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[Odal]

I feel bad for Dora's tear ducts.

But yes, great comic today.  Faye is going way up on the awesmoe meter.

AWESMOE!

[Mojo]

Now DORA'S going into therapy?  Doesn't she 'ave any mates?  Back 'ome, if you 'ave a problem, you tell Wally.  Wally tells everyone.  No more problem.

Speaking as someone who is making a career of providing psychiatric therapy, I think people are often far to quick to run to a therapist.  Still, in Dora's case, maybe it's warranted.  Certainly in Faye's case.  DEFINITELY in Hannelore's case...

[Tergon]

Yes, but what kind of crippling emotional and/or mental hurdles will the new girl have to deal with?

Well, let's see.  The ladies of QC tick boxes for OCD (Hannelore), trust issues and pathological self-sabotaging (Dora), intimacy issues and possibly post-traumatic stress disorder with anxiety and depression on top (Faye), idiot-savancy (Raven), low self-esteem and terminal shyness (Marigold), good old-fashioned neurotic crazyness (Penelope), possible fear of commitment and/or monogamy sprinkled with an extra dose of heterosexual-vs-homosexual drama (Tai)... and that doesn't even bring in Cosette's apparent curse, Nathasha's lack of hygiene, Ellen's poor method of dumping Steve, Amanda Whittaker's rebelling against her mother, or any of the potential issues facing parents or one-off characters.

So... I'm betting Tourette's Syndrome or some hilarious kind of Disassociative Identity Disorder.  Bonus points if one personality loves Marten back, but another personality falls in love with Dora.

[Fenriswolf]

I'm not at all down on how the comic's being written right now, Jeph does a damn good job. But I find it weird the idea you need to see a therapist to work through your issues. It can help, but you have to do the work yourself (work Dora may or may not have been doing because it's impossible to show it) and there is no reason to assume leaving your partner is "giving up". Getting yourself out of a harmful cycle, no matter how it hurts, can be a form of helping yourself, so you can stop being self-destructive.

And I wish we wouldn't talk about "getting over issues" like it's a black and white thing. It's not. Issues almost never go away; they are managed. And paranoia/jealousy, while fucking hard to deal with, is hardly a huge issue in the greater scheme of things. I honestly think people do not understand how common it is to have "issues", from basic ongoing insecurity right through to full blown PTSD, and you can't presume someone doesn't have any because they can present as "normal" during day to day life.

Edit to add: Jesus Christ! People do not have to jump straight from one relationship to another, wth people?! And I would be deeply unimpressed if Jeph used a commonly demonised form of mental illness as a running gag - not that I would expect him to, but that is not a fun suggestion.

[gathayah]

I'm not at all down on how the comic's being written right now, Jeph does a damn good job. But I find it weird the idea you need to see a therapist to work through your issues. It can help, but you have to do the work yourself (work Dora may or may not have been doing because it's impossible to show it) and there is no reason to assume leaving your partner is "giving up". Getting yourself out of a harmful cycle, no matter how it hurts, can be a form of helping yourself, so you can stop being self-destructive.

And I wish we wouldn't talk about "getting over issues" like it's a black and white thing. It's not. Issues almost never go away; they are managed. And paranoia/jealousy, while fucking hard to deal with, is hardly a huge issue in the greater scheme of things. I honestly think people do not understand how common it is to have "issues", from basic ongoing insecurity right through to full blown PTSD, and you can't presume someone doesn't have any because they can present as "normal" during day to day life.

Edit to add: Jesus Christ! People do not have to jump straight from one relationship to another, wth people?! And I would be deeply unimpressed if Jeph used a commonly demonised form of mental illness as a running gag - not that I would expect him to, but that is not a fun suggestion.

Dora obviously can't manage her issues by herself. If she could, she probably wouldn't have flown off the handle and broken up with Marten. Granted, some people may be too quick to jump into therapy, but I don't think Dora is one of those people at all, especially considering how far back her issues stem. I think it's awesome that Faye is being so upfront with it. It really shows how much she cares about her friend.

[Tergon]

Definitely agreed, Fenriswolf.  There is absolutely no reason why Dora and Marten must now hook up with someone else.  Yes, relationships are a major theme of the comic, but we've got Faye and Angus, Steve and Cosette, and Hanners and Marigold are dipping their toes in the dating pool, or at least trying to.  Let Marten and Dora have some time off, eh?

That was - and I hope akronnick will correct me here if I'm mistaken - kind of what akronnick and I were joking about with the mental illness thing.  As in, there are enough new characters already, surely we can work with what we have.  No new girl is required.

...though the main reason I'm answering you at the moment is that I've observed I may have hit a nerve with the D.I.P. Disorder joke there.  Apologies if so, t'was intended in fun, and I didn't mean to offend.

[Carl-E]

I honestly think people do not understand how common it is to have "issues", from basic ongoing insecurity right through to full blown PTSD, and you can't presume someone doesn't have any because they can present as "normal" during day to day life.

As the only "normal" presenter in my family, I have to agree.  My conversations with friends and acquaintances consistanly revolve around "how is your wife / daughter / other daughter?"  

The answers are always variations on "still handicapped / still suffering from a neurological disease / still suffering from PTSD, thanks".  

I'm pretty sure that only one person has asked how I'm  doing in the last three years.  And she's a therapist by profession...

Of course, if someone did  ask, there's always the danger that I'd actually tell  them...

[benenator]

I would post something about the comic, but I just got done rewatching the Lost series, and the only thought I can formulate of it all is WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DOES IT ALL MEAN??!!!

*head asplode*

I had a reply all written out from my understanding of the series, and then I went to double-check it to be sure I wasn't going to sound like a total idiot. Now I feel like a total, CONFUSED idiot. 

I thought everyone was in a purgatory-of-sorts, and the writers lied about it . . . but Wikipedia seems to disagree. 

[akronnick]

Everyone has issues. It's a part of being human.

And most people don't need therapy to deal with their issues.

However, when your issues cause you to sabotage a relationship that you want to have, or causes problems with work or family, or causes you to harm yourself or others, you probably need some help working through them.

A big part of Dora's problem is that she has not been able to admit that she has a problem. She has taken that step, but now she thinks that she can't have Marten because of that problem, which is a whole new problem.

She needs help. Maybe all she needs is a swift kick in the ass and someone to be accountable to. Maybe she needs three sessions a week and lots of medication. Maybe she needs to be committed. That's why she needs a professional, to tell her what she needs to do.

If she had been willing to seek help after the underpants incident, she might not have taken the drastic step of summarily dumping Marten the very next time they had a fight.

Not only did she throw away everything she had with Marten, she didn't even consider how her actions would affect her relationship with Faye, who she typically refers to as her best friend.

She's just lucky that Marten is such a decent person who would be looking out for her feelings and her wellbeing even after what she did.

[muffin_of_chaos]

No two people are the same, so professional help is worth trying (as long as it helps a certain significant percentage of the population of helpees).  The odds of her doing as well dealing on her own seem slim.

A certified psychiatrist may be unnecessary.  A kindly, intelligent person who has no attachment to your life to talk to in a private, confidential space can work wonders.  There's even a documented placebo effect.
I'm told.  Never worked for me. 

[Pika_power]

Such progress from Faye. Jeph still knows his characters better than we do. No one predicted this, AFAIK, yet no one's particularly surprised.

[akronnick]

No one predicted this, AFAIK, yet no one's particularly surprised.

QFT.

[snubnose]

Speaking as someone who is making a career of providing psychiatric therapy, I think people are often far to quick to run to a therapist.

Believe me, that is much better than the other way around.

Such progress from Faye. Jeph still knows his characters better than we do. No one predicted this, AFAIK, yet no one's particularly surprised.

Its his job. I'm not taking over Jephs job ! Believe me, the artwork would suck so much you'll go clear your eyes. With acid !

[benenator]

Everyone has issues. It's a part of being human.

And most people don't need therapy to deal with their issues.

However, when your issues cause you to sabotage a relationship that you want to have, or causes problems with work or family, or causes you to harm yourself or others, you probably need some help working through them.

This, to an extent. Some people are whiny about their problems but don't do anything positive about them (Dora, up until now). Some people have issues that they see hurt their relationships with others, and get help (Faye). Some are overreactive to the point of being just-plain-crazy (Penelope) -- and I don't use that term lightly.

Not all issues are something that need to be professionally dealt with -- they are best dealt with over time, and from life experiences (Marten's perceived "spinelessness", Sven's sharp decrease in manwhoriness).

I would add, due to personal experience, that those who have been actively dealing with their issues for a year or two, including talking about them with friends, and those issues have still not subsided, get help. Drop the pride and get some therapy. You can only build so high when the ground is quicksand. When your brain chemistry is an underlying problem, you can only do so much work on your personality. Work on it anyway, yes, but get help too.

*whew*

Alright, done talking and swinging around the "One-Over-Infinity Earlobe Mace" that is completely and obviously inspired by the UBMEOOD.  

[Elysiana]

As someone who went through therapy for many years for emotional issues and problems dealing with relationships, I have got to say that I think Dora's definitely in need of something - perhaps not a psychologist but at least a counselor.

For those who think that people jump too quickly to therapy - that may be true, but there is something to be said for a knowledgeable, unbiased third party stepping in to help. Who would you prefer helps her? Certainly not Marten or Faye, they're too close to the situation. I don't foresee Hanners or Marigold having the emotional knowledge to deal with it. All the third-tier characters are right out. Dora's proven several times now that just trying to work it out on her own isn't cutting it, and by continuing down that path she risks hurting herself and her friends even more before it even starts to get better.

Sometimes you can't help yourself, you just sit in that downward spiral. Dora's lucky that she was able to step back long enough not only to recognize that she has a problem, but to see at least part of what that problem is. A lot of people don't even get that far.

Also, this strip made me go all watery-eyed, homg.

[Odin]

Marten is the spikey haired hero though, so of course we have to think of him as Hipster Jesus.

I think of him as Hipster Buddha 

I wouldn't rub Marten's belly though, he's so skinny you'd probably feel his spine

You mean he has one?

Also, here's the puking smiley for whoever was talking about it earlier. 

[Coffee_Kaioken]

Judging by those last two panels, you'd think somebody died.

[GeoffTheLlama]

Judging by those last two panels, you'd think somebody died.

The loss of a long-term relationship where you really loved that other person can feel just like that because, for now, Marten the Boyfriend HAS died.

Well, metaphorically speaking.

[akronnick]

Not only that, but she was expecting both Marten and Faye to be all kinds of angry at her, and here's Faye telling her that her friends aren't going to ditch her, and that they'll support her as she works through her problems.

Makes her even more sad that her problems are keeping her apart from the people she loves.

Plus she's been really tense about what was going to happen when Faye found out, and now that that load has been lifted, she can open up and have a much needed bit of catharsis.

[Draven_Xero]

Well then...that was sweet, all things considered, at least from where I'm sitting.
Made me go "awww", which is difficult first thing in the morning...especially before my first cup o' coffee. And yeah, as much as I wanna see Faye beat something down, I think this is much nicer overall.

That's all, I guess...just appreciating the hell outa the well written comic.

[steveb]

I love todays comic. The whole situation is so terribly sad but they are still friends and they still care for each other. That is the important thing.
 

[PaxCeciliaPwns]

I wouldn't rub Marten's belly though, he's so skinny you'd probably feel his spine

You mean he has one?

hiyoooo

no but seriously, todays comic was a really nice thing to read first thing in the morning.

[tbones]

OHMYGOD 5 PAGES BY MONDAY THA WORDDL IS GOING TO END IN NEED TO RPEORT THIS.
 


Seriously now, i'd certanly like to see Faye beating up someone so hard he/she needs to eat through a straw for the rest of his/her life. BEST VIOLENCE SCENE EVAR.

[innermoppet]

Ok this is the first time any of Jeph's comics made me tear up. Awwww. 

I love Faye times a million.

[Carl-E]

OHMYGOD 5 PAGES BY MONDAY THA WORDDL IS GOING TO END IN NEED TO RPEORT THIS.
 

Thanks, I needed that!   

[jwhouk]

I would post something about the comic, but I just got done rewatching the Lost series, and the only thought I can formulate of it all is WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DOES IT ALL MEAN??!!!

*head asplode*

Faye: "It's Penny's turn to clean up the blood."

Catharsis.  Dora had been cryin' before at Svens (kleenex on the couch), but that was with the upset of what she felt she had to do, with the sadness of ending it. 

Wow, I didn't even notice that. Kudos.

[xerada]

You have no idea how much I love Faye right now. This was the best reaction she could have shown (as others have pointed out before me), And I also love the hug. She not only prevents Dora from going away while she's talking, she also does not need to yell at her, which may have happened if they were standing apart. This would give Dora space to answer, and could lead to a fight. And it is a hug, and what Dora needed now, was a hug from a friend

[jwhouk]

No one predicted this, AFAIK, yet no one's particularly surprised.

QFT.

X2.

I was still believing Faye or Marty would call "Ms. Reed"...

[tbones]

OHMYGOD 5 PAGES BY MONDAY THA WORDDL IS GOING TO END IN NEED TO RPEORT THIS.
 

Thanks, I needed that!   

You are very much welcome, good sir! have one more psyduck 

[graymouser]

I'm still rooting for "Dora goes on a journey of self-exploration," with shenanigans occurring back at Coffee of Doom in the meanwhile.

Some part of me wants to see it develop where Dora grows as a person and tries to win Marten back and he has to tell her that the ship has sailed.  After getting walked on for so long, I'd be so damn happy for this to turn into an opportunity for Marten to really assert himself.

[slydon]

Hanners is getting fixed, Dora is getting fixed.
Soon everyone will be so normal, they'll have to sit around making hipster music jokes again.
And how much will THAT suck, soap opera fans?
</kidding>

[vgaer]

Today's comic made me cry.
I am a little embarrassed.

[kent_eh]

I would add, due to personal experience, that those who have been actively dealing with their issues for a year or two, including talking about them with friends, and those issues have still not subsided, get help. Drop the pride and get some therapy. You can only build so high when the ground is quicksand. When your brain chemistry is an underlying problem, you can only do so much work on your personality. Work on it anyway, yes, but get help too.

My experience agrees with your experience.
However, if someone is quite broken, they may not be able to recognize that they are the one with the problem.
And will refuse to get help, because they can't  believe that they need it. 
Sometimes things have to go horribly wrong before they get help.
It's really true that no one can help much if the person doesn't accept the help they so obviously need.

Speaking as someone who is making a career of providing psychiatric therapy, ...

Are you anywhere near Canada?
Are you accepting new clients?
(only half joking. )

[Janxer]

I just want to point out that, all the psychiatrist discussions aside, Faye's little speeches are fucking awesome.

[jwhouk]

Today's comic made me cry.
I am a little embarrassed.

Don't be. There's been a few over this past week or so that've activated my allergies.

[vgaer]

Today's comic made me cry.
I am a little embarrassed.

Don't be. There's been a few over this past week or so that've activated my allergies.

Oh good.    However, I am currently in class, so it was a little awkward.

[Wiregeek]

Faye just took a level in Awesome.

Seriously, this might all of a sudden be one of my favourite "Character" moments in the entire strip.  Faye's her usual, bitchy, abrasive self... but God damn, she's a good friend too.

Fantastic writing, Jeph.

I have to agree, even if Faye is completely wasting her effort.

[Arky]

Faye just took a level in Awesome.

Seriously, this might all of a sudden be one of my favourite "Character" moments in the entire strip.  Faye's her usual, bitchy, abrasive self... but God damn, she's a good friend too.

Fantastic writing, Jeph.

+1

[xerada]

I have to agree, even if Faye is completely wasting her effort.

I'm sorry, I didn't quite get it. Does Faye waste her effort (in that case: why? She's bein' a good friend to both and stuff, maybe it will go into the right direction) or did you mean, it's great even if it doesn't lead to anything? I don't mean to criticize, I'm just having difficulties with the English language.

[Wiregeek]

I have to agree, even if Faye is completely wasting her effort.

I'm sorry, I didn't quite get it. Does Faye waste her effort (in that case: why? She's bein' a good friend to both and stuff, maybe it will go into the right direction) or did you mean, it's great even if it doesn't lead to anything? I don't mean to criticize, I'm just having difficulties with the English language.

I don't believe Dora is worth putting the effort in for.

[xerada]

thank you for the clarification, Wiregeek

[gathayah]

I can't stop reading today's strip, just because Faye is so AWESOME. I have to admit, I really considered the possibility that she'd attack Dora right away. But just look at that. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a true friend. Definitely one of my favorite character moments of all time.

[Harashaw]

Is therapy the answer? In my mind, therapy is pretty much the last resort - a therapist helps you deal with something so huge you can't live a normal life without it.

Does a therapist need to deal with situational paranoia and a little low self-esteem?

[shengokai]

Well....there goes my prediction of Faye going to Dora to relate how shitty it feels to have to give up Marten. 

Huh, guess I was half right! But, is QC going to end with EVERY character in therapy?   

That would make some awesome group therapy, until Pintsize got into the files and started messing with everyone's neuroses. Or replaced the therapist with Marten's mother. Or any number of horrid, Pintsize things

Still, this was an awesome strip and exactly what Dora needed. From the looks of it, Faye's in a better place but still capable of delivering teh beatings when necessary. I can see this going in three directions:

A: Marten finds out Dora's working on her issues, Dora doesn't want to be with him till they're fixed. Marten Waits.
B: Same as above, though Marten decides that he needs someone without issues. Agrees to be friends, but doesn't wait.
C: Marten's latent anger causes him to hulk out and go on the emo-spiderman 3-esque dance number rampage mentioned down thread.

Warning - while you were typing a new reply has been posted. You may wish to review your post.

Goddamnit guys, I'm new here. Cut me some slack!

[Superkid11]

Faye probably handled that in the best way ever.

[shengokai]

Is therapy the answer? In my mind, therapy is pretty much the last resort - a therapist helps you deal with something so huge you can't live a normal life without it.

Does a therapist need to deal with situational paranoia and a little low self-esteem?

Yes, if the issues are based upon an underlying history of poor relationships which has produced said paranoia and low self-esteem issues. The kind of romantic relationships we have early on help determine the kind of people we'll be in our later relationships. Dora's relationship issues stem from a lot of "bad" relationships, according to Sven, and we really don't know how bad they were. They could range from emotional abuse to abandonment issues, to actual physical abuse, to a notion of perceived worthlessness. All of these could be reinforced by the fact that her paranoia keeps her from having or forming stable relationships. There's a whole nest of issues there.

Take it from someone whose S/Os have been down that road: a therapist is an excellent solution because it gives someone a person to talk to who will not judge and can actually offer advice that is meaningful. It also helps that they can diagnose chemical imbalances and things that need to be treated medically.

There may be some horrid skeletons lurking in Dora's past. I say again, we don't know what these bad relationships entail.

[someone1074]

Is therapy the answer? In my mind, therapy is pretty much the last resort - a therapist helps you deal with something so huge you can't live a normal life without it.

Does a therapist need to deal with situational paranoia and a little low self-esteem?

It's also preventing her from experiencing a meaningful romantic relationship; something she clearly desires. Your thoughts on therapy are pretty misguided. They don't only help with the most damaging life-threatening concerns...despite the price of some therapists, therapy is useful to get over the smallest hangups that generally hinder someone's life.

Pretty glad this happened, and no I don't think anyone predicted exactly this, but some people took guesses at something that was close. A fair amount of people realized she didn't want to really end the relationship and a few people then predicted that therapy would come into play. Some people expected Sven or one of Dora's friends to do it. I and a few others thought Marten would be the one (a la The Talk). So...close predictions.

Still, this was a good and reasonable turn about.

[Harashaw]

But is it neccessary to go to a therapist over "the smallest hangups"? Seems like a waste of a busy professional's time to me.

[Odin]

But is it neccessary to go to a therapist over "the smallest hangups"? Seems like a waste of a busy professional's time to me.

I'd say you definitely need therapy if you cannot see how failing to respect your partner's wishes when it comes to not rifling through their porn stash and then breaking up with them when they get upset about it isn't a problem.

[disaacs]

Is therapy the answer? In my mind, therapy is pretty much the last resort - a therapist helps you deal with something so huge you can't live a normal life without it.

Does a therapist need to deal with situational paranoia and a little low self-esteem?

Why do people think that therapy needs to be a last resort? Yes, a person might have lots of friends to talk to about problems, but those friends are not objective. They can't be, they are your friends. Seeking therapy is about finding an objective listener who can help you put your problems into perspective.

Seeking therapy is NOT about checking into a mental hospital, or getting electro-shock or getting the latest and greatest prozac prescription. It is about finding guidance.