Thanks for sharing Aaron! Your contribution to the TTRPG CZcams space will be missed, but it's completely understandable that you're refocusing on what is more important. Your health and relationships.
A-Aron, you have always conducted yourself on YT with candor and professionalism. Candor like yours draws subscribers who become invested and come to care for you as a person. For such subscribers, it almost doesn't matter what content you post. Your loyal sub base will support you regardless. For them, it may behoove you to continue to create what you wish when you wish, and those who have invested will only feel closer. Yes, you will lose a lot of transient subs and troublemakers, but your channel won't die unless you kill it. Thank you for sharing and for the update.
Hey Aaron, I can totally understand that. My anxiety was more social based and as with all anxiety... irrational, life altering, and deeply frustrating. I'm glad you are looking after yourself and changing things to reduce the demands placed on yourself, and if you ever need a chat, please reach out. I've dealt with a lot of mine by changing things about my life, which is also hard to handle too, but necessary to focus on yourself. Look after yourself and do what you want, enjoy and need to do, not what other people would like you to do :)
I will do so! There are certainly some things I could change to lighten the worries I have, but some things I just have to keep working on how I react to. I was catastrophising over everything.
Hey Aaron. I appreciate that you have shared this. it takes a lot for a person to explain the anxiety and mental health trouble they are having. I will continue to watch your videos. I enjoy listening to your content.
Hey, man. It's great to hear from you and glad you're doing the best you can! That's all we can really do for ourselves. Honestly take care of you and yours.
Thank you, Nikko! Yeah, there was a period of time where “the best I can do” was not very much at all, but I managed to pull through with a lot of support. I’m very fortunate that it went as well as it did.
@@AaronthePedantic that was a great time, I still miss it. Was just telling a friend about it yesterday! And it inspired me to run a Greyhawk campaign for my group. They're currently in Saltmarsh working their way through U-1
I considered content creation, but decided against it for the exact reasons you cite. As a consumer, I generally dislike being pandered to, baited, and solicited for likes & subs. It is always refreshing to watch a creator with none of that, and that is something I have always respected about your method and content. When I became a father and husband, I had to sacrifice nearly all my TTRPG endeavors. This was significant, as it was the primary, perhaps defining aspect of my life up to that point. These days I am lucky to run two adventures a year, so I have also put far more time and effort into video games (XBox) than ever before. I'll be glad to hear anything you may have to say about vidya games. Keep on truckin, brother.
I’m glad to see someone who gets it! Shame you’re on XBox! I’m a PC/PS5 user. Though, a lot of it is cross platform these days, so our paths may yet cross! 😁 What are some games you play regularly?
@@AaronthePedantic I play a lot of Deep Rock Galactic and State of Decay 2. Both excellent and with great communities. I have been known to run a bit of Aliens Fire Team Elite, World War Z, and even Zombie Army 4 as well. I dont normally run AAA games aside from occasional Fallout and Darktide. As an xbox pleb, I cant play Helldivers2 but if you like that co-op multiplayer vibe then I HIGHLY recommend Deep Rock Galactic and maybe Darktide. Same grit and satire with different flavor and all have great mp play.
Good to see you upload again aaron, I miss you buddy & I'm glad to know you're doing better, anxiety can be tough to deal with and I'm sorry you had to go through that shit so it's good to hear you're doing better now, me and the other 2 from the Wednesday group miss you but it's good to see your again, if I get the free time I'll def try to keep an eye out for your uploads, lots of love from your friend ronnie🫶
Miss you too, bud! And the rest of the group! These days, you could catch me on FFXIV if you played. I don’t know if that’s an option for you, though, because of internet access.
Your candor is a public service for which you should be lauded. "The things we don't talk about...". Looking forward to your new content. Peace and health!
My thanks, bud! My hope is that others who might be dealing with similar things might feel less alone in it. Also, I always prefer to be pretty open anyway unless there’s a good reason for me not to.
I was wondering why I haven't seen you at North Texas RPG Con the last couple years. Take care of yourself friend and hope to see you at NTX in the future.
Who is this guy!? *Edit:* Very interesting about the food thing. My work made me get a vaccine as well (but they didn't force me to get mRNA so I got a non-mRNA one). As soon as I had the vaccine it felt like I had a golf ball in my throat. Antihistamines didn't help (it wasn't an allergic reaction). However, I suddenly became paranoid about anything that is normally an allergy for other people (peanuts, cashews, shellfish etc.) and any food I had not eaten in a long time. I inadvertently became a carnivore (which had its own health issues I am still dealing with). I didn't quite get to your level but I was second-guessing myself at every meal - even though I was 80% sure the lump in my throat was not related to some kind of allergy. This went on for months until I got to see an ENT who said there was nothing physical there, it's psychosomatic (muscle in the throat tightens due to stress and it FEELS like something is there but there is no blockage at all). He also said this was suddenly very common post-lockdowns. I just had to relax. I ended up just going for walks, doing breathing exercises, and listening to ASMR/mediation-type sounds. But even knowing it was psychosomatic it still took me a few more months to finally get rid of the lump entirely (and it has not returned since).
Wow, it’s nuts that we went through such a similar situation. I kept feeling the lump in my throat as well and it was entirely psychosomatic. You aren’t alone, man. I don’t know anybody else in person who has gone through it, but there are at least a few of us. I also ended up fairly carnivore diet focused. On the good side, I lost a ton of weight. Don’t know what the ramifications are otherwise just yet.
The results are already profound. It was soul draining in many ways. It was hard to have faith in the profession itself, and hard for me to have faith in my own execution of it. Self-criticism was devouring me whole.
Thanks for sharing Aaron! Your contribution to the TTRPG CZcams space will be missed, but it's completely understandable that you're refocusing on what is more important. Your health and relationships.
Hey hey, I’m not leaving completely! I just may not have as much to say 😛 But, who knows, when I start running again, the ideas may flow!
A-Aron, you have always conducted yourself on YT with candor and professionalism. Candor like yours draws subscribers who become invested and come to care for you as a person. For such subscribers, it almost doesn't matter what content you post. Your loyal sub base will support you regardless. For them, it may behoove you to continue to create what you wish when you wish, and those who have invested will only feel closer. Yes, you will lose a lot of transient subs and troublemakers, but your channel won't die unless you kill it.
Thank you for sharing and for the update.
Hey Aaron, I can totally understand that. My anxiety was more social based and as with all anxiety... irrational, life altering, and deeply frustrating. I'm glad you are looking after yourself and changing things to reduce the demands placed on yourself, and if you ever need a chat, please reach out. I've dealt with a lot of mine by changing things about my life, which is also hard to handle too, but necessary to focus on yourself. Look after yourself and do what you want, enjoy and need to do, not what other people would like you to do :)
I will do so! There are certainly some things I could change to lighten the worries I have, but some things I just have to keep working on how I react to. I was catastrophising over everything.
@@AaronthePedantic indeed, the black and white thinking and catastrophizing are part of the anxiety territory. Glad you are turning it around :D
Hey Aaron. I appreciate that you have shared this. it takes a lot for a person to explain the anxiety and mental health trouble they are having. I will continue to watch your videos. I enjoy listening to your content.
Appreciated, Knight! 😁
Hey, man. It's great to hear from you and glad you're doing the best you can! That's all we can really do for ourselves. Honestly take care of you and yours.
Thank you, Nikko! Yeah, there was a period of time where “the best I can do” was not very much at all, but I managed to pull through with a lot of support. I’m very fortunate that it went as well as it did.
Glad to see you back! Its good to see you in any case. Best of luck in your life
Same to you, my friend! I miss playing with you guys.
@@AaronthePedantic that was a great time, I still miss it. Was just telling a friend about it yesterday! And it inspired me to run a Greyhawk campaign for my group. They're currently in Saltmarsh working their way through U-1
Welcome back! I hope things get better and better for you and yours.
Thank you, Nick!
I considered content creation, but decided against it for the exact reasons you cite. As a consumer, I generally dislike being pandered to, baited, and solicited for likes & subs. It is always refreshing to watch a creator with none of that, and that is something I have always respected about your method and content.
When I became a father and husband, I had to sacrifice nearly all my TTRPG endeavors. This was significant, as it was the primary, perhaps defining aspect of my life up to that point. These days I am lucky to run two adventures a year, so I have also put far more time and effort into video games (XBox) than ever before. I'll be glad to hear anything you may have to say about vidya games.
Keep on truckin, brother.
I’m glad to see someone who gets it! Shame you’re on XBox! I’m a PC/PS5 user. Though, a lot of it is cross platform these days, so our paths may yet cross! 😁 What are some games you play regularly?
@@AaronthePedantic I play a lot of Deep Rock Galactic and State of Decay 2. Both excellent and with great communities. I have been known to run a bit of Aliens Fire Team Elite, World War Z, and even Zombie Army 4 as well. I dont normally run AAA games aside from occasional Fallout and Darktide. As an xbox pleb, I cant play Helldivers2 but if you like that co-op multiplayer vibe then I HIGHLY recommend Deep Rock Galactic and maybe Darktide. Same grit and satire with different flavor and all have great mp play.
Good to see you upload again aaron, I miss you buddy & I'm glad to know you're doing better, anxiety can be tough to deal with and I'm sorry you had to go through that shit so it's good to hear you're doing better now, me and the other 2 from the Wednesday group miss you but it's good to see your again, if I get the free time I'll def try to keep an eye out for your uploads, lots of love from your friend ronnie🫶
Miss you too, bud! And the rest of the group! These days, you could catch me on FFXIV if you played. I don’t know if that’s an option for you, though, because of internet access.
Hug. 100% suport you. Look forward to the next chapter
Your candor is a public service for which you should be lauded. "The things we don't talk about...". Looking forward to your new content. Peace and health!
My thanks, bud! My hope is that others who might be dealing with similar things might feel less alone in it. Also, I always prefer to be pretty open anyway unless there’s a good reason for me not to.
Life, huh? Grace to you, gentle.
Great to hear from you, old friend. 😁
I was wondering why I haven't seen you at North Texas RPG Con the last couple years.
Take care of yourself friend and hope to see you at NTX in the future.
Admittedly, that was mostly a money thing. Haha. Hospital visits are expensive! I definitely hope to see you next year.
@@AaronthePedantic Def-i-nately!
Thanks brother. Enjoyed your old work and will enjoy the new, whenever it comes
Welcome back.
Who is this guy!?
*Edit:* Very interesting about the food thing. My work made me get a vaccine as well (but they didn't force me to get mRNA so I got a non-mRNA one). As soon as I had the vaccine it felt like I had a golf ball in my throat. Antihistamines didn't help (it wasn't an allergic reaction). However, I suddenly became paranoid about anything that is normally an allergy for other people (peanuts, cashews, shellfish etc.) and any food I had not eaten in a long time. I inadvertently became a carnivore (which had its own health issues I am still dealing with). I didn't quite get to your level but I was second-guessing myself at every meal - even though I was 80% sure the lump in my throat was not related to some kind of allergy.
This went on for months until I got to see an ENT who said there was nothing physical there, it's psychosomatic (muscle in the throat tightens due to stress and it FEELS like something is there but there is no blockage at all). He also said this was suddenly very common post-lockdowns. I just had to relax. I ended up just going for walks, doing breathing exercises, and listening to ASMR/mediation-type sounds. But even knowing it was psychosomatic it still took me a few more months to finally get rid of the lump entirely (and it has not returned since).
Wow, it’s nuts that we went through such a similar situation. I kept feeling the lump in my throat as well and it was entirely psychosomatic. You aren’t alone, man. I don’t know anybody else in person who has gone through it, but there are at least a few of us. I also ended up fairly carnivore diet focused. On the good side, I lost a ton of weight. Don’t know what the ramifications are otherwise just yet.
Makes a lot of sense.
Stepping away from teaching should show you amazing results for your mental health etc.
The results are already profound. It was soul draining in many ways. It was hard to have faith in the profession itself, and hard for me to have faith in my own execution of it. Self-criticism was devouring me whole.
AARON! HE HAS RETVRNED
VERILY! 😁
Glad to hear from you. Why not try more Solo RPG :) It might be a healing experience.
That it might! Never tried. Ironsworn has always been on my radar. Have you tried it?
@AaronthePedantic Yep, I've played solo B/X and some Ironsworn. I've also watched solo actual play on the tube. I think it is great experience :)
Aaron. It is time...FOR HYPERBOWL!!!
Hahaha yes, I think the time is right.
@@AaronthePedantic will we do a livestream, in the future?
Hi asron
I missed you
The return of the King. 🫡
If I’m the King, you’re the Marshal. 😁
The state of companions in Dragon Age is concerning. Bring back Isabela.
I’d trade Isabella for any of these new companions in a heartbeat.
😱 surprised to see a video.
Good to see you Aaron!😊
Great to see you back at it