Other Managing PTSD within current political climate

[enough]

@anthony
PTSD in the current political climate…….oh crap, what is my brain trying to warn me about?

PTSD is our flight/fight reflex stuck on and causing problems for us if it looks like past events are going to be repeated and we are going to be traumatized, right?

So, i fear political upheaval. i fear war. I fear economic depression. I fear global health concerns. Lots of disasters have happened and no one can say they wont happen again, i sure cant, i fear they will, and with PTSD affecting my outlook, i think I KNOW they will.

It doesnt help when we have clear memory of the capitol riot and who instigated it. clear memories of tuning in to the white house press conferences every day to see what our leadership was doing to get us through the pandemic and being alarmed to hear that “it does a number on the lungs, maybe we can get bleach into the lungs”! And knowledge of the lead up to past wars and seeing current events aligning with past events doesnt help. Hearing that ethnic cleansing of a region based on heritage or religion would be a possibility in our future, that taking over sovereign countries possibly by employing our military to make it happen, that using our federal police forces to make arrests on political enemies of the current whitehouse resident is part of the future too, well those are all very alarming possible events PTSD or not.

A complacent citizenry is the enemy of democracy. I am not sure I am willing to be complacent just to avoid being constantly on the verge of fight or flight because my PTSD brain is adding up all these memories and possibilities and sending up alarm flares. There are entire generations of people in our worlds history that wished they hadn't been complacent. Lessons learned?

 

[Sideways]

Mod Note:
This is not a thread for your political opinions. We no longer have threads about US politics on the forum.

Very specifically, this thread asks:

How are you all coping? Tips and tricks?

If you are thinking of replying, your post should be directly responding to the OP, the questions they have asked, the conversation they are having about their coping strategies.

 

[Movingforward10]

I guess my question is, what if my research and calm and rational discussions prove that I am going to be directly and immediately impacted?

So so tough @Muttly. Because it's already happening with what you say here.....

I can't get a passport. Not only that, if I try, I might get my papers confiscated

......
I looked this up after you said as I didn't realise this was now happening. And I'm sorry this is impacting you and others.

Maybe recognising that this is a hugely challenging thing you are going through that is providing for a lot of uncertainty and instability. Just recognising that it's ok to have feelings in response to this might help process those feelings?

In terms of knowing what will happen and how to live your life and what to plan for, maybe there is another way to manage that? Shifting the weight or perspective somehow so it feels a bit easier? Not sure I'm making sense and not sure it will help anyways....

We are hoping that those other funds stay secure or he's out a job.

I hope so too.

 

[Calmdown]

I guess I'm still stuck on some of the comments that were made. I feel like some come with false assumptions. Maybe some of that is stemming from PTSD/past history for me? What I feel like is being assumed, is that if I do my research I will realize what has upset me will turn out to be a non-issue. Like I was stuck on the political party that was going to make the new law and that's the only reason I got upset.

I think that the problem is not with you, but with anyone who makes you feel like it would be that way. To me it is like gaslighting and I experienced it many times with non-political issues. But I don't want to assume bad intentions, it’s a way of suppressing problems because what's happening worldwide right now is actually frightening and many people don't want to face that.
I have experienced so many injustices, clear and undeniable situations, and yet some people still say that I just didn't understand it correctly. As I said, these are not bad intentions, these people do it for themselves.

 

[LuckiLee]

Not here to start anything but shouldn't you be upset with the political party that duped you into believing you could have multiple sexes on your important legal documents? Especially if you want to travel outside of the U.S.

 

[scout86]

Maybe some of that is stemming from PTSD/past history for me? What I feel like is being assumed, is that if I do my research I will realize what has upset me will turn out to be a non-issue

I suppose that history, PTSD and otherwise, affects what you're feeling and how you're feeling it. Unfortunately, I think you're reacting to a situation that you've correctly identified. I think I've correctly identified it too, as far as that goes. It's incredibly frustrating that so many people can't see something that's incredibly obvious to me. But then, I don't understand why anyone would want a seat in a restaurant that doesn't give you a clear view of the room either.

Unfortunately, you belong to one of the first groups to be targeted. I say first because I expect the list will be expanded. And the passport deal..... IDK. I kind of imagine that that's going to be litigated. I have no idea how that will come out, in the end. The fact that you didn't see this coming and have your passport already in place..... Cut yourself some slack. I think a lot of people have been going along thinking "surely not here". Sounds like you're looking into your options and that seems like the thing to do. Another thing to consider is that the different states have different constitutions. And different vibes too, I guess. I live in Minnesota. We have a bunch of human rights ideas written in to the state constitution that would give you more legal protections that some other states. (There are some of us who talk about asking Canada if we could be annexed as the newest province.) Minnesota isn't unique in that. I hope it works out that relocating isn't a problem, but remember, some places might be more friendly than others.

Something that helps me is to remember, and get chances to see, that people can be ok, regardless of their politics. I have a bunch of clients who have different political views than I do. We talk about it sometimes. Not in a "lookin' for a fight way", but in a way where I want to be sure that they realize when they lump all the evil liberals into one group, that group includes me, who they generally like. It reminds me that "the other side" includes people that I actually like too. So, a week ago, one of my clients called me. His horse was really lame and he was really worried. This guy.....I'm pretty sure his picture is in the dictionary next to the word "curmudgeon". He's a Vietnam vet who looks like the stereotype of a hillbilly. He's also extremely smart, well read, and listens to classical music. So, while I was working on the horse, (mind you it wasn't much above 0 and a Sunday besides) politics came up. I mentioned that I'd heard an excerpt from a Senate hearing the other day, where they were questioning the head of the NCAA about the "problem" of trans athletes competing in woman's sports. He was asked how many athletes were involved in the NCAA. "More than 500,000." He was asked how many identified as trans. "Less than 10". When I told the guy this story, he exploded with, "Well why would I care about THAT?!" Exactly. I told him that I didn't care about it either. At least not as a "problem", because, in the grand scheme of things, it ISN'T a problem. In the end, he's a live and let live kind of person who thinks others should be able to live their lives like they want too. In real life, he wouldn't want to argue with you about whether or not you're trans, he'd accept it and move on. I think most people are really like that. If, that is, they aren't being swept up in some kind of irrational fervor. So, I guess I think it's important to remind people that we're talking about actual people, not some vague "other". It's important that I remind myself of that too.

I don't know if that story is particularly helpful. (Sorry!) I DO think it helps me to remember that "everyone" isn't the actual threat. At the same time, I think you're right, there IS an actual threat. We really DON'T know how this is going to turn out. But, there are actual people on every side of every issue and maybe it helps to remember that there's good in a lot of them? (But probably not ALL of them.) Pretending there aren't challenges really does seem like a version of gaslighting. The only thing I can think to do is be true to who I am and what I believe. And, I guess, hope that might make some small difference. At least it makes me feel like I'm doing something, even if it's not a lot.

 

[Movingforward10]

Not here to start anything but shouldn't you be upset with the political party that duped you into believing you could have multiple sexes on your important legal documents? Especially if you want to travel outside of the U.S.

This isn't what this thread is about. It's not about debating political parties. It's not about debating sex/gender. It's not about accusing someone of being "duped".
It's about helping a fellow person on here who has PTSD and is experiencing some things that are causing spikes in symptoms.

 

[Jess1990]

First off- this is *not* a post to debate politics.

The current state of politics in the US directly impacts me and people I care about. This is not a distortion. It also looks like things could get a whole lot worse for me and many others I know. Yes, things could get overturned. Yes, things could get better. My PTSD symptoms are high. I am assuming I am not the only person who is dealing with this? How are you all coping? Tips and tricks? Anyone want to vent?

(mods, sorry if this is in the wrong place)

My PTSD symptoms are high too. I get obsessive by talking a lot about hate crimes, lash out at negative comments about undocumented individuals, cry, sleepless nights, and think ICE or the cops is coming out to get me. I've already heard many U.S. citizens being deported or racially profiled...even 2 veterans. I work in the healthcare field and had to make a report because an elderly woman was being terrorized that she was going to be deported. I've already been descriminated a lot due to my brown indigenous features or my intellect and nearly murdered in a domestic violence relationship due to my ex having hate against Latinas...he did not show his hatred at the beginning. He used to wish me and all Latinas dead because he thought we were all whores. My little nephew and sister-in-law were yelled at and told to go back to their country...they were born here in the U.S. I get vivid flashbacks of all of this when I see things in the T.V., so what's helping me is just shutting it all off. I don't have any social media except for pintrist for cooking recipes, Strava for recording workout routines, youtube for music or faith, animal/funny videos/, audible for audio books, Netflix for movies, and I pray and read my Bible every day. I attend virtual church every Sunday since my PTSD has affected my driving. I'm in therapy and talking it out with my psychologist helps me out a lot. I am also very focused on my fitness journey. I love the gym, cycling, and running. I was able to improve my running mileage time. I garden and cook and focus on my car. I really work hard to use many things I'm passionate about to help me get out of my head and cope. It helps a lot I hope you find inner peace and wishing you the best during these tough times ️

 

[enough]

A complacent citizenry is the enemy of democracy. I am not sure I am willing to be complacent just to avoid being constantly on the verge of fight or flight because my PTSD brain is adding up all these memories and possibilities and sending up alarm flares. There are entire generations of people in our worlds history that wished they hadn't been complacent. Lessons learned?

Mod Note:
This is not a thread for your political opinions. We no longer have threads about US politics on the forum.

you are correct, my views were on full display and the reason and method i laid out the argument as i did weighed heavier than my conclusion.
quicker cleaner and straight to the point:
my tip and my trick for survival is accepting that my PTSD may be multiplying the actual danger in the current political environment but not letting the desire to hide and become complacent allow me to set myself up for thinking i should have done more for the rest of my life.
This is hard, pick your battles wisely, use your energy to survive the long fight.
Maybe speaking up on an anonymous forum was just a self serving exercise to take the place of signing my name to a letter to the editor of a local paper or showing my face at a demonstration. Sorry if it distracted from my point: Don’t give up!

 

[Muttly]

Not here to start anything but shouldn't you be upset with the political party that duped you into believing you could have multiple sexes on your important legal documents? Especially if you want to travel outside of the U.S.

First of all, as has already been pointed out, I specifically asked for this not to be about politcs.

Next, if you want to have a discussion regarding issues, I'd advise you to ask questions and not use inflammatory language such as "duped" or make assumptions. For your information, I transitioned more than a decade ago. I don't even remember what political party was in office. I was not influenced by a political party. The decision was my own, with support of multiple medical providers. I didn't believe I would move out of my state at that time, much less the country. With all the hurdles, including the current impacts on international travel, I do not regret my decision to transition. If you are unable to do that, I will not be able to continue this conversation.

 

[Sideways]

Mod Note:
@LuckiLee - thread-banned.

 

[Friday]

However, I have no confirmed that I can't get a passport. And I feel stupid because I should have worked on getting it sooner. I should have forseen this. But I guess I thought I had time? The gender on my birth certificate does not match the gender on my other legal documents. I have now spoken to someone who is helping other transgender people with this issue. She has confirmed that I can't get a passport. Not only that, if I try, I might get my papers confiscated. That's what is happening right now.

There’s legal.
There’s quasi-legal.
There’s getting it done.

Quasi-legal, when your own country will not issue you a passport includes; applying to another country for citizenship, or to other countries for various levels/degrees of political asylum/refugee status, or to various NGOs for assistance in finding a way out of your country and into another that welcomes you (status TBD, rather than granted before you leave). Or, or, or, or.

Getting it done, would mean crossing borders illegally (from your own country; whether that’s on your own, or on false papers, or by way of a network) Most typically from one hostile country into another hostile country, several times over… until you land in a country either open to the idea of you staying, legally, or to shipping you -with new papers- to a country they have a deal with.

^^^ This is all just tip of the iceberg stuff. ^^^

The major point? RESEARCH. There are more ways to accomplish what one wants to accomplish than the straightforward, honesty is the best policy, take a number & join the queue here… way you were expecting to be able to. Ways people utilise every day.

***

Americans in particular, but a lot of first world nations as a group, tend to get very scared about “WHAT IF?!?”… and just kind of stop, there. There’s solid psychological reasoning for that, (being afraid of things that haven’t happened, instead of skillfully navigating things that actually are happening) that gets veeeeeery complex cultural-anthropology-speaking, so I’m not going to go into that right now. The point?

1. Is stop future tripping, OMFG WHAT IF?!?, and start making contingency plans. Along a continuum. Because if you only have worst case scenario contingencies? You probably won’t use them, or feel free to use them. Having a spectrum of options, at your disposal, otoh?

2. Contingency plans do NOT predict the future. Making plans for a worst case scenario do. NOT. mean. that the worst case will happen. (That’s a trap preppers fall into. There’s a difference between planning around your fears, and breathing life into your fears to justify your plans… it’s a f*cked up backwards reverse logic fallacy thing, that falls apart the moment you actually stop and think. But fears being emotional? Mean one has to actively apply thinking, early on in the loop. It helps to do so with all the normal/everyday plans you already have in play. Like using your seatbelt does NOT mean you will get into an accident. Locking your doors does NOT mean someone is going to break in. We take hundreds of precautions every single day without blinking twice, but the moment we make a “weird” precaution, there’s a reverse logic fallacy thing that wants to make the threat “more real” in order to justify the precaution. Wacky human brains, man.)

***
RIGHT SIZE your fears.

You do not live in a country where it is illegal to be gay/trans.

You live in a country where you are afraid it WILL become illegal. <<< That’s a valid fear. Where things start spiralling out of control PTSD-wise is living like it already is illegal (fear wise) without any of the precautions you would be living / already have in place if it were illegal. Without reining in this fear? You could live in terror, your entire life, in a place where it never becomes illegal. That’s a wasted life. Like people who locked themselves inside bunkers for 20+ years during the Cuban missile crisis. Their fears were valid, but also never came to pass. So they lived lives even more isolated than if their fears had come to pass.

- Fear? Let’s us know a thing is possible.
- But? Emotions don’t logic so hot. That’s what minds are for.
- PTSD minds often wanna take that fear and feed it nitros; rather than apply the breaks, and take reasonable precautions, and live your life to the fullest, in the meantime.