# What is your ongoing battle? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 19, 2012, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192 "2012-09-19T17:18:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/21 "2012-09-19T21:35:48Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > In another thread, someone quoted Plato: “Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” I think that’s true and I’d like to know what battle you’re fighting that most other people don’t see. When I read this I was all :dubious: - and sure enough, a little digging around reveals that this is [not Plato](http://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/06/29/be-kind/). Not that it matters, I appreciate the sentiment. In my case, I’d say that my battle is to deal with [del]mis-attributed quotes[/del] crippling procrastination and work-avoidance issues everytime I look at the project that I’m supposed to be working on. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/22 "2012-09-19T21:37:02Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > The lasting effects of childhood sexual abuse, including obesity, anxiety, and depression. Not that I can know with any amount of certainty that I wouldn’t have been obese or anxious or depressed if the abuse hadn’t happened, of course. But it’s a well-known catalyst for those kinds of issues. And I feel fairly certain that I’m MORE obese/anxious/depressed than I would be, if it hadn’t happened. Yeah. Food is better than sex anyway. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/23 "2012-09-19T22:28:39Z")
Self esteem. And there’s a whole host of other stuff that tags along with it. And I’m sure nobody wants to hear it and I’m not going to type it out so there’s a win-win 😉 so I’ll leave it at that ---
**Author:** ![Faruiza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@Faruiza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Faruiza)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/24 "2012-09-19T22:31:04Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > Yeah. Food is better than sex anyway. ☹ Oh, honey. That must have hurt like hell to say out loud. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/25 "2012-09-19T22:52:14Z")
My weight is a constant niggling one. How do these jeans look, how does this shirt look, let me tug at this and pull at this, catch a glimpse of my reflection in this window, stand up staighter, pull the belly in, I’m hungry I’m hungry I’m hungry DON’T EAT, stop eating, is it time to eat yet, what should I eat, I’m so hungry and tired, I don’t want to exercise, I’m too tired, I don’t want to get sweaty and sticky, etc etc etc ad infinitum. The bigger and quieter one is that I feel I’ve never really applied myself properly and haven’t “lived up” to expectations of me… that I’m just a huge waste of expectations. Every time I simply wasn’t able to do something, there’s been a smug authority figure standing there to tell me I just didn’t try hard enough. Nobody has ever given me a break. Except my husband–a few days ago we were talking and I finished with “I should try harder.” And he said, “was that the refrain of your childhood?” ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/26 "2012-09-19T22:52:31Z")
Self-acceptance. Convincing myself that I am not inferior to other people and that I don’t have to work any harder than I do to “prove” anything to anyone. Convincing myself that the things that I’m good at outweigh the things that I suck at. Trying to find a happy medium between living in the moment and planning for the future. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/27 "2012-09-19T23:55:53Z")
Two things which I try very hard to hide from the public: I’m almost constantly feeling a low-level of pain. I have pain in my hips, in my back, in my stomach, headaches, and various other places. They come and go, and get better and worse, but there’s hardly ever a time when I’m completely pain-free. Yes, I see doctors. I feel a lot of contradictory pressure from outside sources. For example, my boss is always subtly suggesting I spend more time at work, while my wife is not so subtly suggesting I spend more time at home to help her take care of our child. I want to please both but find it impossible, so it gives me a lot of stress. ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/28 "2012-09-20T00:36:54Z")
Two things. 1: Substance abuse. I basically don’t like being sober. I’m not sure it really counts as a battle cause I’m not doing all that much about it, other than wishing it were otherwise and I could enjoy things the same way without mind altering substances. Even so, it’s objectively not a good position to be in even though I can’t quite articulate what’s actually wrong with it (although there have been consequences caused by it I don’t see them as intrinsic problems with the position) 2: I have significant problems with global injustices, to the extent that this consumes me when my thoughts are distracted. I have a viewpoint close to libertarian and am extremely angry about the way in which my own freedoms are constrained, but I am actively psychotically angry about the way in which the freedoms of those less fortunate than me are fooked around with. I see the biggest global threat at the moment as Islam. Ironically it mostly damages its own adherents which confuses my libertarian values. Then again while I hold libertarian values I also refuse to believe in free will. It’s confusing. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/29 "2012-09-20T00:49:53Z")
Unemployment. I’ve worked 2 1/2 months out of the past year. ---
**Author:** ![Tracyfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f14d63/32.png) [@Tracyfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracyfish)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/30 "2012-09-20T01:26:15Z")
Three things: lack of social skills, trying to eat more, and trying to go to bed at a decent hour instead of staying up late. ---
**Author:** ![Heckity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Heckity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heckity)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/31 "2012-09-20T01:48:27Z")
Having 5 nearly invisible autoimmune diseases that make me fight like hell to stay in the game. Some days I can barely function - my brain shuts down and I can hardly express myself. I have big responsibilities at work; manage a bunch of very bright individuals; and I live in fear that someone will challenge me on a day when I can’t pull my thoughts together. It’s a double-edge sword. I don’t look like much is wrong with me - which is great, because I don’t want to be treated differently, overlooked for promotion, or excluded. And while I don’t look like much is wrong with me, I would really appreciate being cut some slack occasionally. I too have many doctors. And I don’t give up easily. My neuro-psychological tests say where I don’t perform perfectly I compensate very well. The doctors say no one would guess that there’s anything wrong. Still I fear being found out. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/32 "2012-09-20T01:57:44Z")
Weight loss and depression. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/33 "2012-09-20T02:15:18Z")
Depression. ---
**Author:** ![MyMack\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MyMack\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyMack_1)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/34 "2012-09-20T02:54:22Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Low self esteem and I’m polishing a nice inferiority complex as well. > > The other day my boss came up to me and thanked me for doing such a swell job, like I always do, with my usual excellence…in making a sign to hang on the refrigerator, reminding employees to take their food home. I damn near started to cry when I realized I was getting a pat on the head for the equivalent of coloring inside the lines. I always feel like the stupid one around here. > > I told my husband I wanted to get certified at something. Anything, as long as it involved having a license or a piece of paper that shows I can accomplish something. Long story short, he wasn’t very supportive and I’ve dropped it for now. My kids are about to go to college…if there are any resources in this family that’s where they need to be concentrated at the moment. What about CPR? You never know, you might just save someone’s life one day. And as my mom loves to tell me…raising kids ain’t nothing to sneeze at. 😉 Panic attacks and my mom’s MS. I feel bad for a lot of you. In a non-pity-your-a-lower-life-form kinda way. In a nice way. I’ll stop talking now…:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/35 "2012-09-20T04:22:27Z")
Lack of ambition. I’ve had three major careers, and each eventually bored me after I reached the level of competency to which I aspired. I go like wildfire at first when I’m learning the ropes, so I have a lot of ambition in the beginning. But I don’t care about advancing past my own goals, and I won’t buy into the nonsense that’s usually required to “climb the ladder”. I’m at that point again (it goes on about a 7-10 year cycle), and I wonder how long this can continue. My living expenses are quite low, so I can pretty much do as I please. But if this cycle continues, I’ll eventually have to take a job at McDonalds or something. ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/36 "2012-09-20T10:04:28Z")
I’m clinically depressed, which I guess means it’s my default setting. But I’m a very “up” person, too. I have a lot of physical and emotional problems that I’ve accepted and hug to me like the stuffed animals I never had, but those and the sometimes acute financial stabbers almost do me in. I would like to get thru a day without holding back tears. ---
**Author:** ![ptr2void](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ptr2void/32/3406_2.png) [@ptr2void](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ptr2void)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/37 "2012-09-20T10:22:13Z")
I’m fighting to overcome my self-confidence issues so as to allow me to speak up and not fear confrontation due to my pathological need to be “liked”, or at least not be thought of poorly. Struggle not to not be manipulated through guilt when that’s the MO of those closest to me. These issues affect not only my current interpersonal relationships, but hopes of any future ones. ---
**Author:** ![cherry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cherry)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/38 "2012-09-20T10:46:06Z")
Trying to navigate my marriage with an alcoholic that leads to many issues. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/39 "2012-09-20T10:47:08Z")
My weight. I’ve had good weight loss over the past year but I’ve probably got another two years of the same before I reach my goal weight, and I know that even then I will still need to weigh, measure and track my food intake as well as daily weigh-ins. ---
**Author:** ![Corcaigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Corcaigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corcaigh)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192/40 "2012-09-20T11:27:07Z")
Stress, depression, general ill health, bad back. I have a large extended family and none of them speak to me. Well one does, but she’s a dimwit who refuses to believe my mother has dementia and bad mouthed me to the rest of her family when mother went into Respite. I’m not 100% sure why they all ‘hate’ me so much, I can only assume that my mother (pre her current conditions) led a smear campaign against me. I do know she used to tell lies about my father all the time. There was a wedding earlier this year that I didn’t get invited to, I’ve no idea why, I just wasn’t invited. I thought the wedding had been called off, then someone asked me why I wasn’t at the wedding? I found a half dozen relations on facebook and sent them a friend request, over a year later none of them have responded. The pisser is I used to have a nurse who was of the opinion that because I was surrounded by family (albeit miles apart) she’d no reason to offer me and my mother any services available (Home Help, Daycare, Respite). It sucks knowing that I can’t turn to my family in any crisis I might have, and there have been many occasions where I’ve desperately needed help and just had to get on with things myself. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-battle/635192.md?page=3)