Dear all,
Since the holidays are approaching, I would like to take the opportunity to wish you a very happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.
In 2012, this blog will continue to provide you with information about trauma recovery, focusing on practical implications of recent scientific findings. Among other things, it will feature (child) trauma experts from around the world as guest bloggers.
Most important; this blog is set up to serve you. It doesn’t make sense if we write blogposts that are not what you’re looking for. Therefore, I would like to ask you: What do you want to see on this blog? What would be interesting, important, fun, helpful topics?
Please let me know, either via twitter (@EvaAlisic), via email (firstname.lastname@monash.edu) or in the comments section (if you’re reading the homepage; click here to get to the page where you can leave a comment).
Trauma Recovery Lab 
Wish list for blog topics as the fancy strikes you:
Self management of Joiner’s “big 3” – thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness and acclimation to suicide
Evidence based therapy for suicidality (as opposed to imminent suicide attempt/crisis intervention)
Self management of severe chronic insomnia which is not responsive to sleep hygiene, meds, exercise, anti-inflammatory diet, etc.
Self management of PTSD when treatment is not accessible or has been itself traumatizing/ineffective
Sorry – I know these are all really tough nuts. I appreciate your blog and perspective very mcuh. They have been a source of much reflection and some (grin) action.
Best-
aek
Hi Aek,
Thanks for your wish list! Definitely very worthwhile (though glad you admit they are tough nuts :-)). I’ll try and find info for the self-management of ptsd one and ask experts on suicide treatment and insomnia whether they would like to write about those. Take care.
I can talk about self-management of ptsd.
I second much of what is on aek’s list as those things are so clearly needed – really looking forward to find out more about insomnia and ptsd – well, self-management in general. One of the sad truths I have learned is that depression / mental illness / what have you alienates those around you. People may not be actually ‘afraid’ of you, but they can’t deal for whatever reason – self-recognition, too much stress of their own, fear you’ll become too ‘needy,’ fear you’ll ‘go off,’ whatever. They may be otherwise nice folks, they may be invaluable in other types of crises, but mental crises? Not So Much! I have seen this in my own family, where one member has been severely mentally ill for decades, and where I have contributed to the alienation – it was just ‘easier.’ Only my father made overt attempts to keep this person involved in family events.
I would like also to see strategies for patients to use w/ their psychiatrists / therapists regarding what to say about suicidal feelings w/o being afraid of being hospitalized – how to approach that conversation in a practical sense. I have an idea, from my own experience, but many may not have a clue, as I didn’t. I want to hear from professionals and lay folks alike, how they view community -not necessarily just those who are contemplating suicide or who have attempted it, but in general, those who live inside themselves much of the time because no one else ‘wants to hear it.’ Keep up the good work. Oh yeah – and the laws – How is the legal system complicit in the problem and how can the laws change to allow for more open exchange between ‘professionals’ and patients? How can we patients obtain a more level playing field? People put up with so much more in psychiatry than in any other field of medicine. Folks need to learn (as I am now learning) to say “I don’t want that. I don’t like that. Why this and not that?” And accept no less than a straightfoward reply.
Hi Eva – my wife and her colleagues are putting out some great blog posts on therapy for trauma, as well as a few other areas of specialty. I’d love to connect them with you – it seems like there could be some excellent ways to connect across the globe! Here’s a recent sample of an article they posted:
http://www.rowancenterla.com/new-blog/2015/4/6/how-to-help-children-cope-with-acute-stress-or-trauma-after-an-injury
Thanks, Ryan