Other Managing PTSD within current political climate

[Muttly]

The fact that you didn't see this coming and have your passport already in place..... Cut yourself some slack.

It's not that I didn't see it coming. I knew it was a possibility. It did happen faster than I expected. But I did see it as a distinct possibility. I just kept getting overwhelmed, thinking about doing it. I only obtained my birth certificate a few years ago. When I left home, my parents at wouldn't give me my birth certificate. Then, they gave me a document about being born abroad. I don't know if that's all they had or what. I guess I assumed it was? Because of that, I just stalled and never tried to get a passport. But then when I got to this idiotic state, I couldn't get a driver's license without it. So, I did, but it was a huge hassle. There's always anxiety about getting legal documents for me, because of being trans. I struggle to read legal/government forms and fill them out correctly because of dyslexia. All that piled up and froze me. I should have pushed through though.

@scout86 Thanks for sharing that story. I am very similar in my beliefs and will talk to anyone as long as it's a civil conversation.

ok, will come back to more replies later but am out of time

 

[scout86]

Then, they gave me a document about being born abroad.

If you were actually born abroad, depending on the country, you might be eligible for dual citizenship and might be able to get a passport from the other country. OR, you might be able to convince officials here that "they" (silly foreigners!) made a mistake when they filled out the original certificate. After all, you have other documents to support the claim.

I struggle to read legal/government forms and fill them out correctly because of dyslexia.

Sounds like a job for your husband or a friend who's good at that kind of thing. I'm not good at sorting through that kind of thing either. I struggle a little with asking for help, but I've found out that I get to meet some nice people sometimes, when I ask for help. (Weird but true!) Hang in there!

 

[Lost in the Woods]

I just went through the citizenship thing. My mother was born in New Zealand and became a US citizen before my birth. It turns out NZ requires a formal renunciation of citizenship and without that the person is still considered an NZ citizen and thus my registration of citizenship was approved. I received a certificate of citizenship but apparently my passport application has gone missing so I will give it a little more time and then reapply. NZ citizenship will also allow me to live and work in Australia. By just filling out a form. I also am eligible for free healthcare for life in NZ and if I end up in Aus, there too. Many countries have an age cut off for immigrants due to the anticipated health care costs. With citizenship I don’t have to do anything beyond buying a plane ticket.

 

[Anita]

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)

I feel petrified more than ever, going to therapy, taking Zoloft, talking to a good therapist gets a lot of emotions out, helps a lot, to talk with someone , have no family or close friends, so I go to therapy.

I think for me, it’s not about putting my head in the sand but managing my news intake so I don’t contribute to anxiety death-spirals. I still read the news. But often I find it’s more helpful for me to get the condensed version a day or two after, with more facts checked, than the breaking version of a story.

The parental controls help me not look at news on my commute to work, for example. I’ll end up spiraling and panicking all day if I do. Better to read it before I go to the gym and run off all the panic instead.

I’m thinking these days about the activist mindset that one must keep up self care in order to be effective. I want to fight for what I think is right. But I can only do so if I am still standing.

You have some good ideas

 

[Muttly]

I had been doing better at limiting my news intake but the last few days have slipped on that. Brains are dumb. I'm stressed so I look at things that stress me.

On a positive side, I've become part of a group which makes me feel less powerless.


@Friday your reply was super helpful and has given me a lot to think about. I had already started coming up with plans that were... outside the box. That tends to be my MO. If I hit a major roadblock I stall for a bit, but then find ways to get around.

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?

I guess this has been where I'm struggling lately. I like planning. I'm good at planning. If I have plans, I'm ok. But lately, research to come up with plans sends me down a spiral. I think some of that gets into your second point. Usually I don't assume my worst case scenario will come to pass. Lately, I have from time to time. I don't get stuck there, but definitely having moments. That's not the only part of the spiral though. Hmm... not sure what else is going on

If you were actually born abroad, depending on the country, you might be eligible for dual citizenship and might be able to get a passport from the other country

Based on my current research, no. Which is a bummer, because I thought it would be an option. I do need to do more research.

 

[Anne-Ana Mouse]

I’m handling it the same way I handled it when my life felll apart the first time. And the second time. And the third.. Take inventory, prepare for the worst, hope for the best, have faith in yourself, your higher power, your fellow humans and put one foot in front of the other. Humans are resroucesful and resilient so I listen to stories that show me that’s true to keep from crying in agony of the plight of humane insanity that affects us all. It can always be worse. Always. Count your blessings, help others, but never out of guilt, and keep your standards high.

 

[Freida]

Believe it or not I get a lot of my news from ticktoc. Ya, I have to do some research to verify a lot of it, but it comes in small bites that aren't as much of a punch in the head as the day to day doooooom of cnn/fox/msnbc etc. Plus these days there are some reputable sources on TT that can deliver news without commentary - which I like.

It's not doing my ptsd any favors so hubby and I are leaving the country - probably headed to Panama.

I just - can't deal
The level of pure hatred coming down on anyone who isn't a cis white male is staggering to me. This need to marginalize people into groups, and then separate them into those who are "wrong" for not acting like the magaverse wants them too is almost impossible for me to wrap my mind around.

Between the nazi sentiments and the KKK and the "no one hates like a christian" mantra I can see things falling apart in a big way and it is far, far too triggering to stick around and deal with. Sis in law asked why I'm not staying to fight and basically told her that I've done my bit for the people of this country. I have no more to give.

I couldn't quite tell if you got the passport or not, but if not get on it! Not shaming at all - I mean really, who thought it was going to get this bad this fast? But no more stalling! Because I can see a time coming when getting out of the country is going to be really, really hard for everyone. And if you are not part of the magaverse's definition of "normal" it's going to be even harder.

Check with your local library - they may have volunteers who will go over the paperwork with you and help you fill it out and could help you figure out how to deal with the birth certificate thing.

Oh and this may be a long shot but check this out visas for lgptq in canada
I've heard they are expanding to americans......

 

[scout86]

so hubby and I are leaving the country - probably headed to Panama.

Panama? You're joking, right? I mean, you've heard that Panama is on the unofficial dystopian list of things someone thinks he should possess?

About the passport........ I was listening to a story on NPR this morning (officially labeling myself as a subversive here! :) ) about people in positions similar to yours. Here's a thought/question, and I apologize in advance because it's quite possibly a stupid thought/question. I wonder if this isn't something you could just label as "their problem" and go ahead and apply. There will be confusion, but that's not YOUR fault. "They" are going to have to deal with it. The way I understand it, "sex" is a biology thing, "gender" is a social construct. However the government chooses to label people, you are who you are. They can't change that. I'm not aware of any government requirement that we conform to an official concept of what "male" or "female" looks like. (At least not yet.) What do you think would happen if you just showed up at the passport office with your existing documents in hand and let THEM sort it out? This isn't a problem that's unheard of. I'd be shocked if you were the first person to confront the system with this issue. (There were several people in the radio story who share your problem.) If you are issued a passport that misidentifies your gender, what's some other country going to do when you show up in their immigration line? Seriously, how to they verify "gender" or "sex" or whatever it is they're trying to verify. This seems a little like having a passport that says you have brown hair, but you show up having dyed it blue. What are they going to do about THAT? They don't deny people admission if they dye their hair, do they? (Ok, maybe there are places where they do. But would you really want to go there?) I'll confess to a vast amount of ignorance about this. The only country I've ever been to, other than the US, is Canada and that was back in the days when we didn't need a passport to do it. But, it seems to me, since the government created this problem, they are also responsible for dealing with it.

IDK........ Some days it really bothers me. I keep hearing people quoting stuff where I KNOW they can't possibly have looked at the facts, if there are any, behind what they're quoting and it's both frustrating and scary. That's a "people" thing though, not a uniquely American thing. It's happened before, it will more than likely happen in the future, assuming the future of the planet includes us. Propaganda is a real thing and a lot of the time it works.

 

[Lost in the Woods]

I try to not get too worked up about politics. It just isn’t good for my wellbeing.

 

[Freida]

Panama? You're joking, right? I mean, you've heard that Panama is on the unofficial dystopian list of things someone thinks he should possess?

LOL ya That was a big part of why we went down there to check it out before making a decision. Current thoughts are that while Trump will probably send in the military to take it back that will actually have less of an impact on American expats living there than what it will be like living here

As it stands now nowhere is going to be safe, so it's finding the least worst option - and a place we can actually afford to live

 

[Friday]

Panama? You're joking, right?

3rd world countries, where the gunfight happening 2 squares over, isn’t about you… is relaxing to many people. (When the stray shots start hitting people 1 street over, you set down your oranges, and walk out of the the store. No fuss, no muss.).

For many, if not most, living in fear is a helluva lot harder than dealing with reality. It doesn’t matter if life is objectively better, when you’re scared-scared-scared, subjectively. Removing the fear is more important than the reality.

 

[Rose White]

Thank you for this thread. I’m one of the many who are unable to leave due to lack of resources and support. Sending love to anyone else feeling trapped, helpless, or enraged by the takeover.