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.)
I agree that patients should not be trapped in a dead-end therapy relationship. But this quote is misleading: "Proponents of long-term therapy have argued that severe psychological disorders require years to manage. That may be true, but it’s also true that many therapy patients don’t suffer severe disorders. Anxiety and depression are the top predicaments for which patients seek mental health treatment; schizophrenia is at the bottom of the list." Anxiety and depression are hallmarks of PTSD, and most likely will require longer than 10 visits to resolve, even for the most effective therapist on the planet. It doesn't have to be forever, but trauma survivors seldom fit into some neat 10 visits or less box.]
@OneLifeTherapy Do you trust yourself to heal? Bringing Therapy to Life
[SEO: "In therapy, if you and your therapist follow Rogers’ approach, it’ll be called 'person-centred therapy.' And the person it’s centred on will be you. So you’ll set the pace of things -- your therapist will take your lead, as they have faith in your mind, your emotions, your entire being to know the right pace to go. They’ll listen to you. Deeply. Because they’ll believe that everything you say is a clue. That everything you say has value."
This excellent post asks: "How would it be if you could apply these things to yourself? Consciously. Willingly. Generously. To extend a hand of trust to yourself in barren times and know that you will grow again. That you’ve already started. That deep down, something in you knows the way out of pain. And back to being whole. Even if you’ve never grown this particular way before."]
@arttherapynews Trauma-Informed Art Therapy on Pinterest
[SEO: This is a wonderful showcase of the many ways art therapy can be used to aid in healing. Every "pinned" illustration (currently there are 76) focuses on some aspect of trauma-informed art therapy, with a link back to the original source if you want to explore it more. You don't have to be a Pinterest member to view this page.]
The Rest of the Best
@fearlessnation Army Wants PTSD Guidelines to Stop Screening for Fakers
[SEO: Better late than never. "In a big reversal, the Army has issued a stern new set of guidelines to doctors tasked with diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among returning soldiers. Stop spending so much time trying to spot patients who are faking symptoms, the new guidelines instruct. Chances are, they’re actually ailing."]
@GregDorter Five Steps to Calm Anger With Empathy
[SEO: While the focus of this post pertains to empathy within relationships, empathy is a skill needed for so much more than that. You can practice it with anyone you meet. "Here are five steps to calm anger with empathy. Whether you’re angry or just annoyed, these steps help you to remain calm, present, connected with what is going on inside of you (i.e., thoughts, feelings), so that you can listen empathically to what underlies your own or another’s anger or pain."]
@natasha_tracy Worrying About Medication Side Effects
[SEO: "I’m all for understanding the risks of a medication. Some medications carry significant risks that are very common so it’s wise to know about these going in. It’s also wise to know about the common side effects so you know what to look for in case it happens to you. You should be informed. It’s your body you’re putting the drugs into."
But, she continues, it's kind of pointless to worry about it (excessively) because you won't know till you take it. Either it happens to you, or it doesn't. "The trick to experiencing the fewest side effects is this: start low and go slow. And when I say this I mean start lower than recommended by the manufacturer and go slower than recommended by the manufacturer. And if you’re sensitive to medications, go slower than that. And then wait and watch."]
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.)
@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.”]
@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."]
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.)
Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder
@LLProject “Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better, it’s about befriending who we are.” ~ Pema Chodron
@jennwatts “Just the act of listening can be calming. If you stop what you’re doing right now, what are 5 things you can hear?”
@visityourself “The longing to feel self-compassion during difficult times points to some part of you that already cares.”
@kathiekeeler “The people who are the hardest to love are the ones who need it the most.” ~ Peaceful Warrior
@karenkmmonroy “Try to remember you always have faith. Faith in the problem, or faith in the Solution….”
@Tamavista “Instead of searching for the meaning of life, make your life meaningful.” ~ Kitamori
@LillyAnn Joplin tornado: How you can help (@RedCross and state agencies)
[SEO: The devastation is just ... stunning. We seem to be getting a new disaster every week, and it can be tempting to shut it all out in a bit of 'disaster fatigue'. Perhaps take a breather to regroup. But people dealing with these traumatic events will need help for a very long time. What would you wish for, if calamity knocked on your community's door?]
@samhsagov Managing Your Stress:Tips for Survivors of a Traumatic Event
[SEO: At this link you can immediately download the .PDF, or order up to 10 printed copies for free (shipping may apply). "Gives stress prevention and management tips for dealing with the effects of trauma, mass violence, or terrorism. Lists tips to relieve stress, describes how to know when to seek professional help, and provides accompanying resources."]
@WomeninCrimeInk Elizabeth Smart Confronts Kidnapper
[SEO: She is a poised, confident young woman now. And she made sure her kidnapper, Brian David Mitchell, knew she was flourishing before he was given a life sentence. Beyond finishing college and a two year mission in France for her church, she's paying it forward. "She works as an advocate for children and victims of crime, especially kidnapping. And she has started the Elizabeth Smart Foundation with her first goal to get a program called RADkids into public schools. RAD, which stands for 'Resist Aggression Defensively,' teaches children specific techniques to get away from would-be attackers."]
The Rest of the Best
@nourishthesoul May is PTSD Awareness Month. What is trauma?
[SEO: "...[I]t’s not usually very useful for medical professionals to ask patients, ‘Have you experienced trauma?’ Usually, patients will deny trauma because they haven’t been a victim of obvious physical abuse, natural disaster, or combat. But when I ask my own patients whether they’ve ever felt extremely unsafe, felt violated, or been made to feel overwhelmed and powerless, the answers often change.” A good overview of what trauma is, how it impacts us, and what you can do to learn to cope with it and find treatment.]
@psychcentral What Depression Looks Like in Men
[SEO: "A mix of biological and cultural factors often conspire to keep men and those who love them from recognizing and addressing their depression." An important post that discusses how men differ from women in how they deal with depression and cope with it; how they have different symptom patterns; and differences in how they handle feelings. Most importantly, it explains why depression is often undiagnosed in men, and how that can be deadly dangerous. Don't ignore it.]
@lifeinthewest How Yoga Can Help Heal PTSD
[SEO: "A traumatic incident may or may not leave physical wounds, but the body takes up the imprint of mind’s emotional distress, and these effects linger. They may manifest in the muscles and bones of the body, as with the rancher, or in our digestive or immune systems. They may settle into our very chemistry, affecting our neurotransmitters. But settle, they will. And until we discharge that trauma — from the mind, yes, but from the body, as well, it will continue to linger, affecting the quality of our lives." ...
"Hatha yoga, the yoga of body and breath, is an invitation to discharge the trauma that resides in our bodies — and to do it in a way that respects our limitations, our needs, and our choices. By providing our muscles and organs and minds with new information — that we””re now safe to grow and change — we can gradually release the lessons of the past that no longer serve us." A very interesting read!]
@unsuicide Great how-to vid on Progressive Muscle Relaxation, good for stress, insomnia. Free and simple (YouTube)
[SEO: "The second exercise from a full length DVD on anxiety for Dr.Glen Berry, Annapolis Valley Mental Health." A woman's voice guides the woman pictured on screen through tension and release exercises, with a handy 5 second countdown while holding the tension positions.]
@psychcentral A reminder about what happens when we stuff down our anger
[SEO: "My expression of anger (or lack thereof) was like my negative body image. How? Because just like I didn’t think that I deserved to feel great in my own skin because I didn’t look a certain way, I didn’t think that I deserved to express my feelings. To be true to myself." Excellent post! Lots to consider.]
@goodthingz 7 Principles To Help You Change Slowly but Surely (via @mrjWells)
[SEO: "Most of the time, for anything worthwhile, slow progress is what we’ll all be making. We have a myth of overnight success and a habit of instant satisfaction, but one reason so many people never achieve much is that big things take time. .... Most people, when they discover that, give up. How are we going to not be among them?"
While this post is geared toward achieving mostly outward goals, it strikes me how useful it is when considering the course of progress for internal goals. For example, how striving for good mental health might seem to take forever, but look at it in smaller chunks, consider your goals in terms of the seven principles listed herein, and you'll be able to identify specific areas of progress. A very useful process, especially when feeling down about how slow it seems to move.]
@psychcentral Looking Through the Keyhole of Loss
[SEO: "Whatever your style of coping with loss, it can be important to get to know it better -- because it could be an insight into how you are with your life. A doorway into what it means to be you."]
Best Tweets for Trauma 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 add your candidates for Best Tweets For Trauma Survivors in the comments.
Standalone Tweets
@journeytograce “We are not creatures of circumstance; we are creators of circumstance.” ~ Benjamin Disraeli
@FastSelfHelp “There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.” ~ Willa Cather
@SarahEOlson2009 “It’s funny how we feel so much but we cannot say a word / We are screaming inside, but we can’t be heard.” ~ Sarah McLachlan
@therapy4help “Depression sometimes feels like, ‘In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.’” ~ A. Camus
@empowermentguru “When we don’t have the courage to change, everything changes around us to direct us to a new path.” ~ Rhonda Byrne
@Tamavista “Courage is a kind of salvation.” ~ Plato
@Annalilie “Seeking external power is fear based, seeking authentic power is love based. You know the difference when you know your intentions.”
@karenKMMonroy “Value and Worth: be impeccable and Know the Difference.”
@soulseedz “Repeat often — I am an amazingly resilient person.”
@mscator “Stress is two forces moving in opposite directions. Sit still.” ~ Buddhist proverb (via @CausesEffects)
@MindfulBoston “When you inhale, send your breath to wherever you feel tension.”
@empowermentguru “You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.” ~ Buddha
@SanityJournals “Locate the calm, quiet place inside you where you feel peace and power amidst the chaos.”
@MetaVisions “Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” ~ Albert Einstein
@Tamavista “No matter how far you have gone on the wrong road, turn back.” ~ Kitamori
@jennyjoneses “You cannot find peace by avoiding life.” ~ Virginia Woolf
@CausesEffects “I have had dreams and I have had nightmares, but I have conquered my nightmares because of my dreams.” ~ Jonas Salk
@Annalilie “Broken heart to open heart, this is transcendence.”
Linked Tweets
@kris_burns Help Prevent Suicide
[SEO: Important information about not just the warning signs of someone who is suicidal, but a clue-filled list of what that person's motivation might be, which may not be all that obvious. Suicide is preventable. Know the signs, get that someone help.]
@drcmblake 7 Simple Ways To Say “No” (via Zen Habits blog)
[SEO: "Rather than avoid it altogether, it’s all about learning the right way to say no."
@anothernuday HD Hawaii Beaches-1 Relaxation Music Video
[SEO: This is the 2 minute trailer for an iPhone app. Carry your relaxation music with you! (Disclaimer: I have no interest in this app or company. It just seems like a neat idea.)]
@goodthingZ How To Overcome Negativity: 5 Steps to Positive Thinking (via The Skool of Life blog)
[SEO: "It takes humility from a person to recognize their negative mind set may just be wrong or incomplete or overly simplistic."]
@2morrowknight 8 Ways to Be More Confident: Live the Life of Your Dreams (via @tinybuddha)
[SEO: "Maybe you’ve never been as unsure of yourself as I used to be, but you can likely relate to that feeling of wanting to do something but feeling terrified to start." Start by building your confidence.]
