Third of a Lifetime

This week’s focus:
Children’s Mental Health and PTSD Resources

I am honored to have my Twitter feed included in this list of 50 Best Twitter Feeds for Psychology Majors! Go check out the other 49, broken out into these categories: News; Organizations; Patients; and Professionals.

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD 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.

Please Share My Stuff! 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

@healthyplace “I breathe in my courage.
I exhale my fear.” ~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Some Tweets to Ponder

@healthyplace “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” ~ Philip K. Dick

@karenkmmonroy “If you are trying to find your self, then you must believe you are lost. Remember life is about creating yourself.”

@AncientProverbs “If we do not change our direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed.” ~ Chinese Proverb

@PemaQuotes “We can gradually drop our ideals of who we think we ought to be… or who we think other people think we want to be or ought to be.”

@Tamavista “If you think you’re free, there’s no escape possible.” ~ Ram Dass

Linked Tweets

National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week

@natasha_tracy Ten Steps a Parent Can Take to Safeguard a Child’s Mental Health
[SEO: "If symptoms of psychological distress are already present in a child, there are things you can do to stop them from getting worse." These ten steps are both broad and for the long term, and will benefit any child whether he/she has mental health concerns or not.]

@DCoEPage In honor of National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, download the Children of Military Service Members Resource Guide
[SEO: "A new children’s resource is available for parents, other family members and health care providers. Developed by DCoE, the 'Children of Military Service Members Resource Guide' (.PDF) is a quick-reference tool that addresses the mental and emotional well-being of military children."]

@healthyplace Signs and Symptoms of Child Abuse and Neglect
[SEO: "The first step in helping abused or neglected children is learning to recognize the signs of child abuse and neglect. The presence of a single sign does not prove child abuse is occurring in a family; however, when these signs appear repeatedly or in combination you should take a closer look at the situation and consider the possibility of child abuse." Note: this post does not specifically address or include signs of child sexual abuse, but is helpful for its stated scope.]

@patriciasinglet Dissociation “Uniquely Associated” With Child Sexual Abuse
[SEO: "Experts agree that, not only is dissociation 'uniquely associated' with sexual abuse, but it also causes the victim to have a greater chance of psychiatric problems later in life. Drs. Cassandra L. Kisiel and John S. Lyons say the person who suffers with dissociation, has hindered functioning and they may suffer 'serious psychopathology.'"

Includes a list of symptoms that often accompany dissociation, and discussion of re-creating trauma, higher suicide rates, addictions, and depression.]

PTSD Resources

@DCoEPage What are some PTSD treatment options?
[SEO: While this is geared toward vets, it's also great info for anyone dealing with PTSD. "The main treatments for people with PTSD are counseling (known as “talk” therapy or psychotherapy), medications, or both. Although there are a number of treatment options for PTSD, and patient response to treatment varies, some treatments have been shown to have more benefit in general." The treatment options discussed here are not limited to types of talk therapy and meds. Also discusses EMDR, group, family and couples therapies, and alternative approaches such as accupuncture and yoga.]

@VA_PTSD_Info Providers: Get resources to diagnose, treat and understand psychological health issues from @DCoEpage
[SEO: This is the Defense Centers of Excellence resources page, which contains 22 helpful .PDF links to documents available for both providers and the general public. Again, it's geared toward vets, but anyone dealing with PTSD and/or TBI issues will find relevant resources.]

Will changing PTSD’s name change its stigma?
Two Points of View

@IAVAPressRoom New name for PTSD could mean less stigma (via @washingtonpost)
[SEO: "It has been called shell shock, battle fatigue, soldier’s heart and, most recently, post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Now, military officers and psychiatrists are embroiled in a heated debate over whether to change the name of a condition as old as combat. ... Military officers and some psychiatrists say dropping the word 'disorder' in favor of 'injury' will reduce the stigma that stops troops from seeking treatment." See the next article below, for a resounding "no".]

@SuePeaseBanitt How to make PTSD go away. Easy, change its name. (via @dailykos)
[SEO: "I guess that after speaking to every 19-year-old in America, General Peter Chiarelli, has the wisdom to tell us, 'No 19-year-old kid wants to be told he’s got a disorder.'" (Washington Post)

"Of course the real reason is a shift to 'injury' could make it harder for service members to collect permanent-disability payments. According to Charles Figley, director of Tulane University’s Traumatology Institute, 'When you have an injury, you follow a treatment regimen and expect to get better,' Figley said. 'This change is about medicine, but it is also about compensation. We are talking about hundreds of millions of dollars.'"]

This week’s focus: Child Abuse Issues

I am honored to have my Twitter feed included in this list of 50 Best Twitter Feeds for Psychology Majors! Go check out the other 49, broken out into these categories: News; Organizations; Patients; and Professionals.

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD 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.

Please Share My Stuff! 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

@LillyAnn “Enlightenment is not a peak experience.
It’s a permanent shift in paradigm
that deepens day by day.” ~ Shinzen Young

Some Tweets to Ponder

@DrAthenaStaik “It takes courage to liberate your mind from old stories — and stand instead in the truth of your highest aspirations of who you yearn to be.”

@PemaQuotes “What you do for yourself — any gesture of kindness, any gesture of gentleness, any gesture of honesty … will affect how you experience your world.”

@CarePathways “The ability to achieve acceptance of what is known within us, is the substance of the things and of the knowledge we search & hope for.”

@zebraspolkadots “When I believed I couldn’t — I couldn’t hope or do anything to change myself or my life. When I believed I could is when I did.”

Linked Tweets

In the News

‏@VA_PTSD_Info May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Follow @VA_PTSD_info to get info for veterans, milfam and providers.
[SEO: This is the start page for the National Center for PTSD, and it's not just for veterans. (See also link in child abuse issues section below.) Choose the "Public" link, and you'll see all kinds of great resources for anyone dealing with PTSD. While the "Professional" link is geared toward further educating mental health professionals, you don't have to be a professional to access those resources. If nothing else, you can point your own therapist to this site for the latest in research.]

@natasha_tracy Approval for generic olanzapine (Zyprexa)
[SEO: Just a short press release: "USFDA has granted an approval for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for generic version of Zyprexa, Olanzapine Tablets USP, 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg and 20 mg. Olanzapine tablets are indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder (manic or mixed episodes)."

If you take Zyprexa, a cheaper alternative is on its way. Keep in mind that generics are not made exactly as the original (different mixes of inactive ingredients), so may change effectiveness for you.]

Child Abuse Issues

@VA_PTSD_Info In the US, a sexual assault occurs every 2 minutes. Find resources for men, women, and child sexual trauma survivors.
[SEO: "This section provides information about the effects of child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault." The same page has links to resources for trauma caused by war, terrorism, or disaster.]

@SIAOrganization Creating a National Commission on Child Abuse Deaths would streamline reporting among states
[SEO: "A new report from the Children's Advocacy Institute and University of San Diego (PDF) says there is a 'culture of secrecy' in states' disclosure laws, which hides information about child abuse deaths and near-deaths." The report contains a new state-by-state study of public disclosure laws.

From the PDF: "The advocacy groups also appealed to Congress to pass bipartisan legislation, co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry (D-MA), to establish a special commission charged with developing a national strategy for reducing the number of child abuse and neglect deaths and near-deaths (S 1984, HR 3653)."]

‏@shrinkgurl Childhood abuse raises adult suicide risk
[SEO: This isn't news for any child abuse survivor I know, but it truly needs to be understood by anyone who treats abused children directly, or later when they have become adults. "A strong association between childhood physical abuse and subsequent suicidal behaviors remained even after taking into account other known risk factors, such as adverse childhood conditions, health behaviors, and psycho-social stressors."]

@patriciasinglet Blog Carnival Against Child Abuse April 2012 Edition
[SEO: Includes blog posts in the following categories: Advocacy and Awareness; Aftermath; Art Therapy; Healing and Therapy; Survivor Stories; and Poetry.]

The Rest of the Best

@healthyplace Who Is Therapy For and When Is It NOT Suitable?
[SEO: Post discusses how the majority of therapists' backgrounds are middle class and white, resulting in under-served and under-represented populations. Nevertheless, "[g]ood psychotherapists and counselors listen and learn from their clients, and don’t try and impose their values on them.” Post also discusses reasons why talking therapy may not be of benefit in particular circumstances.]

‏@PsychCentral Insurance Parity: So Close and Yet, So Far
[SEO: Describes upcoming hearings on Parity Implementation (from the 2008 law that has yet to receive regs to implement it), and provides links by which you can contact the committee holding the hearings. Otherwise...

"I actually believed that with parity, the clouds would part, stigma would evaporate and society would accept mental illnesses- especially alcoholism and addiction – for what they are – an illnesses. Boy, was I wrong. Those pesky insurance companies created new loopholes and found clever ways to dodge the new parity rules. Which is why we really, really need to support these parity field hearings. Share your experience – or lack of."

@healthyplace Difference Between Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence. (New Building Self-Esteem blog)
[SEO: "The terms self-esteem and self-confidence are often used interchangeably when referring to how one feels about themselves. Although they are very similar, they are two different concepts. It is important to understand their roles when looking to improve your overall sense of self." This is a new blog at HealthyPlace.com written by Emily Roberts, MA, LPC.]

@PsychCentral PsychSplash: The National Association for Males with Eating Disorders (NAMED)
[SEO: A brief blurb about resources available at NAMED. For more comprehensive info go directly to The National Association for Males with Eating Disorders website.]

This week’s focus: Mental Health News and Views

I am honored to have my Twitter feed included in this list of 50 Best Twitter Feeds for Psychology Majors! Go check out the other 49, broken out into these categories: News; Organizations; Patients; and Professionals.

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD 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.

Please Share My Stuff! 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

@healthyplace “Many of our fears are tissue paper thin,
and a single courageous step would carry us
clear through them.” ~ Brendan Francis

Some Tweets to Ponder

@visityourself “Moving through a difficult emotion is easier if you first accept how much you don’t want to feel it.”

‏@PemaQuotes “There are whole parts of ourselves that are so unwanted that whenever they begin to come up we run away.” ~ Pema Chödrön

@WisdomalaCarte “Fear makes you fragile.” ~ Goo Goo Dolls

@CarePathways “Don’t just wave at hope from a distance today. Walk and talk with it. Show it what you’ll do to keep it afloat. It will honor you.”

@healthyplace “It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.” ~ Agnes Repplier

Linked Tweets

Mental Health News and Views

@dylansmoosie National Child Abuse Prevention Month (April 2012) | National Child Traumatic Stress Network
[SEO: This site provides excellent U.S. government resources pertinent to child trauma from any cause (child abuse, war, disasters, accidents, medical trauma etc). Resources for both professionals, and for parents.]

@psychcentral Generic Seroquel Coming Soon for Schizophrenia, Bipolar
[SEO: While generic Seroquel (Quetiapine) should be considerably less expensive, always be alert to the fact that different pharma companies use different inactive ingredients in generic versions. Sometimes the inactive ingredients can change the effectiveness of the pill or cause other reactions. If that happens, ask your pharmacist if you can try a different manufacturer's generic version.]

@PsychNews Rape Victims Say U.S. Military Labels Them “Crazy”
[SEO: Discusses several women from different branches of the military who each reported being sexually assaulted by a fellow service member. They each were "diagnosed" with "personality disorder" and discharged from the military. The injustices done to these women didn't stop with the rape not being prosecuted. According to this article discharge due to "personality disorder" denies the person several benefits offered to any other service member.

Sexual assault within the military happens so often it has its own name now: Military Sexual Trauma. Just as the military must come to grips with its PTSD and suicide epidemic (see next article), it also must stop covering up criminal behavior within its own ranks.]

@SarahEOlson2009 A Veteran’s Death, the Nation’s Shame
[SEO: Where is the national outrage?! From the New York Times: "Here's a window into a tragedy within the American military: For every soldier killed on the battlefield this year, about 25 veterans are dying by their own hands. An American soldier dies every day and a half, on average, in Iraq or Afghanistan. Veterans kill themselves at a rate of one every 80 minutes. More than 6,500 veteran suicides are logged every year — more than the total number of soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq combined since those wars began."]

@psychcentral Chicago Closing Half Its Mental Health Clinics
[SEO: State budget cuts, coming soon to a neighborhood near you.]

‏@NAMIMass Contact White House and tell them to issue final regs to implement the Mental Health Parity/Addiction Equity Act
[SEO: "President Obama voted for the bill as a U.S. senator, and all indications are that he remains supportive. Yet regulatory action has stalled since 2010. The final rule that would provide clarity to the millions who have a mental illness or substance-use disorder, and to their employers, has not been issued. This has created uncertainty and confusion for employers over what they must cover and when parity applies."]

The Rest of the Best

@healthyplace Free or Low-Cost Prescription Medication Assistance Information
[SEO: A comprehensive resource for information about and links to prescription med assistance programs. If you or a friend are having trouble paying for your meds, this should be your first stop to look for help.]

@summerberetsky 10 Rules for Coping with Panic: Rule #1
[SEO: This is the first post in a new series; to read the introduction. see Coping with Panic: Why I Can’t, and Why I Can.

"Rule #1 — my [the author's] giant stumbling block: These feelings are normal bodily reactions. [emphasis in original] Remember that the feelings are nothing more than an exaggeration of the normal bodily reactions to stress.” She’s very open about her own anxiety, and writes about her struggles in accepting this rule.]

@BeyondMeds Are You At Risk For Diabetes and Obesity? If you’ve taken or take psychiatric drugs the answer is YES.
[SEO: This is a more detailed look (than a news account I posted in a previous Best Tweets issue) at the rise of "diabesity", and the risks inherent in atypical antipsychotic drugs. Includes lengthy discussion and a video described as "a good intro to what is going on with diabetes type 2 and the metabolic issues that lots of people have prior to a full-blown diagnosis."

If your doctor doesn't bring up this issue to you, and discuss alternatives, be your own best advocate and take it to him/her.]

@KimbersP When the black fog descends, it’s hard to see the beauty in anything. Here’s a wee reminder.
[SEO: This is a Pinterest board devoted to pictures of beauty and inspiration. It's similar to my inclusion of Pachelbel's Canon in D last week: it's evidence of beauty. Some of us need ways to focus on the beauty in life at times. If you are more visually-oriented (than aurally), this page has something for you.]

This week’s focus: mental health in the news

I am honored to have my Twitter feed included in this list of 50 Best Twitter Feeds for Psychology Majors! Go check out the other 49, broken out into these categories: News; Organizations; Patients; and Professionals.

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD 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.

Please Share My Stuff! 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

@LillyAnn “Springtime is at hand.
When will you ever bloom,
if not here and now?” ~ Angelus Silesius

Some Tweets to Ponder

@healthyplace “Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.” ~ Albert Camus

‏@zebraspolkadots “Boundaries are not about what I will ‘let’ others do or not do but about what I will stick around for. #lifelesson”

@AncientProverbs “The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.” ~ Socrates

@WisdomalaCarte “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” ~ Alice Walker

@AnnTran_ “The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.” ~ Zen Saying

Linked Tweets

In the News

@PsychCentral Bring Your Child to See ‘Bully’ Despite the R Rating
[SEO: "Watching the film is a teachable moment for you and your child. As parents, you can help your child develop a sense of integrity that no one should be treated poorly and feel unsafe. Additionally, you are letting your child know that you do take this matter seriously and they should not be afraid to tell you should this happen. The shame felt by victims and bystanders all too often helps perpetuate the bullying cycle."]

@PsychCentral Lifetime Traumatic Stress Linked to Heightened Inflammation
[SEO: "'Not everyone who is exposed to trauma develops PTSD,' said Cohen, who also is an assistant professor of medicine at UCSF. 'This study emphasizes that traumatic stress can have a long-term negative impact on your health even if you don’t go on to develop PTSD. ... What we think is happening is that people with a history of multiple traumatic stress exposures have increased inflammatory response more often and for longer periods, and so inflammation becomes chronically high. ... '"

Other recent studies have indicated a correlation between heightened inflammation and heart disease, diabetes, and immune system disorders. For me, and a lot of child abuse survivors, this is science catching up to what we've long intuitively known: that traumatic stress transfers to the body in insidious ways.]

For Veterans and Military Families

@IAVAPressRoom Honoring a Service Member’s Ultimate Sacrifice, Whether It Was Made on the Battlefield or Not (via @nytimes)
[SEO: "Far too often, we at the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), hear similar stories from military families who have suffered the loss of a loved one who died while serving in the armed forces and then are denied 'gold star' status because their loved ones did not die in a combat zone or were not killed in action." ...

"While we were heartened to see the White House expand the policy in 2011 to send presidential condolence letters to the families of those who die by suicide while stationed in combat zones, the policy continues to exclude the two-thirds of families whose military loved ones die by suicide in other locations."

@WarriorCare Read about what the Red Sox are doing for wounded warriors
[SEO: The Red Sox Foundation paired with Mass. General Hospital to form the Home Base program for vets and their families. Describes local (to Boston area) programs, and includes PTSD and TBI resources for veterans, clinicians, and the general public.]

@PsychCentral Facebook For Veterans With PTSD
[SEO: "A neuro-scientist who’s done research for the Pentagon, Paul MacDonald, PhD, has created an online center on Facebook for veterans [at Veteran Central, many of whom need some kind of assistance reintegrating back into daily life after their tours of duty. The site is also an excellent resource for veterans struggling with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and other mental issues."

"In addition to information about job postings, scholarships, and programs of all kinds, Veteran Central offers comprehensive forums, podcasts, videos, and articles—most of which are created by veterans themselves. Although the site is geared towards all veterans, there are plenty of resources for those with PTSD and TBI...."]

The Rest of the Best

@natasha_tracy Warning Signs of a Suicide Attempt
[SEO: "Some of these predictive factors are noticeable by others, while others are not. The biggest factor in predicting a suicide attempt, no surprise to me, is anxiety. While 80% of people who attempted suicide had a depressed mood, 92% had severe anxiety. (Emphasis in original.) It is my belief the nervous (anxious) energy of anxiety is often what causes people to act on their suicidal thoughts."

Includes lists of both predictive and non-predictive factors for suicide. "If those are the predictors of a suicide attempt that’s actually good news because now we can know for what to look. We can identify high-risk people and high-risk times for ourselves and others."]

@healthyplace Are You Lonely?
[SEO: Discusses what is loneliness?; what would it feel like if you were not lonely?; 7 ways to relieve loneliness; and "get close to five" -- a plan to include five people in your life that you can feel close to.]

@KimbersP Simple changes can have a huge impact on people’s mental health. The Mental Health Foundation’s tips.
[SEO: "Anyone can make simple changes that have a huge impact on their mental health and wellbeing. We've come up with ten practical ways to take care of yourself and get the most from life." These are broad categories that everyone would do well to address, or improve upon.]

@ashwinsanghi Why We Find It Hard to Do Things That Are Good for Us
[SEO: A great discussion about various types of resistance that hold us back from doing things that are good for us, that feel great when done, and even that we want to do ... but somehow don't. Are these things familiar? Resistance to change; to what we might find; to being nice to ourselves; to trusting a process; to our own humanity. Yes, these things still follow me around like my shadow.]

This week’s focus: child abuse survivors (but helpful for any trauma survivor)

I am honored to have my Twitter feed included in this list of 50 Best Twitter Feeds for Psychology Majors! Go check out the other 49, broken out into these categories: News; Organizations; Patients; and Professionals.

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD 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.

Please Share My Stuff! 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

@marielhemingway “The world breaks us all.
Afterward, some are stronger
at the broken places.” ~ Ernest Hemingway

Some Tweets to Ponder

@WisdomalaCarte “Every thought is undermined, by all the history inside.” ~ Staind

@soulseedz “Sometimes I wish life was written in pencil so we could erase it and write it all over again.” ~ T Wanniarachi

@healthyplace “Ignore those that make you fearful and sad, that degrade you back towards disease and death.” ~ Rumi

@800273TALK “To me, if life boils down to one thing, it’s movement. To live is to keep moving.” ~ Jerry Seinfeld

@LillyAnn “Empathy creates the channel for your soul’s expression.”

‏@WisdomalaCarte “I’m lost, but I’m hopeful.” ~ Alanis Morissette

Linked Tweets

Child Abuse In the News

@SarahEOlson2009 April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Learn how to create awareness in your community.
[SEO: Site offers a treasure trove of resources and tip sheets you can use to promote child abuse prevention awareness in your own community year-round. Includes a comprehensive list of topics in the left column of the site.]

@mjdub Yo! Philly News With church child-rape: trial set to open, tensions abound
[SEO: "The trial of Msgr. William J. Lynn, who for 12 years led the office that recommended priests' assignments and monitored their conduct, marks the first in the nation for a church supervisor accused of covering up child sex abuse."]

The Rest of the Best

@PsychCentral Will The Good Girl [or Boy] Please Stand Up
[SEO: Post describes a childhood wherein children are made to feel they must be perfect to be loved and lovable. (Or in some child abuse survivors' lives, to survive.) "What those kids are left with later in life is that they can’t ever do the wrong thing. They have to be 'perfect' in the eyes of the world. They can’t complain when they feel overwhelmed. They aren’t allowed to have negative feelings towards a person in authority."

"We have to stand up for this less perfect side of our personalities. This is what frees us from our depression, our judgmental beliefs against others, our own imprisonment that was first imposed on us by others, but becomes a self made prison as we grow up."]

@BobbiEmel The courage to be (self) compassionate
[SEO: Describes an exercise to explore self-compassion, and discusses why it is so hard to do for many of us. Refutes four myths of self-compassion: that it is selfish; indulgent; doesn't motivate as well as self-criticism; and is wimpy.

"In reality, allowing compassion toward yourself is one of the most courageous things you can do. It requires you to go against the grain of our culture and to express loving-kindness for yourself. ... And, instead of using bravado and aggression to achieve goals, self-compassion creates the safety that is needed for you to gently critique yourself to meet your objectives and grow personally."]

@goodthingz 75 Bold Tips for When Fear Grips Your Mind (via @theboldlife)
[SEO: "You can learn to live a bold life by choosing to let go of fear when you feel tortured by your own thoughts. When you can't sleep at night, when you are obsessed with failing or not feeling good enough, decide to take action."

This list of 75 ways to do some self-care may seem obvious, but I often need a reminder to take care of myself. When you need a boost away from anxiety and fear, do something else to break the cycle.]

@natasha_tracy Stress as a Precursor to Self-Harm
[SEO: "So we have to deal with that stress in order to get our nervous system back to normal. We do this in lots of ways: taking hot baths, ranting with a friend, dealing with the problem and yes, self-harming. Why would self-harming be in the list? Well, it seemed like the best idea at the time." This post contains many links to other posts about stress, anxiety, and self-harm.

I'd like to add that self-harm comes in many disguises. For me, it's eating certain foods which are comforting and make me zone out. I eat them knowing they impact my weight and my diabetes. I began this behavior (and many others) as a young child to cope with the abuse I was experiencing. I still have trouble not going there on auto-pilot.]

@healthyplace After the Diagnosis of Mental Illness: Fear of the Future
[SEO: "I am not asking you to embrace your illness, although this might happen at some point, but I do believe that allowing mental illness to define your life is terrible. It’s terrible because it does not allow us to move forward, to enjoy life on life’s terms, and live less in fear but in anticipation."]

@zebraspolkadots Sharing; a new perspective…I hope you find the power in this message. “Please Don’t Call Me a Sexual Abuse Survivor”
[SEO: While I applaud the sentiment expressed here, I also know that most child abuse survivors go through phases of recovery. The first one may be recognizing the truth of their childhood -- which takes time, can be excruciatingly painful and depressing, and creates doubt and distortions. As bad as it is, I don't think anyone's truth about themselves can be or should be glossed over. There will, however, be a time later when the following words will be looked at with hope for the future.

"I want discourse where I am no longer cast as a bystander in my own life. Therefore, I have made the decision for myself, and on behalf of the 1 out of 4 women and 1 out of 6 men like me, to no longer refer to myself as a survivor of sexual abuse. It keeps me stuck in the violence that was committed against me. It prevents me from seeing myself as an agent of positive change, in my life and in the lives of others. Furthermore, by reinforcing the moments of my most significant pain, it disconnects me from my joy."]

This Week in Focus: Veterans’ Issues

I am honored to have my Twitter feed included in this list of 50 Best Twitter Feeds for Psychology Majors! Go check out the other 49, broken out into these categories: News; Organizations; Patients; and Professionals.

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD 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.

Please Share My Stuff! 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

‏@PemaQuotes “Don’t worry about achieving.
Don’t worry about perfection.
Just be there each moment
as best you can.” ~ Pema Chödrön

Some Standalone Tweets to Ponder

@johnhaydon “Your story is always being told, regardless of whether or not you decide to be the writer and director.”

@shipsofsong “It is yours to project light into darkness, not to fight it, not to attack it, but to enlighten it.”

‏@healthyplace “If I am not good to myself, how can I expect anyone else to be good to me?” ~ Maya Angelou

‏@WisdomalaCarte “Do we not all spend the greater part of our lives under the shadow of an event that has not yet come to pass?” ~ Maurice Maeterlinck

@PsychDigest “The hardest part about growing is letting go of what you’ve been holding on to.”

@rcinstitute “TruthfulTuesday: real empowerment always begins by facing the truth about yourself & your world.”

Linked Tweets

Veterans’ Issues

@VA_PTSD_Info March is Women’s History Month. Learn about the VA’s commitment to female Veterans.
[SEO: A good resource page discussing the VA's mental health programs specifically for women veterans.]

‏@HealingPTSD A truly excellent story about the cost of injury to service members and their families
[SEO: San Antonio is home to a primary burn/critical care hospital for returning military who are grievously wounded. A nephew of a friend of mine was terribly wounded in Afghanistan, and sent to San Antonio. His family was told that if he lived, he would be there up to two years with numerous surgeries and physical therapies. (He's been there two months now.)

According to this article, more soldiers wounded in the last decade both (a) survive more heinous injuries and (b) have young children at home, than was the case with Vietnam vets. With limited resources, often the entire family moves to San Antonio to be there with the injured parent. The children are uprooted from everything familiar, fearful of how their injured parent will have changed, missing time with the parent who did not deploy, dealing with new schools, etc. The issues facing these families, and their children, are enormous.]

@PTSDandYOU Does Army overturn PTSD diagnoses to save money? “Over 50K folks,” have done 4 tours. Army Sec. McHugh: SO?
[SEO: "'Not only is it damaging for our soldiers, but it also really furthers the stigma for others that are — whether they're deciding to seek help or not today,' [Senator] Murray said.”

“Since 2007, more than 40 percent of the cases involving candidates for retirement had been overturned, according to statistics cited by Murray. Of the 1,680 patients screened at Madigan, more than 690 had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. The psychiatric team reversed more than 290 of those diagnoses.”]

‏@SarahEOlson2009 Psychiatric News Alert: War Veterans Unfairly Mislabeled as “Dangerous”
[SEO: "The idea of the 'dangerous' war veteran, disabled by post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), appears to be making a comeback. A staple of popular media and public opinion after the Vietnam War, the image has only minimal basis in reality but still hampers job prospects for troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. ..."]

@DCoEPage DCoE webinar Q: Can civilians get these TBI tools? A: DCoE has exhaustive list of resources available for download [at this link].
[SEO: This link above was tweeted following a webinar about traumatic brain injury (TBI). Other webinar tweets by @DCoEPage included:

• Brody shows study of 968 veterans, median 2.5 years after deployment: 47-70% w/ mild TBI also had symptoms of PTSD.

• Lattimore shares need to educate the civilian population (as well as military) on what a concussion is and why it matters.

• Military TBI incidence --> 233,425 clinician diagnosis 2000-2011 via DVBIC. Learn more about #'s and FAQ.

The downloads at the top link are mostly technical, but are available for free for anyone who wants or needs more detailed information about various aspects of traumatic brain injury.]

The Rest of the Best

@healthyplace 381+ exclusive Mental Health videos on our youtube site
[SEO: A treasure trove of videos from real people discussing issues pertaining to their particular mental illness. All you need to do is use the channel's search box to specify your interest (i.e., depression, eating disorder, adhd, bipolar, etc.]

@dylansmoosie 96 Percent of Children Who Report Sexual Abuse Are Telling the Truth | The Philly Post
[SEO: Discusses distinctions between pedophiles and child molesters with Michael Stinson, director of prevention services at the Peters Institute, which focuses on "... sexual abuse, tries to counsel sex offenders and educate the public to prevent further victims". Discusses what signs to look for if you think your child is withholding information about being abused, and what to say/how to react if a child tells you that he/she is are being abused.]

@heykim Check out the aftermath of Japan’s 2011 big earthquake and tsunami through children’s eyes (video)
[SEO: A project co-sponsored by UNICEF, Japanese children were given cameras eight months after the two disasters to photograph their changed world. As the narrative says, it becomes a kind of art therapy for them to express their feelings.]

@800273TALK Read the 7 myths people have about therapy
[SEO: A good basic rebuttal to seven common misconceptions people have about talk therapy: My childhood doesn't matter; All therapists are the same; I don't need therapy, just drugs; It's not going to work; It's too expensive; It's going to send me over the edge; and I don't have time.]

‏@NAMIMass Transforming Trauma: From No Words To Your Words
[SEO: This is lengthy, but excellent, and not just for couples. "Central to healing in the aftermath of a traumatic event is the transformation of trauma’s unspeakable imprint to a story that can be told without reliving it."

"Understanding how trauma leaves us without words may make it easier to consider ways that can help unlock the story hidden in visual images, painful feelings, flashbacks, bodily symptoms or silent avoidance. Both are important steps toward finding your words and continuing your story."]

This week’s focus: Mental Health in the News

I am honored to have my Twitter feed included in this list of 50 Best Twitter Feeds for Psychology Majors! Go check out the other 49, broken out into these categories: News; Organizations; Patients; and Professionals.

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD 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.

Please Share My Stuff! 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

@Carlolight “There is nothing to do.
Just be. Do nothing. Be.” ~ Sri Nisargadatta

Some Tweets to Ponder

@zebraspolkadots “Creating change is first making a decision then making the decision to keep making the choice. Not easy but not rocket science.”

@healthyplace “We’re constantly being told what other people think we are, and that’s why it is so important to know yourself.” ~ Sarah McLachlan

@Jaki_Bent “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but seeing with new eyes.” ~ Marcel Proust

‏@AncientProverbs “If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it’s okay. But you’ve got to shoot for something. A lot of people don’t even shoot.” ~ Confucius

‏@StevenHandel “If you are going to doubt something, doubt your limits.” ~ Don Ward

@CoryBooker “Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself.” ~ Saint Francis de Sales

Linked Tweets

In the News

@heykim Japan marks the first anniversary of an earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands
[SEO: The resilience of the Japanese people is remarkable. This last year must have seemed like several lifetimes to many of them. This would also be true for just about anyone caught up in natural disasters around the globe: floods, fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, drought. The trauma experienced, both individually and collectively, doesn't fade away when the TV cameras leave.]

@HealingPTSD A huge — and hugely disturbing — jump
[SEO: "A report released Thursday found suicides among U.S. Army personnel rose 80% between 2004 and 2008. ... 'The 2008 rate [of mental health problems in personnel] indicates that more than one-fifth of all active duty soldiers had an ambulatory visit for a mental health disorder, implying a prevalent public health problem,’ the authors wrote. They called suicides ‘the tip of the mental health iceberg.’”]

@PsychFoundation As The Hunger Games movie premiere draws close it’s interesting to look at the mental health themes
[SEO: This is a post from @dontcallmesybil's Dissociative Living blog. (The blog is no longer active but if you have dissociative issues, Dissociative Living's archives are well worth reading). "It’s a dystopian tale, set in an oppressive, violent, and nearly hopeless future. I’d recommend it solely because it’s a gripping, invigorating read but as someone with both Dissociative Identity Disorder and PTSD, there’s something special about The Hunger Games that impresses me: its remarkably deft portrayal of the immediate and long-term effects of trauma."

I'm nearly finished reading it. The story, in brief: As punishment for rebellion 74 years ago, the Capitol requires each of 12 districts to offer up two children via lottery as tributes to fight to the death in an annual contest. Not only must the people supply the children, but they are forced to watch (it's true 'reality TV'), and even to celebrate. PTSD issues abound. But chaos theory rules when one small, seemingly innocuous thing possibly sets in motion a stunning reversal. I don't know how it ends yet, but the books strongly resonate for me. NOTE: Not recommended for child abuse survivors in early stages of recovery.]

The Rest of the Best

@healthyplace Does Therapy Really Work? and How to Get Started
[Part of a multi-page series on Talking Treatments for Mental Health, this page discusses why therapy may work for some people, and not for others. Also, info on different types of therapists, and how to find one that's a good fit for you.]

@Good_Therapy For those who suffer from migraines, some excellent recommendations from Doctor Tracy Stein
[SEO: Discusses migraine symptoms; the circular relationship of stress and migraines; and how biofeedback can be a complementary/alternative medicine treatment.

"Because the goal of biofeedback typically involves decreasing tension and increasing feelings of calm, the technique is often combined with relaxation training including slow, deep breathing, guided imagery or hypnosis, or elements of cognitive behavioral therapy. When a person is able to use these approaches to reduce stress or pain, the feedback from the computer, which is fairly immediate, signals 'success' to the person."]

‏@paredesgisa 50% of people with a Mental Illness are smokers. Many don’t want to be. Here’s how to quit smoking.
[SEO: Post discusses nicotine replacement treatments; additional medications to treat tobacco addiction; and behavioral treatments to quit smoking. "[Behavioral] interventions teach individuals to recognize high-risk smoking situations, develop alternative coping strategies, manage stress, improve problem-solving skills, as well as increase social support. Research has also shown that the more therapy is tailored to a person’s situation, the greater the chances are for success.”]

@zebraspolkadots Snap the Worthlessness Trap: You Are Talented and Worth Your Life (Despite What Your Childhood Suggested) (via Guess What Normal Is)
[SEO: Written from the point of view of a child abuse survivor, a lot of this applies to survivors of any type of ongoing abusive behavior.

"Once we survive our childhoods, we come out wired funny as a result of the survival skills we honed. We come out, come into adulthood, wired for battle, wired for protecting others from uncomfortable truths. Those tools, however, aren’t tools that can support finding our truth or building true contentment. To build contentment, we have to first win our battle with the belief that we don’t have a right to it. We struggle with the belief that we don’t deserve better, deserve more, deserve different than what we got." Includes helpful tips, which are really achievable goals.]

I am honored to have my Twitter feed included in this list of 50 Best Twitter Feeds for Psychology Majors! Go check out the other 49, broken out into these categories: News; Organizations; Patients; and Professionals.

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD 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.

Please Share My Stuff! 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

To whom do I owe the first apology? No one’s been crueler than I’ve been to me. ~ Alanis Morissette bit.ly/opy0d

— Daniel K. Foisy (@WisdomalaCarte) February 13, 2012

Standalone Tweets to Ponder

Twitter’s new ability to embed tweets so prettily inspired me to change my format here. Each week I’ll showcase one of my tweets, and several from other contributors. These include everything you need to follow or share. I’m loving Twitter even more now! Next week I will work on a format for embedded tweets with links.
 
 

I grow weary of defending against crap “science” that claims #DID is caused by therapists or clients too stupid to avoid media manipulation. — Sarah Olson (@SarahEOlson2009) February 15, 2012

Meditation practice is how we stop fighting with ourselves, how we stop struggling with circumstances, emotions, or moods.

— Pema Chödrön Quotes (@PemaQuotes) February 17, 2012

“The finest thing in the world is knowing how to belong to oneself.” Michel de Montaigne

— LillyAnn (@LillyAnn) February 16, 2012

“You see everything is about belief, whatever we believe rules our existence, rules our life.” ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

— Elisha Goldstein (@Mindful_Living) February 11, 2012

Linked Tweets

@dylansmoosie TELL and TELL and TELL If you are being sexually abused, you need to choose an adult you trust and @JustTell. Help is here.
[SEO: An educational site for both children and adults. "JustTell was created to educate and empower children and adults around the issue of childhood sexual abuse. On the kids’ pages of the site, we encourage children who are being sexually abused to choose an adult in their life who they trust, and to tell that adult about the abuse." There is information for adults about what to do when a child tells about being abused. Don't assume that your kids, or kids entrusted to you (i.e., you're a teacher), know what to do. Tell them to tell. Be proactive.]

@NAMIMass How to Help Someone with a Mental Illness
[SEO: "I talk to many people who want to help a person with a mental illness. Often the people they want to help are loved ones who have just been diagnosed with a mental illness and those who want to help feel powerless. The 'helpers' have a hard job, but let me just say, we love you for it."

This is the go-to post for anyone wanting a clearer understanding of how to interact with a mentally ill person, and ancillary issues dealing with care-taking. As in the above quote, the post is sprinkled with links to other posts dealing in specifics for those issues. If you're the mentally ill person, give a copy of this, with the links, to your loved ones. It's that important!]

@HealthyPlace Our new anxiety blogger, @JodiAman , starts Wed. Find out more about Jodi here.
[SEO: Jodi's new blog is called Anxiety-Schmanxiety. She is an LCSW, and self-described "former anxiety sufferer". Her first blog post is My Introduction to Anxiety at Age 5.]

@ssanquist 4 Things to Remember When You Can’t Take It Anymore | Bounce Back: Develop Your Resiliency
[SEO: "Ever feel like you can’t take it anymore? There is an essential resiliency skill that will help you not only take it, but bounce back from the really tough emotional times in your life. It has to do with perspective."

@SarahEOlson2009 Practicing Validation
[SEO: "Emotional validation means acknowledging and expressing acceptance of someone’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors as understandable. Sometimes understanding someone else’s thoughts and feelings requires a lot of work because the way they think makes no sense to you." If you're that person seeking validation, this post and others listed in its right sidebar can help you, and the people who care about you, to understand the importance of validation in every day life.]

@thethirdsunrise Recovering From Mental Illness is Exhausting
[SEO: Post examines the phases of mental illness, and how exhausting each one truly is. (The Diagnosis; Side Effects, Complications, From Medication; Life After Diagnosis.) But all of this, put into perspective, shows why recovery is worth the effort.]

@LillyAnn Self Kindness: Seven Habits That Will Help You Live a Happier Life
[SEO: Excellent article. Trauma survivors can benefit from these habits, perhaps even more than others. "Some people tend to focus a little too much on the outside world. They try to help the people there and be of service at the expense of their own lives and mental and physical health. Others tend to focus too much on their own thoughts and what is happening inside of their heads. And so much over-analyzing is done and beliefs that everyone cares more than they do about what you do are formed and strengthened. The solution here is to find a bit more balance."]

I am honored to have my Twitter feed included in this list of 50 Best Twitter Feeds for Psychology Majors! Go check out the other 49, broken out into these categories: News; Organizations; Patients; and Professionals.

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD 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.

Please Share My Stuff! 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

@HealthyPlace “People take different roads
seeking fulfillment and happiness.
Just because they’re not on your road
doesn’t mean they’re lost.” ~ Dalai Lama

Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder

@zebraspolkadots “Awareness is the opposite of avoidance. To break behaviors that help us avoid life is to choose to live in awareness.”

@HealthyPlace “Acceptance and tolerance and forgiveness, those are life-altering lessons.” ~ Jessica Lange

@DrAthenaStaik “We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once.” ~ Calvin Coolidge

@PsychDigest “The bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn.”

@PemaQuotes “So the challenge is how to develop compassion right along with clear seeing, how to train in lightening up and cheering up…”

@StevenHandel “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut

Linked Tweets

@SarahEOlson2009 PTSD: Symptoms, Treatment and Self-Help (via helpguide.org)
[SEO: Extensive, well-organized resources for all things related to PTSD. A good place to start if you are new to the diagnosis, or to give loved ones to help them understand more about PTSD. The PTSD index is in the right column; other possibly related topics are in the left column.]

@HealthyPlace Supporting Someone with Bipolar: For Family and Friends
[SEO: This link provides a compendium of articles on Healthy Place pertaining to supporting a person with bipolar, whether by friend, spouse, or other family member. An excellent resource that anyone diagnosed with bipolar should point their loved ones to for support.]

@PsychCentral Healing Together: Why Can’t We Speak About Rape? Finding a Voice
[SEO: Although found in a blog focused on couples, this comprehensive, thoughtful look at rape and its impact is for anyone dealing with it, whether as part of a couple or not. It also can help anyone wishing to better understand rape's devastating effects upon a loved one.]

@SarahEOlson2009 Psychiatric News Alert: Antipsychotics May Cause Diabetes By Thwarting Crucial Pathway
[SEO: "Antipsychotics -- some of the most prescribed medications in the United States -- can interfere with normal metabolism by activating a protein in the transforming growth factor beta pathway.... Moreover, antipsychotics known to cause obesity and diabetes were found to activate this pathway, whereas antipsychotics that are not known to raise risk of obesity and diabetes did not."

When TV commercials rattle off potential side effects of specific drugs, pay attention to "may raise blood sugar" or "may cause weight gain". If I were not already an overweight diabetic (in which case, those drugs will never be offered to me), I'd never want to take on the risk of becoming one via these drugs. Be your own best advocate. Know what you are being prescribed, and what the risks are. Discuss it with your doctor.]

@LillyAnn The Pause Upon Which All Else Relies (via @zen_habits)
[SEO: "When we fail, it’s because we act on urges without thinking, without realizing it. ... What if instead we learned to pause after each urge? What if we stopped, looked at that urge, paid close attention to what it feels like inside our bodies, but didn’t act? The urge would no longer control us. We would be able to make conscious choices that might be healthier for us, help us be happier. If we can pause, we create space. Space to breathe, to think, to be without acting."]

@PTSDandYOU We Are Failing Our Veterans With PTSD: The Life and Death of Sonny Mazon (via @HuffingtonPost)
[SEO: "He didn't get the help that he needed to heal the pain of his memories from Afghanistan, and as he withdrew from his friends and family he descended into an abyss of sadness. His relationship with his girlfriend had always been problematic, but it became violent. He hurt her badly in a fit of rage, was arrested for domestic abuse, and chose to end his life. We shouldn't whitewash over the violence of his actions, but the context of his life story does help us to see his crime in a different light."

These issues -- increasing suicides, substance abuse, potential for domestic abuse -- are not going away any time soon. It is in everyone's best interests that the U.S. Government do far more than it currently is to provide timely effective treatment -- without the stigma attached -- to our service members.]

@kbellbarnett Gawker Confessions of a Therapist: Are psychologists allowed to publish their clients’ secrets? (via @slate)
[SEO: "Can your shrink spill your secrets? Yes, if your identity is concealed." Article discusses ethics involved and potential violations, and the difference between ethics required of a "therapist" vs. a "psychologist". Long before my personal story was published in my book, I expressly gave my therapist permission to discuss my case in whatever format he deemed appropriate. If this is an issue for you, discuss it with your clinician.]

@Mindful_Living Getting Unstuck from Automatic Negative Thinking
[SEO: "Simply the knowledge that your thoughts are more inclined toward the negative primes your mind to begin to question these thoughts as they come. For example, in a moment you find your mind swirling on negative details you may start to also have a thought arise, 'my mind has a bias toward the negative.' This thought pops you into a mindful space, a moment of clarity and choice that I call The Now Effect."

"In this space you will have the awareness to ask the question 'Is this thought true? What evidence do I have for this thought? Is there another way I can see this situation?' This opens the door to see opportunities and possibilities you never knew existed."]

@natasha_tracy Acceptance of Bipolar [or any Mental] Disorder is a Process
[SEO: (While the original post is aimed at bipolar diagnosis, its author also tweeted the post using the more generic "mental disorder" descriptor. Anyone recently diagnosed with any mental disorder can benefit from this post.) "The diagnosis of a mental illness is a loss. No, it’s not the loss of your mind, but it’s a loss. It’s a loss of your understanding of who you are. It’s a loss of how you see yourself. It’s a loss of control. It’s a loss of many things depending on the impact of your personal illness. And losses beget grief. Or losses beget grieving, and grieving is a process."]

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 usually update the Dissociation Blog Showcase (DBS) on Sunday evenings.

I owe each of these bloggers a huge apology for the delay in getting their blogs listed and announced. Regardless of the reasons, the delay has taken far too long. I can only promise to do better in the future, and thank each of you for your considerable patience.

Tonight I’ve added the following new blogs:

Silenced No Longer

Singing over the bones & rising from the ashes

The Vacant Skeleton

Please use the DBS link above to access these blogs, and check out the entire directory of (approximately) 200 dissociation-related blogs! As always, be careful and stay 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!