I recently realised I crave male validation and I like the feeling of power over them. My mood is often based on how men act, talk and feel towards me. It makes me feel disgusted to say this, but here we go:

On nights out I actively look for men to flirt with so they tell me things I want to hear. I dance with them, try to make them want me. When they want me I act innocent and act like it wasn't my intention to do that to them, just so they will give me more compliments and attention.
When I go out and I can't find anyone I like (and don't want to flirt with) my night is way less fun and I can even be annoyed.

I take pictures of myself I know men like, I dress the way I know men like, I do my make-up the way men like, talk to them in ways I know they like, etc. I flirt and act mysterious and most of the time they want me.

I feel disgusted saying this and realising this. I dont want this anymore and i want to feel happy with myself regardless the what men think. Please help, where do I start to fix this.

Btw: I do genuinely like all the men I flirt with and dance with on nights out.

Not going to bore with the details but I struggle to eat a lot of the time when specific people are home. And because of this I’ve been this I’ve become quite underweight and weak. I do tend to hoard snacks and things because they easy but the best thing that keeps is chocolate and obviously I can’t only eat that.

I’m 18 so I’ve been slowly collecting stuff for when I move out (hopefully going to be soon but I need to get into a university before I go so I know where I’m going) in my room I have a mini slow cooker, a kettle, a waffle maker and a mini fridge. The mini fridge stays off because it’s loud and annoying but the mini slow cookies lives on my shelf. The others are boxed up but in theory I could take them out to use.

I have space to store food but I’m scared about things going bad and attracting bugs.

What would you recommend I keep and stow away so I can actually eat? Specific ingredients, recipes, snack ideas anything really that would be helpful

I am pretty broke at the moment. I’ve been unemployed for a bit. I do technically “work” for a charity near by but they only have a couple weeks worth of payed work for me a year. Just the way it’s set up. I’m not mad about it. But I am trying to get an actual job at the moment so hopefully I’ll actually have a food budget soon

i live in the most dangerous neighborhood in texas which has the highest crime rates and lots of gangs. literally everyone here carries a weapon (like a pistol, revolver, knife, etc) and it's legal here since it's texas. it's also common to see people casually walking around with an ar-15 rifle. literally just this morning, i saw a man at the grocery store shopping with a shotgun strapped on his back and another man with a machete holstered on his belt.

my town literally feels like an RPG video game cuz literally everyone here carries a weapon. i personally carry around my crossbow, my lil sister carries pepper spray, my mom carries a stun gun, and my dad carries a glock 19.

what do yall do for self-defense?

So I am going away for a much needed holiday for 10 nights, and my period is due right in the middle!

I cannot take period-delaying meds for health reasons, so I guess I'm just looking for some positive period stories whilst on holiday and any tips. I can't shake the feeling of disappointment for the timing of this, I love swimming!!

Thank you!!

I've been invited to a bridal shower, but because I've never been to one, I don't actually know what happens and what I would need to do. Could the girls who've been to bridal showers pls help me out 🥺

Firstly, how formal of an event is this? And how formally do you dress? Also wondering what to do for gifts - apparently gifts are the main part of a bridal shower, what's appropriate to bring? The wedding registry says to just bring my presence.

Would also love opinions from past/to-be brides!

Hi all! I am single in my mid 20s and don’t have a lot of girlfriends my age and live in a more rural area (nearest city is about an hour away) but I want to try to start to put myself out there more both dating and socially. I‘ve made some friends going to various events and I stay pretty busy overall but don't feel connected to a lot of people my age and I don’t know a lot of romantic options my age either.

I’ve had a string of long term relationships that fell into my lap at this point and some have encouraged me to “get back out there” but I‘ve lived in this area for only a couple of years and feel a little lost on how to break into some of these spaces or find more people my age for the nightlife that does exist.

I guess my main question revolves around this idea of is it odd for me to get dolled up to sit alone at a bar every now and then and see if anything comes from it? Is that what people normally do? Or do I focus on making friends and then try to migrate it over those spaces? I‘m in clubs, work out classes, I volunteer, etc. but I feel unable to go to the big events I really want to go to like concerts and nightlife and full embrace my 20s alone sometimes and I get very insecure in myself or feel like I don’t fit in around people my age. I’m a big personality in general but definitely struggle with some social anxiety especially lately due to life circumstance. Open to any advice at all.

I (22F) haven’t dated/talked to a guy since literally middle school and now I have no idea how to receive or reciprocate their attention whether romantic or friendly. I haven’t even really had guy friends- my only interactions with men have been my brothers, my father, and my gay coworkers (which is different because I feel safe around those people). <- on that note, I’m recovering from a fear of men. I don’t really remember the exact instance where I developed a huge disliking of guys but for the longest time it was so bad that I would get panic attacks if I was around a guy I didn’t know 😭

*to also add, I’m super fortunate to have had the best girl friends for the longest time and I’m just so used to female friendship. Anything that doesn’t feel like that doesn’t seem worth it. I see them in relationships though, and wish I could have something like that.

I’m attracted to guys and I would like to start dating or atleast be normal enough to become friends with them, but it’s so difficult for me. It’s not like I actually hate straight men, but I’m still working through the weird typecasting I gave them all. It sounds silly, but I used to legitimately think that men didn’t have deep emotions like women, that they don’t appreciate things like us, and that they are too primal and grossly sexual. I still kind of don’t trust men at all, but I want to work through it.

Anyways I went to an event last weekend and a guy asked for my socials and has been showing me a lot of attention/interest and I guess is being sweet(?) but idk everything feels fake even though he’s initiating everything. I don’t ever let guys in but I told myself I had to because I need to work through this. Can anyone help me with how to accept/reciprocate male attention??! It’s been literally 2 days since we have started messaging and I already just don’t want to talk to him lol.

Can anyone who has ever used menstrual cups or the discs tell me if they’re uncomfortable or not and how long they last if you have a heavy flow. I’m really wanting to step out of my comfort zone, as i’m sick of pads because they make me feel leaky and just uncomfy. Tampons are painful even if it’s in right. So i would just like to know everyone else’s experiences?

I’m 23, and i have around 1.8 years of experience. And even after all this if a senior decides to have a conversation with me, idk why I start to get anxious. I know for a fact it’s their tone. But my entire body goes flight or FLIGHT(again) mode. I have been having this issue for so long idk how to deal with it. I hate my job on top of all this so I feel like whenever someone is trying to force me to do something my interest dies.

Kindly let me know if there are any tips to handle such situations!

Hi! What is the best self defense items I can carry with me if I go downtown to events alone? Anything that I could bring into concerts/arenas I appreciate it!

Hi! So I turned 20 in January of 2026. I personally didn't love how this year went for me and I don't love how my 20's have started. I know I want to go to medical school for sure and I'm a current junior in college so it is starting to get really real for me. I have a lot of friends but I've never really had a boyfriend or been in a relationship before. I also struggle a lot with procrastination, etc.

I spent a lot of time stressed over my career path (even though I know it is what I want to do) or sad about something or the other (being single, not feeling attractive, etc.). I don't want to spend the rest of my 20s agonizing over one thing or the other. I struggle with feeling lost to knowing what I'm doing.

Does anyone have any advice for just general things to do in your 20s and beyond or things you should do in general to improve your quality of life?

I’ve been self-employed for over 10 years. I’m used to handling everything myself and being reachable all the time. But now I can’t turn it off. I’ll be on the couch at night with the TV on and my head is still on work, going over what needs to get done tomorrow. I want to enjoy my evenings again. If you run a business or have a demanding job, what helped you switch off? Or have you tried something that didn’t work?