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.)
@800273TALK “Overcome the notion that you must be regular.
It robs you of the chance to be extraordinary.” ~ Uta Hagen
Some Tweets to Ponder
@WisdomalaCarte “No matter how fast I run, I can’t get away from me.” ~ Jackson Browne
@KimbersP “Not all scars show. Not all wounds heal. Sometimes you can’t always see the pain someone feels.”
@800273TALK “You cannot find peace by avoiding life.” ~ Virginia Woolf
@Tamavista “One’s suffering disappears when one lets oneself go, when one yields — even to sadness.” ~ Saint-Exupéry
@PemaQuotes “So it is with all of our actions: they either undercut our attachments or strengthen them; they bring us into the present or distract us.”
Linked Tweets
Mental Health Month Blog Party 2012
[SEO: I'm diverting from format for this section. All of these posts were tweeted on May 16, 2012, but I am choosing them from the list of 80+ links collected by the APA at the end of that day. I have no way of connecting these posts to their respective tweets.]
Imagine A World Without the Stigma of Mental Illness
[SEO: Anyone involved in mental health issues longs for a world without stigma -- but what would that actually look like? This blog itemizes real-world practical consequences of zero stigma in some ways I had not previously considered.]
Just the Facts, Ma’am; The Numbers Don’t Lie: Not Servicing the Mentally Ill
[SEO: "A report released January 19, 2012, by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicated that 1 in 5 Americans experienced some form of mental illness in 2010, and about 5% are so severely ill that they have difficulty with day-to-day tasks involving school, work or family."
"The numbers and the need speak for themselves–but increasingly the mentally ill have nowhere to go. The Treatment Advocacy Center analyzed the decline in psychiatric beds in every state, from 1955 and 2005. They found a shocking 95 percent decrease in the number of available beds in the America’s public psychiatric institutions."]
A Journey Through Mental Illness Toward Wholeness
[SEO: "My message is one of constant hope through all these extreme ups and downs in my own journey, though. After surviving years of suicidal depression, debilitating flash backs and panic attacks and finally a bottom-of-the-barrel existence as the girlfriend of a mentally ill homeless man for 3 years there is one thing I know to the core of my being; nothing will destroy me so I might as well grow up and get healthy."]
Let’s End Stigma
[SEO: "If you know me personally, would you have guessed I had a mental illness? You probably thought I was a little different or eccentric, but really, would you have guessed it? It was a heck of a shock to me that April in 2005 when I received the news that I had Bipolar Disorder Type 1. It was pretty apparent to others at that particular time in my life as I was extremely ill, however prior to that time, not one family member, friend or any of the many doctors I had seen over the years had seen any sign of mental illness." This post discusses various types of stigma, starting with the stigma she's created toward herself.]
Blogging About Mental Health for Family and Friends
[SEO: This post focuses on how you can best help family members or friends who struggle with mental health issues -- and who may not be seeking treatment.]
The Rest of the Best
@SarahEOlson2009 Facebook Joins Fight Against Military Suicides
[SEO: Take advantage of every resource available. "Facebook announced earlier this month that it is offering specialized suicide-prevention services for veterans, active-duty members of the military, and their families."]
@CarolynSpring Self-care is often the hardest thing for survivors of abuse: “Be kind to yourself: self-care and the golden goose”
[SEO: I see me in this; do you see you? "For a long time, therapy sessions would end with a fairly typical exchange. I would express frustration at myself for not doing enough, not making progress enough, not having been present enough, not … well, just not quite being enough, ever. I would go 'grr', and gently but firmly the response from my therapist would go, 'Be kind to yourself.' To start with, it was just annoying."]
@JKPBooks How art therapy is helping to heal combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder
[SEO: The process described here is valid for helping to heal PTSD from any type of trauma, combat or otherwise. "'Art therapy is for people dealing with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, anxiety and depression,' said Elliott. 'Really, anybody who wants to use a non-verbal approach for processing their combat injuries, either physical or psychological, will benefit from it.'"
"During the group sessions, participants use a variety of art supplies, including paints, clay, markers, charcoal and images for collages, to express their thoughts, feelings and memories."]
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.)
@LillyAnn “Enlightenment is not a peak experience.
It’s a permanent shift in paradigm
that deepens day by day.” ~ Shinzen Young
Some Tweets to Ponder
@DrAthenaStaik “It takes courage to liberate your mind from old stories — and stand instead in the truth of your highest aspirations of who you yearn to be.”
@PemaQuotes “What you do for yourself — any gesture of kindness, any gesture of gentleness, any gesture of honesty … will affect how you experience your world.”
@CarePathways “The ability to achieve acceptance of what is known within us, is the substance of the things and of the knowledge we search & hope for.”
@zebraspolkadots “When I believed I couldn’t — I couldn’t hope or do anything to change myself or my life. When I believed I could is when I did.”
Linked Tweets
In the News
@VA_PTSD_Info May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Follow @VA_PTSD_info to get info for veterans, milfam and providers.
[SEO: This is the start page for the National Center for PTSD, and it's not just for veterans. (See also link in child abuse issues section below.) Choose the "Public" link, and you'll see all kinds of great resources for anyone dealing with PTSD. While the "Professional" link is geared toward further educating mental health professionals, you don't have to be a professional to access those resources. If nothing else, you can point your own therapist to this site for the latest in research.]
@natasha_tracy Approval for generic olanzapine (Zyprexa)
[SEO: Just a short press release: "USFDA has granted an approval for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for generic version of Zyprexa, Olanzapine Tablets USP, 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg and 20 mg. Olanzapine tablets are indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder (manic or mixed episodes)."
If you take Zyprexa, a cheaper alternative is on its way. Keep in mind that generics are not made exactly as the original (different mixes of inactive ingredients), so may change effectiveness for you.]
From the PDF: "The advocacy groups also appealed to Congress to pass bipartisan legislation, co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry (D-MA), to establish a special commission charged with developing a national strategy for reducing the number of child abuse and neglect deaths and near-deaths (S 1984, HR 3653)."]
@shrinkgurl Childhood abuse raises adult suicide risk
[SEO: This isn't news for any child abuse survivor I know, but it truly needs to be understood by anyone who treats abused children directly, or later when they have become adults. "A strong association between childhood physical abuse and subsequent suicidal behaviors remained even after taking into account other known risk factors, such as adverse childhood conditions, health behaviors, and psycho-social stressors."]
@patriciasinglet Blog Carnival Against Child Abuse April 2012 Edition
[SEO: Includes blog posts in the following categories: Advocacy and Awareness; Aftermath; Art Therapy; Healing and Therapy; Survivor Stories; and Poetry.]
The Rest of the Best
@healthyplace Who Is Therapy For and When Is It NOT Suitable?
[SEO: Post discusses how the majority of therapists' backgrounds are middle class and white, resulting in under-served and under-represented populations. Nevertheless, "[g]ood psychotherapists and counselors listen and learn from their clients, and don’t try and impose their values on them.” Post also discusses reasons why talking therapy may not be of benefit in particular circumstances.]
@PsychCentral Insurance Parity: So Close and Yet, So Far
[SEO: Describes upcoming hearings on Parity Implementation (from the 2008 law that has yet to receive regs to implement it), and provides links by which you can contact the committee holding the hearings. Otherwise...
"I actually believed that with parity, the clouds would part, stigma would evaporate and society would accept mental illnesses- especially alcoholism and addiction – for what they are – an illnesses. Boy, was I wrong. Those pesky insurance companies created new loopholes and found clever ways to dodge the new parity rules. Which is why we really, really need to support these parity field hearings. Share your experience – or lack of."
@healthyplace Difference Between Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence. (New Building Self-Esteem blog)
[SEO: "The terms self-esteem and self-confidence are often used interchangeably when referring to how one feels about themselves. Although they are very similar, they are two different concepts. It is important to understand their roles when looking to improve your overall sense of self." This is a new blog at HealthyPlace.com written by Emily Roberts, MA, LPC.]
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.)
@psychcentral Generic Seroquel Coming Soon for Schizophrenia, Bipolar
[SEO: While generic Seroquel (Quetiapine) should be considerably less expensive, always be alert to the fact that different pharma companies use different inactive ingredients in generic versions. Sometimes the inactive ingredients can change the effectiveness of the pill or cause other reactions. If that happens, ask your pharmacist if you can try a different manufacturer's generic version.]
@PsychNews Rape Victims Say U.S. Military Labels Them “Crazy”
[SEO: Discusses several women from different branches of the military who each reported being sexually assaulted by a fellow service member. They each were "diagnosed" with "personality disorder" and discharged from the military. The injustices done to these women didn't stop with the rape not being prosecuted. According to this article discharge due to "personality disorder" denies the person several benefits offered to any other service member.
Sexual assault within the military happens so often it has its own name now: Military Sexual Trauma. Just as the military must come to grips with its PTSD and suicide epidemic (see next article), it also must stop covering up criminal behavior within its own ranks.]
@SarahEOlson2009 A Veteran’s Death, the Nation’s Shame
[SEO: Where is the national outrage?! From the New York Times: "Here's a window into a tragedy within the American military: For every soldier killed on the battlefield this year, about 25 veterans are dying by their own hands. An American soldier dies every day and a half, on average, in Iraq or Afghanistan. Veterans kill themselves at a rate of one every 80 minutes. More than 6,500 veteran suicides are logged every year — more than the total number of soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq combined since those wars began."]
@NAMIMass Contact White House and tell them to issue final regs to implement the Mental Health Parity/Addiction Equity Act
[SEO: "President Obama voted for the bill as a U.S. senator, and all indications are that he remains supportive. Yet regulatory action has stalled since 2010. The final rule that would provide clarity to the millions who have a mental illness or substance-use disorder, and to their employers, has not been issued. This has created uncertainty and confusion for employers over what they must cover and when parity applies."]
The Rest of the Best
@healthyplace Free or Low-Cost Prescription Medication Assistance Information
[SEO: A comprehensive resource for information about and links to prescription med assistance programs. If you or a friend are having trouble paying for your meds, this should be your first stop to look for help.]
"Rule #1 — my [the author's] giant stumbling block: These feelings are normal bodily reactions. [emphasis in original] Remember that the feelings are nothing more than an exaggeration of the normal bodily reactions to stress.” She’s very open about her own anxiety, and writes about her struggles in accepting this rule.]
@BeyondMeds Are You At Risk For Diabetes and Obesity? If you’ve taken or take psychiatric drugs the answer is YES.
[SEO: This is a more detailed look (than a news account I posted in a previous Best Tweets issue) at the rise of "diabesity", and the risks inherent in atypical antipsychotic drugs. Includes lengthy discussion and a video described as "a good intro to what is going on with diabetes type 2 and the metabolic issues that lots of people have prior to a full-blown diagnosis."
If your doctor doesn't bring up this issue to you, and discuss alternatives, be your own best advocate and take it to him/her.]
@KimbersP When the black fog descends, it’s hard to see the beauty in anything. Here’s a wee reminder.
[SEO: This is a Pinterest board devoted to pictures of beauty and inspiration. It's similar to my inclusion of Pachelbel's Canon in D last week: it's evidence of beauty. Some of us need ways to focus on the beauty in life at times. If you are more visually-oriented (than aurally), this page has something for you.]
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.)
@mjdub Canon in D (flute and piano) (youtube)
[SEO: As a personal example of music's benefits, 20 years ago when I was in some very dark places, I listened to Pachelbel's Canon in D in a continuous loop, especially late at night. It was evidence of beauty in a world which was exceedingly ugly at that time. It was the only thing that helped me fall asleep, and saved my sanity. I found this version in my tweet stream last night... just closed my eyes, relaxing, stress falling away from me. The music is so calming, affirming, peaceful, and truly exquisite in places.
All this to say, if you don't have some music in your life that inspires similar responses in you, look for it. Use it for whatever benefits you can derive from it.]
@healthyplace Antipsychotic Drugs, Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes
[SEO: A good primer in the risks inherent in atypical antipsychotic meds, and their very real risk of causing weight gain leading to diabetes. If you continue on to the second page link, it lists the current atypical antipsychotics, and the risks attached to each of them. Be an informed patient, and your own best advocate.]
@800273TALK If mental illness is keeping you from holding down a job, this article will help you take control of your money
[SEO: For people in the USA, this post describes what Social Security Disability Insurance is about, for whom, and how to apply for it. "When mental illness SSDI claims are awarded, it’s because the claimant has a strong support network, a solid case supported by their doctors and extensive medical documentation, and a healthy dose of perseverance." Most people are denied in their first attempt to claim benefits. Don't give up, and get some expert help if at all possible.]
The Rest of the Best
@patriciasinglet It’s been exactly 4 years since i tried to die
[SEO: A very open, achingly honest recounting by Fragmentz, of her suicide attempt and the long road back to today, which isn't perfect, but is hopeful for the future.]
"Drawing from her clinical work with couples dealing with infidelity, she notes there are at least ten interconnected steps for the betrayed person to take in self-directing their healing. These steps can also be universally applied to traumatic experiences and situations other than infidelity." In this post, each step includes links for further study. What I'm getting as key here is "Genuine forgiveness must be earned by the other party." If you struggle with forgiveness, as I do, this post will give you much to consider.]
@PsychCentral My Story: Old Song, New Hope
[SEO: "I still have a terrible time believing I’m worth liking, or loving, or whatever. I spend a lot of time apologizing to people for being a pain in the butt, because that’s what I’m pretty sure I am, most of the time. It took a long time to get this way and it’s taken me a long time to even start to overcome."
"I’m fortunate now to have people who believe in me and who haven’t run away, no matter how hard I’ve tried to push them to go. Yet it’s hard for me to let them freely offer to me their love and caring — honestly, it scares me. Even if they’ve given me no reason, ever, to think they’d abandon me, I’d rather keep my distance than risk being hurt again." ...
The hope resides in her willingness to pay it forward, to talk publicly about her struggles: "[T]he more people who are willing to say so, the more people who are needlessly suffering silently might come forward and ask for help, instead of feeling shamed, or bullied, or like nobody gets it.”]
Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD Survivors is a weekly Friday feature. My selections are entirely subjective, and I know it will never be possible to include every great resource tweeted. But I can try! I’ve personally read all tweeted links, and believe them to be of great value.
Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for content found on any other website. Stay safe, and don’t follow links if you believe you might be triggered by them. Also, I will not be re-checking links from older Best Tweets posts, and if the site’s archived URL is different from the one I’ve provided here, you may need to do a search on their site.
Please Share My Stuff! You can now “like” and “share” this post everywhere with the touch of a button or two at the end of the linked tweets! Feel free to do any or all of that! (And thanks.)
@LillyAnn “Springtime is at hand.
When will you ever bloom,
if not here and now?” ~ Angelus Silesius
Some Tweets to Ponder
@healthyplace “Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.” ~ Albert Camus
@zebraspolkadots “Boundaries are not about what I will ‘let’ others do or not do but about what I will stick around for. #lifelesson”
@AncientProverbs “The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.” ~ Socrates
@WisdomalaCarte “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” ~ Alice Walker
@AnnTran_ “The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.” ~ Zen Saying
Linked Tweets
In the News
@PsychCentral Bring Your Child to See ‘Bully’ Despite the R Rating
[SEO: "Watching the film is a teachable moment for you and your child. As parents, you can help your child develop a sense of integrity that no one should be treated poorly and feel unsafe. Additionally, you are letting your child know that you do take this matter seriously and they should not be afraid to tell you should this happen. The shame felt by victims and bystanders all too often helps perpetuate the bullying cycle."]
@PsychCentral Lifetime Traumatic Stress Linked to Heightened Inflammation
[SEO: "'Not everyone who is exposed to trauma develops PTSD,' said Cohen, who also is an assistant professor of medicine at UCSF. 'This study emphasizes that traumatic stress can have a long-term negative impact on your health even if you don’t go on to develop PTSD. ... What we think is happening is that people with a history of multiple traumatic stress exposures have increased inflammatory response more often and for longer periods, and so inflammation becomes chronically high. ... '"
Other recent studies have indicated a correlation between heightened inflammation and heart disease, diabetes, and immune system disorders. For me, and a lot of child abuse survivors, this is science catching up to what we've long intuitively known: that traumatic stress transfers to the body in insidious ways.]
For Veterans and Military Families
@IAVAPressRoom Honoring a Service Member’s Ultimate Sacrifice, Whether It Was Made on the Battlefield or Not (via @nytimes)
[SEO: "Far too often, we at the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), hear similar stories from military families who have suffered the loss of a loved one who died while serving in the armed forces and then are denied 'gold star' status because their loved ones did not die in a combat zone or were not killed in action." ...
"While we were heartened to see the White House expand the policy in 2011 to send presidential condolence letters to the families of those who die by suicide while stationed in combat zones, the policy continues to exclude the two-thirds of families whose military loved ones die by suicide in other locations."
@WarriorCare Read about what the Red Sox are doing for wounded warriors
[SEO: The Red Sox Foundation paired with Mass. General Hospital to form the Home Base program for vets and their families. Describes local (to Boston area) programs, and includes PTSD and TBI resources for veterans, clinicians, and the general public.]
@PsychCentral Facebook For Veterans With PTSD
[SEO: "A neuro-scientist who’s done research for the Pentagon, Paul MacDonald, PhD, has created an online center on Facebook for veterans [at Veteran Central, many of whom need some kind of assistance reintegrating back into daily life after their tours of duty. The site is also an excellent resource for veterans struggling with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and other mental issues."
"In addition to information about job postings, scholarships, and programs of all kinds, Veteran Central offers comprehensive forums, podcasts, videos, and articles—most of which are created by veterans themselves. Although the site is geared towards all veterans, there are plenty of resources for those with PTSD and TBI...."]
The Rest of the Best
@natasha_tracy Warning Signs of a Suicide Attempt
[SEO: "Some of these predictive factors are noticeable by others, while others are not. The biggest factor in predicting a suicide attempt, no surprise to me, is anxiety. While 80% of people who attempted suicide had a depressed mood, 92% had severe anxiety. (Emphasis in original.) It is my belief the nervous (anxious) energy of anxiety is often what causes people to act on their suicidal thoughts."
Includes lists of both predictive and non-predictive factors for suicide. "If those are the predictors of a suicide attempt that’s actually good news because now we can know for what to look. We can identify high-risk people and high-risk times for ourselves and others."]
@healthyplace Are You Lonely?
[SEO: Discusses what is loneliness?; what would it feel like if you were not lonely?; 7 ways to relieve loneliness; and "get close to five" -- a plan to include five people in your life that you can feel close to.]
@ashwinsanghi Why We Find It Hard to Do Things That Are Good for Us
[SEO: A great discussion about various types of resistance that hold us back from doing things that are good for us, that feel great when done, and even that we want to do ... but somehow don't. Are these things familiar? Resistance to change; to what we might find; to being nice to ourselves; to trusting a process; to our own humanity. Yes, these things still follow me around like my shadow.]
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.)
@mjdub Yo! Philly News With church child-rape: trial set to open, tensions abound
[SEO: "The trial of Msgr. William J. Lynn, who for 12 years led the office that recommended priests' assignments and monitored their conduct, marks the first in the nation for a church supervisor accused of covering up child sex abuse."]
The Rest of the Best
@PsychCentral Will The Good Girl [or Boy] Please Stand Up
[SEO: Post describes a childhood wherein children are made to feel they must be perfect to be loved and lovable. (Or in some child abuse survivors' lives, to survive.) "What those kids are left with later in life is that they can’t ever do the wrong thing. They have to be 'perfect' in the eyes of the world. They can’t complain when they feel overwhelmed. They aren’t allowed to have negative feelings towards a person in authority."
"We have to stand up for this less perfect side of our personalities. This is what frees us from our depression, our judgmental beliefs against others, our own imprisonment that was first imposed on us by others, but becomes a self made prison as we grow up."]
@BobbiEmel The courage to be (self) compassionate
[SEO: Describes an exercise to explore self-compassion, and discusses why it is so hard to do for many of us. Refutes four myths of self-compassion: that it is selfish; indulgent; doesn't motivate as well as self-criticism; and is wimpy.
"In reality, allowing compassion toward yourself is one of the most courageous things you can do. It requires you to go against the grain of our culture and to express loving-kindness for yourself. ... And, instead of using bravado and aggression to achieve goals, self-compassion creates the safety that is needed for you to gently critique yourself to meet your objectives and grow personally."]
@goodthingz 75 Bold Tips for When Fear Grips Your Mind (via @theboldlife)
[SEO: "You can learn to live a bold life by choosing to let go of fear when you feel tortured by your own thoughts. When you can't sleep at night, when you are obsessed with failing or not feeling good enough, decide to take action."
This list of 75 ways to do some self-care may seem obvious, but I often need a reminder to take care of myself. When you need a boost away from anxiety and fear, do something else to break the cycle.]
@natasha_tracy Stress as a Precursor to Self-Harm
[SEO: "So we have to deal with that stress in order to get our nervous system back to normal. We do this in lots of ways: taking hot baths, ranting with a friend, dealing with the problem and yes, self-harming. Why would self-harming be in the list? Well, it seemed like the best idea at the time." This post contains many links to other posts about stress, anxiety, and self-harm.
I'd like to add that self-harm comes in many disguises. For me, it's eating certain foods which are comforting and make me zone out. I eat them knowing they impact my weight and my diabetes. I began this behavior (and many others) as a young child to cope with the abuse I was experiencing. I still have trouble not going there on auto-pilot.]
@healthyplace After the Diagnosis of Mental Illness: Fear of the Future
[SEO: "I am not asking you to embrace your illness, although this might happen at some point, but I do believe that allowing mental illness to define your life is terrible. It’s terrible because it does not allow us to move forward, to enjoy life on life’s terms, and live less in fear but in anticipation."]
@zebraspolkadots Sharing; a new perspective…I hope you find the power in this message. “Please Don’t Call Me a Sexual Abuse Survivor”
[SEO: While I applaud the sentiment expressed here, I also know that most child abuse survivors go through phases of recovery. The first one may be recognizing the truth of their childhood -- which takes time, can be excruciatingly painful and depressing, and creates doubt and distortions. As bad as it is, I don't think anyone's truth about themselves can be or should be glossed over. There will, however, be a time later when the following words will be looked at with hope for the future.
"I want discourse where I am no longer cast as a bystander in my own life. Therefore, I have made the decision for myself, and on behalf of the 1 out of 4 women and 1 out of 6 men like me, to no longer refer to myself as a survivor of sexual abuse. It keeps me stuck in the violence that was committed against me. It prevents me from seeing myself as an agent of positive change, in my life and in the lives of others. Furthermore, by reinforcing the moments of my most significant pain, it disconnects me from my joy."]
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.)
@HealingPTSD A truly excellent story about the cost of injury to service members and their families
[SEO: San Antonio is home to a primary burn/critical care hospital for returning military who are grievously wounded. A nephew of a friend of mine was terribly wounded in Afghanistan, and sent to San Antonio. His family was told that if he lived, he would be there up to two years with numerous surgeries and physical therapies. (He's been there two months now.)
According to this article, more soldiers wounded in the last decade both (a) survive more heinous injuries and (b) have young children at home, than was the case with Vietnam vets. With limited resources, often the entire family moves to San Antonio to be there with the injured parent. The children are uprooted from everything familiar, fearful of how their injured parent will have changed, missing time with the parent who did not deploy, dealing with new schools, etc. The issues facing these families, and their children, are enormous.]
“Since 2007, more than 40 percent of the cases involving candidates for retirement had been overturned, according to statistics cited by Murray. Of the 1,680 patients screened at Madigan, more than 690 had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. The psychiatric team reversed more than 290 of those diagnoses.”]
@SarahEOlson2009 Psychiatric News Alert: War Veterans Unfairly Mislabeled as “Dangerous”
[SEO: "The idea of the 'dangerous' war veteran, disabled by post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), appears to be making a comeback. A staple of popular media and public opinion after the Vietnam War, the image has only minimal basis in reality but still hampers job prospects for troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. ..."]
The downloads at the top link are mostly technical, but are available for free for anyone who wants or needs more detailed information about various aspects of traumatic brain injury.]
The Rest of the Best
@healthyplace 381+ exclusive Mental Health videos on our youtube site
[SEO: A treasure trove of videos from real people discussing issues pertaining to their particular mental illness. All you need to do is use the channel's search box to specify your interest (i.e., depression, eating disorder, adhd, bipolar, etc.]
@dylansmoosie 96 Percent of Children Who Report Sexual Abuse Are Telling the Truth | The Philly Post
[SEO: Discusses distinctions between pedophiles and child molesters with Michael Stinson, director of prevention services at the Peters Institute, which focuses on "... sexual abuse, tries to counsel sex offenders and educate the public to prevent further victims". Discusses what signs to look for if you think your child is withholding information about being abused, and what to say/how to react if a child tells you that he/she is are being abused.]
@800273TALK Read the 7 myths people have about therapy
[SEO: A good basic rebuttal to seven common misconceptions people have about talk therapy: My childhood doesn't matter; All therapists are the same; I don't need therapy, just drugs; It's not going to work; It's too expensive; It's going to send me over the edge; and I don't have time.]
@NAMIMass Transforming Trauma: From No Words To Your Words
[SEO: This is lengthy, but excellent, and not just for couples. "Central to healing in the aftermath of a traumatic event is the transformation of trauma’s unspeakable imprint to a story that can be told without reliving it."
"Understanding how trauma leaves us without words may make it easier to consider ways that can help unlock the story hidden in visual images, painful feelings, flashbacks, bodily symptoms or silent avoidance. Both are important steps toward finding your words and continuing your story."]
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.)
@Carlolight “There is nothing to do.
Just be. Do nothing. Be.” ~ Sri Nisargadatta
Some Tweets to Ponder
@zebraspolkadots “Creating change is first making a decision then making the decision to keep making the choice. Not easy but not rocket science.”
@healthyplace “We’re constantly being told what other people think we are, and that’s why it is so important to know yourself.” ~ Sarah McLachlan
@Jaki_Bent “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but seeing with new eyes.” ~ Marcel Proust
@AncientProverbs “If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it’s okay. But you’ve got to shoot for something. A lot of people don’t even shoot.” ~ Confucius
@StevenHandel “If you are going to doubt something, doubt your limits.” ~ Don Ward
@CoryBooker “Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself.” ~ Saint Francis de Sales
Linked Tweets
In the News
@heykim Japan marks the first anniversary of an earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands
[SEO: The resilience of the Japanese people is remarkable. This last year must have seemed like several lifetimes to many of them. This would also be true for just about anyone caught up in natural disasters around the globe: floods, fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, drought. The trauma experienced, both individually and collectively, doesn't fade away when the TV cameras leave.]
@HealingPTSD A huge — and hugely disturbing — jump
[SEO: "A report released Thursday found suicides among U.S. Army personnel rose 80% between 2004 and 2008. ... 'The 2008 rate [of mental health problems in personnel] indicates that more than one-fifth of all active duty soldiers had an ambulatory visit for a mental health disorder, implying a prevalent public health problem,’ the authors wrote. They called suicides ‘the tip of the mental health iceberg.’”]
@PsychFoundation As The Hunger Games movie premiere draws close it’s interesting to look at the mental health themes
[SEO: This is a post from @dontcallmesybil's Dissociative Living blog. (The blog is no longer active but if you have dissociative issues, Dissociative Living's archives are well worth reading). "It’s a dystopian tale, set in an oppressive, violent, and nearly hopeless future. I’d recommend it solely because it’s a gripping, invigorating read but as someone with both Dissociative Identity Disorder and PTSD, there’s something special about The Hunger Games that impresses me: its remarkably deft portrayal of the immediate and long-term effects of trauma."
I'm nearly finished reading it. The story, in brief: As punishment for rebellion 74 years ago, the Capitol requires each of 12 districts to offer up two children via lottery as tributes to fight to the death in an annual contest. Not only must the people supply the children, but they are forced to watch (it's true 'reality TV'), and even to celebrate. PTSD issues abound. But chaos theory rules when one small, seemingly innocuous thing possibly sets in motion a stunning reversal. I don't know how it ends yet, but the books strongly resonate for me. NOTE: Not recommended for child abuse survivors in early stages of recovery.]
"Because the goal of biofeedback typically involves decreasing tension and increasing feelings of calm, the technique is often combined with relaxation training including slow, deep breathing, guided imagery or hypnosis, or elements of cognitive behavioral therapy. When a person is able to use these approaches to reduce stress or pain, the feedback from the computer, which is fairly immediate, signals 'success' to the person."]
@paredesgisa 50% of people with a Mental Illness are smokers. Many don’t want to be. Here’s how to quit smoking.
[SEO: Post discusses nicotine replacement treatments; additional medications to treat tobacco addiction; and behavioral treatments to quit smoking. "[Behavioral] interventions teach individuals to recognize high-risk smoking situations, develop alternative coping strategies, manage stress, improve problem-solving skills, as well as increase social support. Research has also shown that the more therapy is tailored to a person’s situation, the greater the chances are for success.”]
"Once we survive our childhoods, we come out wired funny as a result of the survival skills we honed. We come out, come into adulthood, wired for battle, wired for protecting others from uncomfortable truths. Those tools, however, aren’t tools that can support finding our truth or building true contentment. To build contentment, we have to first win our battle with the belief that we don’t have a right to it. We struggle with the belief that we don’t deserve better, deserve more, deserve different than what we got." Includes helpful tips, which are really achievable goals.]
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.)
@LisaKiftTherapy “Find a moment of stillness
in your day to close your eyes
and breathe for a few moments.”
Some Tweets to Ponder
@AncientProverbs “You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair.” ~ Chinese Proverb
@CarePathways “Unresolved emotions are so harmful to the body-mind system, they block energy, which then becomes a barrier to self-understanding.”
@zebraspolkadots “A good way to bring things back to manageable is to bring things back to focus. Zoom in to now — then out to today, and ask ‘is this mine?’”
@PemaQuotes “All these trips that we lay on ourselves—the heavy-duty fearing that we’re bad and hoping that we’re good…never touch our basic wealth.”
@Tamavista “We are here to awaken from the illusion of our separateness.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
@kdaigletherapy “Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: ‘I am with you, kid. Let’s go.’” ~ Maya Angelou
Linked Tweets
Trauma Treatments
@PsychCentral Blood Pressure Drug [Prazosin] Relieves PTSD Nightmares
[SEO: Prazosin is not a new drug, which I find a relief because most side effects will have been already well-established. "The studies showed the drug was well-tolerated and can take effect rapidly, within days to weeks, and some patients reported a return of nightmares when the course of prazosin was stopped. ..." In other words, it treats the symptom but does not cure it, but anyone who's had the nightmares would be grateful for the relief offered.]
@HealingToolKit Great article for people with PTSD, history of abuse or domestic violence
[SEO: A first person "anonymous" account of how finding a good therapist turned this person's life around from one of unending depression and despair to one with some hope for the future. "It was so foreign to me that someone even wanted to help me, that I was worthy of help, and then to stick it out with me, and not abandon me like every adult had in my life when I was a child. It was profound and it stuck with me."]
@Good_Therapy Art and Trauma: Creativity as a Resiliency Factor
[SEO: "There seems to be an unspoken premise that ingenuity is motivated by pain or pathology, or at least some might argue there is a sort of affiliation. Some might assume that this relationship is causal: that trauma causes creativity and thus most artists are contending with some type of affliction. An alternative possibility may be that art is not necessarily motivated by pain; rather the capacity for creative inspiration is something that is brought into the recovery process by those who have such inclinations. In other words, some survivors who are able to express through art may have access to a recovery tool that others do not."]
@drcherylarutt Great post by Francine Shapiro | The Evidence on EMDR
[SEO: Interesting Q&A in the New York Times. "This week, readers of the Consults blog posed questions about eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, or E.M.D.R., a psychological therapy pioneered by Francine Shapiro that uses eye movements and other procedures to process traumatic memories. The therapy has been used increasingly to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and other traumas. You can learn more about how E.M.D.R. therapy is done here. Dr. Shapiro addresses reader questions about the current state of research on E.M.D.R. therapy."
@OneLifeTherapy Spotting Your Patterns: How Your Life Can Be Your Therapist
[SEO: Or augment your existing therapy. "A lot of therapy is about sort of stepping back and seeing things – seeing yourself -- from a different perspective. Getting out of the weave and the warp of the moment and looking more at the whole fabric of the situation you’re in. Seeing if there’s any repeating motifs or themes that might help you unlock some solutions… or even unlock parts of you. And the wonderful thing is that you can do this without being in formal therapy."
"Don’t get me wrong, traditional therapy is a great way to get the hang of this pattern-spotting business. And it’s incredibly powerful to work with someone who’s got your back and can help you see any blindspots you might have. But once you’ve become a pattern watcher, you can use it anytime you like, to find deeper insights and often deeper healing, too. So what sort of things might you try to notice? What helps spot the patterns?" She offers many suggestions.]
The Rest of the Best
@RichelleCarey My mother opened up to me about her brother’s suicide
[SEO: "Richelle Carey recalls her family's struggle with mental illness. Her uncle killed himself after struggling with schizophrenia. Carey hopes her family's story will spark a conversation about mental illness in the black community." While acknowledging her focus, Carey's description of the impact on her family, and its associated feelings, is pretty much universal.]
@HealthyPlace Fear of Taking Psychiatric Medication
[SEO: My only quibble is the opening stance that a mental illness diagnosis automatically means taking lifelong prescription meds. If the illness has a biological basis, most likely yes. But not everyone has that. I'd been diagnosed for 10 years, but didn't begin antidepressants until I was in a recovery phase (from acute symptoms of PTSD and dissociative identity disorder), and still couldn't shake my depression. I no longer take those meds.
Other than that, this post is an excellent analysis of the fears you may need to address when starting psychiatric meds of any sort.]
@MentalHealthV DSM-5 Reform: Monetizing Mental Health Care?
[SEO: This is a press release by GoodTherapy.Org which outlines concerns about proposed revisions resulting in the new DSM-V in 2013. (GoodTherapy.Org is an excellent source of information on all things related to therapy, and includes a Find a Therapist database.) The specific charge of 'monetizing mental health care' is based on the idea that big pharma will greatly benefit from the DSM-V changes.
"'Among all the problems with the proposed changes to the DSM-5, including the lack of supported research and lowering of diagnostic thresholds, the most disturbing change is the proposition that all syndromes are biological in nature,' said [GoodTherapy.Org CEO] Rubinstein. The dangers of this radical stance taken by the DSM Task Force can include an increase in misdiagnoses, dependence on psychotropic drugs, and encouragement of counterproductive therapeutic tools.”]
@jodiaman Managing Effects of Anxiety (post and video)
[SEO: "Properly functioning anxiety helps us find our courage and overcome limitations. But sometimes, anxiety becomes dysfunctional and leads us down a road toward debilitating, circular thoughts and constant preoccupation with past or possible life events (read about anxiety attacks and anxiety attack symptoms). To top it off, when you discover that your anxiety is out of control, you may also feel anxious about your anxiety." Includes 20 minute video interview of therapist and anxiety blogger Jodi Aman.]
