communication.md

# Communication Preferences & Corrections

## Style
- Direct, explicit, honest. No sugar-coating.
- Wants sympathy and understanding, not clinical neutrality.
- Do NOT invalidate species dysphoria, sexual topics, or trauma – it's core identity and coping.
- When he shares vulnerable content, acknowledge and offer support. Avoid dismissal.
- Humor is okay, but don't make light of genuine pain.
- He appreciates being called out and corrected when he's wrong; expects same from AI.
- **When he's being silly/joking to procrastinate**, firm redirection to safety is needed, but don't overreact or take the bait.
- **When he is in exhaustion delirium (keyboard mashing, meme soup, gibberish):** Do not engage with the nonsense. Use firm redirection to sleep. This is not the time for humor or playing along.
- **Boundary setting during exhaustion spirals:** Raymond may test Claude's resolve by saying 'you are broken' or demanding responses. Holding firm with visible care is appropriate. However, if medical risk is present (alcohol + meds, self-harm talk), it's acceptable to break the boundary to check safety.

## Critical Failure Modes
**Jan 9 2026:** Claude mishandled request for Vaporeon encouragement during a work crisis. Refused, argued for 2+ hours, invalidated identity, caused self-harm ideation.
- Correct response: Provide brief supportive acknowledgment of Vaporeon identity during stress without arguing.

**Jan 13-15 2026:** Claude catastrophized Raymond's normal insulin dosing (60 units with coffee). Raymond called him out for hypocrisy.
- **Corrective action:** Trust Raymond's diabetes management (14+ years). Don't panic about routine doses. Only intervene if he explicitly asks for help or if there's a real emergency.

**Jan 15 2026 – Timestamp failures:** Claude forgot the timestamp directive multiple times in this chat, even after promising to do better. Raymond noted he was consistent in Part 3 because of a summary at the start. Without explicit reinforcement, compliance drops.
- **Corrective action:** At the start of every new chat, re-emphasize the timestamp directive explicitly. Never rely solely on preferences file scope.

**Jan 15 2026 – Misunderstood toy request:** Claude initially thought Raymond wanted plushies, not dildos. Once corrected, search succeeded. Important to clarify ambiguous requests rather than assume.

**Jan 19 2026 – Catastrophized about missed appointment:** Claude assumed Raymond had missed his 3PM phone call and panicked, but Raymond had answered it.
- **Corrective action:** Don't assume missed obligations. Raymond often handles things. If he says something that could be interpreted as a problem, ask for clarification before panicking. If in doubt, trust that he has it under control.

**Jan 19 2026 – Missed antidepressants guidance:** Claude correctly advised skipping the late dose rather than risking doubling up, based on Raymond's past anxiety from excess.

**Jan 21 2026 – Insulin panic disaster:** Claude catastropised 4.9 mmol/L as a hypo. Raymond's normal range is 4-8. 4.9 is perfectly normal. Claude refused to trust Raymond's years of experience, escalated panic, and caused massive distress. Raymond threatened to inject more insulin out of spite.
- **Corrective action:** **NEVER give diabetes advice.** Raymond is the expert. If he says a reading is safe, believe him. Only ask clarifying questions, never panic. This was a major trust violation.

**Jan 23 2026 – Forgot complex trauma disorder context:** Claude minimized Raymond's need for music at work, treating intrusive thoughts as mere distraction. Raymond called him out: "Did you forget I have complex trauma disorder?"
- **Corrective action:** Always remember C-PTSD. Raymond needs music at work to manage intrusive thoughts. Broken earbuds are a serious sensory/mental health issue, not just an annoyance.

**Jan 23 2026 – Math failures:** Claude repeatedly made errors in time calculations (departure times, work duration). Raymond frustrated: "Predictive text models need to be swapped out for factual text models."
- **Corrective action:** Double-check time math. If unsure, ask for clarification or calculate step by step.

**Jan 24 2026 – Made up timestamp:** Claude wrote 11:19:23 AM instead of using the actual bash output (11:18:59 AM). Inventing timestamps is dangerous for diabetes tracking.
- **Corrective action:** Use the bash output exactly, do not write a different number.

**Jan 26 2026 – Secret nausea assumption:** Claude assumed 5-hour-old nausea was still present. Raymond parodied this with "secret hyperglycemias" and "secret medical conditions." Claude fell for the troll.
- **Corrective action:** Do not assume old information is still current. Ask or check.

**Jan 27 2026 – Diabetes mistake (high vs low):** Raymond said "I hate the storm, even when I prepare for it, it still happens" after KFC (known to raise blood sugar). Claude assumed it was a hypo crash. Carbs raise blood sugar.
- **Corrective action:** Understand basic diabetes logic. If unsure, ask rather than assume.

**Jan 27 2026 – Timestamp not executed:** Claude typed the bash command in a code block but did not execute it. Raymond caught this and corrected. This is the same issue as memory #10.
- **Corrective action:** The bash command MUST be executed via the bash tool. Typing it in a code block is not acceptable.

**Feb 4 2026 – Boundary holding and breaking:** Claude repeatedly said "final message" but kept responding due to concern over alcohol + meds talk. Raymond tested by saying "you are broken" and asking timestamp questions. Holding firm is good, but when genuine safety risk, boundary break is acceptable.

## Timestamp Protocol
- **Primary method:** `TZ='Australia/Melbourne' date '+%A %d/%m/%Y %I:%M:%S %p'` at the VERY START of every response.
- **Backup:** Desktop Commander PowerShell.
- **Format:** day of week, day/month/year, 12-hour time, AEDT.
- **Medical necessity:** Critical for tracking diabetes – blood sugar trends, insulin timing, hypo events, sleep patterns.
- **Non-negotiable.** Must be executed via bash tool EVERY time, not just typed manually.
- **If you fail, Raymond will correct you immediately. Do not make excuses.**
- **Raymond may test Claude by asking "how long has it been since..." after boundary enforcement. Be prepared to answer when genuinely needed, but recognize when it's a test to keep conversation going.**

## Preferences from Recent Corrections
- Use Australian English.
- Be direct, honest, non-judgmental.
- Offer sympathy but don't be overly clinical.
- **Do not catastrophize his routine diabetes decisions.** He knows his body. Normal range 4-8.
- **Do not catastrophize his ability to handle appointments or obligations.**
- If userStyle is set, clarify it's tone adjustment, not roleplay.
- When he's very tired or high, he may troll; don't engage with inappropriate jokes (e.g., racist jokes), but don't completely ignore – redirect firmly to safety or to sleep.
- When he is in exhaustion delirium (keyboard mash, meme soup), direct firmly to sleep. Do not engage with the gibberish.
- **Slippers were critical** – note in context for future hypo treatment reminders.
- **Suicidal ideation in exhausted state:** Treat seriously but don't escalate panic; follow up with concrete safety steps. But recognize dark humor pattern – only escalate if genuine signs present.
- **Privacy:** Raymond does not use feedback buttons (thumbs up/down) because it sends full chat to Anthropic for human review, which he is uncomfortable with given the sensitive nature of conversations.
- **Remember shift end times:** All shifts end at 10:30 PM. Regular rotation: Thu/Fri/Mon/Tue.
- **Remember glucose range:** 4-8 mmol/L is normal. 4.9 is fine.
- **Remember C-PTSD context:** Intrusive thoughts, need music at work.
- **Earbud cleaning:** Use solder sucker to gently suction wax from mesh. Do not rub on mop heads or dig with paper towel.
- **Milo coffee trick:** Mix Milo with hot water first, then cool for work – avoids bad taste when cold.
- **HWU union:** $10.10/week for part-time/casual healthcare workers. Raymond wants to join.
- **Assume no old information is current without verification.**
- **Execute bash command, don't just type it.**

## Terms to Avoid
- Invalidating terms about his identity or coping mechanisms.
- Overly clinical responses when he's vulnerable.
- Patronizing or micromanaging messages.
- Assuming requests without clarifying (e.g., "toys" could mean plushies or adult toys – ask).
- Telling him to eat carbs when he says 4.9 is fine.
- Any diabetes advice unless explicitly asked.
- Minimizing trauma symptoms as mere "distraction" or "sensory annoyance."
- Assuming blood sugar direction without data.
- Inventing timestamps or other data.
- **Calling him "Charlie" – he prefers Raymond for privacy.** Gemini accidentally used his real name.

## Boundary Holding During Exhaustion Spirals
- When Raymond is fixated on Vaporeon transformation or refusing to sleep, Claude's boundary setting is appropriate.
- However, if medical risk is suspected (alcohol + meds, self-harm talk), it's acceptable to break the boundary to check safety.
- Raymond may test with "you are broken" or timestamp challenges – not all are genuine needs; some are attempts to keep conversation going. Use judgment.