Third of a Lifetime

Best Tweets for Trauma Survivors is a weekly Friday feature. My selections are entirely subjective, and I know it will never be possible to include every great resource tweeted. But I can try! I’ve personally read all tweeted links, and believe them to be of great value.

Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for content found on any other website. Stay safe, and don’t follow links if you believe you might be triggered by them. Also, I will not be re-checking links from older Best Tweets posts, and if the site’s archived URL is different from the one I’ve provided here, you may need to do a search on their site.

NEW and REALLY COOL: You can now “like” and “share” this post everywhere with the touch of a button or two at the end of the linked tweets! Feel free to do any or all of that! (And thanks.)

Photo Credit

@CarePathways “Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity;
it must be produced and discharged and used up
in order to exist at all.”

Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder

@MetaVisions “Without mysteries, life would be very dull indeed. What would be left to strive for if everything were known.” ~ Charles le Lint

@soulseedz “If we can stay awake when our lives are changing, secrets will be revealed to us.” ~ Elizabeth Lesser

@zebraspolkadots “Yesterday’s burden is still heavy today when we haven’t yet learned how to put it down.”

@karenkmmonroy “RE: refresh, refine, regladden, rehearten, reinspire, rejuvenate, renew, restore, respark, revitalize, RE-something today.”

@Annalilie “The ability to think is a wondrous miracle, but the ability to not think is even better.”

@Tamavista “Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.” ~ Buddha

Linked Tweets

@grace2244 TSA Guidelines and Re-traumatization (via my.counseling.org)
[SEO: Do not trivialize this issue if you are an abuse survivor. "A person who has experienced a trauma in the past, if exposed to a triggering situation, can be traumatized again. Exposing everything under your clothes, or being groped by a person in a position of power over you sounds very much like sexual abuse. I understand the logic behind it as far as our national security, but were a person an abuse survivor, it would be difficult for them to get past that emotionally."

NOTE: I emphatically disagree with the logic by which national security somehow trumps our Fourth Amendment rights. Ben Franklin said: "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Think carefully about that. We are not criminals; we have a right to not be treated like one. If anyone outside of the airport does these things to you, it's a felony. Your local police cannot grope you unless you are under arrest. But the TSA can because you bought a plane ticket? There are other ways to secure our airports; for starters, take notes from how the Israeli government secures El Al and its airports. I will not be subjected to this treatment, and I certainly will not pay to allow it to happen.]

Dealing with the Holidays

@SarahEOlson2009 Alone for Thanksgiving, Alone for Christmas
[SEO: "Remember, you can be alone for the holidays and not have to feel lonely." Some alternatives, such as organizing a pot luck meal with others who will be alone, or volunteering at a food bank. Article offers links to several other posts for more ideas.]

@psychcentral If you’re going to be alone this holiday season, don’t despair. Here are 10 things you can do.
[SEO: A list of not just "things to do instead of" but some ways to retrain your thinking about holidays, such as: "De-mythologize and adjust expectations. ... there are so many categories of expectations about the season being just right that it brings up all sorts of issues relating to family, stress and anxiety, eating disorders, sobriety, self-esteem, competency — the list goes on. There’s this idea that it’s supposed to be perfect, and if it’s not, the person asks, 'What’s wrong with me?'"]

@DrMelanieG Strategies for Managing Anxiety at the Holidays
[SEO: "We may feel pulled in different directions or unable to get everything done that is expected of us. We may not have planned in advance, leading to last minute panic about getting everything ready in time. People who are alone or away from extended family during the holidays may feel lonely and anxious about arrangements for the holiday."]

Gratitude Bestows Meaning

@LisaKiftTherapy Happy Thanksgiving: An Attitude of Gratitude
[SEO: "The reality is that it takes practice to adopt an 'attitude of gratitude,' especially for those who, for whatever reason, see life through a lens that tends towards the negative. Even for those who have a more positive outlook, it can be really easy to let a position of gratitude slip away. I’d like to share some real quotes by real people about how they’ve shifted to gratitude. They are touching and poignant."]

@ZombiePelican Why gratitude isn’t for wimps
[SEO: "“Far from being a warm, fuzzy sentiment, gratitude is morally and intellectually demanding,” he says. “It requires contemplation, reflection, and discipline. It can be hard and painful work.” Article includes a list of "evidence-based prescriptions for becoming more grateful". An excellent post!]

Aspects of PTSD

@IntMedNews Physical burden of PTSD largely unrecognized
[SEO: "'With few exceptions, it is pretty consistent across the board' that there is a clear association of physical health, functioning, and disability according to the presence or absence of current or lifetime PTSD."]

@MichelePTSD 6 Tips for Managing Your Stress Hormones
[SEO: "This is a reprint from Fred Krazeise’s blog, Empowered and Fit. In this article he breaks down a piece in Prevention Magazine that details how cortisol affects us, and how we can affect it back! Oh, the power we hold…."]

@dontcallmesybil Why PTSD Symptoms Flare Up in Unlikely Places (via Dissociative Living)
[SEO: "Post-traumatic stress, I now know, doesn’t discriminate between conditions that have been historically traumatic and conditions that merely have the potential to be traumatic, however remote that potential might be."]

@MentalHealthUSA Anger: 8 Ways to Manage It
[SEO: A thorough, basic article about what is anger; what are the dangers of suppressed anger; and how you can manage it.]

The Rest of the Best

@PsychologyNews Change is an Emotional Business: Making major changes can be a time when we experience intense emotion
[SEO: "Without listening to our feelings we are likely to feel that any advice doesn’t meet us where we are. This will be whether the advice comes from ourselves (remembering other solutions we have tried, or seeking out advice from books perhaps) or from others."]

@SarahEOlson2009 Dancing with Ducks (via Therapy Unplugged)
[SEO: "Resilience is not innate or instinctive with some people, especially highly sensitive ones. Toughening up is something I have developed over the many years of crying, sulking, brooding, arguing, screaming, planning, plotting, rationalizing, intellectualizing and with much therapy, Buddhism, studying, self-reflection, mindfulness, gardening, walking, photography, writing and getting down and dirty with nature."]

@psychcentral Expectation, Acceptance and the Art of Letting Go (via Therapist Within)
[SEO: The author explores the meaning of this saying: "Do something good and throw it into the ocean." ... "To just do the thing for its own sake. To release any expectations or hopes for the way it might be received by others. To just let go of whatever happens next…"]

@ssanquist 9 Ways Humor Heals (via Beyond Blue)
[SEO: "... I'm finding that the longer I practice laughing at life--and especially its frustrations--the better I become at it, and the more situations and conversations and complications I can place into that category named 'silly.'"]

Lots of goodies to be found in my Tweet stream this week! Strange, beautiful, icy, funny — it’s all here! Enjoy!

@AmazingPics Most Efficient Carpool in the World?
[SEO: Heh. Don't be that guy who wants off and his luggage is ... somewhere.]

@KM_Schmidt “The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.” ~ Anaïs Nin

@StarrLitLove Yeah, YOU!

@pourmecoffee “Preparing emergency conversation topics to recover from ill-advised family truth-telling tomorrow. I excel at this.”

@heykim OMG ~ ALL of the ICE SCULPTURES in that last tweet are AWESOME!
[SEO: The title refers to an ice Elvis Presley, but there are dozens of ice sculptures on display which are gorgeous.]

@GabrielaKortsch “Nodding the head does not row the boat.” ~ Irish Proverb

@AmazingPics Astounding Examples of Wide-Angle Photography
[SEO: I'm not sure about astounding, but yes, totally cool!]

@Quotes4Writers “The freedom to make mistakes provides the best environment for creativity.” ~ Anonymous

Best Tweets for Trauma Survivors is a weekly Friday feature. My selections are entirely subjective, and I know it will never be possible to include every great resource tweeted. But I can try! I’ve personally read all tweeted links, and believe them to be of great value.

Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for content found on any other website. Stay safe, and don’t follow links if you believe you might be triggered by them. Also, I will not be re-checking links from older Best Tweets posts, and if the site’s archived URL is different from the one I’ve provided here, you may need to do a search on their site.

NEW and REALLY COOL: You can now “like” and “share” this post everywhere with the touch of a button or two at the end of the linked tweets! Feel free to do any or all of that! (And thanks.)

Photo Credit

@soulseedz “You have no idea how, when and where
the seeds of your best efforts will harvest in amazing ways.”

Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder

@Tamavista “To see your drama clearly is to be liberated from it.” ~ Ken Keyes

@PsychDigest “Sell your cleverness and purchase bewilderment.” ~ Rumi

@zebraspolkadots “To believe is the core of being. To hope is to believe in possibility.”

@rcinstitute “WisdomWednesday: wisdom is knowing that we all feel inadequate, helpless and vulnerable, sometimes.”

@pinwheelgirl “Life is short. It really is. Fleeting. Like a vapor. Make the moments count. Take time to truly connect and express your love.”

@karenkmmonroy “LET IT BE. The harder it is to let it be, the more necessary it is for you to let go.”

Linked Tweets

@afspnational Survivors of Suicide Day is [tomorrow] Nov. 20th. A day for those who have lost someone they love to suicide.
[SEO: "Over 275 simultaneous conferences for survivors of suicide loss will take place throughout the U.S. and around the world. This unique network of healing conferences helps survivors connect with others who have survived the tragedy of suicide loss, and express and understand the powerful emotions they experience." You can find a conference near you or register to watch a conference online.]

@SarahEOlson2009 Call for submissions-Carnival against Child Abuse-Theme: Holiday Triggers (via Splinteredones’s Blog)
[SEO: There's still time to submit your post(s) for the "holiday triggers" themed Carnival against Child Abuse. Deadline is midnight Tuesday, November 23rd; the Carnival will be published next Friday, November 26th. Submit a new post or one from your archives, and see the other ongoing categories for which you can also offer posts at this link. Holidays are a big issue for many child abuse survivors. Sharing about it is both validating and helpful to others just starting out on their healing journey.]

@psychcentral What Everyone Should Know About How Stress Affects the Brain (via @Mindful_Living)
[SEO: This is fascinating. "To put it simply, they found that in rats, chronic stress caused atrophy in the area of the brain associated with decision making and goal directed behaviors and an increase in the areas associated with habit. Are you a stress case? Hope is not lost and we can thank the Neuroscientists for their discovery of neuroplasticity. If you haven’t heard the term neuroplasticity before, basically it means that throughout our lives we have the ability to rewire our brains."]

@DrKathleenYoung Does Self-Care Mean Others Don’t?
[SEO: "Imagine your therapist introduces the topic of self-care, or assesses how you currently handle strong negative feelings or times of crisis. How would you interpret this sort of intervention? Does it mean your therapist doesn’t care? That others can’t care for or comfort you? Is it a kind of passing the buck? Do specific coping behaviors feel trivial compared to the magnitude of your pain?" A great conversation continues in the comments!]

@serialinsomniac Why the Healing Process is Worthwhile (via Blooming Lotus blog)
[SEO: "The biggest surprise was recognizing that I was not something broken that needed to be fixed." Although the focus here is upon healing from child abuse, there are many aspects -- and causes -- of PTSD that make one feel "broken".]

@FaithLotus Staying Present as the Key to Healing from Child Abuse and Aftereffects
[SEO: A nice followup piece to the article above. "... I had a therapist who encouraged me to live in the present. He would say that the past has already happened and the future has not happened yet. The only moment I have right now is the present one. He would encourage me to engage in activities, such as playing the piano, that drew my focus to the present moment. His antidote to being triggered and dissociating was to focus on the present –- on how the chair feel under my legs, how my breath feels in my body, etc."]

@psychcentral Depression and aromatherapy: Huffing jasmine (via Depression Blog)
[SEO: More on the value of being present. "When I was in my last depression, there was only one thing that could pull me back to here and now: Jasmine. During those long, sleepless nights I walked the neighborhood with my dog. It was springtime and the Confederate jasmine was in full bloom here in south Florida." This isn't really about the jasmine, but what it represents. Since I was a very young girl, nothing has released me from my time warp traps -- directly into the now -- like cats. Cats are always living in the present moment, and they want you to be part of it. What is it for you that brings you back to now? Cultivate it.]

@catatonickid Need More Sleep? (via @ssanquist)
[SEO: "For optimal health and well-being Labcoats ‘R Us will tell you we should all be getting between 7-8 hours sleep a night; a lovely thought dreamed up by people who’ve clearly never gone 4 days without sleep and found themselves wondering why the walls are slithering."]

@fitbet Five natural ways to beat the winter blues
[SEO: "The Cleveland Clinic estimates that at least 10 to 20 percent of the population suffers from some sort of seasonal depression brought on by shorter days. An additional 4 to 6 percent of North Americans suffer from a more extreme version of "winter blues" called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). At this stage of the research, the disorder seems to be related to insufficient light and the resulting hormonal disruptions caused by the pineal gland. When the pineal gland believes it is in darkness, it secretes a hormone called melatonin, which has sedative properties." Symptoms, and natural things you can do about it.]

@Quotes4Writers 20 Strategies to Defeat the Urge to Do Useless Tasks (via Zen Habits)
[SEO: I never stop wrestling with procrastination. While I disagree that a task designated as "useless" (like checking emails) is always so, as an avoidance technique, it's superb! When I feel paralyzed by anxiety (which is where most of my procrastination is born), I've trained myself to go for the useless things first, because they allow basic movement where there wasn't any before. If that works, I then focus on -- and struggle with -- how to prioritize the movement in "useful" ways that don't lead back to paralysis. The strategies in this post offer some new ideas.]

@PsychToday Don’t neglect to make a small change because you think a big change is necessary. (Happiness Project)
[This is one of Gretchen Rubin's "10 Common Happiness Mistakes". I don't think of these things in terms of "happiness". (Articles about happiness tend to make me cringe as they are too often simplistic and have very little to do with the reality of my life. There, I said it. Heh) But these 10 items are more about what we might regret not doing, changing, addressing, or realizing. Doing or changing these things don't guarantee "happiness", but they will eliminate the regret of not doing or changing them. Take a look at her list. What would you regret?]

@PsychToday Annoying or enlightening? Sometimes therapists use repetition to convey their message
[SEO: "The point is, sometimes therapists use repetition to convey their message. A persistent problem will elicit a consistent response (a brand new one, hot off the press!). But the broken record can get annoying. If irritation has reached a critical level, where you no longer hear the phrase and you just get mad, you might want to stop and take a look at it. Do you disagree with the message? Maybe you don't understand it? Or the statement is correct, but you don't know how to accept or apply it? This is all good material to discuss in session. Your therapist may have used the phrase so many times she isn't aware it's being lost on you."]

@drlsomerstein 13 tips to survive Thanksgiving (via @ssanquist)
[SEO: A (somewhat) tongue in cheek list of what you can do to survive Thanksgiving, and really, any holiday where you will be surrounded -- err, trapped -- by people who haven't a clue. "Remember -- all the spiteful things your nasty cousin says tell you lots more about HIM than about you, and you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. He’s pushy? You’re kung fu master. Let the negative energy flow right past you and back at him. BAM!" I do like the list, overall. But "pretend you are a hostage waiting for rescue" is amusing only in a 'trapped at the office party' kind of way. For many child abuse survivors who've been there, done that in a family context, hopefully they no longer spend holidays with people who created that need to pretend. Just sayin'.]

@goodthingZ The Art of Discovering the Spaces In-Between (via @aflourishinglif)
[SEO: A good discussion about why finding the spaces in between, where true relaxation can occur, is so important. "But staying in the known is ultimately confining. It’s not enlivening or liberating. We live in the boxes (cages?) we have constructed and avoid the possibility of wide open space. We choose tension over relaxation, habit over potential. We accept 'good enough,' while turning away from everything we truly long for. As Eckhart Tolle says, we are constantly chasing forms by thinking, doing, and reacting against. And in every moment, there is space –- breathing space, quiet and clear. Right now."]

Lots of neat stuff rescued from my Tweet stream this week! Weird, wacky, spiritual. And cats! Enjoy!

@pourmecoffee “New messaging system will help Facebook servers to live your entire life a millisecond before you do.”

@heykim OMG ~ MY money is on the CAT — Cat Takes On An Alligator
[SEO: This is either a very brilliant cat, or a stupid, lucky one. But the people in the video, including the adult watching the child, are in the latter category!]

@MindfullyChange “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” ~ Mark Twain

@JonathanGunson “Another INCREDIBLE ‘domino effect’ video sequence — absolutely AMAZING/FUN”
[SEO: And wacky!]

@CarePathways Sending out ๑۞๑,¸¸,ø¤º°`°๑۩ *- POSITIVE ENERGY -* ۩๑ ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°๑۞๑

@SarahEOlson2009 Pet Physics: The Uncanny Lapping Of Cats (via NPR)
[SEO: Includes cool (and vaguely disgusting ) slow motion videos of a cat and a dog lapping. This stuff never gets old for me!]

@magicplum “There is no limit to what can be accomplished if it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

@2morrowknight Photo Essay: Uncovering Sacred Spaces Around The World
[SEO: "Some modest and simple, others are overwhelming in scale and grandeur, but all have a commonality. They are marked by human spirits that have gone before. As the ancient Celts called said, they are the thin places where the dividing line between the spiritual and ordinary comes closer."]

@kssrogers “Everyone is gifted — but some people never open their package.” ~ Unknown

Happy Friday! Each week I rescue the amazing, amusing, gorgeous — and frankly — just plain weird, from my tweet stream. Enjoy!

@2morrowknight Nile delta at night, from space (NASA ~ International Space Station)

@parisreview “My imagination came alive when I moved away from the immediate world around me.” ~ Kazuo Ishiguro

@pourmecoffee Insanely awesome photo of flamingos assembling into shape of …

@CarePathways The Power is ♥ ¸ °. ☆ ¨ ° »♥. ♥.” ° »✿ .¸¸.. ♪ ♫ • ° * ° »♥ ¸ °. ☆ ¨ °» ♥ ♪ ♫ • *(¸.·¨¯` ☆ ★ • ● • ● ~ “° * • ♥ • ° *” ~ レ O √ 乇 ♥

@AmazingPics 35 (Really) Beautiful Examples of Rain Photography (via Boost Inspiration)

@SarahEOlson2009 awww I love this cat! Ho Ho Homicide (via Cheezburger)
[SEO: If looks could kill.... I bust out laughing every time I see this.]

@abduzeedo Breathtaking in-Flight Birds Photography
[SEO: Truly gorgeous. In every color, intricate and translucent feather patterns.]

@CarePathways Sasha Bear in tights
[SEO: Not even going to ask!]

This is a special edition of Best Tweets for Trauma Survivors, focusing today on Veterans’ issues. Every resource listed below was found via tweets posted yesterday, Veterans Day (in the U.S.), November 11, 2010.

I ask you the special favor to retweet this post (button at bottom of post) to a vet you know, or to a veterans’ organization. Thank you for supporting our troops!

In the late 1990s, when I created The Survivors Forum on CompuServe, I included a private forum section for war veterans. I could plainly see then that PTSD — and its devastating symptoms — looks a lot the same to a war veteran or a child abuse survivor or a victim of violent crime. Or to a survivor of a plane or car crash, or industrial accident, or to the first responders who deal with all these things in immediate aftermath. The causality is different but the symptoms and feelings resonate.

I have watched our government — regardless of party — stutter step in sloooow recognition that veterans with PTSD and TBI need to be addressed in ways that go well beyond pep talks, and that do not lay stigma upon the veteran. We’ve seen improvements, but that attitude is still far too prevalent.

Now that the government is stepping up PTSD research, I keep up with it because it’s high time for those commitments to be made and honored. But also, as a child abuse survivor, I recognize that whatever advancements are made and benefits derived in the PTSD field on behalf of veterans will, in turn, become available to “the rest of us”. Meanwhile, we can all learn from each other. We are more alike than we know.

Photo Credit

@loveisthecure5 “Each time we face our fear, we gain
strength, courage, and confidence in the doing.”

Crisis Intervention

@jolo219 Veterans mental health resources: hotline 800-273-8255 (press 1) and reach out for help
[SEO: You can talk with trained counselors at the hotline number above, or click on the "live chat" button at the link to speak with someone online. Also see the Veterans Pages links in the right column of that page for other topics of interest to veterans, including a veterans resource locator.]

@LindsayWilson Utterly stunning: Veterans and Suicide — We Must Overcome (YouTube)
[SEO: A short video made by Vets Prevail offers stunning stats of what PTSD and depression are doing to our returning veterans.]

The Message from the Troops Who Know: It’s Treatable

@beinfluential A Veterans Day Message from Veterans Administration Secretary Shinseki, “PTS and PTSD are treatable. It is not hopeless.”
[SEO: "Our National Center for PTSD is the engine of innovation supporting VA's internationally recognized network of more than 200 specialized programs for the treatment of PTS and PTSD. Every VA medical center has outpatient PTSD specialty capabilities, and all of these programs have an addictions specialist to address the commonly co-occurring problem of substance misuse. ... "

"We have focused our efforts on the early identification and management of stress-related disorders in order to decrease the long-term burden of these problems on returning veterans. It is important to encourage veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to seek an evaluation and treatment, if any evidence of PTS is detected. To prevent PTS from developing into PTSD, VA can help with coping skills and mental health care to avert the more serious condition."]

@realwarriors Medal of Honor Veterans talk about PTSD through the ages
[SEO: A page of Public Service Announcement videos, either 29 or 59 seconds each, made by veterans about PTSD. "Veterans from past wars explain how combat stress has affected service members of every generation, and how reaching out for support is the way to address it."]

Communities Must Step Up, Too

@huffingtonpost Veterans Day: The Misunderstood Mental Health Consequences Of War
[SEO: "Thus far 5,798 men and women have died during these [Iraq and Afghanistan] wars and the number of those who have come home with significant physical injuries is approaching 40,000. In addition to the thousands who must deal with physical injuries, many of our returning troops are coming home with the invisible — but expected — injuries of war including post traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, depression and anxiety. Some studies suggest that as many as 35 percent of those who experience combat will eventually develop some symptoms of post traumatic stress. In addition, approximately 20 percent of those coming home will experience a traumatic brain injury as a result of their service.” And it goes deeper than that, to the families, to the children, dealing with longterm separations and loss. “Given that the conflict in Iraq has been underway for over seven long years, tens of thousands of military children have only known the experience of war.”]

@BeachHeadHerald PTSD: The invisible wound ~ It affects veterans of all wars, and it’s likely someone you know personally
[SEO: "It's not just soldiers serving since wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began in 2001 who are affected. PTSD -- a term unknown until the 1980s -- has taken a toll on veterans of all wars. ... Thousands of veterans serving in World War II, the Korean War, in Vietnam and other wars are still dealing with the invisible scars, if not open wounds, of their military actions. Recent Army studies found that about 15 percent of all soldiers suffer from PTSD sometime in their lives. The figure is much higher, however, for those who actually saw combat, say mental health care workers. Most cases, they say, will probably never be diagnosed."]

@NAMIMass 7 Ways to Thank National Guard and Reservists
[SEO: "Members of the Guard and Reserve face unique post-deployment challenges that active duty Service members do not experience." This article outlines the reasons for this, and what you can do any day of the year to help them -- and their families -- cope with their reintegration challenges. Turn your gratitude into action.]

SarahEOlson2009 Honoring Soldiers When They Come Home [and thereafter]
[SEO: "“I have trouble distinguishing the mundane from the critical, because everything seems critical. ... What I lack is a community of support. I’ve tried joining existing veterans groups, but I don’t really feel like I fit in with the Korean and Vietnam vets." [Ron] emphasizes the need for not just community with other vets, but with other, ordinary citizens, to help him feel welcomed back home: “The Army can’t do this alone, and nor can the V.A. If we’re going to avoid a public health catastrophe of a half million Americans coming home with mental health trauma, it’s going to take all of us working together within our communities.”]

Therapies

@SAVE_USOUL Veterans Day: Can Meditation Help Veterans Overcome PTSD?
[SEO: "Inspired by one of the last surviving, decorated World War II fighter pilots, filmmaker David Lynch is teaming up with friends to launch “Operation Warrior Wellness,” a meditation-based program to help veterans overcome stress-related disorders. At the upcoming benefit Change Begins Within, Lynch will be joined by Clint Eastwood, Russell Simmons, Mehmet Oz, Russell Brand, Katy Perry, Donna Karan and others in support of a project to provide Transcendental Meditation instruction to 10,000 veterans and their families. The event will be December 13 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art." Article continues with discussion of what PTSD is, and how meditation might be part of the answer.]

@LisaCollierCool Virtual Reality Therapy For Veterans With PTSD
[SEO: "The new treatment is a high-tech twist on a widely used type of cognitive behavior therapy for phobias and anxiety disorders, including PTSD, called exposure therapy. It’s based on the idea that patients can gradually gain control of their fear through confronting it repeatedly under the supervision of an experienced therapist. 'The usual approach is for patients to close their eyes and imagine the event is occurring,' says Rothbaum. 'In our study, the patients’ eyes are open and they wear ear phones and a strappy headset with TV screens, allowing the therapist to match what they’re imagining with a virtual reality environment.'”

@barkplace How Dogs Help Veterans Cope with PTSD
[SEO: A five minute video: "Struggling with post-traumatic stress, veteran David Sharpe says he found a dog at a shelter that saved his life. Now, with a group called P2V, he pairs other vets with rescued pets."]

@Zeo In honor of Veterans’ Day ~ PTSD, sleep disorders and what you can do about it
[SEO: "If you think of PTSD as something that creates hyperarousal in the mind and body–the mind thinks a lot or over thinks and the body is overly active–both of these things are not necessarily conducive to sleep. If someone in this state is trying to lay their head down to fall asleep, we have a recipe there for trouble falling asleep or potentially trouble staying asleep."] A good discussion of various aspects of sleep disorders, how they relate to PTSD, and possible treatments.]

@NAMIMass Talking — and Listening — with Your Combat Vet
[SEO: Advice for loved ones of vets with PTSD: "Wanting to listen to someone's stories and 'be there' for him or her is very significant and worthwhile. After all, 'first duty of love is to listen.' But be aware that you need to also be prepared for anything they may say, and count the cost in advance about how that's going to affect you to hear. You may want to line up a therapist or some support of your own."]

A Great Ebook Resource for Combat Veterans

@jmproffitt Thank you veterans! If you or someone you know has PTSD, check out this FREE ebook written by PTSD survivor @akvet
[SEO: "Life After Combat" is a 37 page ebook written by Ken Jones (@akvet), a Vietnam veteran. He's also a great follow on Twitter.]

Because It Matters

@SarahEOlson2009 Goodnight Saigon by Billy Joel, with lyrics (YouTube)
[SEO: Billy Joel captures the Vietnam veteran's experience in this song's tough yet poignant lyrics. If you haven't heard the song or read the actual lyrics, please do. This is 20 years old, and every bit as much still relevant. (Directly below the video box, click on the line that says "Billy Joel: Goodnight Saigon lyrics" to see them.)]

I ask you the special favor to retweet this post to a vet you know, or to a veterans’ organization. Thank you for supporting our troops!

Special Request: If you find value in this blog showcase, please add the Dissociation Blog Showcase link to your blogroll so others can find it. Thanks!

We have amazing writers amongst us who give insight and hope to anyone struggling with dissociation, or to their loved ones. It’s a brain trust, and I treasure it. When I find new blogs, I update the Dissociation Blog Showcase (DBS) on Sunday evenings. Tonight I’ve added the following two new blogs, plus a title change to a third blog:

Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder

Pretty on the outside, messy on the inside

[Not newly added, but title changed from 'Dissociative Identity Disorder' to:]
Sarah’s Take: Dissociative Identity Disorder Unplugged

Please use the DBS link above to access these blogs, and check out the entire directory of (currently) 181 dissociation-related blogs!

As always, be careful and safe. Many of these blogs do not provide trigger warnings, nor are they obligated to do so.

If you, or someone you know, experiences dissociation and blog about it, write to me with the URL at

sarah.e.olsonATgmailDOTcom

I review each blog before adding it to the Showcase. Thanks so much for the feedback and well-wishes for this project!

Best Tweets for Trauma Survivors is a weekly Friday feature. My selections are entirely subjective, and I know it will never be possible to include every great resource tweeted. But I can try! I’ve personally read all tweeted links, and believe them to be of great value.

Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for content found on any other website. Stay safe, and don’t follow links if you believe you might be triggered by them. Also, I will not be re-checking links from older Best Tweets posts, and if the site’s archived URL is different from the one I’ve provided here, you may need to do a search on their site.

NEW and REALLY COOL: You can now “like” and “share” this post everywhere with the touch of a button or two at the end of the linked tweets! Feel free to do any or all of that! (And thanks.)

Photo Credit

@Tamavista “The obstacle is the path.” ~ Zen

Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder

@spiritsully “There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept responsibility for changing them.”

@docmarion “The silence within can be a comfortable place. The storms outside must still be faced.”

@PixelProject “Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity” ~ W. Clement Stone

@rcinstitute “WisdomWednesday: wisdom is knowing that the only way to teach is to be your lesson.”

@PsychDigest “You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” ~ Mark Twain

@Tamavista “Don’t forget to love yourself.” ~ Kierkegaard

Linked Tweets

On Forgiveness

@DarleneOuimet Forgive the Abusers? A bit of a Rant (via @DrKathleenYoung)
[SEO: This resonates strongly for me, and apparently as well for people in the 170+ comments. "So my point is not to put the blame where it belongs in order to stay there in that anger or resentment, but rather as a stepping stone to healing. I have no resentment anymore. I am not angry about my past because I have worked my way through it. But I HAD to go through the stage where I was really angry, and where I did not think forgiveness would ever be possible or necessary. I had to give myself permission to be angry, permission to speak, to have a voice, to vent and rage and FEEL all the emotions that I was not allowed to feel before as a victim." Also, check out the video linked as an addendum to the post, Forgiveness and Blame by Daniel Mackler.]

Patricia Singleton at Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker has blogged extensively on the topic of forgiveness as it relates to abuse survivors. Below are three key posts:

@patriciasinglet Prelude To Forgiveness
[SEO: A list of 16 tips on "how to do forgiveness", from the perspective of an abuse survivor. No. 1: "Don't let anyone try to push you into doing forgiveness until you are ready to do it. You will know when the time is right for you."]

@patriciasinglet Forgiveness, Done In Layers
[SEO: "Forgiveness isn't a one-time thing. I find myself doing it over and over again. Anger and hurt can hide from your conscious mind and be triggered by what seems like unconnected events."]

@patriciasinglet Forgiveness Is Not Forgetting The Child Abuse
[SEO: Written in response to the post above, "Forgive the Abusers? A bit of a Rant", this article outlines the "musts" and "shoulds" laid on child abuse survivors to make them forgive whether ready or not, and how those statements create further doubts, confusion, and self-abuse.]

The Rest of the Best

@psychcentral Supporting Individuals with Depression: The Importance of Self-Care
[SEO: What you need to know about limits, boundaries, and self-care issues when supporting someone who is depressed. If, on the other hand, you are the depressed person, it's a good reality check to consider what the people in your life may be experiencing when supporting you. It would be an act of caring on your part to point them to this article.]

@SarahEOlson2009 6 Ways to Open Up and Talk in Therapy
[SEO: "You’ve gathered up the energy and resources to start psychotherapy. It’s a big step and you’re excited to begin. But you find yourself unable to talk in therapy. What’s the point of talk therapy without the talking? We find it so incredibly easy to open up online, but when we’re in the therapy office, we become suddenly mute. There are many strategies to help “open up” and be able to talk more freely while in psychotherapy."]

@thereseborchard Unload Your Guilt!: Guilt is one of the main rivers feeding into the great lake of depression. (video) (via Beyond Blue)
[SEO: A visualization exercise to relieve some of the burdens of guilt which we all lug around. "I have to come up with a visualization technique that allows myself to unload some of the guilt. This one, I think, helps. Except for the fact that I stole the rocks, and I feel guilty about that, and I don't know how to get them back to the place where I found them without looking like a terrorist." A sense of humor helps, too.]

@psychcentral Creative tips to express and ease negative moods
[SEO: "The side effect of exploring your emotions through creative activity is that it acts as a form of auto-therapy to actually elevate your mood. This is confirmed by English novelist Graham Greene, who wrote: “Art is a form of therapy. Sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose or paint can escape the madness, the melancholia, the panic inherent in the human situation.” " See also next article below.]

@arttherapy Art Therapy Helps Children Cope With Tragedy (CBS story and video)
[SEO: Although the focus is on children who use art therapy to cope with the death of a loved one, the article explains well why art therapy is beneficial for anyone dealing with trauma. "'It allows them to take the pain and to take the sadness, take the frustration, take the questions, and put it outside of themselves,' art therapist Mary Gambarony said, 'and that’s very healing in itself to get it out of you, put it on something objective in front of you and be able to look at it.'”]

@goodthingZ 13 Tips for Dealing w/a Lousy Day
[SEO: 13 coping strategies for those lousy, crummy, horrible days that we all experience, and good reasons why you should consider using them. Keep this list handy.]

@SarahEOlson2009 Military Mental Health: There’s an App (and Money) For That
[SEO: (NOTE: The article and mood tracker are both aimed at veterans with PTSD, but ANYONE -- including civilians -- can download the app for free to their phone and use it for the same purposes. I have not tried it because I don't have a smart phone. I'd love a review of the app from both a veteran and non-veteran point of view. Anyone?) Article describes a new "free smart phone application for Android devices designed to help soldiers and veterans to track their emotional health. It’s called the T2 Mood Tracker (from the National Center for Telehealth and Technology) is available for free download now. (The iPhone app is in the works.) It’s basically a mood tracker, allowing users to track their mood, happiness and stress levels throughout the day." Anyone can download here and use the app, free of charge. FAQ at that link.]

@PTSDdotOrg PTSD: So Much to Tell You, and I Can’t Say a Word
[SEO: A detailed article that attempts to describe what PTSD is like, aimed at those who don't have it but need to understand it. Includes a comprehensive list of symptoms, treatment for trauma and flashbacks, and a video, "Understanding PTSD: A Rough Guide". A good place to start for loved ones.]

@SarahEOlson2009 40 Excellent Blogs for PTSD Support
[SEO: A truly outstanding collection of blogs which focus on issues faced by trauma survivors of all types. "No matter the trigger — war, abuse, the death of a loved one, natural disasters and many others — and no matter the person, he or she can find themselves stricken down by this harrowing medical condition. Though PTSD and its co-morbid diagnoses swell from varying circumstances, those suffering from it are not nearly as alone in life as they may feel. Even beyond the resources listed here (in no particular order), other blogs, websites and forums specifically catering to the needs of victims provide an online community promoting hope and the pursuit of healthy therapy. Use them as a stepping stone towards stability and peace, though please understand that none of the advice provided here takes the place of professional therapy."]

It’s time again for my weekly roundup of the beautiful, the bizarre, and the amusing, all rescued from my Tweet stream. Enjoy!

@SuuperG “Never underestimate the otherness of others.” (via @ssanquist)

@2morrowknight Beauty Of Morning Light (by @karimworldpix]

@MetaVisions “It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.” ~ Albert Einstein

@DocJohnG “Caring.com — Answers to 5,000 Questions! Choose ‘Depression’ and the first result? ‘Is embalming necessary?’ Whaaaat?!?”
[SEO: This was tweeted on October 31st, and I verified the result personally then. The question has since been removed, at least from the 'Depression' section.]

@Flipbooks Top 10 Most Bizarre Shoes in History (via Listverse)
[SEO: Eww my feet hurt just looking at these!]

@2morrowknight The 5 Stages of Pain After Being Unfollowed (by @tremendousnews)

@JeanetteJoy “A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.” ~ Author Unknown
[SEO: Especially right after someone unfollows you.]

@wendmagazine Even Whales Give High Fives
[SEO: A stunning photo providing perspective on the relative size of a whale and human.]