Continue reading]]>  
[important]You can donate to The One Fund Boston, a 401(c)(3) non-profit set up jointly by Massachusetts Governor Patrick and Boston Mayor Menino to directly benefit victims of the Marathon bombings. Some may not have adequate insurance, or their injuries will stop them from working in their chosen professions. In just one example, a woman who lost both legs is a hair stylist, which requires standing all day, plus she and her daughter, also injured, live on a second floor. Funds will help victims regain their lives, to whatever extent possible.[/important]

[important]Monetary donations for the the American Red Cross West, Texas Disaster Fund can also be made online at redcross.org or by texting RED CROSS to 90999 to donate $10.[/important]

I live about 30 miles south of Boston, and to say this week has been stressful is the least of it. Sunday was “e-file our income tax” day, which I dread and procrastinate every year, even though we nearly always get a refund. It gives me headaches. I don’t really know why.

Monday was the Boston Marathon. I watched the beginning of the race, then turned to other projects. Then I got an email alert about bombs at the finish line. Such dissonance. Bombs and finish lines don’t go together.

I turned on the TV, and saw mangled people. Lots of them. I had a visceral response seeing Jeff Bauman in a wheelchair, being run by several people to the medical tent. His legs were mostly not there. Of all the people I saw, I wanted to know if he made it. (I still don’t really understand why him. I don’t know him at all.) A day later, when the names of the three who died were announced, I learned he was still in critical condition, requiring more surgery.

As it turns out, from the moment he awakened, he provided key information to law enforcement that directly led to identifying the suspects, one of whom is still at large as I write this. Jeff has a long recovery ahead of him.

On Wednesday, the overnight news rightly fixated on a devastating explosion of a fertilizer plant in West, Texas. They still haven’t accounted for everyone who is missing, there were 200 injuries, and at least 50 homes destroyed. I don’t personally know anyone there, either, but the instant life-changing trauma visited upon a town of 2,800 people was shocking.

Since last night (Thursday) Boston and surrounding areas have been locked down after a shoot out at MIT in Cambridge, which moved to and escalated in Watertown, leaving one suspect dead, the other still on the run. Yesterday, I had a very important doctor appointment in the heart of Boston where everything’s locked down today. I’m very grateful that my appointment was not set for today. But Boston’s normal nightmare traffic was complicated by President Obama’s visit to the memorial service and a hospital, which I do not begrudge him at all because he should have been there. It was still very stressful, and I wasn’t even driving!

All this to say, it’s not over yet, for anyone — the wounded, the cops, other first responders, people injured or who lost their homes and jobs in Texas, or for people on lockdown. My mind is not cooperating in pulling up favorite tweets or wrestling with Pinterest, and I’ve stopped trying to force it. I know I’ve watched far too much wall-to-wall TV news this week. I’ve been triggered numerous times, and felt relentlessly helpless to make any difference at all. Is anyone else feeling this way?

If you’ve had troubled sleep this week, this Boston Globe post titled “Sleep elusive for many in wake of bombing” may offer help. “Sleep specialists say insomnia and nightmares are normal in the first several days after such a traumatic event, and many people may be making problems worse by use of alcohol, cigarettes, and caffeine.” You can learn more positive ways to get your sleep schedule back on track.

One way to not feel so helpless and ineffective is to donate to The One Fund Boston or to the American Red Cross specifically for West, Texas, both also linked at the top of this post.

It’s a start.

Continue reading]]> Every Friday I usually gather favorite items from my Twitter stream that are beautiful, inspiring, funny, or strange. I admit, with all that’s going on with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, that it’s difficult to work up some enthusiasm here. I live south of Boston. We dodged a major bullet with this storm, and I’m grateful.

Meanwhile, so many people are truly suffering, and that’s not going to stop any time soon. So please open your hearts and wallets to offer your support to Sandy survivors? Today’s edition of Favorite TweetStuff is necessarily a compilation of the worst and best of Sandy.

Hurricane Sandy Relief Options

@HealthyPlace “At this very moment, there are people only you can reach … and differences only you can make.” ~ Mike Dooley

How to help after the superstorm (CNN)
[SEO: This post lists numerous ways anyone can help. Any amount of money or food and other supplies are appreciated.]

iTunes Accepts Red Cross Donations for Hurricane Sandy victims (Mashable)
[SEO: “The option, on iTunes’ homepage, lets users donate in increments ranging from $5 to $200 with one click. As with other iTunes purchases, you can do so by merely entering your Apple ID information, provided you already have one. One hundred percent of the donations will go to directly to the American Red Cross, according to the iTunes Sandy Relief Page.”]

7 Ways you can help Hurricane Sandy victims online (Mashable)
[SEO: Not all of these options are covered in the CNN post above, so please check this out, too.]

@LillyAnn “Among the things you can give and still keep are your word, a smile, and a grateful heart.” ~ Zig Ziglar

Sandy in Pictures

@pourmecoffee Empire State Building shines in the dark like a boss.

@DianeSawyer Miles of Manhattan in a blackout as we gear up for a special West Coast edition of World News.

@passantino Wow: Floodwaters inundate Ground Zero construction site in NYC (via AP)

@heykim OMG Video — Sandy ConEd Explosion
[SEO: This is just … incredible. And surprising that many, many people were not hurt at the time.]

‏@zaibatsu Wow, 25 shocking before and after photos of Hurricane Sandy’s destruction

@zaibatsu Hurricane Sandy: The Superstorm (via The Big Picture)
[SEO: Just … wow. Must see. Many unique pictures from across the wide area of impacted states, as well as from other countries that were hit by Sandy earlier.]

@CarrieFairygirl Thank goodness for people who are kind

@heykim 15 Amazing Acts of Kindness During Sandy [PICS]
[SEO: Includes the pic from above, and 14 other random acts of kindness from people who really didn’t have to do it. Or maybe they did.]

‏@Tamavista “You must trust and believe in people or life becomes impossible.” ~ Anton Chekhov

Continue reading]]> 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

@Tamavista “When a man does not know
what harbor he is making for,
no wind is the right wind.” ~ Seneca

Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder

@Quotes4Writers “I write to find out what I didn’t know I knew, to find out what I didn’t know I felt.” ~ Robert Anderson

@EmbraceSelfLove “Amidst the worldly comings and goings, observe how endings become beginnings.” ~ Tao Te Ching

@DrJennifer “Being present in the now allows the embracing of all potentials and possibilities.”

@visityourself “Self-abandonment: Numbing your feelings with overdoing (work, online, food, alcohol). Antidote: Self-compassion.”

@nourishthesoul “The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” ~ Maya Angelou

@CarePathways “Instead of practicing perfectionism, practice ‘striving for excellence.'”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I’ve asked you to open your hearts and donate funds for relief efforts in Haiti, New Zealand, and Japan. Now the Southern States in the U.S. are reeling from the impact of devastating tornadoes. At this writing, nearly 300 are dead, 1 million without power, amid widespread destruction. So I ask again, please donate either online at the American Red Cross, or give $10 to Red Cross disaster relief by texting REDCROSS to 90999.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Linked Tweets

@psychcentral How to Help Someone Who is Suicidal
[SEO: It never gets easier, but knowing what to do — and not do — in advance can improve the odds of changing the outcome. I consider this information to be in the same category as CPR. Everyone should know the basics.]

@APAPsychiatric National Children’s Mental Health Day THIS Tuesday May3! Celebrations include art, music, dance, and more
[SEO: Numerous links to programs, activities, and resources, including tip sheets on how to organize a local event.]

@VA_PTSD_Info PTSD Coach App on iTunes: Free app helps you manage stress following trauma
[SEO: “The PTSD Coach app can help you learn about and manage symptoms that commonly occur after trauma. Features include:

* Reliable information on PTSD and treatments that work
* Tools for screening and tracking your symptoms
* Convenient, easy-to-use skills to help you handle stress symptoms
* Direct links to support and help
* Always with you when you need it”

It’s free, and it’s for everyone, not just vets, even though it’s offered by the Veterans Administration. Check it out!]

@SarahEOlson2009 From Tracie: Blog Carnival Against Child Abuse ~ April 2011 ~ Speaking Out Edition
[SEO: Every year, April is Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month. Earlier in April, Tracie also posted an excellent resource outlining programs and what you can do to get involved, and why you should, whether you have this history or not. In addition to the usual Carnival categories, this edition contains several posts dedicated to the theme of ‘speaking out’.

There is an insidious code of silence about child abuse, both in terms of how most people really don’t want to dwell on it, and in terms of the silence enforced upon the child by his/her abuser. Speaking out is therapeutic. It is empowering. Don’t be silent.]

@Mindful_Living Have You Tried the Freedom Practice?
[SEO: “The reality is we’re always practicing something and reinforcing the neural connections in our brains whether we know it or not. When we give in to the automaticity of catastrophic thinking, eating that bowl of ice cream or making a racist remark, we are reinforcing its automaticity. So why not practice freedom?” Simple (but admittedly not easy) steps to practice freedom in your life. Try it.]

@gretchenrubin Need an emergency energy boost — right now? Try one of these strategies
[SEO: “When your energy level is low, everything feels like a chore — even things would ordinarily make you happy.” Originally written to deal with holiday stress, everything thispost offers is just as relevant on any other day. (Gretchen Rubin obviously thinks so, too, because she tweeted it this week!)]

@akvet An excellent diagram and explanation of PTSD’s effect on trip wire anger
[SEO: “Many people with PTSD struggle to understand why they fly off the handle at such little things, i.e., the toilet roll is around the wrong way, someone walked in front of you, that stranger looked at you, etc etc. The reason is actually quite simple, and easier to show than often explain, why those with PTSD tend to get angry quicker, more easily, and faster than others at little stupid things.”]

@patriciasinglet Being Nice to Yourself: Why is this so hard for many survivors?
[SEO: While the focus here is child abuse survivors, the issue applies equally to many survivors of domestic violence, rape, or any trauma which instilled a sense of shame. The post’s author writes, “We view ourselves through our abusers’ eyes and believe that we are unworthy of any sort of kindness. I am a big fan of the singer Pink. She has a song out called F*ckin’ Perfect that addresses this issue nicely:

‘You’re so mean, when you talk, about yourself you were wrong.
Change the voices, in your head, make them like you instead.’ ~ Pink “]

@Mindful_Living What is the Investment that Never Fails?
[SEO: “Henry David Thoreau said: ‘Goodness is the only investment that never fails.’ I tend to believe this, but each of us may have a different idea of what constitutes, ‘the good.’ … Some felt good when connected to friends, others felt good when they finally forgave, yet others felt good when they actually gave or experienced compassion. … Ask yourself, ‘What would it be like if I woke up each morning and thought of 5 things I am grateful for in my life each day?'” I know this is hard for some trauma survivors, but keep in mind that cynicism has a price.]

@SarahEOlson2009 Some People Wait Their Entire Lives to Ask this Question
[SEO: “Ask yourself, when’s the last time I actually intentionally paid attention to the seeds I plant day to day or moment to moment? Are you planting seeds of negative thinking, self-judgment, catastrophic thinking, or isolation? Or are you planting seeds of gratitude, laughter, giving, and compassion?”]

Continue reading]]> 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.

Want to share? 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 NOTE: Ah, the joys of self-hosting your own blog! I keep getting a dreaded “fatal error” trying to upload a pic for this post. Therefore, we are ‘pictureless’ today! It just feels so… black and white.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder

@CarePathways “There comes a time in your life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it.”

@IyanlaVanzant “Those in your life who love you, respect, and want to be in your space will not risk losing you by crossing the boundary lines.”

@soulseedz “Your job is VP of research and self development; in charge of curiosity, growth and openness to future possibilities.”

@LynnetteBrown “The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.” ~ Peter F. Drucker

@drathenastaik “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to a better understanding of ourselves.”

@rcinstitute “SoulfulSunday: cynicism is a disease of the soul. Compassion is the cure.”

Linked Tweets

Japan Earthquake Relief Efforts Continue

@newspyre Now live: www.messagesforjapan.com ~ Express support in your language, see auto-translation, support relief efforts
[SEO: From the official Google blog, a project called messagesforjapan.com will take your message — in any number of languages — to the people of Japan and automatically translate it into Japanese. View the one minute video, and go to Google’s Crisis Response Page for links to the top charities working for Japan earthquake relief. They will need donations for a very long time.]

@SarahEOlson2009 ‘2:46: Aftershocks'; A Twitter-sourced book by/about people affected by Japan earthquake. Proceeds to relief.
[SEO: “In just over a week, a group of unpaid professional and citizen journalists who met on Twitter created a book to raise money for Japanese Red Cross earthquake and tsunami relief efforts. In addition to essays, artwork and photographs submitted by people around the world, including people who endured the disaster and journalists who covered it, 2:46: Aftershocks: Stories from the Japan Earthquake contains a piece by Yoko Ono, and work created specifically for the book by authors William Gibson, Barry Eisler and Jake Adelstein. …

ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of the price you pay (net of VAT, sales and other taxes) goes to the Japanese Red Cross Society.” The book is currently available for Kindle (which you can read on other devices by downloading the Kindle software). A paper version is in the works.]

Meditation and Mindfulness

@tlomauro Meditation Is Effective at Relieving Pain
[SEO: A recap of various recent studies showing that meditation and mindfulness can be effective at relieving pain, make you feel happier, and give you better odds at losing weight. For example, “When it came time for a midday break, ‘people had a mindful lunch in silence for an hour. They enjoyed the food, didn’t overeat, didn’t rush, and were very aware and meditative when they sat down to start the meal.'”]

@karenkmmonroy Why Meditate? Here’s Why! (via @mindbodygreen)
[SEO: A short article includes a 3 minute animated video about the origins of meditation, and the positive benefits you can derive from practicing it.]

@SarahEOlson2009 Stop the World and See (via Always Well Within)
[SEO: “Often, we don’t see the world around us because we’re thinking too much, daydreaming, or just zoning out. It’s like we’re in another world. Other times we’re overly concentrated on the project at hand. So we only see what’s right in front of us like we’re wearing blinders. We haven’t learned to balance mindfulness with global awareness.”]

The Rest of the Best

@StopItNow TAKE ACTION with us in April to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse
[SEO: April is (still) National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This newsletter from Stop It Now provides links to resources and aids to spreading awareness of the issues. Includes a links section for summer safety. Be proactive on behalf of the children you know! You may be the difference in their life.]

@SarahEOlson2009 33 Favorite Self-Help Books of Psychologists (via World of Psychology)
[SEO: A wide range of topics of self-help books chosen by mental health professionals. Definitely worth a look!]

@NAMIMass Are Your Finances a Mess? Money and Emotion
[SEO: “Do you want to change problem behaviors that leave you financially unstable?” With the tax deadline looming in the U.S., this is a timely post about how the way we view money connects to and weaves around our emotions, often in self-destructive ways. “Problematic patterns in how you think about and manage money are often related to painful emotions such as guilt, fear and anxiety.”]

@thereseborchard Thanks, Della, for a great interview! Coping With Depression
[SEO: An insightful interview of Therese Borchard, who blogs about coping with depression, and is the author of Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression and Anxiety, and Making the Most of Bad Genes She approaches her own depressive tendencies from a holistic viewpoint. Discusses the role of alternative therapies and the mind-body-spirit connection; lists common symptoms of depression, and self-care measures you can take to alleviate those symptoms.]

@tinybuddha 20 Ways to Overcome Doubts
[SEO: “Maybe the point is to learn to be less afraid of leaping, knowing that the net may not always appear, but the fall will never be far enough to do any lasting damage.”]

@psychcentral 21 Tips to Stop Being a People-Pleaser
[SEO: “People-pleasers yearn for outside validation. Their ‘personal feeling of security and self-confidence is based on getting the approval of others.’ … They worry how others will view them when they say no. What many people-pleasers don’t realize is that people-pleasing can have serious risks. Not only does it put a lot of pressure and stress on you, Newman said, but ‘essentially you can make yourself sick from doing too much.'” Includes 21 strategies to help you learn to say ‘no’.]

Continue reading]]> 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.

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

Photo Credit

@Drift_of_Swans “May all the prayers ~
extend themselves to people ~
in need of great hope.” ~ haiku

Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder

@LillyAnn “I am no longer afraid of becoming lost, because the journey back always reveals something new and that is ultimately good for the soul.”

@SpiritualNurse “Those who are lifting the world upward and onward are those who encourage more than criticize.” ~ Elizabeth Harrison

@AnnCurry “GAMBARU in Japanese means: Never ever, ever give up, even and especially when there is no chance of winning.”

@DrHubaEvaluator “Help others recognize their own courage, intelligence, empathy. Follow the Yellow Brick Road and wear those cool red shoes.”

@drjeffersnboggs “Sometimes the easiest way is the hard way.” ~ John Finn

@soulseedz “You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestation of your own blessings.” ~ Elizabeth Gilbert

Linked Tweets

Japan in Crisis

@psychcentral Here are Therapy Soup’s First 5 Thoughts On Japan’s Earthquake, Tsunami. What’s yours?
[SEO: This article’s first five thoughts include: Prayer, Awe, Personal Meaning, Admiration, and Gratitude and Giving. My first thought, in addition to all of these, was enormous sadness.]

@SarahEOlson2009 ABC News — Japan Earthquake: before and after pics (hover over before to see after)
[SEO: It’s really hard to take in the enormity of this disaster. These pictures bear witness, and provide a devastating perspective.]

@AlwaysWellWithn Why the Japanese Earthquake is Not a Hollywood Disaster Movie Set
[SEO: “The danger of blanket coverage of such natural disasters is this — we become hardened and we get compassion fatigue. The thing is this — we feel so powerless amidst such suffering. And the more we watch, the more closed off and harder we can become to all this suffering.” If you’re a trauma survivor, take care that the relentless coverage doesn’t overwhelm you. But don’t close yourself off completely from what impacts you from afar. Your humanity — and I believe, your path to healing — is intricately entwined with your ability to feel and express compassion. Both for the people of Japan (and Haiti, and Indonesia, and Christchurch, New Zealand), but also for yourself.]

@VA_OEF_OIF How To Help Japan: Earthquake Relief Options
[SEO: An extensive list of ways in which you can help, put together by Huffington Post.]

The Rest of the Best

@Hopefortrauma I’m hosting March 2011 Blog Carnival Against Child Abuse ~ DID Awareness Month
[SEO: A group of us multiples were unaware that some day in March was “DID Awareness Day”. So we decided to make March into “DID Awareness Month”! The Blog Carnival Against Child Abuse accepts blog posts on all manner of topics relating to child abuse, and can be posts from your archives if you don’t have time to write something new. (And you don’t need to be DID to join in!) The deadline to enter is March 23rd.]

@BBCWorld US Web suicide nurse found guilty
[SEO: A follow up to a Best Tweets post about six months ago. This man pretended online to be a female nurse who was suicidal. He frequented chat rooms where he sought out people who talked about wanting to commit suicide. He “befriended” them, and convinced them to make a suicide pact with him. He always said, in effect, “You go first.” Now he’s been found guilty of imminently inciting suicide in two cases. (There were more.) He faces up to 30 years in prison. Beware of online predators who get a thrill from your pain.]

@ssanquist Common Therapy Approaches to Help You Heal from Trauma
[SEO: A great resource to see in one place what different types of therapy for trauma healing are, and the features of each, as well as a point that is sometimes missed: “… the purpose of all trauma-focused psychotherapy is to integrate the traumatic event into your life not subtract it from your life.”]

@SarahEOlson2009 Why Do People React Differently To Witnessing Catastrophe?
[SEO: An important article to the understanding of why and how people react/respond differently to the same traumatic event. “While Traumatologists indicate that the characteristics of an event – be it man-made or natural disaster, time-limited or prolonged, life threatening or catastrophic- mediate the impact of a traumatic event on people, they hold that the most crucial factor in determining a person’s response is the meaning of the event for that person.”]

@PTSDGFW “What PTSD Means To Me” Stories from trauma survivors
[SEO: A long page of first-hand accounts of “what PTSD means to me”, written by trauma survivors at various stages of healing. While some of the material may be triggering (keep yourself safe), it’s also instructive to know how others have dealt with their issues, and what may lie ahead. While you’re there on the Gift From Within website, take a look around at their numerous resources for trauma survivors.]

@ssanquist How Can Psychologists Help Immediately After Trauma
[SEO: “‘…one of the rather solid findings we’re coming up with is that people in those first hours, or the first day or two after a very traumatic event experience very high arousal. We know that that’s predictive of subsequent post-traumatic stress disorder, months and years later. … People who get morphine in the hours after an event, which is a suppressant of arousal, that tends to be protective of later PTSD.’” However, “Most of what we ‘know’ about helping people after traumatic events is intuitive, guesswork, hope, speculation, and pieced together from flawed research.'” SEO: The good news is, trauma mitigation and recovery are finally being regarded as keys to unlocking decades of future misery.]

@zebraspolkadots I’ve recognized that my serenity does not depend on how others treat me but in how I allow others behavior to affect me.
[SEO: A thorough discussion of what empowerment means in the context of trauma healing. “Being self empowered means taking the action and asking the questions to move myself from where I am to where I want to be.”]

@aflourishinglif 10 Life-Changing Facts About Attachment (via @AlwaysWellWithn)
[SEO: Very thought-provoking read! “Simply said, when we make our happiness dependent on people, money, success, possessions, or circumstances, we suffer. Attachments are sticky. Our freedom goes out the window, and we react emotionally and maneuver to get what we want and reject what we don’t want. … Just for a moment, imagine being free of attachments. Things come and go, but you are stable and unmoving in the midst of it all. It doesn’t mean you don’t care. In fact, in the lack of clinging, you are free to care deeply. The most intimate state of being is devoid of the separation that attachment brings.”]

@DrKathleenYoung PTSD and Quality of Life: New Research (via @ssanquist)
[SEO: A breakdown of new research regarding PTSD and quality of life issues leads Dr. Young to the following puzzle. “I can understand this finding [of adverse impact to quality of life] regarding avoidance and have written about how dissociation can be adaptive short-term. But I am surprised that re-experiencing symptoms like flashbacks and nightmares were not correlated with reduced quality of life. This is not what I hear reported in my practice. What do you think? Does these research findings fit with your experience?”

She invites your response in the comments. I, too, was surprised at these findings because flashbacks and nightmares have haunted me my entire life, and created endless insomnia. This probably is the number one adverse impact on my quality of life.]

@ucobudo Budo Beat. Zen Garden (YouTube)
[SEO: Lovely and tranquil. “Japanese bamboo flute and garden shots from the Portland Japanese Garden, Portland, OR make for a Zen-like meditative atmosphere in this photo-show. The name of the song is ‘Tamuke’.”]

Continue reading]]> 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.

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

Photo Credit

@Tamavista “You must live in the present,
launch yourself on every wave,
find your eternity in each moment.” ~ Thoreau

Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder

@MindfulWakeup “I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.” ~ Dalai Lama

@karenkmmonroy “Limitations are a part of the physical world, but they shouldn’t start in your mind.”

@guy_finley “The only thing valuable about any fearful state is seeing how worthless it really is and then just letting it go.”

@themindfulist “Stress may feel like a burst of energy, but it’s not useful energy, it’s scattered and short-term at best. Calm down and focus.”

@JaneBeNimble “Release your words. Fly, be free.”

@ShipsofSong “Be intentional. Be purposeful. Be playful.”

Linked Tweets

Earthquake in Japan

@google Google Person Finder available after earthquake in Japan to help you get information about loved ones.
[SEO: This links to the English version; if you need the Japanese version, the link is at the top of the page.]

@APAHelpCenter Our thoughts are with those in Japan. Tips on how to manage your distress about the earthquake from afar. (apa.org)
[SEO: I watched and tweeted Japan’s earthquake/tsunami literally all night. The images were unbelievable — and the fact that it was happening live, in real time, had an impact even if you live half a world away. This article offers tips and insights into how to cope with distant — but in your living room and your heart — events.]

@DreamDayWed “Please text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation to Japan and Pacific tsunami relief. Or go to the donations page for the American Red Cross and designate your donation to Japan relief efforts.”

The Rest of the Best

@DrJennifer How to Silence Your Mind (via @ssanquist)
[SEO: “Even though I’m able to sink down into the deep quiet within, I, like most everyone, have to work with what the Buddhists call monkey mind or that on-going mental chatter. This chatter is at best our inner attempt to process what is happening in our lives and help us create a life that is full, rich and fulfilling. At its worst it is recycling fears, old interactions with people and simply staying stuck in unprocessed, unintegrated historical material.”]

@natasha_tracy Why Don’t We Want to Shower When We’re Sick (Breaking Bipolar blog)
[SEO: This is achingly honest, and I relate to much of it. “It’s complicated. When I’m in pain I want to put up additional barriers between me and the world. Some subconscious part of me is thinking extra clothes and blankets over my head will save me from my brain. Being naked removes barriers. And I can’t have that. And I’m not exactly sure how to explain it other than to say the water is painful. It feels like an attack. It feels like I’m in so much pain already that a breeze grazing my skin makes me want to cry.” Discussion continues in the comments.]

@psychcentral Who’s your worst enemy? If you guessed yourself, you’re right. Want to transform that enemy into a friend?
[SEO: Discusses book “My Mind Is Not Always My Friend” by Steven J. Fogel, in which he outlines how as children we are emotionally free until something happens that we experience as emotional trauma — which begins patterns of withdrawal and suppression. “True growth starts when we realize that our actions are being triggered by an event that activates old patterns of behavior and we begin to understand which old patterns are being triggered by which particular external catalysts. The key is mindfulness–the mind’s ability to stay conscious–so that we can be aware of how and when our machinery gets triggered. This means that we have to see and understand the ways our machinery reacted to past traumas and the programming that formed at that time, which is still with us.” Be sure to also see the next post below.]

@DrBeckerSchutte Are You, Your Own Best Friend? (via @Esdeer)
[SEO: “I now know that people will come and go from my life. Some will support, some won’t be able to or choose not to. I now know that some experiences and events in my life will change me forever. I now know that out of it all I remain a constant presence, in the midst of it all. I now know that self-compassion is the greatest gift I can give myself, at any time in my life, but especially when I am grieving. I also know that only I can make myself a priority in my life.” Includes a list of 30 practical ideas to begin being your own best friend.]

@healthyplace Dissociation and Depression: An Unholy Matrimony (Dissociative Living blog) (via @SurvivorNetwork)
[SEO: “Dissociation and depression are perfectly suited for each other — the former specializes in carrying you when you cannot cope, and the latter specializes in convincing you of your inability to cope. It’s a match made in mental illness heaven and, if you have Dissociative Identity Disorder, a difficult partnership to dissolve. … It’s difficult to recognize the voice of depression before dissociation casts it’s spell, but I suspect if I could do that I might be able to remember that I’m depressed long enough to do something about it.”]

@SarahEOlson2009 Your Right To See Your Patient Records (via Therapy Soup blog)
[SEO: “If you are a therapy patient, you need to know: You have the right to see many, if not most, of your clinical records, at any point in time. There is a pesky “however”: However, you generally do not have the right to see the therapist’s personal notes that are written during and sometimes after, your therapy session (you have to check with your own state’s regulations).”]

@healthyplace I Hate Anxiety! The Physiology of Stress (via Treating Anxiety blog)
[SEO: “The stress of an anxiety disorder can twist the fabric of life; I can’t see it the same way as I did before my “nervous condition” set in. This isn’t stage-fright, or make believe. It’s not masterpiece theatre. I did not get PTSD from watching too many Twilight Zone episodes.”]

@MichelePTSD PTSD Doesn’t Heal Itself: Deciding to Seek Help
[SEO: “There’s a lot to consider when we realize we cannot heal alone. But that’s OK, skepticism and apprehension are healthy and part of the healing process. We need to develop a reconnection to ourselves, our thought processes, our decision-making skills and all the other reactions and fears being a strong, proactive person brings up. More importantly: We do need help. There’s no denying it, we cannot heal alone in an oasis of fear and a mind that is stuck on the wrong backward track. In order to conquer the past and create the future we desperately need someone who can help us find and read the right map.”]

@goodthingz How to Be Bold In Life — 7 Great Tips
[SEO: Discusses how to proactively approach and face your anxiety in ways which become your choice — rather than allowing your anxiety to control you. One example: “3. Work on Your Beliefs. You are probably fearful because you believe that you can’t. However, if you believe that you can’t, then it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. But what if you believe the opposite? What if you program yourself to take on new beliefs? Since beliefs are made from thoughts, it is possible to change your thoughts to make new beliefs.”]