mistressofmuses: Image of nebulae in the colors of the bi pride flag: pink, purple, and blue (Default)
mistressofmuses ([personal profile] mistressofmuses) wrote2026-02-23 06:35 pm
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But where is my dopamine hit??

I am, tragically and frequently to my own detriment, a procrastinator. I am also a classic millenial who is afraid of the phone. So when I have phone calls I have to make, I will sometimes put them off for far longer than is reasonable.

I've been putting off a minor maintenance thing since *November.*
I needed to call and reschedule a doctor's appointment (because I forgot to ask for the day off).
I needed to call the hospital, because every time I try to pay my bill online the payment declines.

I was going to do all of that three weeks ago. Then I was going to do it two weeks ago. Then I was going to *definitely* do it on my weekend last week. Then when I didn't do it last weekend I was going to force myself to get up early and do it before work. Then when that wasn't going to happen, I was going to make myself sacrifice a lunch break to do it. Then when that still didn't happen, I told myself I really *had* to do it this weekend. I even tried to hype myself up about while at work on Sunday, like "yeah, if you make those calls on Monday, you don't have to worry about them after! You'll be done! You can do whatever you want for the rest of the weekend, guilt-free! It's going to feel like such a relief for it to be off your to-do list!" This morning, I did not want to make those calls, and tried several times to convince myself that tomorrow would be better to make them anyway for some reason (which would of course inevitably lead to putting it off again.)

BUT I MADE THE CALLS.

I called the hospital, and the payment was also declined over the phone, though it at least told the lady on the phone why: it exceeded my bank's daily spending limit.
So I called my bank. They gave me a temporary increase to the spending cap, but told me the charge would probably decline again, but that I should get an immediate call or text from them asking if it was a legit charge, and then I could try again.
So I tried the charge again. Declined. No call or text from the bank.
Fuck it. I just charged a partial amount, and will keep going in and paying it in chunks over the next few days.

I called my doctor's office, and that was at least easy. Pushed my physical out a couple weeks, which will hopefully be good. (Maybe I'll have shaken the cold by then.)

Called for the maintenance thing. They'll come by tomorrow.

...and I felt absolutely no sense of satisfaction or accomplishment, which was really frustrating. :/ Usually when I finally Do The Thing, I at least feel really relieved once it's done! Often a little embarrassed at the same time, because it's typically such a small amount of effort compared to how much I stressed over it, but at least there's some relief! This time... nothing.

Perhaps it's because today I did find out that my insurance is denying coverage of my visit to my PCP (saying I owe an additional $350) because in order to visit my PCP... they say I needed a referral from my PCP.

I am frustrated because that will require additional, probably even WORSE phone calls.

I still feel like I should be glad to have gotten those other calls done with, but if anything it made me feel worse. We went and ran errands, and then I just spent the day sitting like a lump of misery, because I'm still sick and coughing up infection-flavored gunk, and I felt worse instead of better after doing the thing I'd put off, which made it really difficult to try and do anything else.

Boooooo.
olivermoss: (Default)

[personal profile] olivermoss 2026-02-24 07:08 am (UTC)(link)
You got a lot done! Sorry it's just left you feeling run down.
scarlipswolfwife: (Default)

[personal profile] scarlipswolfwife 2026-02-24 11:55 am (UTC)(link)
If it makes you feel any better, I'm almost 53, and I *hate* making phone calls. Personal ones. I got over the work phone call fear not long after I started working my current job. Now I still hate it when the phone rings at work because most of the time when the phone rings, we're all slammed busy with other stuff, and those pesky clients who want to insist that they need to bring their pets in RIGHT NOW for a fucking nail trim are definitely fucking up my chi. These days at work, when a prescription needs calling in, I don't hesitate to call it in. When one of my three bosses asks me to call someone for some work or moving-related thing, I do it without thinking. I'm used to googling for phone numbers for other troubleshooting things.

But hey...you want ME to call on MY CELLPHONE on MY OWN PERSONAL TIME to deal with a bill issue, a scheduling issue, a...whatever? Oh no no no. Please no. Please don't make me actually have to speak on my cellPHONE when I should be able to just text.
boujee_redneck: (Default)

[personal profile] boujee_redneck 2026-02-25 12:24 am (UTC)(link)
...I feel incredibly indignant on your behalf that you did not receive your very much owed dopamine hit and well deserved sigh of relief for tackling all of that. Worse, it sounds like quelling this round of bullshit has somehow inexplicably unleashed more bullshit. What in the actual fresh hell is, "you need a PCP referral to see your PCP"!?!

For real though, while I don't have the same phone aversion per se, I absolutely have my own flare on this theme of "avoid said thing until it REALLY becomes a total mindfuck realizing how easy it would have been to just have done the damned thing and moved on" maddening mental loop.

And arrrrgh, I'm so sorry you're still sick. Like, damn girl, I've had enough of you having had enough of this nonsense, for you, somehow, because that's totally how that works, and therefore you should be wholly exempt from this sort of thing for a VERY long time haha? *sends massive hugs in spirit*
boujee_redneck: (Default)

[personal profile] boujee_redneck 2026-03-15 12:49 am (UTC)(link)
In the interim, has the "Black Mirror PCP Inception" shit-u-ation improved at all?

Ugh, again, as the kids say these days, "mood"... I love the justifications my asshole brain comes up with that compounds the inevitable awful accumulation of awful later avoiding certain matters too. It's just super haha.

I genuinely hope you've successfully been exempted from any and all bullshit going forward as of late. <3