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.)
@CarePathways “The most difficult phase of life
is not when no one understands you:
it is when you don’t understand yourself.”
Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder
@TQ_Project “Worry gives a small thing a big shadow” ~ Swedish Proverb
@Quotes4Writers “When do we figure out that trust is a necessary risk?… Risk is an everyday occurrence and a life without risk is no life at all.” ~ T. Coyle
@zebraspolkadots “Learning to live an empowered life was challenging but not near as challenging as living life believing I had no power.”
@CarePathways “As you contemplate your life there is an invisible you that you cannot see. It hides within awaiting expression of your total and complete potential.”
@lizstrauss “Our spirit has a hunger. If we don’t share authentic moments, we start collapsing. Our soul gets lonely.”
@AnnTran_ “Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else’s life forever.” ~ Cho
Linked Tweets
In the News
@DrMelanieG The Casey Anthony Trial — Media frenzy, family dysfunction, injustice. Is this a sign of the times? I hope not.
[SEO: “The troubling aspect of this case is that Casey’s lies may have helped her escape justice for her role in the death of her daughter. Because of the lies, there was a delay in finding Caylee’s remains. … The forensics could not tell us if Caylee died by homicide or accident. Although the prosecution does not actually have a burden to determine the cause of death, the jurors who spoke to the media said that this lack of certainty was a key factor in their ‘Not Guilty’ verdict. The law is not designed to reward potential perpetrators for covering up evidence and misleading investigators, yet this is what seemed to have happened.”
This post looks at the role of the media, and the Anthony family dysfunctions, which added to the confusion about this case. So many questions left unresolved. Rest in peace, Caylee.]
@SarahEOlson2009 Jaycee Lee Dugard, Kidnapped at Age 11 | Complete interview (ABC News)
[SEO: Jaycee Lee Dugard was kidnapped at age 11 on her way to school, held captive in handcuffs for much of the next 19 years, repeatedly raped, and gave birth to the first of two children in a backyard shed at age 14. She exhibits poise, confidence, and hope for her future. She is inspiring. (For a different take on the Dugard interview, see next story below.)
Jaycee Dugard and the Feel-Good Imperative (L.A. Times opinion piece)
[SEO: I’d have tweeted this if I’d seen it earlier, because it makes important points for any trauma survivor. It suggests that the media has created a narrative of redemption, whereby well-known survivors Jaycee Lee Dugard and Elizabeth Smart overcame the effects of heinous abuse relatively quickly, and we (the public) can breathe a collective sigh of relief that their torment is “over”.
The article’s skepticism is not that their pain was less than described, but that they could recover from nightmarish sustained trauma so quickly, and seemingly completely. (I’ve certainly been doing hard work for years now, and I don’t consider myself to be “wallowing in it”, as ignorant post comments suggest. Perhaps each of these women coming from a much-loved family environment prior to their abductions is the key difference? I don’t know.) Another point made: this media-hyped model of “feel-good” redemption is why the Casey Anthony verdict struck such a nerve. “The survivor was anything but a hero. No lessons were learned.”
The media bias described makes for a great made-for-TV movie, but does trauma survivors who still struggle in dark places daily a disservice — and perhaps to Dugard and Smart as well. “Dugard and Smart seem to have successfully made the transition to survivor, but to turn them into generic symbols of hope or, worse, to saddle them with the job of being publicly loving, forgiving and grateful despite what they endured minimizes their trauma and panders to audiences by creating a false sense of closure.” What are your thoughts on all of this?]
The Rest of the Best
@SarahEOlson2009 FYI Win 6 Months of Free Therapy (up to $2,400) — Good Therapy Foundation Therapy Award Contest [I am not affiliated]
[SEO: What I like about how this contest is structured is that your “entry” reply goes private. “Submissions will not be published” — which I take to mean “forever”. Read the detailed contest rules carefully for all requirements; you must respond to their questions with a minimum of 150 words, no maximum. Entries must be received before 5:00 p.m. PDT, July 31, 2011. I know how tough it is to find money for therapy; I’m hoping this helps someone in major need.]
@SeattleCounsel Smart phones are probably not a smart choice for Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims
[SEO: “When it comes to security for a domestic abuse victim, making sure that your I’s are dotted and T’s crossed is of the utmost importance. That being the case, how will you ensure that you cannot be found out if you seek help or leave your abusive partner? You should be cognizant of how your mobile device might be used for monitoring and tracking your activities.”]
@micheletrauma Trauma Caregivers: what are the signs that you are suffering from burnout?
[SEO: “Compassion fatigue occurs when a caregiver neglects their own self-care in favor of putting most of their effort and focus on caring for their loved one. To learn more about compassion fatigue, read on and consider this valuable resource as well: Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project.” Includes signs of burnout and coping strategies. If you are a trauma survivor, give this article to your loved ones.]
@anngatty Recognize your inner fears and turn off your inner voice of self doubt
[SEO: Guys, don’t let the website name, Stress Management 4 Women, deter you from reading this thoughtful post. I think men have that inner voice every bit as much as women do. “No one can attain life goals when inner fears act as emotional triggers, causing you to give up on your dreams. What are you afraid of?”]
@goodthingz 21 Simple Ways to Live an Exceptional Life
[SEO: Simple, but not necessarily easy! “It can be tough to get clear on what you want, and you won’t always be perfectly clear, but the goal isn’t to be clear, the goal is to move forward and explore.”]
@soulseedz 7 Strategies to saying a positive NO
[SEO: An in-depth look at how yes and no are (or should be) considered as a pair. Discusses the book Power of a Positive No by William Ury, including the following quote: “Yes without No is appeasement, whereas No without Yes is war. Yes without No destroys one’s own satisfaction, whereas No without Yes destroys one’s relationship with others. We need both Yes and No together. For Yes is the key word of community, No the key word of individuality. Yes is the key word of connection, No the key word of protection. Yes is the key word of peace, No the key word of justice. The great art is to learn to integrate the two—to marry Yes and No. That is the secret to standing up for yourself and what you need without destroying valuable agreements and precious relationships.” Includes strategies for putting this into practice.]
@psychcentral 5 Easy Steps to Start a Mindfulness Practice
[SEO: “Mindfulness practice can have both mental and physical health benefits. Like many healthy habits, getting started can be the hardest part.” Five easy steps, starting with your breathing.]
@thereseborchard Do You Hate Summer? You’re Not Alone: Who would have known that there are so many summer haters out there?
[SEO: While much of this post is rather tongue-in-cheek, Therese Borchard makes the case that for her, it’s the lack of structured time in summer that can lead to a fear of unpredictability and feeling out of control. I’ve always hated summer, which has everything to do with the fact that most of my childhood abuse occurred during the summers. Excessive heat nauseates me, and the bugs that accompany it trigger me. It’s kind of a relief to learn that I’m not the only one who hates summer. Do you?]
Enjoy!
