Forum naming changes

[anthony]

It sems to me important to hold onto the fact that all these conditions are derived from trauma

Absolutely, but we're not MyTrauma.com, we're MyPTSD.com. We are not a trauma first community. That is valuable to also hold onto. You must focus a community. What is our focus? It's PTSD, including complex.

If we begin running off on tangents, the community focus becomes lost.

 

[Jen93]

Can I have a little clarification about this:

We removed flashbacks, being a dissociative episode, and instead stuck with the diagnostic terms for dissociation. This removes DID and such discussion from that forum, pushing it to the other disorders forum.

So a flashback is dissociation? It's not a flashback anymore? Or like, can we still call them flashbacks in the forums when explaining? Like if a member titled a thread "I had a flashback today"? It's a little confusing for me. Sorry.

 

[joeylittle]

Or like, can we still call them flashbacks in the forums when explaining? Like if a member titled a thread "I had a flashback today"?

Yes - you can still call them flashbacks. We will make sure they get into the right sub-forum.

 

[anthony]

So a flashback is dissociation?

Yes. Take a read of the PTSD diagnosis.

Dissociative reactions (e.g., flashbacks) in which the individual feels or acts as if the traumatic event(s) were recurring. (Such reactions may occur on a continuum, with the most extreme expression being a complete loss of awareness of present surroundings.) Note: In children, trauma-specific reenactment may occur in play.

A flashback is a dissociative reaction. A flashback is just a name for a type of dissociative episode. Dissociation is the symptom if you experience a flashback.

Then you have people just using the term flashback completely incorrect, as though assigning it to a traumatic memory recall, which is not a flashback.

 

[Deleted member 37474]

Will all of the previous discussion threads be sorted into the new categories or archived?

 

[anthony]

Threads will move to the most appropriate forum subject. No forums are marked for archival, as nothing is being made redundant.

 

[BlueOrange]

Thanks very much for the constructive comments on the feedback that I provided. I'm trying to keep my focus on 'things that impact participation and moderation' - let me know if it ever seems otherwise.

I have two points to make that I'm not confident have been fully considered, and some meandering thoughts that might be completely irrelevant:

Non-separation of DID is not necessarily a failure of rigor

Firstly, dissociated identity refers to DID. We are not a DID community. DID is not a comorbid diagnosis for PTSD. DID is a standalone personality disorder.

I agree that DID is a distinct diagnosis from PTSD, however it is a very powerfully linked diagnosis, in a way that other diagnoses aren't. If one believes the theory of Structural Dissociation (many people here do, I am one of them), then PTSD is very similar to a simple fracture of the mind, while DID is a compound fracture of the mind, sustained while the mind is still growing. As such, separating PTSD from DID (and DD-NOS) is not as simple as separating PTSD from most other things.

I was diagnosed with PTSD by a consultant psychiatrist, and that diagnosis was revised (by the same psychiatrist) to DID 12 years later. This is very personal evidence of the difficulty of differential diagnosis, but I think it's valid evidence.

Dissociation of identity is a potential feature of PTSD. "I can never go back to being the person I used to be" "It hurts when I remember being happy" - these are things that PTSD sufferers describe. Not all dissociation of identity is DID (just as not all post-traumatic stress is PTSD).

If you are separating into subforums on the basis of PTSD symptoms, then the structure I proposed is not incompatible with that objective.

Moving DID conversations seems fraught to me

I strongly suggest that the admin team come up with a guideline, and make an effort to apply that guideline to a representative sample of the existing threads in the Flashbacks & Dissociation subforum. Please do it separately, and see if you all end up in the same place for each thread. Please consider how you'll explain to people how they're going to find the topics that they're looking for, and anticipate the reactions when threads get moved.

I can't imagine a guideline that will work; I fear that this attempt to separate DID will cause confusion, distress and unnecessary work and conflict. I may be wrong. There may be other priorities that override these concerns, even if I'm right. Regardless of this particular concern of mine, the exercise is probably worthwhile in a broader sense anyway.

 

[anthony]

I strongly suggest that the admin team come up with a guideline, and make an effort to apply that guideline to a representative sample of the existing threads in the Flashbacks & Dissociation subforum. Please do it separately, and see if you all end up in the same place for each thread. Please consider how you'll explain to people how they're going to find the topics that they're looking for, and anticipate the reactions when threads get moved.

You're talking about things that staff do each and every day already. This thinking sounds unique for you. For staff, this is every day at this community. Mental health moderation brings with it many challenges, all of which staff become quite good at with experience. We have staff policies and processes for good reason, which is how the community functions so well at a staff level. We all work from the same sheet of music, so to speak, which includes a "when in doubt" process that occurs.

I appreciate this sounds unique to you, its just not for staff.

I can't imagine a guideline that will work

It isn't that hard really. Any thread based on DID specifics, will go in other disorders. Any thread based on dissociation alone, without alters or split personality or such DID specifics, will go in dissociation. Threads can often reside in multiple locations correctly, it all depends on the specific intent being made. We use thread title, and specifically the first sentence / paragraph of a thread, to help home it correctly.

It honestly isn't as difficult as you may be creating in your mind. Members typically get a feel for things once a thread is moved once or twice. Members also get a feel for where things go based on what they find within specific forums.

I fear that this attempt to separate DID will cause confusion, distress and unnecessary work and conflict. I may be wrong.

Trust us, as staff, collectively, we do this daily and we think these things through first. We have processes in place that are tried, tested, and proven.

 

[Jen93]

Thanks @anthony for the clarification.

 

[BlueOrange]

Trust us, as staff, collectively, we do this daily and we think these things through first. We have processes in place that are tried, tested, and proven.

Yeah, that's never worked out really badly for me in the past, in ways that I find very difficult to get over ;)

I'm managing to trust that if it does go badly, that it won't be my job to fix it. And you've certainly given me a fair hearing.

 

[anthony]

I have closed this, and will see how things go once implemented.

 

[anthony]

Forum structure is now updated for PTSD & CPTSD, aligned with actual diagnostic criterion. Staff will begin moving content in the coming days. You can obviously begin using the forums immediately.