I talk to many people who say things like "oh I have trauma but I don't have PTSD", but then when I talk to them a little more I realize that they most likely do, they just can't recognize it as such due to how lacking PTSD awareness is, even beyond the whole "it's not just a veteran's disorder" thing.

The main reason they think they don't have PTSD usually has to do with flashbacks and nightmares, either they have one but not the other or have neither. But here's the thing, those are only two symptoms out of the 23-odd recognized symptoms. Flashbacks and nightmares are two of the five symptoms under Criterion B (Intrusion), which you only need one of for a diagnosis. The other three symptoms are unwanted upsetting memories, emotional distress after being reminded of trauma and physical reactivity after being reminded of trauma (i.e. shaking, sweating, heart racing, feeling sick, nauseous or faint, etc). Therefore you can have both flashbacks and nightmares, one but not the other, or neither and still have PTSD.

In fact, a lot of the reasons people give me for why they don't think they have PTSD are literally a part of the diagnostic criteria.

"Oh, I can barely remember most parts of my trauma anyway." Criterion D (Negative Alterations in Cognition and Mood) includes inability to recall key features of the trauma.

"Oh but I don't get upset about my trauma that often because I avoid thinking of it or being around things that remind me of it most of the time." Criterion C (Avoidance) includes avoiding trauma-related thoughts or feelings and avoiding trauma-related external reminders, and you literally cannot get diagnosed if you don't have at least one of those two symptoms.

"Oh I just have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep, but I don't have nightmares." Criterion E (Alterations in Arousal and Reactivity) includes difficulting sleeping outside of nightmares.

"But I didn't have many/any trauma symptoms until a long time after the trauma happened." There's literally an entire specification for that.

Really it just shows how despite being one of the most well-known mental illnesses, people really don't know much about PTSD. If you have trauma, I ask you to at least look at the criteria before you decide you don't have PTSD. Hell, even if you don't have trauma, look at the criteria anyway because there are so many symptoms in there that just are not talked about.

PTSD awareness is not just about flashbacks and nightmares.

If you're having trouble keeping up with what's going on in Palestine because of US news coverage of university protests, here are some articles you can read and a video you can watch:

While CNN & all the other mainstream media try to paint the university protests as "pro terrorism" (which they're not, they're literally anti-war protests.) Palestinians are being slaughtered by the minute.

Please don't stop speaking about Palestine.

if you don‘t personally own one but your roommates/parents do and you are allowed to use it, that counts as yes

Secret tenth option: I have an ironing board and I use it, just not usually to remove wrinkles from clothes I didn't hang up fast enough.

yup, secret tenth option, or possibly eleventh but I bet tenth: the iron and ironing board are for pressing fabric for sewing projects, and approximately nothing else

Yeah, in retrospect, I probably could've just said, "I only use it for crafting purposes," but the words weren't quite braining right at the time.

Yep.

i thought this would fit them

Absolutely amazing 🏳️‍🌈🫶🌈

HERE ARE THE PICS causw I wanted to see and saw no one posted (link to profile: https://instagram.com/henryjimenz?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= )

So beautiful!!!

dont play defense

Terfs want my gender-affirming lasers so bad that they stole my art

Happy trans day of visibility to this 2-year-old post lol

Happy trans day of

visibility to this

2-year-old post lol

Beep boop! I look for accidental haiku posts. Sometimes I mess up.

Moon spirit sokka is still sokka

At first I wanted to draw him in like gorgeous clothing with extra accessories then I realized he is sokka going on an adventure

Bonus

Live zuko reaction:

Oh if people need context for live slug reaction this is the original post. I'm not sure why it's blowing up today but it sure is hilarious

- Stephen King

LEGALLY BLONDE 2: RED, WHITE & BLONDE (2003) dir. Charles Herman-Wurmfeld

The thing about Katara is that she was angry.

She was angry that the Fire Nation killed her mother.

She was angry that her father left them.

She was angry that she was the only Waterbender left in the south pole.

She was angry that the only person her age was her brother, who constantly disregarded her interests and her role in the tribe.

She was angry that what little waterbending she knew, had to be self-taught and how she struggled with that.

she was angry that a twelve year old instantly picked up what had taken her a long time to learn.

she was also angry that her tribe wanted to kick that twelve year old into the wilderness over a mistake.

she was angry over the earth-benders the fire nation had captured and put into a metal box.

she was angry.

And she knew she was angry.

Because she knew her own anger, she was the first to empathize with Aang when he got angry.

And it was because of it she could tell Aang forcing himself to lock his emotions up was not the answer.

Because she knew her own anger, she kept herself under control in the dessert, when everyone else was a mess.

Her anger empowered her. where anger was a tool of self-destruction for firebenders, for her it was what helped her push forward.

It was her anger that freed Aang.

It was her anger that helped her stand to Pakku.

Her anger was her strenght.

She was angry. And this was neither a mistake, nor a writing flaw.

ANON MAYBE YOU SHOULD STOP LIVEBLOGGING

HANDS DOWN THE FUNNIEST/SADDEST ENDING WE COULD HAVE ASKED FOR-

manchester eye (and you feel your heart taking root in your body, like you’ve discovered something you

don’t even have a name for)

never getting over how genuinely distressed tai lung looks when po does his shuffling trick. mid fight this man stops and panics because he cant figure out a childrens magic trick

Miss Congeniality (2000) ↳ Dir. Donald Petrie