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PA Comic: Monday, Jan 9, 2012 - Bedeviled

RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazedby the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator mod
edited January 2012 in The Penny Arcade Hub
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Rankenphile on
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Posts

  • fightinfilipinofightinfilipino Angry as Hell #BLMRegistered User regular
    Gabe has become a loveable asshole.

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    steam | Dokkan: 868846562
  • Dark Raven XDark Raven X Laugh hard, run fast, be kindRegistered User regular
    Ahahaha!

    I am also off the pills. I am getting frustrated and yelling at folks a lot.

    But I'm not sleepy all the time anymore. So whoo!

    What's that in Gabe's hand, anyway?

    Oh brilliant
  • CandymancerCandymancer Registered User regular
    The Demon of Typographical Errors.

    Or was that the week before?

  • kingworkskingworks Registered User regular
    I ran out once, during a trip out of state for my wife's grandmother's funeral.

    By the end of the following week, I was in a dark, dark place - and I'm on a low dosage.

    Things are better now.

  • RedDawnRedDawn Registered User regular
    Ahahaha!

    I am also off the pills. I am getting frustrated and yelling at folks a lot.

    But I'm not sleepy all the time anymore. So whoo!

    What's that in Gabe's hand, anyway?

    I would say a tablet or e-reader.

  • wonderpugwonderpug Registered User regular
    What's that in Gabe's hand, anyway?

    It's a scale model of the monolith from Space Odyssey. All the rage with kids these days.

  • GaslightGaslight Registered User regular
    I like the implication that Tycho was only dimly aware of last week's strips during their actual composition and is just now fully discovering them.

  • SyphyreSyphyre A Dangerous Pastime Registered User regular
    Gaslight wrote:
    I like the implication that Tycho was only dimly aware of last week's strips during their actual composition and is just now fully discovering them.

    Tycho is the oracle of humorous writing.

  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    Usually the comic is a little weird when it gets all meta on itself but holy shit I love this strip.

  • ThreeCubedThreeCubed Grandma Winky's fat ankles Registered User regular
    The winning Dickerdoodle entry missed a perfectly good opportunity to use the word "Gingersnatch"

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  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    Margarazzi wrote:
    The winning Dickerdoodle entry missed a perfectly good opportunity to use the word "Gingersnatch"

    Oh dear.

    The third place winner is my favorite. I'm so tempted to print it out and show people.

  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    Gabe wrote:
    Love the sperm!

  • DelzhandDelzhand Hard to miss. Registered User regular
    Margarazzi wrote:
    The winning Dickerdoodle entry missed a perfectly good opportunity to use the word "Gingersnatch"

    Or even better, Vagingersnatch. I mean 'dickerdoodle' already has two slangs for the organ included, so why not its distaff counterpart?

  • Thunderbolt7Thunderbolt7 Registered User regular
    Great comic and post today, as someone who's on 10mg daily I can relate. I think the reason I take the drug is a little different from either Gabe or Tycho, but it's still made such a huge difference in my day-to-day existence.

  • Fatty McBeardoFatty McBeardo Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    I am also on 10mg a day. I think it builds up in your system, though. I think it takes a while for the effects to fade once you stop taking it.

    Which reminds me... need to renew prescription.

    Fatty McBeardo on
  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    I am also on 10mg a day. I think it builds up in your system, though. I think it takes a while for the effects to fade once you stop taking it.

    Which reminds me... need to renew prescription.

    Or you can let it slip a bit and become a comedic genius.

  • Gigazombie CybermageGigazombie Cybermage Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    I love Tycho's expression in the second panel.

  • daseindasein Registered User new member
    edited January 2012
    I created an account just to comment on this strip. Loved the strip for years now, but don't game enough as I'd like to anymore. (I only just got round to Portal 2 last week!)

    I was on citalopram (a closely related compound to Lexapro) for about a year. It helped my mood, but my life didn't get any better. I'm now off the meds but seeing a really great psychologist and things are looking up.

    I just want to say that in my experience, medication is great for a short while and particularly severe depressive episodes, but it's not a long term solution. Real professional help from a qualified and experienced therapist is the only way to get on with the rest of your life.

    (Edit - of course, full on manic-depression or bipolar disorder is way worse than what I had, which was a life-sapping ever-present sense of apathy and ennui).

    dasein on
  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    Thanks for signing up to share that dasein. I won't pull your leg but consider sticking around. :)

  • Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    They've joked about this premise before, I'm glad that it turned into a funny comic.

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
  • Bessarion GrayBessarion Gray Registered User new member
    Since when is the comic thread in this forum? What happened to the SE++? The robot!?

    Anyway, I love Tycho's expression in the second panel, it's hilarious. Perfect expression for the "one demon" hahah!

    Reading the newspost though, it's interesting that two guys who make millions of dollars from drawing 3 short comics a week would both be on meds! What is our society coming to?

  • DHS OdiumDHS Odium Registered User regular
    dasein wrote:
    I created an account just to comment on this strip. Loved the strip for years now, but don't game enough as I'd like to anymore. (I only just got round to Portal 2 last week!)

    I was on citalopram (a closely related compound to Lexapro) for about a year. It helped my mood, but my life didn't get any better. I'm now off the meds but seeing a really great psychologist and things are looking up.

    I just want to say that in my experience, medication is great for a short while and particularly severe depressive episodes, but it's not a long term solution. Real professional help from a qualified and experienced therapist is the only way to get on with the rest of your life.

    (Edit - of course, full on manic-depression or bipolar disorder is way worse than what I had, which was a life-sapping ever-present sense of apathy and ennui).

    There's exceptions. I'm on Lexapro for general anxiety disorder, which I've had forever. No depression at all, to date every other method besides the pills haven't worked. My quality of life has improved a lot since I started taking it. A therapist wouldn't be able to help in my position.

    Wii U: DHS-Odium // Live: DHS Odium // PSN: DHSOdium // Steam: dhsykes // 3DS: 0318-6615-5294
  • Good Looking Fat GuyGood Looking Fat Guy West Hartford, CTRegistered User regular
    Demon rhymes with semen. Coincidence?

  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    Gabe has become a loveable asshole.
    Become? That's not exactly a new personality trait:

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    Also is it just me or is Tycho's hair in this strip, like, massive massive? Bigger than the sun?

  • CognisseurCognisseur Registered User regular
    Wait, that post confused me quite a bit. I don't read too many of the posts, so I'm not sure what Tycho's diagnosis is. Based on the drug, I thought it was depression or GAD.

    But then I read this bit, "the upper and lower extremes of the sine wave are lopped off", which sounds a lot like bipolar disorder, and then this bit, "the crest feels like being converted cell by cell into living electricity, I mean it’s literally incredible" sounded pretty much identical to a description of a manic state.

    Now I'm quite confused. I was under the impression that Lexapro was an SSRI, not a mood stabilizer. Moreover, I was under the impression that bipolar disorder almost always involved at least a mood stabilizer, with potentially an SSRI added too.

    So, where am I wrong? If Tycho isn't diagnosed with bipolar, what's with the eloquent description of a manic state? If Tycho is diagnosed with bipolar, is Lexapro the only med he takes? Cuz I didn't think Lexapro would serve to stabilize moods, but now I'm just confused.

  • stormbringerstormbringer Registered User regular
    Cognisseur wrote:
    Wait, that post confused me quite a bit. I don't read too many of the posts, so I'm not sure what Tycho's diagnosis is. Based on the drug, I thought it was depression or GAD.

    But then I read this bit, "the upper and lower extremes of the sine wave are lopped off", which sounds a lot like bipolar disorder, and then this bit, "the crest feels like being converted cell by cell into living electricity, I mean it’s literally incredible" sounded pretty much identical to a description of a manic state.

    Now I'm quite confused. I was under the impression that Lexapro was an SSRI, not a mood stabilizer. Moreover, I was under the impression that bipolar disorder almost always involved at least a mood stabilizer, with potentially an SSRI added too.

    So, where am I wrong? If Tycho isn't diagnosed with bipolar, what's with the eloquent description of a manic state? If Tycho is diagnosed with bipolar, is Lexapro the only med he takes? Cuz I didn't think Lexapro would serve to stabilize moods, but now I'm just confused.

    Lexapro can absolutely be a mod stabilizer. I used to take if off label for my fibromyalgia and it definitely evens out the peaks of life. Its really not noticeable until you are off it and it clears your system. In my case its like a light switch.

    Plus I can totally relate to off the drug manic states even though it was not something I ever had problems with. On meds I can barely strum together three chords. Off the meds I can play like the wind, improvise and even my piano skills are vastly improved which makes no sense to me.

  • The Good Doctor TranThe Good Doctor Tran Registered User regular
    I'm actually kind of curious if he felt like he was more creative off of lexapro. I haven't noticed a huge difference since I went on it (creatively, that is), but the irrational paranoia in me will not miss an opportunity to suggest that part of my personality may have been chemically lopped off.

    LoL & Spiral Knights & MC & SMNC: Carrington - Origin: CarringtonPlus - Steam: skdrtran
  • CognisseurCognisseur Registered User regular

    Lexapro can absolutely be a mod stabilizer. I used to take if off label for my fibromyalgia and it definitely evens out the peaks of life. Its really not noticeable until you are off it and it clears your system. In my case its like a light switch.

    Plus I can totally relate to off the drug manic states even though it was not something I ever had problems with. On meds I can barely strum together three chords. Off the meds I can play like the wind, improvise and even my piano skills are vastly improved which makes no sense to me.

    Now I'm quite confused. I did a bit more researching, and cannot find anything official looking that suggests Lexapro can be used as a mood stabilizer. Moreover, I have found references that it's risky to prescribe Lexapro without a mood stabilizer to someone with bipolar because it increases the risk for manic episodes. I'm not a psychopharm expert, but nothing about an SSRI should theoretically reduce manic symptoms, in my mind.

    I'm wondering if you actually mean Lexapro reduces manic states for you, or if you just mean Lexapro reduces your creativity. Although Tycho discussed the effects of Lexapro on his creativity, that's really not the manic state part. Manic states are... I guess like taking the most clean and perfect form of meth humanly possible. You have limitless energy, no need for sleep, you're ridiculously social and think everyone loves you (when in reality you're often acting quite bizarre and weirding people out). I mean honestly, Tycho put it best-- you feel like you are converted into living electricity.

    So I'm a little unclear, do you mean that you have legit manic episodes and taking Lexapro on its own appears to prevent them? And are you diagnosed bipolar officially, and take no official mood stabilizer?

  • MHYoshimitzuMHYoshimitzu Registered User regular
    "Baroque psychosexual furnace" might just be my new favorite phrase. I think I need a cigarette after reading that.

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  • PiptheFairPiptheFair Frequently not in boats. Registered User regular
    hoo boy does the comic speak to me

  • admanbadmanb unionize your workplace Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Cognisseur wrote:
    Wait, that post confused me quite a bit.
    Now I'm quite confused.
    but now I'm just confused.
    Now I'm quite confused.

    You seem confused.

    admanb on
  • ThreeCubedThreeCubed Grandma Winky's fat ankles Registered User regular
    Cognisseur wrote:
    Wait, that post confused me quite a bit. I don't read too many of the posts, so I'm not sure what Tycho's diagnosis is. Based on the drug, I thought it was depression or GAD.

    But then I read this bit, "the upper and lower extremes of the sine wave are lopped off", which sounds a lot like bipolar disorder, and then this bit, "the crest feels like being converted cell by cell into living electricity, I mean it’s literally incredible" sounded pretty much identical to a description of a manic state.

    Now I'm quite confused. I was under the impression that Lexapro was an SSRI, not a mood stabilizer. Moreover, I was under the impression that bipolar disorder almost always involved at least a mood stabilizer, with potentially an SSRI added too.

    So, where am I wrong? If Tycho isn't diagnosed with bipolar, what's with the eloquent description of a manic state? If Tycho is diagnosed with bipolar, is Lexapro the only med he takes? Cuz I didn't think Lexapro would serve to stabilize moods, but now I'm just confused.

    Lexapro can absolutely be a mod stabilizer.

    Goddamned unstable mods. Hear that, @The Geebs that is a Pony ?????!

    EyQGd.jpg
  • DJ EebsDJ Eebs Moderator, Administrator admin
    Whoa hey, leave me out of this

  • Peter EbelPeter Ebel CopenhagenRegistered User regular
    Whoever made the strap on dick cookie, I admire your dedication to veins. That is some good protestant work ethic right there.

    Fuck off and die.
  • CognisseurCognisseur Registered User regular
    admanb wrote:
    Cognisseur wrote:
    Wait, that post confused me quite a bit.
    Now I'm quite confused.
    but now I'm just confused.
    Now I'm quite confused.

    You seem confused.

    Yeah, I saw myself overusing the phrase. I need to expand my vocabulary when I want to say I suspect someone is wrong but am not an expert in that specific field so I don't want to state it too strongly.

  • SwashbucklerXXSwashbucklerXX Swashbucklin' Canuck Registered User regular
    Mmmm, brain drugs. How I love thee.

    Want to find me on a gaming service? I'm SwashbucklerXX everywhere.
  • AurichAurich ArizonaRegistered User regular
    This reminds me of that anime where the guy uses/transforms into a giant evil alien robot to fight evil alien robots, but every time he does it he becomes more like the evil aliens. I saw it when I was like four so don't quote me on that plot. But yeah, when you think about it like that, Tycho becomes quite the tragic heroic figure. /salute

  • see317see317 Registered User regular
    Aurich wrote:
    This reminds me of that anime where the guy uses/transforms into a giant evil alien robot to fight evil alien robots, but every time he does it he becomes more like the evil aliens. I saw it when I was like four so don't quote me on that plot. But yeah, when you think about it like that, Tycho becomes quite the tragic heroic figure. /salute

    Was it Teknoman? (Or, originally, Tekkaman: Blade)?

  • BrewBrew Registered User regular
    Not sure why but they look younger to me in this strip.

    1st ever "Penny-Arcade Hero Academy Tournament" Toilet Bowl Champion!
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    "You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
    And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should."
  • FreeseyFreesey Registered User new member
    Ive been on 40mg of ssris for 10 years and now im starting to come off of it. Ive read that coming off can be harder than heroine withdrawl. Tycho is right now, it absolutely clips your highs and lows. Ive never felt so much emotion as long as I can remember - but id rather be honest with myself than take it anymore. I want to know what Im really like again

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