supernatural; oh, and crazy hair.
Sufficiently Remarkable
Maki Naro
Two young women living in Brooklyn discover that you're always coming of age.
Whomp!
Ronnie
A depressed, portly, hirsute anime fan stumbles through life in the ever-pursuit of chicken nuggets and other life-shortening indulgences.
Fireweeds Moors
Gato Iberico
A cat-headed man and a girl with a sandwich hankering accidentally end up in a myth-infused country where magic chalices are a really big thing.
Wilde Life
Pascalle Lepas
Oscar decided to rent an old haunted house, and that's when things got weird...
Atomic Robo
Brian Clevinger, Scott Wegener
The robot punches monsters and bad robots and one time he was a cowboy.
[un]Divine
Ayme
A highschool senior thought giving up his soul for a demon was a good idea. It wasn't.
El Goonish Shive
Dan Shive
WARNING: This comic often ignores the Laws of Physics
Jailbird
Charlie Davis
An all-ages comic about a recently escaped prisoner's struggle to understand the outside world, and vice-versa. Also, a magic cape!
Love Not Found
Gina Biggs
Abeille is on a quest to find someone who wants to do it the old-fashioned way in a time when touching has become outdated.
Monster Pulse
Magnolia Porter Siddell
Four kids run afoul of a creepy secret organization's experiments, which turn their body parts into fighting monsters. Part sentimental coming-of-age story, part monster-training shonen manga, with just a bit of sci-fi body horror.
Godslave
Meaghan Carter
Edith has been thrown into the dangerous world of modern-day Egyptian mythology. Fighting monsters and dealing with family drama of godly proportions.
Dumbing of Age
David M Willis
Joyce has been homeschooled her entire life until now, when she's suddenly a freshman in college! Things don't go well.
Never Satisfied
Taylor Robin
Lucy Marlowe, a magician's apprentice, competes against other apprentices for an important, magical, Goverment Job.
Starhammer
J.N. Monk, Harry Bogosian
A teen girl inherits a powerful alien artifact and proceeds to make a series of increasingly poor decisions
Awaken
Koti Saavedra/Flipfloppery
Superpowers, monsters and conspiracies. Piras, the spoiled Dameschi heir, fights to recover his identity after becoming a terrorist!
The End
August Brown, Cory Brown
Two aliens crash a sci-fi convention and accidentally take seven nerds on an adventure that spans the galaxy!
Ghost Junk Sickness
Studio CARTRIDGE, Laura Lee
Two hunters try to survive and end up being pushed to pursue a deadly bounty dubbed "The Ghost".
Nerf Now!!
Josué Pereira
A cute webcomic about fanservice, video games, and... love. Mostly video games, though.
Paranatural
Zack Morrison
Superpowered middle schoolers fight evil spirits in their rural hometown. Come for the jokes, stay for the cast, the creatures, and the mystery that ties them all together!
Sam & Fuzzy
Sam Logan
Troubled by gangster rodents, lovesick vampire stalkers, or confused ninja assassins? Don't panic! Sam and Fuzzy are here to help. (For a reasonable fee.)
Lilith's Word
inkPangur
If you had the power to make any wish come true using just one word, what would you say?
The Witch Door
Anni K.
Katariina Lehto discovers her neighbor is a witch called Jousia Muotka. Jousia introduces Katariina to the strange people and places beyond the witch door...
Alice and the Nightmare
Misha Krivanek
Alice finally attends University to learn to collect the dreams of humans, meet new friends, and deal with a pesky reflection along the way.
Stand Still, Stay Silent
Minna Sundberg
A few generations after the end of the world, a small, poorly financed research crew is sent out to rediscover whatever is left of the forbidden old world in the south.
Anarchy Dreamers
Emily Ree
Sparkly undead kids fight society's worst Nightmares in this pastel-punk urban fantasy coming-of-age!
Empowered
Adam Warren
A sexy superhero comedy (except when it isn't) about the never-ending struggles of a plucky but very unlucky young superheroine.
This is Not Fiction
Nicole Mannino
What do you do when the person you're in-love with is an anonymous romance novelist? Get your best friend to hire your worst enemy for help!
Demon's Mirror
Harry Bogosian
Based loosely off of "The Snow Queen", a story by Hans Christian Andersen, we see things take a different turn as the demons become central characters, and the side characters stick around. Yup, that's the only differences. Enjoy!
Tigress Queen
Allison Shaw
A barbarian warlord and a pampered prince try to avoid a marriage alliance that could end decades of violence.
Caramel Corn
Potchimew
Sarah is the only human left in a world full of mythical creatures and monsters. All she wants to do is live a quiet life, but everything changes when she meets her guardian angel, Jacob.
Hazy London
Scotty
A story about messy relationships. From friendly foes to crazy families. Nothing is black and white, just full of color. But, all colors can get a little hazy...
The Lonely Vincent Bellingham
Diana Huh
Vincent is an unkind man looking to disappear, and finds himself in the care of a vampire and her two wicked children.
Widdershins
Kate Ashwin
A series of light-hearted Victorian-era adventure stories featuring grumpy bounty hunters, accidental thiefkings, and more, in England's magical capital city Widdershins!
Between Failures
Jackie Wohlenhaus
The low stakes adventures of an assorted group of 20 somethings trapped in the declining years of American retail. They are naughty and say lots of swears.
Star Trip
Gisele Weaver
Jas is a human taken from her home planet on a trip across the galaxy she will never forget.
Cyanide & Happiness
Explosm
Satire, dark humor and surreal humor.
Knights Errant
J.R. Doyle
Wilfrid's humble quest for revenge becomes bigger and bloodier by the day.
Monsterkind
Taylor C
Wallace Foster, a young, bright-eyed human social worker, has his entire world view rocked when he's suddenly relocated into a city primarily inhabited by monsters.
Kochab
Sarah Webb
A YA F/F fantasy comic about Sonya, a lost skier trying to survive a snowy wilderness and find her way back to her village; and Kyra - a fire spirit trying to fix the home that she let fall apart around her.
Star Impact
Jack McGee
A young, energetic woman fights her way up in the world of super-powered boxing after discovering the mighty gloves of her missing idol!
Kiwi Blitz
Mary Cagle (Cube Watermelon)
Steffi thinks she can use her kiwi mech to become a superhero. This idea turns out to be very stupid.
Go Get a Roomie
Clover
Experience the queer journey of an upbeat hippie and the friendships she makes along the way! A tale of self-discovery and love of many forms.
Wychwood
Varethane
When Tiara's pyrokinesis is finally noticed, she is captured by a magical research organization for study. If she cooperates, she could be helping to save humanity from a dire threat - but can she trust them?
Sister Claire
Yamino
In the troubled aftermath of a great war between Witches and her fellow Nuns, novice Sister Claire just wants a purpose.
Cassiopeia Quinn
Gunwild, Psudonym
A cute, pantsless thief is pursued across the stars by a buttoned-up military officer in the spacey, laser-filled future.
Girl Genius
Phil Foglio, Kaja Foglio
In a time when the Industrial Revolution has become an all-out war, Mad Science rules the World...with mixed success.
Devil's Candy
Rem, Bikkuri
A lush fantasy about boy genius Kazu Decker, the girl he constructed for his 9th grade science project, and the world of devils and monsters they live in.
Cut Time
Juby
Rel and her trusty avian friend Fugue are on a quest to save a world that's lost track of time. Follow them and their new recruits, in a story written with help from the stars.
The Sanity Circus
Windy
Magic, monsters and mysteries await in the odd city of Sanity. It's up to Attley and a colorful group of characters to find out just what is going on.
Lighter Than Heir
Melissa Albino
A young Volant woman joins the military in an effort to upstage her war-hero father.
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When I first began dating my boyfriend, we were long distance. His home life hadn’t exactly been a pretty picture and he had been through a very manipulative relationship prior to meeting me (the guy he was with belittled him at every turn- privately and in front of others, accused him of coming out for attention, refused to acknowledge it as a relationship, had sex with him anyway, used sex as a power play, and didn’t stop when asked.) He was depressed and suicidal, he struggled to get out of bed daily with a physically and emotionally abusive family, and he had been abandoned by countless friends.
I was his first long-term solace in life – and every single day he believed he was going to lose me. It was like something in the back of his head was keeping a tally of every little action of mine, every discussion, the feel of every conversation. When he would feel vulnerable, his mind would turn these scrupulous observations on him like rabid dogs, tearing him down and telling him to get it over with and end it all before he hurt me. He would be inconsolable. Maybe it was that I didn’t text or call the same way I usually did. Maybe sometimes his parents would just get under his skin, and he was tired of fighting.
He was never, ever abusive. He never was controlling. He tried so hard to make it bearable for me. He has always been a darling, and a fighter. He treats me like royalty and we have made a fantastic team. We’ve seen eachother at our lowest, and we’re at our best today because of it.
But those nights were always the worst. Everything was going to be okay, up until we would hang up. Without anything to distract him, he was completely at the mercy of his imagination.
It was in no way easy or quick. Me coming along didn’t change the fact that every other thing in his life was still the way it was, and I could only divert his attention away from that for so long. The best thing he could hope from me was to stay on the line with him, listen, convince, and just generally be as doting as I could possibly be over the phone until the whole episode burnt itself out, usually by him losing the brain power to even be able to feel crushing apathy. Those were some of the good instances.
Sometimes it took great effort not to scream. It was like he didn’t want all these things I was telling him to be true, and he could come off as though he’d be willing to use a misstep, any mistake, just a poor choice of word to say, “see, you said something that agrees with me, now I’m further down the rabbit hole. Whoop de doo, I dare you to try and dig me out.” He hated himself so much, I often forget this. At the time it was hard not to think that he may have hated me for loving him.
I think he believes now that he was exacerbating whatever feeling he could get his hands on; whether he felt loathsome or ecstatic, it was always so fuzzy for him, and feelings never seemed important or like they ever left behind any impression. Even when he was infatuated with me and all his problems felt solved, he’d be unable to connect with that feeling by the next hour. Hating himself as hard as possible was usually the easiest thing to get lost in, and so he clung to it desperately in almost a drunken fashion, just as a form of stimulation to remind himself that he could exist. I can only imagine he felt terribly helpless and alone hearing me so clearly distressed by the things he’d say just to stay afloat.
The moment things really felt like they shifted was when he quit his antidepressants and anti anxiety medication, cold turkey. (before I go any further: DO NOT DO THAT UNLESS YOUR DOCTOR TELLS YOU TO.)
I don’t (and can’t) really know what this precisely did to him, but I found one evening that he was suddenly poised, collected, and seemed to have every one of his wits about him– all out of the blue. I marveled over this treasured moment of stability, and it felt like I was finally seeing him down to his soul. There was no fatigue in his voice. He was prompt in responding to what I said and wasn’t forgetful in the slightest. There was a vitality to him that floored me; I was seeing a glimpse at what was under that ever-present, colossal sea of pain, perhaps the clearest view I had ever witnessed up until that point. To me, I think it was the first time in a long while that he felt like his own mind even existed.
It didn’t last that way, and in fact his pain would periodically hit him even harder than before. But we soon found that he’d have another few hours of relief each time. The rift between ‘apathetic haze’ and ‘jovial and alive’ was growing. A few measly hours of reprieve would stretch into a couple of days where he really felt like he could cope. The change in the overall atmosphere surrounding him was incredibly welcome, and was gratifying in itself. We cherished every single day of progress.
He did stop being suicidally depressed, but he did then move on to debilitating anxiety. I think this was because suddenly his pain was real all the time. We eventually cleared that hurdle too, but his journey out of mental illness has been like bouncing around a pinball machine. Regardless, the improvement most definitely shows! I really almost don’t recognize him from when we started, and I’m just so proud. He’s even been able to start working on his eating disorder, and he’s also working up the courage to start job hunting!
It’s been over two years since we started our journey, and I’m afraid the complete list of all the ways he and I have changed over time is too great to recall all at once. Least of all can I expect myself to recite every goal that kept him going a little longer, or every day spent that made him feel just a little bit better about the big picture. But I think I can say what gave him the most power through all that was that he had a reason to see each of those days through – someone to tell him good job, we had fun today; let’s make the next one even better, or it’s ok, we’ll power through this until tomorrow. I’ll be with you, just keep your chin up – I’m not going anywhere.
In much fewer words, I think it helped immensely that he had someone 100% in his corner for the first time in his life; he had someone with whom he could trust his deepest thoughts, and that alone was golden. And aside from having someone to build him up, his woes actually had a place to go. The two changes together slowly helped give purpose to fixing all the little things, one at a time.
I’m glad the two of you have been able to work through. I’m reading all this and i relate to all of it. My girlfriend has been in a very similar situation for the past few years, coming from a lifetime of pressure. She’s still having her bad days, but she’s making her own progress, and has just recently started a new job that seems to be perking her up day by day.
For a long time it feels like i’ve been her only source of solace, with many nights having her be drunk, full of self loathing and an insistence that i’m the only one who’s there for her but she wouldn’t blame me for a second if i left, so it’s making me happy to hear her say she’s meeting up with people after work for coffee.
Congrats to the two of you. It sounds like you deserve it.
Thank you for sharing this. And thanks for being such a strong ally and partner. Even if it’s hard for him to feel that way – he deserves to have someone like you, finally (most survivors don’t get to meet that kind of person although they all deserve and need it so much). This gives hope
Have you shared it anywhere else? http://themighty.com/ comes to mind. It’s always great to hear that there’s progress. To hear “it gets better“ from other people who are struggling.
“when he quit his antidepressants and anti anxiety medication, cold turkey. (before I go any further: DO NOT DO THAT UNLESS YOUR DOCTOR TELLS YOU TO.)”
I’d say don’t do that period. if your doctor tells you to quit an antidepressant cold turkey, you need a better doctor.
“He did stop being suicidally depressed, but he did then move on to debilitating anxiety.”
hah, yeah, been there… actually, I guess I’m there again atm, thanks to medication withdrawal. I’m bouncing between being too far away from myself to talk to people, and too flooded with bizarre rage to respond when they try to talk to me.
“In much fewer words, I think it helped immensely that he had someone 100% in his corner for the first time in his life”
hell yeah. well, my husband wasn’t strictly the first, but he’s been there for me through so much, and tbh it still feels a little weird to have someone who’ll still love me even if I do something stupid… someone whose idea of love is supportive, not controlling…
I’m so glad to hear you guys made it work. It sounds like you are both a lot stronger now. I feel like our society does not do a great job preparing us for providing mental health support in relationships. Whatever you did, I’m glad it helped him!
Poor guy having to deal with all that, and the damage it wrought. Strong, brave, courageous, considerate guy for moving past all that to a better place, for not letting the insecurity he felt manifest in unfair and unpleasant behaviour towards you…
He sounds like an amazing bloke and I bet you two are an awesome couple
much like the Leafs, things seem to be going well for Ruth, and yet much like the Leafs, we all know it’s going to plunge into darkness and despair soon enough
The title of the next storyline has already been revealed on Willis’s twitter. The lyrics of the song it’s from…are not particularly hopeful in the context of Ruth and Billie’s relationship.
Although, as with “That Perfect Girl” (inter alia), I’m sure there are several relationships that the lyrics will apply to in one way or another.
I mean frankly I’m happy about that. They were never perfect. This will either fix them or break them up. Hoping a break up doesn’t trigger a downward spiral, but they both need some space.
Do you think Billie is pushing her away?? I feel like it’s way way way way too short of a timespan for Billie to ever start doing that. She knows Ruth’s in a delicate spot, and with the current emotional climate I don’t think she’d even be capable of going all cold on her like that.
Accidentally juggle her appearance at Foster Quad more than give Ruth attention? That could happen, and it would suck – and also cause a lot of pointless pain. But they are newly together, we must remember. It’s likely, and would be shitty, but it’s not anything insurmountable.
But pushing Ruth away entirely, bit by bit, without any motive? I really don’t think so. It would just feel very sorely out of character for Billie right now.
Okay, I’m already on the verge of the feels about today’s strip. Who else didn’t need to be reminded that they told each other “I love you” four days ago, in-universe?
Why maybe, alt-text? I am now worried for, in order from most seriously to least seriously: David Willis, the Earth itself, and the personification of alt-textness.
No, Billie, I don’t think that Ruth will be ‘all right’. However, that said, I think that this is something that she wants and needs to face if she has any serious intention of being independently functional.
This is not the end of the relationship, this is the end of the unhealthy codependency, at least on Billie’s end. I don’t think she’ll abandon Ruth, but… yeah, she’s not going to be her entire world anymore.
THIS IS A GOOD THING though and can in no way be described as fucking up :\
Billie has found Her Crowd, this has to be an immense relief. I don’t think she’ll abandon her relationship, but the codependency is going to crumble away. That’s a good thing.
No idea. I could see Ruth jumping to that conclusion, that ‘oh, this is the start of being pushed away, okay’ because low self-esteem is irrational and tells you things like that.
But this doesn’t mean anything from Billie’s side… yet. If she becomes too immersed in her group, she may start to neglect their relationship, which would be an actual problem, but for now this is just Ruth expecting the worst because her imagination is haunting her.
I’d venture it’s because she’s not staying over so the dormers won’t think she hates them, but because their basically worshipping her. Seeing as Ruth is JUST out of suicide watch, it comes across as bit self-absorbed.
Yeah, what JBento said. I think that’s why some people are worried. At least, that’s kinda why I’m a little worried…? :C
I mean, I do think it’s far too early to tell exactly what’s going on in Billie’s mind yet – she just moved there TODAY in comic time OMG. She’s probably a jumble of mixed emotions right now, and that’ll take some time for us readers to untangle! So I think people jumping straight to blaming her for stuff are maaaybe jumping the gun a bit?
But yeah, as someone who’s been severely depressed (to the point of frequent suicidal ideation), I’m super worried for Ruth, not gonna lie. I don’t think Billie is doing anything WRONG, per se, and I would definitely like to see them work through their extreme co-dependency issues. But… Ruth is only just starting to work through her issues and is in a weird mental space right now (what with the whole “REDEMPTION IS IMPOSSIBLE” speech and a certain abusive relative showing up). So I swear I don’t mean this as an insult to Billie, but I can’t help but worry that Billie’s actions at the moment aren’t exactly… helping that? ;~;
But again, it’s not that I think there was a binary choice and Billie chose the WRONG option, it’s just. Complicated.
It does suggest that it’s not going to be as simple as “officially move over there, but basically keep living in Ruth’s room”, which was kind of the original plan.
My therapist is my only confidant and source of real emotional support. I’m quite dependent on her. I know it’s not ideal but it is how it is. I haven’t seen her for 5 and a half weeks now because she’s on maternal leave. Ruth is very relatable right now.
And thus it begins. Billie has found what she’s more or less wanted from the beginning. A place where she is top dog and is basically worshipped for how “awesome” she is.
This is a new start for her. “Take two”, “gossip” and “visual aid” and all that.
And never mind that everybody in the new dorm(which has AC, OMG) is worshipping her and doing things for her.
She’s seeing how green the grass is here, and how normal her new dormates are, and how much they love her.
She’s not going to jeopardize that for a relationship and work with Ruth.
Pretty soon, she won’t even be texting Ruth anymore. If they see each other on campus in passing, Ruth will try to reconnect in some way and Billie will absolutely be like “Oh hey you, haven’t seen you in a while, how you been?”
This is basically Ren and Stimpy when Ren got pecs.
today in #9chickweedlane i learned we have to be shown children learning and relearning what sex is, for Reasons, even though they already clearly know and have prepared nuanced questions about it!
also that Gran must hate, if she's still alive, how Old Juliette is the same but with gray hair
one of my favorite things is when a commenter explodes WHEN DO THESE CHARACTERS GET THERAPY but directed towards a character who canonically has a regular therapist
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btw if you're one of those rando bluesky weirdos who doesn't know me but sees me in the wild being sarcastic and don't know i'm being sarcastic because you haven't taken like 30 seconds to, like, maybe look at my user profile or something, keep walking, you're not going to score internet points here
Here's an entertaining cite at the bottom of the first page
Josh Gerstein@joshgerstein.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
JUST IN: Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan moves to dismiss federal criminal case against her for allegedly helping immigrant hide from ICE. Her lawyers say she's protected by official acts & judicial immunity and 10th Amendment. Doc: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Where did Hollywood go so wrong? I thought movies were supposed to be an escape from reality, a chance to put your worries aside and not have to think about any underlying ideas or concepts. Well, not anymore.
theonion.com/you-can...
It's not a new argument, of course, but Chesterton dismissed it effectively in 1908.
"You will hear everlastingly... this argument that the rich man cannot be bribed. The fact is, of course, that the rich man is bribed; he has been bribed already. That is why he is a rich man."
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com ⋅ 2d
Hawley dismisses Trump lining his pockets with his memecoin: "Listen, I think nobody believes that Donald Trump can be bought. I mean, what does Donald Trump need more money for?"
wilbur, savvy enough to know he's in a comic strip but still not a great actor, awkwardly lifts a muffin up into frame so that we, the audience, understand that he has a muffin right now, which is very important narratively, but he's not really selling it well as an organic, human action
preternia @preternia.com ⋅ 1d
Josh Gerstein @joshgerstein.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com ⋅ 2d
Pavel
@spavel.bsky.social ⋅ 11d
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When I first began dating my boyfriend, we were long distance. His home life hadn’t exactly been a pretty picture and he had been through a very manipulative relationship prior to meeting me (the guy he was with belittled him at every turn- privately and in front of others, accused him of coming out for attention, refused to acknowledge it as a relationship, had sex with him anyway, used sex as a power play, and didn’t stop when asked.) He was depressed and suicidal, he struggled to get out of bed daily with a physically and emotionally abusive family, and he had been abandoned by countless friends.
I was his first long-term solace in life – and every single day he believed he was going to lose me. It was like something in the back of his head was keeping a tally of every little action of mine, every discussion, the feel of every conversation. When he would feel vulnerable, his mind would turn these scrupulous observations on him like rabid dogs, tearing him down and telling him to get it over with and end it all before he hurt me. He would be inconsolable. Maybe it was that I didn’t text or call the same way I usually did. Maybe sometimes his parents would just get under his skin, and he was tired of fighting.
He was never, ever abusive. He never was controlling. He tried so hard to make it bearable for me. He has always been a darling, and a fighter. He treats me like royalty and we have made a fantastic team. We’ve seen eachother at our lowest, and we’re at our best today because of it.
But those nights were always the worst. Everything was going to be okay, up until we would hang up. Without anything to distract him, he was completely at the mercy of his imagination.
I’m glad you made it past that. It’s a horrible place to be.
Hwoof, that was well expressed, and sounds mentally brutal. How did he gain power over those inner demons?
It was in no way easy or quick. Me coming along didn’t change the fact that every other thing in his life was still the way it was, and I could only divert his attention away from that for so long. The best thing he could hope from me was to stay on the line with him, listen, convince, and just generally be as doting as I could possibly be over the phone until the whole episode burnt itself out, usually by him losing the brain power to even be able to feel crushing apathy. Those were some of the good instances.
Sometimes it took great effort not to scream. It was like he didn’t want all these things I was telling him to be true, and he could come off as though he’d be willing to use a misstep, any mistake, just a poor choice of word to say, “see, you said something that agrees with me, now I’m further down the rabbit hole. Whoop de doo, I dare you to try and dig me out.” He hated himself so much, I often forget this. At the time it was hard not to think that he may have hated me for loving him.
I think he believes now that he was exacerbating whatever feeling he could get his hands on; whether he felt loathsome or ecstatic, it was always so fuzzy for him, and feelings never seemed important or like they ever left behind any impression. Even when he was infatuated with me and all his problems felt solved, he’d be unable to connect with that feeling by the next hour. Hating himself as hard as possible was usually the easiest thing to get lost in, and so he clung to it desperately in almost a drunken fashion, just as a form of stimulation to remind himself that he could exist. I can only imagine he felt terribly helpless and alone hearing me so clearly distressed by the things he’d say just to stay afloat.
The moment things really felt like they shifted was when he quit his antidepressants and anti anxiety medication, cold turkey. (before I go any further: DO NOT DO THAT UNLESS YOUR DOCTOR TELLS YOU TO.)
I don’t (and can’t) really know what this precisely did to him, but I found one evening that he was suddenly poised, collected, and seemed to have every one of his wits about him– all out of the blue. I marveled over this treasured moment of stability, and it felt like I was finally seeing him down to his soul. There was no fatigue in his voice. He was prompt in responding to what I said and wasn’t forgetful in the slightest. There was a vitality to him that floored me; I was seeing a glimpse at what was under that ever-present, colossal sea of pain, perhaps the clearest view I had ever witnessed up until that point. To me, I think it was the first time in a long while that he felt like his own mind even existed.
It didn’t last that way, and in fact his pain would periodically hit him even harder than before. But we soon found that he’d have another few hours of relief each time. The rift between ‘apathetic haze’ and ‘jovial and alive’ was growing. A few measly hours of reprieve would stretch into a couple of days where he really felt like he could cope. The change in the overall atmosphere surrounding him was incredibly welcome, and was gratifying in itself. We cherished every single day of progress.
He did stop being suicidally depressed, but he did then move on to debilitating anxiety. I think this was because suddenly his pain was real all the time. We eventually cleared that hurdle too, but his journey out of mental illness has been like bouncing around a pinball machine. Regardless, the improvement most definitely shows! I really almost don’t recognize him from when we started, and I’m just so proud. He’s even been able to start working on his eating disorder, and he’s also working up the courage to start job hunting!
It’s been over two years since we started our journey, and I’m afraid the complete list of all the ways he and I have changed over time is too great to recall all at once. Least of all can I expect myself to recite every goal that kept him going a little longer, or every day spent that made him feel just a little bit better about the big picture. But I think I can say what gave him the most power through all that was that he had a reason to see each of those days through – someone to tell him good job, we had fun today; let’s make the next one even better, or it’s ok, we’ll power through this until tomorrow. I’ll be with you, just keep your chin up – I’m not going anywhere.
In much fewer words, I think it helped immensely that he had someone 100% in his corner for the first time in his life; he had someone with whom he could trust his deepest thoughts, and that alone was golden. And aside from having someone to build him up, his woes actually had a place to go. The two changes together slowly helped give purpose to fixing all the little things, one at a time.
It’s really, really brave of both of you to share this story. Thank you.
I’m glad the two of you have been able to work through. I’m reading all this and i relate to all of it. My girlfriend has been in a very similar situation for the past few years, coming from a lifetime of pressure. She’s still having her bad days, but she’s making her own progress, and has just recently started a new job that seems to be perking her up day by day.
For a long time it feels like i’ve been her only source of solace, with many nights having her be drunk, full of self loathing and an insistence that i’m the only one who’s there for her but she wouldn’t blame me for a second if i left, so it’s making me happy to hear her say she’s meeting up with people after work for coffee.
Congrats to the two of you. It sounds like you deserve it.
Thank you for sharing this. And thanks for being such a strong ally and partner. Even if it’s hard for him to feel that way – he deserves to have someone like you, finally (most survivors don’t get to meet that kind of person although they all deserve and need it so much). This gives hope
Have you shared it anywhere else?
http://themighty.com/ comes to mind. It’s always great to hear that there’s progress. To hear “it gets better“ from other people who are struggling.
“when he quit his antidepressants and anti anxiety medication, cold turkey. (before I go any further: DO NOT DO THAT UNLESS YOUR DOCTOR TELLS YOU TO.)”
I’d say don’t do that period. if your doctor tells you to quit an antidepressant cold turkey, you need a better doctor.
“He did stop being suicidally depressed, but he did then move on to debilitating anxiety.”
hah, yeah, been there… actually, I guess I’m there again atm, thanks to medication withdrawal. I’m bouncing between being too far away from myself to talk to people, and too flooded with bizarre rage to respond when they try to talk to me.
“In much fewer words, I think it helped immensely that he had someone 100% in his corner for the first time in his life”
hell yeah. well, my husband wasn’t strictly the first, but he’s been there for me through so much, and tbh it still feels a little weird to have someone who’ll still love me even if I do something stupid… someone whose idea of love is supportive, not controlling…
I’m so glad to hear you guys made it work. It sounds like you are both a lot stronger now. I feel like our society does not do a great job preparing us for providing mental health support in relationships. Whatever you did, I’m glad it helped him!
Poor guy having to deal with all that, and the damage it wrought. Strong, brave, courageous, considerate guy for moving past all that to a better place, for not letting the insecurity he felt manifest in unfair and unpleasant behaviour towards you…
He sounds like an amazing bloke and I bet you two are an awesome couple
Thank you for sharing. It sounds like he has been through a lot but it is good he is doing better.
“well shit, I was GONNA be =C ”
(actually that face could easily be “k w/e”)
For real, it sometimes feels like someone ruined your night by asking. Damn it, I wasn’t thinking about that!
You can tell Ruth’s feeling bad in the last panel because her gaze drifts towards the Leafs poster.
Life as a Leafs fan has taught Ruth to associate disappointment with hockey.
much like the Leafs, things seem to be going well for Ruth, and yet much like the Leafs, we all know it’s going to plunge into darkness and despair soon enough
Third best team in the NHL right now. It probably won’t last, but it’s a good time to be a Torontonian.
Yea, and your football team somehow managed to win as well.
*plays Journey’s “I’ll Be All Right Without You” on the hacked Muzak*
I’m hearing “So Far Away” in my head.
Thanks for the earworm!
Carole King or Dire Straits?
Carole King
And everything Ruth feared would happen with this move begins.
The title of the next storyline has already been revealed on Willis’s twitter. The lyrics of the song it’s from…are not particularly hopeful in the context of Ruth and Billie’s relationship.
Although, as with “That Perfect Girl” (inter alia), I’m sure there are several relationships that the lyrics will apply to in one way or another.
I mean frankly I’m happy about that. They were never perfect. This will either fix them or break them up. Hoping a break up doesn’t trigger a downward spiral, but they both need some space.
well, um, those pages aren’t going to highlight themselves.
(the imagination is a cruel bastard sometimes)
(god I’ve had so many panic attacks that started out with something like this)
Billie hasn’t told the Forest girls that she’s still with Ruth, has she?
Well, she bragged about banging her, so I doubt she’d have a problem with them knowing they’re still together.
Maybe?!
The spectre of trucks is ever-looming.
Many miles away
Someone climbs into the driver’s seat
Of a dark Indianan truck…
Billie, if you do what I think you’re doing I will never forgive you.
Do you think Billie is pushing her away?? I feel like it’s way way way way too short of a timespan for Billie to ever start doing that. She knows Ruth’s in a delicate spot, and with the current emotional climate I don’t think she’d even be capable of going all cold on her like that.
Accidentally juggle her appearance at Foster Quad more than give Ruth attention? That could happen, and it would suck – and also cause a lot of pointless pain. But they are newly together, we must remember. It’s likely, and would be shitty, but it’s not anything insurmountable.
But pushing Ruth away entirely, bit by bit, without any motive? I really don’t think so. It would just feel very sorely out of character for Billie right now.
And with that I’m sad now. Thanks, Willis.
ruth gonna spend the night at her place………..isn’t she?
Billie sent a photo of her cheerleading, which Ruthless is using as avatar eh.
??
oh my bad, apparently the avatar is stored on the sender’s phone (billie), not locally ^^;
no, ruth is clearly the leafs avatar??
Billie’s own avatar for herself is her cheerleading. We’ve seen the same one when she’s texted Joyce in the past, I believe?
Right here: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-7/03-the-thing-i-was-before/fuckoff/
Okay, I’m already on the verge of the feels about today’s strip. Who else didn’t need to be reminded that they told each other “I love you” four days ago, in-universe?
Now she really knows what its like to be a Leafs fan.
But she’s known disappointment all her life; I’m sure she knows what it’s like for longer than just now.
And yet, somehow, her disappointment manages to grow even larger with every passing year.
Spousal Ms ValdVin doesn’t follow sport much, but when I mentioned this thread to her she said,
“Isn’t that covered under Being a Leafs fan?“
Someone is sad i bed. That’s how you know a day comes to its end.
Dina was happy, though.
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/04-walking-with-dina/noddin/
OMG THAT’S THE SWEETEST THING IT’S SO CUTE I’M JUST GONNA AARGNGLLF
Vh-1 Behind the Dorms narrator: IT WAS, IN FACT, A BIG DEAL.
No Ruth! Stay away from alcohol!
Stay strong, Ruth. You got this <3
How bad are Ruth’s abandonment issues? Enough to drag her back to the bottle?
“storyline over, see you tomorrow, maybe”
Why maybe, alt-text? I am now worried for, in order from most seriously to least seriously: David Willis, the Earth itself, and the personification of alt-textness.
Maybe the next chapter has a time-skip and it won’t be ‘tomorrow’, in-universe?
Primus help us if the alt-text teams up with Vangelus’s subtitles to-date I say it-try and take over the world!
are they going to break up? i really hope not!
No, Billie, I don’t think that Ruth will be ‘all right’. However, that said, I think that this is something that she wants and needs to face if she has any serious intention of being independently functional.
It’s fine. I’m sure she’s just thinking about alcohol.
and thus begins the end of Ruth/Billie. Her grandfather wins again. And Billie fucks up yet again.
This is not the end of the relationship, this is the end of the unhealthy codependency, at least on Billie’s end. I don’t think she’ll abandon Ruth, but… yeah, she’s not going to be her entire world anymore.
THIS IS A GOOD THING though and can in no way be described as fucking up :\
Ruth can I hug you
Billie has found Her Crowd, this has to be an immense relief. I don’t think she’ll abandon her relationship, but the codependency is going to crumble away. That’s a good thing.
Why are people jumping to Billie abandoning Ruth just cause she’s sleeping in her new dorm the first night???
No idea. I could see Ruth jumping to that conclusion, that ‘oh, this is the start of being pushed away, okay’ because low self-esteem is irrational and tells you things like that.
But this doesn’t mean anything from Billie’s side… yet. If she becomes too immersed in her group, she may start to neglect their relationship, which would be an actual problem, but for now this is just Ruth expecting the worst because her imagination is haunting her.
I’d venture it’s because she’s not staying over so the dormers won’t think she hates them, but because their basically worshipping her. Seeing as Ruth is JUST out of suicide watch, it comes across as bit self-absorbed.
Yeah, what JBento said. I think that’s why some people are worried. At least, that’s kinda why I’m a little worried…? :C
I mean, I do think it’s far too early to tell exactly what’s going on in Billie’s mind yet – she just moved there TODAY in comic time OMG. She’s probably a jumble of mixed emotions right now, and that’ll take some time for us readers to untangle! So I think people jumping straight to blaming her for stuff are maaaybe jumping the gun a bit?
But yeah, as someone who’s been severely depressed (to the point of frequent suicidal ideation), I’m super worried for Ruth, not gonna lie. I don’t think Billie is doing anything WRONG, per se, and I would definitely like to see them work through their extreme co-dependency issues. But… Ruth is only just starting to work through her issues and is in a weird mental space right now (what with the whole “REDEMPTION IS IMPOSSIBLE” speech and a certain abusive relative showing up). So I swear I don’t mean this as an insult to Billie, but I can’t help but worry that Billie’s actions at the moment aren’t exactly… helping that? ;~;
But again, it’s not that I think there was a binary choice and Billie chose the WRONG option, it’s just. Complicated.
It does suggest that it’s not going to be as simple as “officially move over there, but basically keep living in Ruth’s room”, which was kind of the original plan.
And so the Empire of Femurs begins it’s collapse.
…. BEGINS?
It still kinda stands right?
Well, that’s what femurs are supposed to do, anyway.
Damn you Willis I had just cleared my heart of all emotions.
My therapist is my only confidant and source of real emotional support. I’m quite dependent on her. I know it’s not ideal but it is how it is. I haven’t seen her for 5 and a half weeks now because she’s on maternal leave. Ruth is very relatable right now.
*support* 8(
*AGOS*
Aw damn… (checks alt-text) (checks buffer watch) (Makes face like panel 6)
Is Willis actually going to take a few days off and relax over the holiday?!!
“What do you normally do when I’m gone?”
“Wait for you to get back.”
Is that a Boxer Hockey reference?
Spongebob
And thus it begins. Billie has found what she’s more or less wanted from the beginning. A place where she is top dog and is basically worshipped for how “awesome” she is.
This is a new start for her. “Take two”, “gossip” and “visual aid” and all that.
And never mind that everybody in the new dorm(which has AC, OMG) is worshipping her and doing things for her.
She’s seeing how green the grass is here, and how normal her new dormates are, and how much they love her.
She’s not going to jeopardize that for a relationship and work with Ruth.
Pretty soon, she won’t even be texting Ruth anymore. If they see each other on campus in passing, Ruth will try to reconnect in some way and Billie will absolutely be like “Oh hey you, haven’t seen you in a while, how you been?”
This is basically Ren and Stimpy when Ren got pecs.
It won’t be that simple and it won’t be that easy. Not enough drama.
Though we may swing in that direction before things get really ugly.
Billie and Ruth as a relationship is creepy as f**k so if this is the first step for Billie breaking away from the relationship then its all good
Maybe not so good for Ruth but as shes still a mean, nasty person that reminds me of the people at high school I’m ok with that
I know it’s kind of an unhealthy relationship, but it’s been going better lately and I really want these two to work out…
*nervous puppy noises*