PTSD and Trauma recovery

[Liam]

Apocalipstic, I'm sorry you feel like your thread has been hijacked. The reality is that there isn't a trauma group in chat yet. Jewel is trying to organize one. I think your intention to have this thread is quite similar to a support group, with the exception that its all out there for everyone to see.

With the exception of professional facilitation, support groups generally do not focus on the events which led to/created the trauma, but focus on the current experiences of their members. They are not therapy groups, people who feel a need to tell their story, would best be served seeing a therapist. Support groups are about receiving validation and sharing coping skills, resources and information; they are about empowering each member and helping each other find the capacity to trust people once again, as well as fostering a sense that one is not alone. I think facilitating a PTSD group is a huge responsibility, and one not to be taken lightly, I would prefer to participate in such a group in real time, not online.

Andrew, you are absolutely right, pain is pain, and it is the pain that must be dealt with, not the sordid details from which it sprang. We can't change what has happened to us, we can only change how it has effected us.

[Apocalipstic]

So is it or is it not OK for us to have a thread where those of us who want to discuss or vent can do so?

I do see a therapist, BTW.

I am not trying to facilitate a support group, just have a thread where if I want to discuss symptoms, fears, meltdowns I can.

I am really bothered by the exclusive secret password thing. Who gets it, who can be private? and why on my thread?

[Selenay]

Originally Posted by apocalipstic

So is it or is it not OK for us to have a thread where those of us who want to discuss or vent can do so?

I do see a therapist, BTW.

I am not trying to facilitate a support group, just have a thread where if I want to discuss symptoms, fears, meltdowns I can.

I am really bothered by the exclusive secret password thing. Who gets it, who can be private? and why on my thread?

I don't think the chat is meant to be a substitute for the thread, perhaps a suppliment?

And, I think the password is meant to protect the privacy and safety of those who go--though, if you want my opinion, I think it's oppressive--why should people need permission to go, before they join? Why should it not be open?

I think that perhaps the common courtesy of asking if it was okay to advertise the chat in your thread would have been polite, but I don't think anyone is trying to take away from what the thread is, just broaden it into chat, as well.

[Apocalipstic]

Originally Posted by Selenay

I don't think the chat is meant to be a substitute for the thread, perhaps a suppliment?

And, I think the password is meant to protect the privacy and safety of those who go--though, if you want my opinion, I think it's oppressive--why should people need permission to go, before they join? Why should it not be open?

I think that perhaps the common courtesy of asking if it was okay to advertise the chat in your thread would have been polite, but I don't think anyone is trying to take away from what the thread is, just broaden it into chat, as well.

Thank you! I was just not getting it. You explained it well .

I really have thought about it and I agree that the permission to join and password thing is not what I was going for. It seems elitist.

Secrets are one of the things that fuel PTSD for me, I don't want any more secrets or permission to share.

[Dragonfly]

Originally Posted by Selenay

I don't think the chat is meant to be a substitute for the thread, perhaps a suppliment?

And, I think the password is meant to protect the privacy and safety of those who go--though, if you want my opinion, I think it's oppressive--why should people need permission to go, before they join? Why should it not be open?

I think that perhaps the common courtesy of asking if it was okay to advertise the chat in your thread would have been polite, but I don't think anyone is trying to take away from what the thread is, just broaden it into chat, as well.

Um I agree with the courtesy thing, especially because I was thinking Apoc was part of creating the chat room people were talking about. I am confused but reading on.

[Semantics]

Originally Posted by Amelia

Um I agree with the courtesy thing, especially because I was thinking Apoc was part of creating the chat room people were talking about. I am confused but reading on.

I am confused, as well, because it seems that courtesy would have been involving the thread creator and participants rather than coming in and announcing the wonderful PTSD chat that only certain people were invited to.

I had two people contact me today about whether or not I was invited to the chat (which I was not), one of whom was pretty upset about it.

I'm not much of a chatter, but it sucks that other people who may have benefited from such a support are upset/ confused.

I hope that it gets cleared up and everyone can feel good about it.

[Lady Jewel]

Instead of anyone asking questions evertyone lets their imaginations run wild and start making assumtions and uninformed statemtent. The chat room willbe open to ALL PTSD surviviors that need support. If u want to join, you PM and and you get the password. Simple as that. But everyone felt the need to put their 02. cents in when they really had NO clue how the group was going to be run. It is password protected because people dont want someone who has just wanted to go and have the regular chat I.E The Planet chatroom, to come into the PTSD chatroom and hear their private stuff. Sooo ANYONE that wants to discuss PTSD can get the password. It was ALL put in place so survivors could have confidentitality if THEY needed it. The open forum is awesome for people that are comfortable putting their stuff out in an open forum, some of us are not evolved in our PTSD journey and dont want it in an open forum. There is NOTHING opressive or elitist about than when its open to all members. And as far as breaching this forum thread, its already been discussed and there was NO advertising involved. Someone asked a question and it was answered and then it go bigger. Lets get back to aopcs original thread here and when the kinks have been worked out, an announcement in ANOTHER thread will be made. enough is enough. Do we have to dissect and pick apart every single things thats made public? And no the facilitators arent PHDs. They are people that have been thru PTSD themselves and want to help others. They are just there to make sure we dont sit there and not know what to say to each other. Just to help the convo along.

Originally Posted by Semantics

I am confused, as well, because it seems that courtesy would have been involving the thread creator and participants rather than coming in and announcing the wonderful PTSD chat that only certain people were invited to.

I had two people contact me today about whether or not I was invited to the chat (which I was not), one of whom was pretty upset about it.

I'm not much of a chatter, but it sucks that other people who may have benefited from such a support are upset/ confused.

I hope that it gets cleared up and everyone can feel good about it.

[Selenay]

Originally Posted by Lady Jewel

Instead of anyone asking questions evertyone lets their imaginations run wild and start making assumtions and uninformed statemtent. The chat room willbe open to ALL PTSD surviviors that need support. If u want to join, you PM and and you get the password. Simple as that. But everyone felt the need to put their 02. cents in when they really had NO clue how the group was going to be run. It is password protected because people dont want someone who has just wanted to go and have the regular chat I.E The Planet chatroom, to come into the PTSD chatroom and hear their private stuff. Sooo ANYONE that wants to discuss PTSD can get the password. It was ALL put in place so survivors could have confidentitality if THEY needed it. The open forum is awesome for people that are comfortable putting their stuff out in an open forum, some of us are not evolved in our PTSD journey and dont want it in an open forum. There is NOTHING opressive or elitist about than when its open to all members. And as far as breaching this forum thread, its already been discussed and there was NO advertising involved. Someone asked a question and it was answered and then it go bigger. Lets get back to aopcs original thread here and when the kinks have been worked out, an announcement in ANOTHER thread will be made. enough is enough. Do we have to dissect and pick apart every single things thats made public? And no the facilitators arent PHDs. They are people that have been thru PTSD themselves and want to help others. They are just there to make sure we dont sit there and not know what to say to each other. Just to help the convo along.

With all due respect, Jewel, you have no right to speak to me about what is "oppressive" or not.

If I feel it is oppressive, it is oppressive. Just because YOU do not feel it is oppressive, does not mean you are allowed to take away my truth.

To be perfectly blunt, I do not think the ~*average*~ chatter would be so rude as to go into a support chat room just to see what was going on out of boredom. The whole ~*password protection*~ thing is elitist, in my eyes, because--maybe? Maybe I'm not comfortable PMing you and telling you I want to go. Maybe I just want to go. Maybe I don't want to need your ~*permission*~ to have the password to go in.

And, I'm sorry if you don't like that we are discussing this in here--but it was brought forth, so I am damn well going to talk about it until I am done. This is a thread for PTSD survivors to talk in a safe zone--so I'm talking. If you don't like it, lump it.

[christie]

Originally Posted by Lady Jewel

Instead of anyone asking questions evertyone lets their imaginations run wild and start making assumtions and uninformed statemtent. The chat room willbe open to ALL PTSD surviviors that need support. If u want to join, you PM and and you get the password. Simple as that. But everyone felt the need to put their 02. cents in when they really had NO clue how the group was going to be run. It is password protected because people dont want someone who has just wanted to go and have the regular chat I.E The Planet chatroom, to come into the PTSD chatroom and hear their private stuff. Sooo ANYONE that wants to discuss PTSD can get the password. It was ALL put in place so survivors could have confidentitality if THEY needed it. The open forum is awesome for people that are comfortable putting their stuff out in an open forum, some of us are not evolved in our PTSD journey and dont want it in an open forum. There is NOTHING opressive or elitist about than when its open to all members. And as far as breaching this forum thread, its already been discussed and there was NO advertising involved. Someone asked a question and it was answered and then it go bigger. Lets get back to aopcs original thread here and when the kinks have been worked out, an announcement in ANOTHER thread will be made. enough is enough. Do we have to dissect and pick apart every single things thats made public? And no the facilitators arent PHDs. They are people that have been thru PTSD themselves and want to help others. They are just there to make sure we dont sit there and not know what to say to each other. Just to help the convo along.

Even though I have not participated on this thread, I am responding here because Jen asked on another thread if folks would take a peek at this thread to see what she was "missing."

Lady Jewel, with all respect, this feels silencing to me. It did last night when I read it and it still feels so today.

Your response here, as I interpret it, doesn't make me wanna PM you, or anyone, for a passcode for the chat room. It doesn't make me want to open up and pick apart my psyche and my past.

Jewel, you and I have spoken real time and this really took me by surprise. I found you a nice, warm person and I am sure if you read your words here, you can at least see how this might be interpreted.

I think its great that Jen created this thread and folks have found support and understanding from one another. I would hope that continues.

Christie

[Liam]

Originally Posted by apocalipstic

So is it or is it not OK for us to have a thread where those of us who want to discuss or vent can do so?

I do see a therapist, BTW.

I am not trying to facilitate a support group, just have a thread where if I want to discuss symptoms, fears, meltdowns I can.

I am really bothered by the exclusive secret password thing. Who gets it, who can be private? and why on my thread?

Apocalipstic, I think you have a winner of a thread here, and I think folks are venting and discussing as they wish. I was not pointing my finger at you. I was not saying you were facilitating a support group, rather pointing out the similarities between this thread and a support group.

[Apocalipstic]

Originally Posted by Liam

Apocalipstic, I think you have a winner of a thread here, and I think folks are venting and discussing as they wish. I was not pointing my finger at you. I was not saying you were facilitating a support group, rather pointing out the similarities between this thread and a support group.

Ah Thank you for explaining!

I am not a mental health professional, so I would not want to be seen in any way as a facilitator...just a friend discussing with anyone who wants to.

[Princess4u]

Originally Posted by apocalipstic

Ah Thank you for explaining!

I am not a mental health professional, so I would not want to be seen in any way as a facilitator...just a friend discussing with anyone who wants to.

Apocalipstic, I think sometimes....a true friend can be better than any mental health professional...at least in my experiences. Keep on trucking sista...and thank you for this venue to see that...we arent alone (sadly) bc that means we have all been thru devestating events in our lives.... But knowing we have eachother, someone who can understand where we are without the need to explain..is what keeps us going from day to day and sometimes second to second....thank you! And if this thread get highjacked...many of us will go along with it as well...! Dont fret dear