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Topics - Kizzie

#441
I have been contacted by a writer who is doing a series of stories for Zoned Comics about adults who were bullied as children/youth and their path to healing and recovery. As per his email request below, he would like to interview OOTS members with an inspirational story to pass along to children/youth who may be in the same situation. Although he prefers to use real names and a photo, he will preserve anonymity of you so desire.  If you would like to participate, please contact Jose directly at JGonspy@gmail.com

Hello,

I'm a writer working on a series of articles featuring adults who have faced trauma such as bullying in childhood and are willing to share their stories of recovery with youth who are currently dealing with this. Considering the long term recovery of Complex PTSD, I understand everyone's journey to recovery may not be complete, but if you feel you've learned something from your experience, and healed in a way that young people might be able to learn something from, I hope you would consider sharing your story.

This series of articles is for the Zoned Comic Competition, which runs an annual competition turning inspirational bullying stories into comic books for kids put together by Marvel Comics. There are a few examples of the blog posts already online you can read to get an idea of what they're like.

The process is fairly simple, I conduct an interview either through e-mail or the phone getting the details of your story, and then write up using your own words as much as possible. The post would go up sometime in early June, though if multiple people are interested in participating, there may be more articles in future months.

Generally speaking, I've tried to feature people who are willing to share their name and a few pictures of themselves. A story tends to have more strength when people can see who it's about. That said, if you aren't comfortable sharing your name, we can possibly work out a way for you to remain anonymous.

If there's any more information you'd like to know, or you're interested in participating, please contact me at: JGonspy@gmail.com











#442
Checking Out / Not Going, Just Busy
May 18, 2017, 06:26:23 PM
Hi All - Just wanted to mention that I am not posting as much because work is really busy right now. Part of that involves teaching online so I spend a lot of time posting for that and just run out of energy by the end of the day. I do check in daily for PMs and to handle any Admin issues. 

Also, we have been struggling for three weeks now with our dog being quite ill.   He developed diabetes and was on the brink, but after a stay in hospital and many trips back and forth to the vet, adding in meds, etc., we got that under control only to find there is something else going on. Unfortunately it looks like we will have to euthanize him.  We are very sad as we have had him for 15 years and this just happened out of the blue or so it seems to us.  So tough to say goodbye  :'(
#443
Announcements / Reporting Problematic Posts
May 01, 2017, 07:27:49 PM
Hi Everyone - This is just a reminder that we need your help keeping OOTS a safe and respectful community so please, if you come across any posts that do not follow our guidelines or are problematic for whatever reason, hit the "Report to Moderator" button in the lower right hand side of the post.  We do not ever share who made the report with anyone so you can feel safe in doing so.

Many thanks, Three Roses and I appreciate your assistance.   :yes:
#444
Announcements / New Download Available
April 28, 2017, 06:20:49 PM
There is a new pdf of Pete Walker's "13 Steps for Managing Emotional Flashbacks" here. Please note that his steps can also be used as effective practices for daily management of  Complex PTSD, in particular reminding ourselves to be patient with the process of recovery.   
#445
Announcements / Lost Passwords and Login
April 24, 2017, 06:08:09 PM
HI Everyone - We have a bit of a glitch right now with forgotten passwords.  If you try and login using the incorrect password the system is currently not sending an "Reset Password" msge.  If this happens, just send me a msge at ootsmanager@gmail.com, I will reset your password, send it to you so you can login, and once you're in you can reset it to something different.

I think the problem will be fixed once we upgrade to the new version of the platform (which is in progress).

Kizzie
#446
The Cafe / Eh?
April 20, 2017, 06:59:14 PM
Herd of cows in Canada fascinated (and just a little bit intimidated) by wandering beaver - http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/sask-ranchers-stunned-beaver-1.4073018
#447
Hi Everyone:

This forum is only for the discussion of prescribed medications, LEGAL substances (e.g., alcohol) and natural supplements/remedies.

OOTS in no way recommends/supports the use of illegal substances, but in recognition that many are currently in trials for their medicinal properties (e.g., psychedelics) a separate forum has been set up with appropriate warnings in place here -  http://outofthefog.net/C-PTSD/forum/index.php?board=224.0.     
#453
Hi Everyone - Just wanted to post a reminder from our guidelines to make sure you break up your posts by using paragraphs. Long blocks of solid text are difficult to read.  Using a break every 4 or 5 sentences or when you change to a new thought can really help others to read your post more easily and make sense of what you have written. :yes:

Thanks!   :)
#454
IMPORTANT 

For the safety and well-being of all OOTS members, only posts that talk about suicide/self-harm in a very general sense will be permitted in this forum. Sadly there have been an increasingly number of posts about feeling suicidal/wanting to self-harm and as much as members of OOTS may want to help, none of us are trained to do so. Posts which do talk about current intent directly or indirectly will be removed and the poster will be advised to contact a professional ASAP.

One way of helping yourself if you are having thoughts of suicide is to visit Staying Safe from Suicidal Thoughts.  This online help site offers "easy to print / online templates and guidance video tutorials purposefully designed to help people through the process of writing their own Safety Plan to build hope, identify actions and strategies to resist suicidal thoughts and develop positive ways to cope with stress and emotional distress." 

Don't wait though if your thoughts persist, reach out for professional help. Contact your physician or therapist, a local Emergency Room, or one of the following organizations:


If you're feeling like you want to self-harm here's an article that may help - 23 Things to Do If You're Fighting Self-Harm Urges Right Now

As above, don't wait if your thoughts persist we encourage you to reach out to one of the following organizations:


In keeping with our guidelines, please do not include graphic content if/when you do post in this forum. Posts that do contain graphic content will be edited or removed.  If you are concerned about something you have written, please include a trigger warning.
#455
Hi Folks - There has been an uptick in the number of posts talking about having suicidal thoughts and others which contain some very graphic detail about trauma/abuse.  As per our guidelines (http://outofthefog.net/C-PTSD/forum/index.php?topic=1616.msg10035#msg10035), this is not allowed at OOTS. This is for good reason.

If someone is having thoughts about suicide, it is important to reach out to trained professionals in real life. Any posts which talk about wanting to * in the present or future will be edited and the member will be encouraged by PM to seek help as soon as possible. 

With respect to posts which contain overly graphic detail, please try to understand that this can be very difficult for members to read as everyone here is struggling with trauma.  Try to describe the situation in enough detail that members understand but are not triggered.  If you're not sure, please include a trigger warning at the beginning of the post or in the subject line.  If a post is too graphic it will be edited and a PM will be sent to advise the member.

Thanks for respecting our guidelines,

Kizzie
#456
Announcements / Moderation of Board
February 24, 2017, 11:30:10 PM
Hi Folks - Just a reminder that it is only Three Roses (who does an excellent job I might add) and myself who manage the site and we are simply not able to read every post. We rely on each of you to let us know about any posts which don't follow the guidelines or are problematic in some manner. 

There's a "Report to Moderator" in the lower right hand side of each post and you just need to click on it.  We check these reports daily and handle them within 24 hours typically.  Please be assured that we do not ever reveal who has made the report to anyone.

Thanks for helping to keep the community as safe and respectful for everyone as possible :hug:
#458
Announcements / Therapist Databases
February 08, 2017, 03:59:17 PM
I've been trying to locate trauma T's who have training and experience with Complex PTSD and while not having much joy thus far, I did find two new T database resources that are free of charge and can help locating a T. 

The first is Theravive at http://www.theravive.com/ Unfortunately it only lists T's in the US and Canada, but it identities numerous T's who offer distance therapy which should make location less of an issue. See - http://www.theravive.com/therapists/e-counseling.aspx

The second is the Sidran Institute at https://www.sidran.org/about/which.  This is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to treatment, education, raising awareness, etc about trauma and dissociative disorders.  (Note: They mention PTSD, but not Complex PTSD.)  Again the org's DB is primarily US and some Cdn, but I contacted them and they are willing to help people from other countries locate a trauma T.  For assistance email them at help@sidran.org

Other free databases include:

The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies - http://www.istss.org/source/cliniciandirectory/

Good Therapy - http://www.goodtherapy.org/find-therapist.html
The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies - http://www.istss.org/source/cliniciandirectory/

Psychology Today - http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/prof_search.php
#459
Dr. Doyle is a lecturer at Southampton Solent University in the United Kingdom and is involved in an ongoing a research study investigating whether childhood trauma may make women vulnerable to post-natal depression.  He has asked and I have given permission to recruit participants from OOTS on an ongoing basis. 

In order to participate, you must be a female over 18, have had a baby within the last three years, and not be pregnant currently. This study entails completing an anonymous survey which will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.  He suggests in his email to me that "The benefits of this research would be  to help understand an area of mental health that requires much greater attention."

For further information and to view the Informed Consent form and survey, go to https://educ.sphinxonline.net/v4/s/0rb8to

Please direct any questions regarding this research to Dr. Doyle at mark.doyle@solent.ac.uk or 023-8201-2056
#460
Research / CLOSED - Online Learning Study at OOTS
January 27, 2017, 07:07:47 PM
As some of you may know I am a university professor at a university in Canada. I teach and supervise graduate students in the Masters of Adult Education program.  I am also involved in research as part of my employment and have chosen to investigate learning in online self-help forums such as OOTS together with the Dean of my Faculty, Dr. Rita Kop.  The title of our research proposal  is "It's Not Just about Support: Self-directed Learning in an Online Self-help Group."

The purpose of this research study is to investigate the nature and purpose of informal, self-directed learning (SDL) in an online self-help group in order to provide information to others (i.e., sufferers, professionals) who may want to develop and/or improve self-directed learning about a disorder/disease at an online self-help site. The data will also be used to improve learning at Out of the Storm (OOTS) specifically.                 

Participation will involve the completion of an anonymous online questionnaire which will take between 30 and 60 minutes to complete.  The questionnaire will provide data regarding:  your experience with Complex PTSD (e.g., diagnosis, causes, symptoms); what you have learned at OOTS; and, what you would like to learn at OOTS. 

If you are interested in participating please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OOTSLearningSurvey.   There is additional information about the study there.   Study is closed.


Note: In order to ensure this research is conducted in an ethical manner, we have taken measures to preserve your anonymity.  First, the questionnaire is completely anonymous. Second, any communication about the study should be directed  to my colleague as follows:

Dr. Rita Kop - Telephone: 506 454-1220 #1379;  Fax: 506-459-3489; or, Email: rkop@yorkvilleu.ca

Should you choose to contact Dr. Kop, please be assured that she will not reveal any identifying information about you (e.g., your real or forum name, email address) to me. I have locked this thread to ensure anonymity of potential participants.