Third of a Lifetime

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD Survivors (06/15/12)

Sarah Olson — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 23:09:39 +0000

This week’s focus: June is PTSD Awareness Month

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 “So often in time it happens,
we all live our life in chains,
and we never even know
we have the key.” ~ The Eagles

Some Tweets to Ponder

@Tamavista “It is because life isn’t fair that we must speak up.” ~ Kitamori

‏@WisdomalaCarte “Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding everything you see.” ~ The Beatles

@ShareAwakening “In most cases, our so called limitations are nothing more than our own decision to limit ourselves.” ~ Daisaku Ikeda

@PsychDigest “You cannot change what you refuse to confront.”

@PsychCentral “In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” ~ Albert Camus

Linked Tweets

June is PTSD Awareness Month

@DrKathleenYoung PTSD Awareness Month
[SEO: “June is PTSD Awareness Month, and the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs are raising awareness about the problem, along with providing tools, information and assistance for service members who may be dealing with PTSD. Of course, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) does not only impact vets. PTSD, by definition, can follow any traumatic event.” See this post for ways you can help raise awareness in your own community, and learn statistics pertaining to PTSD in the military.]

@DrKathleenYoung Do you want to know more about PTSD?
[SEO: An excellent place to start if you’re new to PTSD, either for yourself or someone you know. Post asks “Do I have PTSD?” and provides a comprehensive Trauma Symptoms Checklist, and many resource links for further study.]

‏@VA_PTSD_Info While it may not feel normal there are common reactions to PTSD in a loved one
[SEO: To promote PTSD Awareness in June, the VA put together a 4 part series: Week 1: How I knew I had PTSD; Week 2: My family suffered; and Week 3: Hear how treatment has helped me. The tweet refers to the Week 2 family resources. (Week 4: My Advice: Don’t Wait is still to be published.) Each section offers links and resources, many of which are of help to anyone with PTSD, not just veterans.]

@tlomauro Predicting post-traumatic stress disorder before it happens
[SEO: This sounds promising. “The project … uses electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the areas of the brain that regulate the emotional response to traumatic stress, then decode the brain functionality which indicates pre- or post-trauma psychopathology. It’s a powerful and novel approach to probing the susceptible brain and providing ongoing monitoring tailored to each individual.”]

@PTSDdotOrg Options expand for wounded as more heal PTSD with alternative treatments (via Stars and Stripes)
[SEO: “Alternative approaches that heal mind, body and soul — therapy dogs, outdoor retreats, acupuncture, art and music programs — have been touted by researchers, doctors and service members. Now, supporters are just waiting for science to catch up. … Initial research indicates alternative methods work when used in tandem with trauma-focused therapy and medication.”

@DCoEPage We’re all in this fight against PTSD together. What can you do to help? Check out 12 ways.
[SEO: Post offers 12 ways that community members can help in the fight for PTSD awareness, each with resource links. Always keep in mind that these resources are for anyone with PTSD. Links specifically pertaining to veterans are usually marked as such.]

Share My Stuff! ~

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD Survivors (02/24/12)

Sarah Olson — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 23:46:27 +0000

This week’s focus: Mental Health in the News

Photo Credit

“You’re not obligated to win.You’re obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day.” ~ Marion Wright Edelman

— HealthyPlace (@HealthyPlace) February 18, 2012

Some Tweets to Ponder

If it’s real for me, do I have to prove it to you? – Bad Religion bit.ly/opy0d

— Daniel K. Foisy (@WisdomalaCarte) February 23, 2012

To know yourself, be yourself. To be yourself, stop imagining yourself to be this or that. Just be. – Nisargadatta

— Carl Barbarotto (@Carlolight) February 23, 2012

Moving forward is about acknowledging the past, but gently let the invisible cord of the past go, and move toward a better future.

— Mary Kay Evans LCSW (@CarePathways) February 21, 2012

Linked Tweets

In the News

‏@MentalHealthV Alabama Plans to Close Most Hospitals for Mentally Ill
[SEO: “The decision to close four hospitals and lay off 948 employees is a bleak reminder of Alabama’s shrinking budget. But it is also the latest example in a longstanding national effort among states to relocate mentally ill patients from government hospitals to small group homes and private hospitals.”

See also Psychiatric Patients With No Place to Go But Jail (Chicago)]. These aren’t isolated occurrences. As states face increasing revenue shortfalls, mental health services will be among the first to go.]

@SarahEOlson2009 FDA Adds Metabolic Warnings to Fanapt
[SEO: If you take the atypical antipsychotic Fanapt, it now includes warnings that it may cause “hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and weight gain”. Translation: diabetes, cholesterol issues, and everything else that comes with unwanted weight gain. Talk to your doctor if you are taking any atypical antipsychotic. These “side effects” are in themselves life threatening down the road. There may be better choices.]

@Tao23 The Boy Scouts officially handle sex abuse on the Catholic church model
[SEO: [It’s also the Penn State model.] “The lawsuit contends the Scouts knew or should have known the leader put the boy at risk and cites a Scout executive’s reluctance to call police as evidence of an effort to conceal widespread sexual abuse.

“‘He said that wasn’t necessary, because the Scouts do their own internal investigation,’ said the boy’s mother…. ‘I thought that was really weird. … I thought it was really important to call the sheriff right away.'” And so, she did. In his next tweet, @Tao23 stated: “Bottom line, any person or organization that says ‘don’t call police about the sex abuse of your kid’ is complicit in child rape.”]

@PauleyP A SuperStar’s full domestic abuse report here. PLEASE do NOT go back to your attackers for any reason
[SEO: Perez Hilton is a gossip site, but in this case he includes the actual court document filed by Rihanna (aka Robyn F.) in her domestic abuse complaint against Chris Brown. It’s very detailed and disturbing. It’s also totally commonplace that women treated this way go back to their abusers. Rihanna recently eased up on her restraining order against Chris Brown so they could both attend award shows, plus they are now collaborating musically. Do not look to Rihanna as a role model — other than for what not to do — if you are in an abusive relationship.]

@SuePeaseBanitt PTSD…And Cash
[SEO: “The Army removed Colonel Dallas Homas, commander of Madigan Army Medical Center in Washington state, on Tuesday from his post because of an investigation into whether post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnoses were reversed solely to reduce medical costs on his watch.” ….

“…[T]he real travesty here is how this story will undoubtedly add uncertainty to the fate of soldiers being medically discharged. Service members quickly grow weary of telling their trauma stories to multiple layers of therapists, often to three or more counselors, before a final decision is made. If at every stage of the process the service member is rightly questioning the ultimate motivations of the examiner, the process loses all credibility. Most critically, those who have served their country with distinction can get caught up in the insanity and be refused benefits they deserve.”]

The Rest of the Best

‏@HealthyPlace Starting New Antidepressant Can Make Depression Worse Before It Gets Better
[SEO: “It takes patience to get the payoff from antidepressants. Two to four weeks is generally the minimum to see any improvement, and it may take up to six months to get the full benefit of a new depression drug.” This is true whether trying an antidepressant for the first time or switching to a new one, and can be quite discouraging. As the blogger also points out, don’t just stop any antidepressant suddenly, for any reason. The side effects from doing that can be horrific.]

@800273TALK Have you thought about starting a journal? Here’s how to get started.
[SEO: “Journaling is a profound — and simple — way to get to know yourself better. To figure out what makes you tick. What makes you happy. What makes you defensive. What makes you giggle or grateful or grieve. What makes you who you are. Quite simply, it’s a great tool to help you grow.” Includes helpful writing prompts and tips if you don’t know where to start.]

‏@NAMIMass Fight for Your Right to Behavioral Health Benefits
[SEO: Written by Carol McDaid, Co-Chair of the Parity Implementation Coalition, she discusses her three year battle to get insurance payment for benefits required by law for addiction and mental health services. “If you or a loved one have been unable to get your insurance to pay for addiction or mental health treatment, please share your story.”

“I’ve been in the halls of Congress fighting this fight since 1993. …. I intend to fight this fight as long as it takes to end insurance discrimination against people suffering from addiction and mental illness. But, to be successful, we need your stories and a collective sense of outrage.” Share your personal parity story by sending an email to hsf@psych.org.]

@natasha_tracy Have You Had ECT? Help Me Create a List of Hospitals that Offer ECT
[SEO: Natasha Tracy is compiling a list of treatment centers that include ECT (electroconvulsive therapy), and is asking for your help in making it more complete. The post includes the list to date; if you know of other ECT resources, let her know in the comments to her post. And if you’re looking for those services, this appears to already be the go-to list to find them.]

@LillyAnn “It is important to give ourselves permission to heal. What we voice as our desire to heal must be believed from within.” ~ Cheryl E Gordon

Share My Stuff! ~

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD Survivors (01/27/12)

Sarah Olson — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:37:45 +0000

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.”]

Share My Stuff! ~

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD Survivors (01/20/12)

Sarah Olson — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:51:41 +0000

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.”]

Share My Stuff! ~

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD Survivors (10/14/11)

Sarah Olson — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:54:12 +0000

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.]

Share My Stuff! ~

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD Survivors (10/07/11)

Sarah Olson — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 21:22:09 +0000

Photo Credit

@soulseedz “Hug everyone you meet,
even if just in your mind.
Start with yourself.”

Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder

@HealthyPlace “And we put a fake smile to hide the pain, yet we wish someone would look closely enough and see how broken we really are inside.” [unknown]

@PemaQuotes “In cultivating loving-kindness, we train first to be honest, loving, and compassionate toward ourselves.”

@zebraspolkadots “Knowing is the first step to changing. We must know where we are. Where we want to go and the path that will take us there.”

@soulseedz “There are things you can’t control, but you always retain your ability to reframe, reposition and respond from your highest perspective.”

@GuruQuotes “We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

@CarePathways “Today may you look inside if there is fear and decide to face it, and live your life knowing you are not the fear.”

Linked Tweets

In the News

@DrKathleenYoung October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
[SEO: Post links to a list of activities happening this month, and also includes links to Dr. Young’s previous posts dealing with various aspects of domestic violence.]

@HealthyPlace Mental Illness Awareness Week — Your Help Matters.
[SEO: A terrific round-up post with numerous links and ways in which you can help to raise awareness of mental illness.]

The Rest of the Best

@psychcentral 9 Myths and Facts About Therapy
[SEO: “Unfortunately, therapy still remains a shrouded subject, and many myths persist. The problem? These misunderstandings can prevent people from seeking help and getting better — and gives something valuable a bad name.”

When I first began therapy that was actually helping me, I had relatives who claimed (1) that my therapist was just trying to get my money, and (2) that my Psy.D therapist must be giving me drugs that were creating my “wild stories” about my childhood. Ignorance abounds! What’s important is that you don’t carry around these myths to avoid getting therapy when you need it.]

@mjdub Your Meds May Be Giving You Nightmares
[SEO: “If you’re taking ADHD drugs like Ritalin, antidepressants like Paxil and Prozac, or sleeping pills like Ambien — and a host of antibiotics, blood-pressure medications, antihistamines, and statins in between — that prescription could be giving you nightmares.” This post links to the original story in the Wall Street Journal. While PTSD often comes with its own nightmares, look first (with your prescribing doctor’s help) to identify — and possibly eliminate — any drugs that could be exacerbating your symptoms.]

@ssanquist Handling Depression at Work
[SEO: “With the right treatment plan, you probably will be able to manage working while undergoing depression treatment, and maybe even look forward to it.” Good advice on what to do while at work, and considerations about whether you need to tell co-workers about your depression.]

@DrCarlHindy How You Can Overcome Intrusive Thoughts
[SEO: “…[W]hen we try not to think of something part of the brain avoids the thought, but another part ‘checks in’ to make sure the thought is not coming up. Ironically, this ‘checking in’ to make sure the thought is not coming up, brings it to mind.” Describes five techniques to use “to suppress thoughts that intrude even when you are trying not to think them.”]

@HealthyPlace Making a Relationship Work When You Have Mental Illness (post and video)
[SEO: Discusses in depth (in the video) what this blogger believes are most important in any relationship: (1) educate your significant other about your particular mental illness; and (2) take responsibility for your own recovery and well-being.]

@thereseborchard 15 Ways To Alleviate Your Anxiety
[SEO: This blog’s focus is eating disorders, but this collection of strategies and links to help alleviate anxiety is good for anyone who deals with anxiety. “While anxiety seems incredibly overwhelming when you’re caught in its clutches, you can do so many things to minimize your anxiety. It’s a matter of learning some skills.”]

Share My Stuff! ~