Third of a Lifetime

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

@WisdomalaCarte “Your current safe boundaries
were once unknown frontiers.” ~ Anonymous

Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder

@LillyAnn “You cannot save people. You can only love them.” ~ Anaïs Nin

@Tamavista “It is in retrospect that we realize the brevity of life. Knowing this, take a moment each day to live in the present.” ~ Kitamori

@Carlolight “The way you look at things is the most powerful force in shaping your life. In a vital sense, perception is reality.” ~ John O’Donohue

@WisdomalaCarte “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” ~ A Course in Miracles

@HealthyPlace “To free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves — there lies the great, singular power of self-respect.”

@800273TALK “Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” ~ John Wooden

Linked Tweets

@SafetyStar What’s Your Excuse [to not discuss child sexual abuse with your children]? “My Body Belongs to Me” (video about the book)
[SEO: This short but essential book provides a bridge by which parents can talk with their young children about a subject most parents would prefer having a root canal instead. If your children don't clearly understand about good touch/bad touch, they are vulnerable.]

@drludygreen Stunning article by actor Patrick Stewart on domestic violence.
[SEO: "As a child I witnessed [my father's] repeated violence against my mother, and the terror and misery he caused was such that, if I felt I could have succeeded, I would have killed him. If my mother had attempted it, I would have held him down. For those who struggle to comprehend these feelings in a child, imagine living in an environment of emotional unpredictability, danger and humiliation week after week, year after year, from the age of seven. My childish instinct was to protect my mother, but the man hurting her was my father, whom I respected, admired and feared.”]

@SoulHealr Learn about the connection between Depression, Trauma, and PTSD, as well as strategies for coping with them.
[SEO: This extensive resource offered by the National Center for PTSD pertains to both veterans and the general public. Be sure to peruse the links in the left column for other PTSD-related topics which can help anyone suffering with PTSD, regardless of the cause.]

@800273TALK Find a therapist with this tool from @psychtoday. If you need to talk to someone right now, call 1-800-273-8255.
[SEO: This therapist directory will show you results for psychiatrists (and psychotherapists), group therapy, treatment centers, or all of them. Both the therapist directory and the crisis 800 number are applicable in the US; the therapist directory also has listings in Canada.]

@ssanquist Dr. Deb: January is Stalking Awareness Month (via @Deborahserani)
[SEO: Information regarding research, statistics, and what to do if you are being stalked. Protect yourself, and be your own best advocate.]

@goodthingz 10 Life-Changing Facts About Anger (via @aflourishinglif)
[SEO: Good, useful considerations and strategies for looking at anger and its role in your life differently. Constructively. Perhaps even beneficially. Lots to think on if anger is an issue for you.]

@HealthyPlace In Recovering From Mental Illness, Patience is a Virtue
[SEO: It took 38+ years for me to fully understand the role of mental illness in my life, and then I wanted it done and over with yesterday. (Actually, I still do.) This post discusses why patience must be a factor in your mental wellness plan. "Work to understand that being patient, learning how to be patient, aids in your recovery."]

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

@healingtrauma “Rowing harder
doesn’t help if the boat is headed
in the wrong direction.” ~ Kenichi Ohmae

Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder

@WisdomalaCarte “An intention is a quality of consciousness that you bring to an action.” ~ Gary Zukav

@ArrInspirations “The only way to change the future is by inhabiting the present moment.” ~ Jon Kabat Zinn

@soulseedz “One of the reasons we struggle with endings is because we engage in mortal combat with time.”

@GabeBerman “Spirituality, then, is nothing more than giving up your resistance to what is.” ~ Annemarie Postma

@back2incomplete “When you deal with people, always consider whether you are spreading light and love, or whether you are limiting it.”

@DrAthenaStaik “Your presence in heart and mind is one of the most precious gifts of love you can give.”

Linked Tweets

Depression in the News

@SarahEOlson2009 [Low] Vitamin D Levels Linked to Depression Risk
[SEO: If you don't get out into the sun much, or drink milk, vitamin D supplements are not expensive. Doctors seldom test for vitamin D levels; ask your doctor to include that test in the next batch of basic blood tests you're given. And always ask your doctor before starting any kind of supplement. There may be contraindications from prescription meds you take.]

@SarahEOlson2009 Treatment Integration for Depression, Diabetes Increases Success for Both
[SEO: People with diabetes are at higher risk of becoming depressed, and people who are depressed have a higher risk of becoming diabetic. "In the end, 60.9 percent of subjects who received the integrated approach [of treating diabetes and depression as correlated, with a special program aimed at education and compliance] had improved blood sugar levels, compared to only 35.7 percent of patients who received only the usual primary care. Also, patients in the integrated care group were more likely to show fewer depression symptoms in comparison with patients in the usual care group (58.7 percent vs. 30.7 percent, respectively).”]

The Rest of the Best

@AshleyJudd More on why we must prevent child abuse: “You can modify behavior, but you can’t rewire disrupted brain circuits.”
[SEO: "'Toxic stress', or adversity, in early childhood can lead to a lifetime of mental and physical problems -- including disruption of the body’s metabolism or brain development -- and pediatricians should take a leading role in providing care that addresses the problem...." Includes several links to articles which discuss the research behind this conclusion.]

@NAMIMass Do you know the signs that you or someone you know are in an abusive relationship?
[SEO: "Noticing and acknowledging the warning signs and symptoms of domestic violence and abuse is the first step to ending it. No one should live in fear of the person they love." A comprehensive resource, this post includes signs of being in an abusive relationship; the relationship of financial or economic abuse to emotional abuse; tactics used by abusers; the cycle of violence in domestic abuse; and what to do if you or someone you know is caught in this situation.]

@MentalHealthV Picking a therapist
[SEO: If you are looking for a therapist, it's not as easy as picking a name out of the phone book. Be your own best advocate. It's in your interests to make an informed choice. This article provides an excellent primer in how to ensure that you find the right therapist for you.]

@DCoEPage Yoga: an alternative therapy for wounded warriors with PTSD (via @WarriorCare)
[SEO: Yoga: also not just for veterans. Yoga has been used for years in trauma care, regardless of what caused it. "Bessel A. van der Kolk, M.D., a PTSD author, clinician, researcher and teacher since the 1970s, asserts that therapists treating psychological trauma need to work with the body as well as the mind. He states that yoga may provide a safe and gentle means of becoming reacquainted with the body and allowing people to confront their internal sensations."]

@Mindful_Living Mindfulness Over Mood: The Now Effect and Your Mental Health
[SEO: "Every moment of our lives our brains are rapidly taking in information and making snap judgments, interpretations and decisions based on what we see, hear, smell, touch, and taste. Depending on how we’re feeling we’ll interpret it differently."

"Even though we believe our thoughts represent reality, the truth is, our thoughts are not facts. A lot of us live without an awareness of this, operating mostly from a state of auto-pilot, sleepwalking through life. The good news is we can train our minds to become more aware of this automaticity, get perspective and tune into what really matters."]

@Vdkeck Mental Illness as a Disability (via @Natasha_tracy)
[SEO: A thoughtful analysis of why mental illness can be considered a disability, and why resistance to the label may be misplaced. "I don’t have anything against people with a disability. Why would I? Being disabled means nothing about the individual, it simply indicates their situation. It would be like being against people with siblings. It would just be silly."

"Nevertheless, when considering my own bipolar disorder, I bristled against the word 'disability.' I know; this is hypocritical of me and a double standard. It’s OK for someone else to be disabled but not me? I’m embarrassed to even think it."]

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

@Mindful_Living “May we all recognize in this New Year
that the moments of our lives are rare and precious.
Open to them, Bask in them, We are alive.”

Happy New Year! While I was recharging my batteries in December, there were many wonderful blog posts and mental health resources tweeted. This week we’re looking at the best of December 2011, and this last week.

Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder

@CarePathways “Empowerment is not fearlessness. Empowerment is recognizing the internal ability, even the skill, to experience all of our feelings.”

@Tamavista “Compassion is the antitoxin of the soul: where there is compassion even the most poisonous impulses remain relatively harmless.” ~ Hoffer

@HealthyPlace “Every time you don’t follow your inner guidance, you feel a loss of energy, loss of power, a sense of spiritual deadness.” ~ Shakti Gawain

@PemaQuotes “Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others.” ~ Pema Chödrön

@PsychDigest “We all have an “inner critic,” a voice in our head that tells us everything that’s wrong. Practice recognizing and tuning out this voice.”

@lizstrauss “My life keeps circling round to lessons I’ve met before. It’s my life to figure out what applies now.”

Linked Tweets

Suicide Prevention Resources

@safeagain Suicide Prevention: Spotting the Signs and Helping a Suicidal Person
[SEO: Excellent resource. If you have suicidal tendencies, this is the page to give to your loved ones and friends who know you best. Do this now, even if you're not currently feeling suicidal.]

@HealthyPlace How Do You Prevent Suicide? The 4th most read blog post ever on our site.
[SEO: Another excellent mental health site with numerous resources and pointers about suicide prevention, including dealing with stigma. Healthy Place also covers individual disorders extensively, including hosted blogs by patients.]

Child Abuse Prevention

@DrAthenaStaik Child Sexual Abuse: Ten Ways To Protect Your Kids (via @PsychoBest)
[SEO: What many child abuse survivors have known their entire lives (and have often not been believed): "People are beginning to understand and talk about how sex offenders can be a friend or a family member. The Penn State and Syracuse scandals have broken our denial about how famous, powerful, and revered people cannot possibly be offenders." Awareness is only the first step. Read this.]

@SafetyStar 10 Reasons not to discuss Child Sex Abuse in 2012
[SEO: Especially aimed at parents, here are ten of the most commonly used excuses to not discuss child sexual abuse with your child. Each of the ten also includes information as to why you must not give in to that excuse.]

The Rest of the Best

@serialinsomniac The 2011 TWIM Awards — The Results! « This Week in Mentalists
[SEO: "TWIM is a weekly digest of selected writings from blogs across the Madosphere, our affectionate name for the mental health blogosphere. ... A group of volunteer authors take it in turns to write the digests, which enables a wide base of mental health blogs to be reviewed." The Twim Awards are nominated and voted upon by its readers, and cover numerous categories. Some of these winning blogs were unknown to me, which is one reason why I like TWIM. Check them all out!]

@DIDwife The fight goes on (via @TheBloggess)
[SEO: I was unfamiliar with The Bloggess till I read this remarkable post about fighting through and living on with depression. She captures the struggles exceedingly well, and obviously struck some major chords with people. I can't remember the last post I read about depression that had 2330+ comments, especially one just published six days ago.]

@natasha_tracy Why is Family so Stressful for Mentally Ill?
[SEO: A discussion of various ways family, especially at holidays, can be so stressful. One aspect discussed that resonated strongly for me was about mental illness and pretending, and how a lot of it boils down to just waiting for it (whatever "it" is, good or bad) to be over.

"And this type of pretending, this type of acting, really is tiring for the soul. Most people have no idea what it is to orchestrate every blink to ensure that others don’t know how you really feel. But people with a mental illness know. They know what it is to hide their every thought from those around them. They know what it is to shoehorn into normal. They know what it is to pretend to care about tinsel and lights when all they really want to do is curl up in a ball and wait for it all to be over."]

@SarahEOlson2009 The Freedom of Boundaries
[SEO: This post focuses from a borderline personality point of view, but is an excellent summation of boundary issues for anyone who struggles with mental health issues.]

@OneLifeTherapy Where Do You Keep Your Un-Cried Tears? Learning To Live With Grief
[SEO: "If you sit for a moment, just you and your sorrow in some stillness, whereabouts in your body do you sense that sadness residing just now? And what might it be like not to feel under pressure to fix or placate or silence or hide it? But just to acknowledge it? Just to see it? Maybe even to accept it? How might you and your grief help one another through this loss?"

@PsychCentral 5 Things Therapy Won’t Cure
[SEO: Dr. John Grohol (Psych Central founder) discusses five major categories which therapy can't resolve or change, which are: Your Personality; Your Childhood; Half a Relationship; A Broken Heart; and Losing Someone. Meaning, for example, therapy can't literally change what happened in your childhood. What good therapy can do is help you to understand and work on aspects of these issues so that they no longer stop you from living your best life.]

@SarahEOlson2009 Borderline Personality Disorder: Erotic Transference
[SEO: This issue is not specific to borderline personality disorder. Transference in psychotherapy involves you working through troublesome relationships by transferring your feelings about that person to your therapist. Your therapist steps into that role, sometimes in such a subtle way you don't even know he or she's doing it. Sometimes it can involve actual role-playing.

Erotic transference refers to sexual feelings you have transferred to your therapist. Many therapists just don't want to go there, which I think says more about them than you. It can be hard enough to admit to those feelings without your therapist grimacing in discomfort. Those who do go there skillfully, and who uphold boundaries as mandated, can help you heal in life-changing ways, particularly if you come from an abuse background.]

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.)

Special Notice: Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD Survivors will be on hiatus throughout the month of December. I’ll be taking the time to regroup and recharge, and hopefully complete some projects that have been whispering in my ear for awhile. I’ll still be around, available by email or on Twitter. Thanks so much for your support year-round!
 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I am honored and humbled 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.
 
 
 
 

Photo Credit

@soulseedz Nerves and butterflies are fine –
they show you’re ready.
You just have to get the butterflies
to fly in formation. ~ S. Bull

 
 
 
Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder
 

@JoySoldiers “I’m afraid sometimes you’ll play lonely games too, games you can’t win because you’ll play against you.” ~ Dr Seuss

@visityourself “Unpleasant feelings are not the problem. The problem is the belief that having such feelings is not okay.”

@WisdomalaCarte “It’s an inside job to learn about forgiving, it’s an inside job to hang on to the joy of living.” ~ Don Henley

@Crenelation “A life lived by choice is a life of conscious action. A life lived by chance is a life of unconscious reaction.” ~ Neale D Walsch

@Carlolight “Presence — a state of clarity, simplicity of pure beingness — a very deep allowing of this moment to be as it is.” ~ Eckhart Tolle

@Tamavista “Your conscience is your compass; your reason is your map.” ~ Kitamori

Linked Tweets

International Survivors of Suicide Day, November 19, 2011

@NAMIMass 11/19 Sat. ~ 13th Annual Internat’l Survivors of Suicide Day. A Day Healing for Bereavement After Suicide
[SEO: "Survivors of suicide loss gather at hundreds of simultaneous healing conferences around the world every year on International Survivors of Suicide Day to connect with others who have survived the tragedy of suicide loss, and express and understand the powerful emotions they experience. If you don't live near a participating city, or you find it difficult to attend in person, you can watch online and join in a live chat immediately following the program."]

@NAMIMass afsp.org has a great booklet “Coping with Suicide Loss: A Resource and Healing Guide”
[SEO: This is a free .PDF download, or you can email your street address to receive a free paper copy.]

Child Abuse Issues

@pourmecoffee While everyone blah-blah-blahs for a while, child abuse enablers just keep getting away with it.
[SEO: This was a big deal when first announced: "Bishop Robert Finn, the leader of the 134,000-member [Kansas City] diocese, is the highest-ranking Catholic official ever to face U.S. criminal charges in a child sexual abuse case.” The charges stem from his not reporting a priest when he had evidence of abuse. Now he’s essentially made a plea deal for “supervision”.]

@psychcentral Healing Together: The Penn State Scandal: The Complicated Impact on Victims of Child Sexual Abuse
[SEO: "For many [adult survivors of child sexual abuse] the Penn State Scandal is emotionally complicated. Whether they have identified and come forth as victims, embraced the power of healing or live with the memory of abuse on the edges of awareness, they are watching a nation grapple with an unthinkable crime — child sexual abuse, a crime of betrayal and the destruction of innocence — ‘soul murder.’ For them the response to this scandal carries with it the possibility of both positive and negative impact.”

If you’re a survivor of child sexual abuse, this is an excellent article outlining the issues for survivors: bearing witness; cynicism and doubt; retraumatizing vs revisiting; stigmatized vs supported; and the meaning of healing.

There are so many issues about Penn State that could send a survivor into depression, rage, or anxiety. The one that stands out starkly for me is that the grad student who reported the rape to Paterno indicated that the child (and Sandusky) saw him. Then the child (and Sandusky!) saw him walk away and do nothing. (Telling Paterno was equivalent to doing nothing.) Sandusky learned he had nothing to fear by doing this in a very public place. But the level of betrayal and mistrust of adults ratcheted up exponentially for that child in that moment. Don’t be that person.

@DrCarlHindy Child Abuse: Why People So Often Look the Other Way
[SEO: "'Despite stereotypes of creepy-looking men in white vans, child abusers are actually usually the most likeable, gregarious people around,' Issa said. 'They get close to kids not only by charming them, but by charming the people protecting them.'"

It's no doubt true about charming those who are supposed to do the protecting, but I'm beyond fed up with rationalizations that provide cover for people who fail to do the right thing. See the next post about that, in plain language nobody can weasel out of.]

@SarahEOlson2009 Simple Wisdom from Penn State: If You See Child Abuse, Stop It! (by @DocJohnG, owner of @psychcentral)
[SEO: "If you see child sex abuse occurring — PUT AN END TO IT IMMEDIATELY. Don’t freakin’ pass it up the chain of command so that a half dozen aging white men can decide whether to do the right thing or not and report it, or do the wrong thing and temporarily extend their careers and livelihood." ...

"You don’t need to convene a grand jury to stop child sex abuse. You don’t need to have a meeting of the board of directors. You simply need to do the right thing, grow a backbone, step up, and stop the abuse." (All bold in original.)

If you cannot do anything more (like directly intervene) in the moment of discovery, at the very least call the police immediately. If you still need some sort of litmus test to make that decision, the easiest one is: Would you do this for your own child?]

The Rest of the Best

@psychcentral The Empty Chair at the Holiday Table
[SEO: Discusses, poignantly, the first year after the loss of a loved one; how the loss impacts every tradition in which the departed participated; and how with time, the loss softens but is never forgotten. The post provides pointers for the grieving person, and for those who are a family member or friend of that grieving person.]

@natasha_tracy You Don’t Have to Live With Side Effects but You Might Choose to
[SEO: "Today I still suffer with a range of side effects. Nothing quite so debilitating as not being able to wake up, but other things like headaches, cramps, fogginess, fatigue and body temperature dysregulation. But I have chosen these side effects. Which is to say that I prefer the side effects to not being on the medication. But that’s me. ... So yes, meds are a bitch. But bipolar is infinitely worse. I have chosen these side effects on purpose. I have chosen them because they are the best of all bad worlds."]

@OneLifeTherapy Perfectionism, Procrastination, And Preparing A Plan For Your Life
[SEO: "How will you know that you’re ready to start? Once you’ve planned and perfected and plotted all your goals on a graph, like we’re so often encouraged to do. How will you know you’re ready? ... Maybe you can plan to take the perfect step all you like. But the planning isn’t the stepping."]

@NAMIMass What it’s like to have bipolar; how she grew to accept it; and mental health services that keep it in check
[SEO: "The winner of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance’s Facing Us Video Contest, Melanie describes what it’s like to have bipolar I disorder (with especially good descriptions of manic symptoms) and how she grew to accept the diagnosis and mental health services that keep it in check. An authentic and touching portrayal from a personal perspective, it’s a great video for someone new to bipolar." Also check out the runners up and honorable mention videos.]

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.)

Special Notice: Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD Survivors will be on hiatus throughout the month of December. I’ll be taking the time to regroup and recharge, and hopefully complete some projects that have been whispering in my ear for awhile. Thanks so much for your support year-round!

Photo Credit

@wwpinc “Thanks for all the Veterans Day wishes today!
It’s an honor for us to serve America’s veterans!” ~
Wounded Warriors Project

Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder

@Tamavista “Why do so many question kindness but remain silent in the face of evil? One needs no explanation, the other has none.” ~ Kitamori

@Carlolight “The most valuable gift you have to offer another is the gift of your presence.” ~ Leonard Jacobson

@soulseedz “Anything or anyone that does not bring you alive is too small for you.” ~ D Whyte

@BipolarBatesy “No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.” ~ Taoist Proverb

@PsychDigest “The person you were always meant to become is waiting for you just on the other side of the things you fear.” ~ Tom Wright

@karenkmmonroy “Love. How you define it — defines you.”

Linked Tweets

Suicide Prevention and Aftermath

@800273TALK Print this cheat sheet to keep in your wallet so you’ll know when you (or a friend) need to call the Lifeline (PDF)
[SEO: A wallet-sized foldable aid in case of crisis. Lists 12 signs that someone who experienced trauma needs help, and provides the toll-free lifeline number.]

@NAMIMass 11/19 Sat.-13th Annual Internat’l Survivors of Suicide Day. A Day Healing for Bereavement After Suicide
[SEO: "Survivors of suicide loss gather at hundreds of simultaneous healing conferences around the world every year on International Survivors of Suicide Day to connect with others who have survived the tragedy of suicide loss, and express and understand the powerful emotions they experience. If you don't live near a participating city, or you find it difficult to attend in person, you can watch online and join in a live chat immediately following the program."]

Veterans’ Day

@drcherylarutt Check out this new mobile App “PTSD Coach” to help manage symptoms
[SEO: "Together with professional medical treatment, PTSD Coach provides you dependable resources you can trust. If you have, or think you might have PTSD, this app is for you. Family and friends can also learn from this app. PTSD Coach was created by the VA's National Center for PTSD and the DoD's National Center for Telehealth and Technology." Now available on Android, and a free download from iTunes. (By the way, it's not just for veterans.) Look for PTSD Family Coach coming soon.)]

@psychcentral Healing Together: The Writing of Warriors: Viewing War From the Inside Out
[SEO: "In a project called Operation Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front, in the Words of U.S. Troops and Their Families (Amazon link to updated research edition), they reached out to the 2 million active military and their loved ones and invited them to write about their personal experiences of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while the events were happening."

"The result was a total of 2,000 submissions and over 10,000 pages of diaries, poems, emails, letters, fiction and autobiographies from which a final compilation was chosen and edited as a book by Andrew Carroll. The goal of the final manuscript was to be as faithful as possible to the heart and soul of the writings – 'no matter how jarring or upsetting they be.'" (Warning: The poem included in the post is quite graphic, in a necessary way.)]

@HealingPTSD U.S. Losing the Battle Against Military Suicides
[SEO: "While the report credits the military and the VA for taking a number of steps to stem suicides, it also finds fault with myriad policies and calls for improvements in mental health screening and treatment. It raps the 'prevailing wisdom' in the military that suicides are not linked directly to deployments to war." ...

"The report also finds flaws in the mental-health screening process following deployment, in which troops are asked to fill out a health-assessment form that asks questions about their physical and psychological status. A 2008 study found that when Army soldiers completed an anonymous survey, their reported rates of depression, PTSD, suicidal thoughts and interest in receiving care were two to four times higher than the responses on the official forms. The CNAS researchers said that many returning troops lie -- and are encouraged to lie -- for fear that if they admit to mental health problems, they will not be allowed to go home."]

@HealingPTSD An important read by a recent veteran, a Marine captain: “On War and Redemption”
[SEO: "When I returned from Afghanistan this past spring, a civilian friend asked, 'Is it good to be back?' It was the first time someone had asked, and I answered honestly. But I won’t do that again. We weren’t ready for that conversation. Instead, when people ask, I make it easy for everyone by responding, 'It’s fine.' That’s a lie, though. It’s not fine."]

@heykim Veterans Day: 8 Online Ways to Thank Our Troops (via Mashable)
[SEO: "Today, Veterans Day, we honor those who defend our country. Our service members remind us that there are few things more important than doing what we can to make a difference in the lives of others."]

Child Abuse Prevention

@mjdub Molesters Usually Don’t Look Like Molesters
[SEO: "But true or not, the accusations against Sandusky, spelled out in great detail in a 23-page grand jury report, bring to mind many proven cases in which a molester occupied a position of trust, identified and gravitated to children who were especially vulnerable, made them feel special and was by all outward appearances their champion, which many molesters indeed believe themselves to be. In their own minds these molesters aren’t predators. They’re people whose affinity for children just happens to have a sexual element, the satisfaction of which they’ve convinced themselves isn’t such a big, harmful deal."]

@SarahEOlson2009 How adults justify not reporting child abuse
[SEO: This is so disheartening, as well as infuriating. If doctors don't get it, somebody has to step up on behalf of children. Don't be one of those people -- doctor or otherwise -- who rationalize not reporting child abuse.

"A report out of Boston this week revealed that when doctors were confronted with clear signs of child abuse, they often did not report the injuries to protective services. ... 'They found that reporting was warranted in 13 of the 63 cases doctors chose not to report to authorities. Most of those cases involved leg fractures or bruises to the face or ear, and in six cases the physicians themselves had identified a high likelihood of abuse.' The researchers concluded that the doctors had adequate training in recognizing abuse, but were not as well informed about why they should report it."]

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

@CarePathways “♥ EXPRESS YOURSELF ♥ Write, speak,
draw, paint, sing, dance, laugh, create, share, celebrate!
The world needs YOUR unique brilliance.”

Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder

@PemaQuotes “When we can recognize our own confusion with compassion, we can extend that compassion to others who are equally confused.”

@SpiritualNurse “Stress is not caused by being ‘here’ but wanting to be ‘there’.” ~ Eckhart Tolle

@iamwun “We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want.” ~ Tao Te Ching

@HealthyPlace “I want to say I deserve better and mean it. I want to say I give up and believe it. I want to say I’m moving on and do it.”

@soulseedz “Trust yourself enough to let the masks slip, with people who recognize and love you just as you are.”

@DrSharonSays “The catch in emotional workouts is knowing how to use the weights wisely.”

Linked Tweets

In the News

@Tao23 To save money, Topeka repeals law against misdemeanor domestic battery
[SEO: This is disturbing on several levels. First, this won't be the only city that makes these kinds of choices in a distressed economy. Second, the article alludes to the idea that this is a game of chicken between the city and its county to see who will blink first and pay for what was cut. Politicians are using real live people -- who might not still be alive if/when they get this resolved -- to score points. (I'm not naive, it happens at every level of politics. It's just dismaying to see it so in-your-face.) Third, do you know where the line is drawn in your city between misdemeanor and felony domestic battery?]

@samhsagov America’s Mental Health, State By State (@SAMHSAgov report summarized on Huffington Post)
[SEO: "'Mental illnesses are treatable and people can recover to live full, productive lives. Unfortunately in the past year only 37.9 percent of adults with mental health problems received any type of care,' SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde said in a statement. 'The chasm between need and care is costly both in terms of personal health because of missed opportunities to prevent disability and health care expenditures related to illness such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.'"

"Click through the slideshow to see, from lowest to highest, how many people in each state experienced a mental illness (according to 2008 and 2009 data that included 68,936 adults)." The results might surprise you!

World Mental Health Day Blog Party -- October 10, 2011

@unsuicide International Suicide Prevention Wiki -- hotlines and more
[SEO: "The International Suicide Prevention Wiki (ISP Wiki) is a worldwide directory of suicide prevention hotlines, text-lines, and resources. The ISP Wiki is open source to be used by any individual or organization. This directory was created for the PostSecret App and may be used freely in other apps to instantly connect people in need to crisis centers near them." A great resource! You never know who you might meet online who needs this info.]

@TimetoChange If you can do one thing to help end stigma on World Mental Health Day, why not start a conversation about mental health?
[SEO: Video and links to help you start the conversation.]

ChangeCompanies “There is no health without mental health.” Building mental health wellness in our children.
[SEO: Discusses study findings that people with undiagnosed mental illness cost health care systems far more than those with a diagnosis. "'And it wasn't through suicide; it was through things like diabetes, cancer, heart disease,' says Wilkes."

"'Angry, unhappy kids become angry, unhappy adults. Mental-health issues cost our society billions of dollars, not just in terms of health, but in terms of education services, justice and prisons. Where do you think these problems come from? Most of them start in childhood.'"]

@ALosAngelesLove Painfully beautiful, heart-wrenching, important post from @annaandthering for World Mental Health Day
[SEO: Anna departs from her usual weddings-oriented blog to talk about depression, generally, and then more personally about her own battle with it. "I hid my sadness well because I knew if someone saw me smile they would not believe I was truly broken. I wanted to hurt myself to have some physical sign that I was not faking. I don't want you to have to feel the same. I want you to seek help before you think you need physical scars to prove that you are unwell. The mental scars are enough."]

@DrKathleenYoung World Mental Health Day: Advocating for Yourself
[SEO: "Before you can begin advocating for yourself, you really have to understand the problem as you see it, what kinds of things happened in your life to bring you to where you are today (whether or not they are directly related to the problem), and figuring out where to go from here. Then you need to understand your treatment options, and how to get the type of treatment you want. It’s not always easy, and sometimes it can be especially challenging to advocate for yourself when you’re in the throes of mental illness."

This post discusses the following topics: Learn About Your Treatment Options; Be Patient, But Settle for Nothing Less than Improvement; Know When It's Time to Change or Call It Quits; Advocating For Yourself Can Be Challenging -- But Don't Give Up!]

@psychcentral World Mental Health Day Roundup 2011
[SEO: 80 bloggers contributed to the World Mental Health Day Blog Party. At this link, see some of these posts designated by category, and also a link to a list of all 80 blogs.]

The Rest of the Best

@fromtracie Blog Against Child Abuse — September 2011 Change Edition
[SEO: September 2011 edition of the Blog Carnival Against Child Abuse. Theme is Change. See also posts in the following categories: Healing and Therapy; Advocacy and Awareness; and Poetry.]

@HealthyPlace Have You Learned to Trust Your Doctor, Psychiatrist?
[SEO: "Start small with a doctor. As my friend would say, trust but verify. Take the doctor at his word, but check on what he’s saying. Look information up on the internet. Ask questions. Do not blindly walk wherever he tells you to. Take baby steps. ... And if you feel the trust has already been broken be open about it. He can’t express his viewpoint or explain why he behaved the way he did if you don’t give him the chance. And the doctor may not know you feel the trust has been broken and he can’t work to fix something he doesn’t know isn’t working."

@NAMIMass Mindfulness And Remembering To Actually Live Your Life
[SEO: "That’s the thing about mindfulness. It’s nothing 'special.' Yet it’s immensely potent. It can reconnect you to a sense of the sacred even in the middle of the mundane. It’s something you can tap into at any moment you like. And it can add untold fathoms of depth to even the flattest of days. How? ... "

"By lifting you free of the myth of “the daily grind” and letting you experience how this breath, this breeze, this sound, this moment – this day – is different from all others. Different, and worth walking into… rather than sort of forgetting or overlooking or blocking out. And it only takes a second to remember all this. To reconnect with it. To reunite yourself with your life, in a way."

@thebalancedmind Mental llness -- You Have to Ask for, and Accept, Help
[SEO: "You have to want to get better. You have to be willing to do the work. You have to be willing to take the steps. Because I cannot spoon-feed you back your life. I cannot wrap a treatment in pretty paper and leave it on your doorstep to be opened at your leisure. I cannot reach through your computer and fix the chemicals in your brain. The cold, hard truth of it is this: No matter how sick you are, if you don’t actively work at getting better, you never will." Includes basic links to hotlines and how to find help, particularly in North America.]

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. Tonight I’ve added the following new blog:

Growing Pains In Christ

Please use the DBS link above to access this blog, and check out the entire directory of (approximately) 195 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.

Still on the way: I’ve received requests for inclusion of some DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) information and awareness sites, which are not “blogs” per se. I’m still planning to add a new section for these types of sites to the index, so please let me know if you have any favorites. (The two sites currently in the queue are DID World Map and DIDiva.com.) Thanks!

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 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 “Everything that will happen
belongs to the domain of the uncertain.
Live now.” ~ Seneca

Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder

@Tamavista “The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others.” ~ Sonya Friedman

@soulseedz “Our unresolved issues will continue to repeat themselves until we make a conscious choice to change the script.”

@Good_Therapy “When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t.” ~ Thomas Edison

@back2incomplete “You will never know how great you can be until you push your own boundaries.”

@HealthyPlace “Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye.” ~ H. Jackson Brown Jr

@visityourself “For ways in which you’ve been harsh on yourself today, ask your own forgiveness.”

Linked Tweets

In the News

@Mindful_Living Invitation: Get Your Story Posted on the Mindfulness and Psychotherapy Blog
[SEO: This is an open ongoing invitation to send to Dr. Goldstein "stories of mindfulness that can show the rest of us how it has had a practical impact on a particular event or their lives." He intends to make this a weekly feature, if there is enough of a response. See the post for his very few requirements.]

@800273talk Journalists: Read this before you write another story about suicide
[SEO: Guidelines for journalists in what to do and say to responsibly report on suicide -- which would behoove any of us who write about suicide to also pay attention. For the complete set of guidelines see The Media Guidelines for Safe Reporting on Suicide (PDF).]

@SarahEOlson2009 Psychiatric News Alert: Economic Recession Triggers More Abusive Head Trauma in Children
[SEO: Just one more data point in the many ways that declining opportunities in a bad economy can lead to increased levels of child abuse. Although the study specifically states it found no correlation between increased abusive head trauma and unemployment, increased unemployment is part and parcel of an economic recession. Those dots are easily connected.]

@psychcentral World Mental Health Day Blog Party, Oct 10th
[SEO: "Psych Central is proud to host the first blog party devoted to World Mental Health Day, October 10, 2011. Bloggers from around the world will come together on this day to help spread their stories and educate others about mental health concerns, decrease the prejudice and stigma that is often directed toward mental illness, and discuss things that help a person overcome their disorder or mental health concern."

Your blog need not always focus on mental health issues to be able to participate. Also at this link is the official badge to add to your blog's sidebar. On October 10th: "Tweet us @psychcentral to let us know about your blog entry, or email our special email address for this event: blogparty at psychcentral.com. Use the hashtag #mhblogday on your tweets." I'm in! Are you?]

The Rest of the Best

@ssanquist Finding the Right Match With the Right Therapist
[SEO: These six questions to ask your therapist are subjective, in that there isn't "one" answer to any of them. A lot depends upon how you honestly perceive both your therapist and your relationship with him/her. "Such feelings are important and you need to pay attention to them because studies have shown that the quality of the therapeutic relationship contributes to how well therapy works."

One of the commenters asks what I think should be the seventh question: How do you know if you're the problem, or the therapist? In my experience, a good therapist is willing to discuss these questions openly, without defensiveness. In a good therapeutic relationship, it's all part of the process.]

@goodthingz The 3 Vital Keys To Unlocking Yourself From Fear
[SEO: A step by step path to disarming fear that runs your life. It's a very logical, intellectual exercise, which may be part of its point. "Living in fear feels bad -- have you noticed? Decisions fueled by 'I can’t' and 'I shouldn’t' bring only confusion and dissatisfaction to our lives. We lose focus, let go of our dreams, and accept mediocre as good enough."]

@arttherapy What Music Therapy Can Do for Health, Disability and Trauma
[SEO: A comprehensive overview of the many ways music therapy -- teamed with new technology -- can aid in learning, processing, focus, pain relief, and creativity. An interesting read, plus: "If you want to know more about music therapy, please visit the American Music Therapy Association's (AMTA) newly redesigned website. Here you can find music therapy news stories and videos, fact sheets, bibliographies, music therapy publications and other products in our online store, and information on how to find your very own music therapist."]

@psychcentral 5 Ways To Escape An Abusive Relationship
[SEO: Discusses in detail each of the following points: Acknowledge the existence of abuse; Reach out for help; Use a safe computer; Make every effort to address the underlying issues that led you to being in a dysfunctional relationship; and Get to the bottom of things. I don't believe any of these points can be selectively ignored if you are in an abusive relationship.

"It is vital to acknowledge, explore and heal what led you to this pattern. Otherwise, you are doomed to repeat it. [Emphasis in original] Take a break from relationships for a while. Taking the time to heal is so important. If you have children, they need time to recuperate from the trauma of witnessing abuse. It is normal for you to feel angry and sad, as well as regret that you left the abuser.”]

@NAMIMass What Is Anger Trying To Tell You About Your Life
[SEO: Gabrielle Gawne-Kelnar's posts always resonate for me. She writes in a sort of therapeutic stream-of-consciousness that provides a road map to get to her main point. In this case, if you can identify all the usual questions about the how's and why's of your anger, she then encourages you to consider the age of your anger, followed closely by what age would best help you start to resolve the anger issue at hand. (Meaning, were you six when something angered you so deeply it still affects you? Trying to resolve it with a six year old's mindset probably leaves you still stuck.)

"[With practice,] next time anger’s upon you, you’ll have a better chance of really choosing your response — a response that brings you closer to resolving what hurt you in the first place — rather than just being captive to a knee-jerk reaction that often just keeps the damage going. … Right there, when all your buttons are being pushed, is exactly the time that something you really value is usually centre stage. So, in a way, anger is like a signpost, pointing directly to the moments, the values, that matter most to you.”

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. Tonight I’ve added the following three new blogs:

A Multitude of Musings

Eliza is …

Journey of the Broken Pieces

Please use the DBS link above to access these blogs, and check out the entire directory of (approximately) 190 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.

Still on the way: I’ve received requests for inclusion of some DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) information and awareness sites, which are not “blogs” per se. I’m still planning to add a new section for these types of sites to the index, so please let me know if you have any favorites. (The two sites currently in the queue are DID World Map and DIDiva.com.) Thanks!

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 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

@MindfulBoston “Life is made out of moments.
How many of your moments are spent
planning for other moments
rather than being fully lived?”

Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder

@karenkmmonroy “Illusions of the world lead to illusions of self, which lead to illusions of the world…. Know self, dissipate the illusions.”

@soulseedz “When you numb the dark, you also numb the light. As you take the edge off pain, you also take the edge off joy.”

@ilawton “Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.” ~ Mark Twain

@Tamavista “I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.” ~ Maya Angelou

@AlwaysWellWithn “vulnerability + personal power = authenticity”

@dailysquotes “It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis.” ~ Margaret Bonnano

Linked Tweets

@mdvagov At VA, every week is Suicide Prevention Week. Vets and families can call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1, 24/7, 365 days a year.
[SEO: If you are a vet who is having trouble coping, or if you know one, the VA has resources to help you. As the linked article says, “You have something unique to offer. Your life, because of who you are, has meaning.”]

@healingtrauma 50 Best Blogs on Bullying
[SEO: Arranged in the following categories: General Blogs on Bullying; Workplace Bullying; Reporting Bullying; Professional Blogs on Bullying; and Forums on Bullying.]

@HealthyPlace Importance of Psychiatric Crisis Planning. New Mental Health for the Digital Generation vlog (post and video)
[SEO: Excellent resource. "A few years ago, I was hospitalized and I don’t feel that I was given the proper care by the hospital and I was certainly not in any state to take care of myself. If I had a crisis plan in place, my family could have worked with my doctor to make sure that I received the proper treatment and care at the hospital and that I had a plan in place for after I was discharged."

"Here are the links to a sample crisis plan (PDF) and a blank crisis plan (PDF) for you to fill out. Be sure to fill it out when you are doing well and can think clearly. Give a copy of your plan to everyone in your support network - like your close family and friends, your psychiatrist and your therapist." Watch the video for more details of what to include in your crisis plan.]

@thereseborchard 21 Ways to Overcome Disappointment
[SEO: "Disappointments leave us with the unpleasant task of squashing, crushing, and pinching lemons to extract any and all juice." A helpful, albeit sometimes snarky, look at ways to deal with disappointment. (Sometimes snark qualifies as a coping mechanism! ]

@Mindful_Living 5 Keys to Preparing for Fall and Winter Blues
[SEO: "When it comes to seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or just being negatively affected by less light or shorter days, this is a great opportunity to get your ducks in a row to stave off a depressive slide." Post discusses: mindfulness training; exercise; light therapy; gratitude list; and connect. "This is about nurturing your life, it’s about creating resiliency and most of all about getting in touch with what really matters."]

@SarahEOlson2009 Who Do You Let In? Defining Your Boundaries And Staying Safe But Not Isolated
[SEO: Using the metaphor of keys, post discusses how boundaries are defined, and why it's good to periodically assess who has the keys to your inside self -- or doesn't -- and why. Including yourself. "Are there perhaps places no-one holds the keys to? Places you maybe even keep locked away from yourself? Places that seem too dark, too cold, too overwhelming to enter, so you’ve locked them up, boarded them up and maybe even been tempted to throw the keys away? What might it take to make those spaces feel safe enough for you?"]

@NAMIMass Why Don’t Psychiatrists Like To Show Patients Their Notes?
[SEO: "Why don't psychiatrists like to show patients their notes? Are they really going to 'harm' the patient?" Contains a bullet list of possible reasons why a psychiatrist may not wish to share notes with a patient. See also the comments by several patients about their attempts to obtain their doctor's notes, and others who state why they don't want or need to see their doctor's notes.]

@HealthyPlace Post-Abuse Issues With Children
[SEO: Written by a woman who left her abusive spouse, she writes with aching honesty of how being in an abusive relationship impacts her children, even nearly two years away from it. It's a cliche that kids are resilient; in fact, they also tend to take in abusive damage quite deeply.

Ignoring it does not make it go away, it can just make children feel more alone. "They’ve both described their childhood as incredibly lonely. That breaks my heart because I was a stay-at-home mom. I was with them every day, every minute. Yet they were lonely because I was unable to truly connect with them. The words 'I love you' become meaningless when they’re not backed by actions. My children grew up feeling alone and anxious with no one to go to for help."]

@psychcentral Finding Meaning to Cope with Life Struggles
[SEO: "When we go through a demanding and trying time, it can be tough to cope and stay self-assured. Going through emotionally demanding experiences like loss and trauma often leads to negative emotions such as grief, anger, fear and shame. It can be difficult to overcome this negativity and work through the pain when there is no apparent reason for what occurred. If we don’t work to heal and reproach our negative perspective, it becomes very difficult to move beyond the anger and grief that engulfs our day to day life." ...

"Meaning comes from moving beyond ourselves and connecting with something bigger and more profound than our immediate reality. When we experience loss or trauma we can use this sense of purpose to piece our life back together, and use the emotional energy to make a positive impact."

@tlomauro The Upside of a Panic Attack
[SEO: "New research aims to debunk another myth: Panic attacks occur completely out of the blue. Though those who panic don't realize it, their attacks are in fact foreshadowed by minute physiological signals, according to a study led by Southern Methodist University's Alicia Meuret in the journal Biological Psychiatry. 'The hour before panic onset was marked by subtle but significant waves of changes in patient's breathing and cardiac activity, not just the moment of onset of the attack or even during the attack,' she says." See also the next post below about anxiety from the patient's point of view.]

@HealthyPlace Anxiety. Does It Have to Be Like This?
[SEO: "Anxiety is not relieved by the sublime because it is preoccupation, so reassurance sounds like fantasy, misdirection. It is that pre-condition which needs treating if anxiety is to be overcome. It is not enough to comfort, or explain. Anxiety must be met with ingenuity. Whether we consider ourselves creative or not."]

@goodthingz 27 Healthy Habits of Happiness
[SEO: I admit that I neglect posts on "happiness". I often think the "happiness gurus" engage in a lot of magical thinking that's entirely not relevant to my own life and situation. Although this post is labeled "happiness", I like it because it fits neatly with a Theory of Anyway. These healthy habits may or may not make you happy, but they are good to cultivate anyway. The benefits may not be immediately apparent, but do it anyway. Increased awareness, empathy, compassion, accountability, and authenticity doesn't have to equate to "happiness", but they are all worthy goals. Why not just do it anyway?]