Meme of the Year - 2022 Edition
Dec. 31st, 2022 11:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zaliachimera1. What did you do in 2022 that you’d never done before?
Got diagnosed with ADHD and medicated for it!
Wrote and completed a multi-chapter fanfic!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't even remember what they were. Probably 'write' more and hoo boy, I have managed that one!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes! My sister had a baby!
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope
5. What countries did you visit?
The UK. That's it. Pandemic still exists not that you would know it to look at the world.
6. What would you like to have in 2023 that you lacked in 2022?
A different better government? A gallbladder removal. A holiday.
...a haircut.
7. What dates from 2022 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 6th. Got my ADHD diagnosis!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
...Got pretty damn good at playing Destiny 2.
Also wrote a stupid amount of fanfic. Feels good!
9. What was your biggest failure?
Still have not ebayed all the anime stuff I own that I no longer want to own. Still have not got a haircut.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA OH GOD.
So I went to my GP to see if I could get them to take over prescribing my ADHD meds (they won't because they said I don't have it and the medication is not exactly what they would prescribe and apparently there is no evidence it works despite my quality of life being massively improved). They did agree to do blood test+ECG to make sure I am fine on the meds.
...so I apparently have:
- A rare genetic lung condition (which makes me more susceptible to bronchitis and pneaumonia, asthma etc. It does explain why my chest sizes up in the cold
- A cyst on my ovary that has been there for at least 4 months (going to see a gynecologist for it)
- Gallstones (I am getting my gallbladder removed in a couple of months)
- Possibly Lupus. No, really. I may actually have Lupus.
...I feel like I should be able to get a replacement body because I obviously got a faulty model.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
ADHD diagnosis and medication. It is expensive because I went private but oh my god! I am no longer exhausted literally all the time. I hadn't realised truly how bad it was until I forgot my nighttime medication and spent the next day being a zombie.
I started working from 9am back in 2017? I kept thinking I would adjust to the new sleep schedule, but I never did. So I just spent... 5 years? assuming that most people are constantly tired and find mornings impossible to function during. I was tired constantly, no matter how much sleep I got. I would go into my 9.30am meeting and be losing track of what I was saying mid-sentence and stumbling over words because I was so tired. I would frequently go for a nap over my lunchbreak, and have to fight falling asleep in the afternoon every day.
Turns out actually people with ADHD genuinely have a different circadian rhythm and other sleep problems. Take medication before bed now and am no longer chronically tired! My mother noticed the difference! I am so much more chatty now. I don't wake up already needing a nap. After my worst night's sleep now, I still feel more awake than my best day before medication.
And then there's the stimulants!
Part of my job is to write script metadata - scene recaps, titles, summaries, etc. Pre-medication, one 6 or 7-scene script would take me about... 4-6 hours over a couple of days?
Now a script takes me about an hour. And doesn't feel like pulling teeth.
Also apparently there are multiple hours after 5pm when I finish work in which I can do things. Instead of going 5pm (finish work), 7pm (oh shit, food), 11.30pm (Uh... It is nearly bedtime and I have no memory of doing anything for the past 6 hours). I can finish work, make dinner, do a bit of writing, play Destiny, and do internet things all in the same night! Absolutely life-changing!
And also I have published over 260,000 words of fanfic this year. This does not count the 50K+ story I am still working on and other unfinished things. Prior to this year, the most I have ever put out is 75K. The last few years it's been more like 30K. And it's been fun to write. I hadn't realised how much like pulling teeth writing has been for so long. And now it's joyful.
...also I bought a brand new fancy laptop and a mattress. It's weird being in a position to not have to just go for the cheapest thing available.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
I have amazing friends who are super supportive and have helped me through a lot. I also appreciate Bungie doubling down and going 'actually abortion is a human right' and 'these characters in our FPS game are queer and important to the story in a way that means you cannot ignore them' despite gamer bro whinging. Small thing but it means a lot when Gaming is still so toxic.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled?
Gamer Bros. God they're whiny.
The entire UK government, many of the opposition, politicians in general. What a fucking *farce*!. TERFs can piss off.
14. Where did most of your money go?
ADHD meds, new laptop, new mattress. All worthy purchases!
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The potential collapse of the Tory party (still keeping my fingers crossed).
...the current season of Destiny because it is amazing and has given me just about everything I wanted from one of my favourite characters.
16. What song will always remind you of 2022?
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
a) Happier!
b) No clue.
c) Richer I think. Got a raise at my annual review.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
For once, I do not need to put writing in this space XD I would have liked to do more reading. Still need to work on carving out that time.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Visiting the doctor.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Quietly at home with my parents. Played some Destiny with a friend.
21. Did you fall in love in 2022?
I got into a new fandom which is functionally the same thing for me.
22. What was your favourite TV program?
...I don't think I've watched anything except YouTube videos all year ^^;
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope. I hate politicians always.
24. What was the best book you read?
Look...
I read a lot of scripts for work.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I mainly listen to individual songs so... I like Dark in Here by the Mountain Goats. Of Monsters and Men.
26. What did you want and get?
ADHD diagnosis!!!
27. What did you want and not get?
The NHS to pay for my ADHD medication. The collapse of the Tory party.
28. What was your favourite film of this year?
I should just delete these questions. I never have anything to say XD
29. What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
ADHD medication. Really.
30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2022?
Velvet lounge pants still. I got a nice velvet jacket which I love, and my teal velvet coat actually got worn!
31. What kept you sane?
ADHD meds quite literally. One of the things the NHS doctor told me when I went for the hellish appointment last year was 'you don't have ADHD. You're just anxious and need to relax' which is bullshit on so many levels.
Turns out... when I am medicated my anxiety is so much better. I don't doomscroll because I have brain enough to stop looking at things. Small things are no longer incredibly overwhelming. Time exists!
32. Favourite fictional character of the year?
Going to change this from 'Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?' because I am very asexual and uninterested.
Favourite fictional character: Osiris from Destiny 2! He's an arrogant middle-aged gay Warlock who was exiled from the Last City for heresy. He broke time and reality to bring his lover back to life. He is currently dealing with mortality and trauma after his Ghost died to save him and he was possessed by a billion year old Hive god of cunning.
He's excellent.
33. What political issue stirred you the most?
The massive corruption at every level of the Tory party.
34. Who did you miss?
Friends :( So many people I want to see and have not been able to.
35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2022
Medication good. I am not fundamentally lazy, I have a messed up brain.
36. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
...I am so bad at this, so here, just have Deep Stone Lullaby
Got diagnosed with ADHD and medicated for it!
Wrote and completed a multi-chapter fanfic!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't even remember what they were. Probably 'write' more and hoo boy, I have managed that one!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes! My sister had a baby!
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope
5. What countries did you visit?
The UK. That's it. Pandemic still exists not that you would know it to look at the world.
6. What would you like to have in 2023 that you lacked in 2022?
A different better government? A gallbladder removal. A holiday.
...a haircut.
7. What dates from 2022 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 6th. Got my ADHD diagnosis!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
...Got pretty damn good at playing Destiny 2.
Also wrote a stupid amount of fanfic. Feels good!
9. What was your biggest failure?
Still have not ebayed all the anime stuff I own that I no longer want to own. Still have not got a haircut.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA OH GOD.
So I went to my GP to see if I could get them to take over prescribing my ADHD meds (they won't because they said I don't have it and the medication is not exactly what they would prescribe and apparently there is no evidence it works despite my quality of life being massively improved). They did agree to do blood test+ECG to make sure I am fine on the meds.
...so I apparently have:
- A rare genetic lung condition (which makes me more susceptible to bronchitis and pneaumonia, asthma etc. It does explain why my chest sizes up in the cold
- A cyst on my ovary that has been there for at least 4 months (going to see a gynecologist for it)
- Gallstones (I am getting my gallbladder removed in a couple of months)
- Possibly Lupus. No, really. I may actually have Lupus.
...I feel like I should be able to get a replacement body because I obviously got a faulty model.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
ADHD diagnosis and medication. It is expensive because I went private but oh my god! I am no longer exhausted literally all the time. I hadn't realised truly how bad it was until I forgot my nighttime medication and spent the next day being a zombie.
I started working from 9am back in 2017? I kept thinking I would adjust to the new sleep schedule, but I never did. So I just spent... 5 years? assuming that most people are constantly tired and find mornings impossible to function during. I was tired constantly, no matter how much sleep I got. I would go into my 9.30am meeting and be losing track of what I was saying mid-sentence and stumbling over words because I was so tired. I would frequently go for a nap over my lunchbreak, and have to fight falling asleep in the afternoon every day.
Turns out actually people with ADHD genuinely have a different circadian rhythm and other sleep problems. Take medication before bed now and am no longer chronically tired! My mother noticed the difference! I am so much more chatty now. I don't wake up already needing a nap. After my worst night's sleep now, I still feel more awake than my best day before medication.
And then there's the stimulants!
Part of my job is to write script metadata - scene recaps, titles, summaries, etc. Pre-medication, one 6 or 7-scene script would take me about... 4-6 hours over a couple of days?
Now a script takes me about an hour. And doesn't feel like pulling teeth.
Also apparently there are multiple hours after 5pm when I finish work in which I can do things. Instead of going 5pm (finish work), 7pm (oh shit, food), 11.30pm (Uh... It is nearly bedtime and I have no memory of doing anything for the past 6 hours). I can finish work, make dinner, do a bit of writing, play Destiny, and do internet things all in the same night! Absolutely life-changing!
And also I have published over 260,000 words of fanfic this year. This does not count the 50K+ story I am still working on and other unfinished things. Prior to this year, the most I have ever put out is 75K. The last few years it's been more like 30K. And it's been fun to write. I hadn't realised how much like pulling teeth writing has been for so long. And now it's joyful.
...also I bought a brand new fancy laptop and a mattress. It's weird being in a position to not have to just go for the cheapest thing available.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
I have amazing friends who are super supportive and have helped me through a lot. I also appreciate Bungie doubling down and going 'actually abortion is a human right' and 'these characters in our FPS game are queer and important to the story in a way that means you cannot ignore them' despite gamer bro whinging. Small thing but it means a lot when Gaming is still so toxic.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled?
Gamer Bros. God they're whiny.
The entire UK government, many of the opposition, politicians in general. What a fucking *farce*!. TERFs can piss off.
14. Where did most of your money go?
ADHD meds, new laptop, new mattress. All worthy purchases!
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The potential collapse of the Tory party (still keeping my fingers crossed).
...the current season of Destiny because it is amazing and has given me just about everything I wanted from one of my favourite characters.
16. What song will always remind you of 2022?
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
a) Happier!
b) No clue.
c) Richer I think. Got a raise at my annual review.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
For once, I do not need to put writing in this space XD I would have liked to do more reading. Still need to work on carving out that time.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Visiting the doctor.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Quietly at home with my parents. Played some Destiny with a friend.
21. Did you fall in love in 2022?
I got into a new fandom which is functionally the same thing for me.
22. What was your favourite TV program?
...I don't think I've watched anything except YouTube videos all year ^^;
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope. I hate politicians always.
24. What was the best book you read?
Look...
I read a lot of scripts for work.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I mainly listen to individual songs so... I like Dark in Here by the Mountain Goats. Of Monsters and Men.
26. What did you want and get?
ADHD diagnosis!!!
27. What did you want and not get?
The NHS to pay for my ADHD medication. The collapse of the Tory party.
28. What was your favourite film of this year?
I should just delete these questions. I never have anything to say XD
29. What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
ADHD medication. Really.
30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2022?
Velvet lounge pants still. I got a nice velvet jacket which I love, and my teal velvet coat actually got worn!
31. What kept you sane?
ADHD meds quite literally. One of the things the NHS doctor told me when I went for the hellish appointment last year was 'you don't have ADHD. You're just anxious and need to relax' which is bullshit on so many levels.
Turns out... when I am medicated my anxiety is so much better. I don't doomscroll because I have brain enough to stop looking at things. Small things are no longer incredibly overwhelming. Time exists!
32. Favourite fictional character of the year?
Going to change this from 'Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?' because I am very asexual and uninterested.
Favourite fictional character: Osiris from Destiny 2! He's an arrogant middle-aged gay Warlock who was exiled from the Last City for heresy. He broke time and reality to bring his lover back to life. He is currently dealing with mortality and trauma after his Ghost died to save him and he was possessed by a billion year old Hive god of cunning.
He's excellent.
33. What political issue stirred you the most?
The massive corruption at every level of the Tory party.
34. Who did you miss?
Friends :( So many people I want to see and have not been able to.
35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2022
Medication good. I am not fundamentally lazy, I have a messed up brain.
36. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
...I am so bad at this, so here, just have Deep Stone Lullaby
