Author: elemonated

Psychology

Greek mythology helps veterans fight PTSD

Link | Posted on by elemonated

Greek mythology helps veterans fight PTSD

Ajax Defending Greek Ships Against Trojans (Bettmann/CORBIS)

PTSD and all of the polarizing emotions of going into and coming out of war is a struggle not recognized enough.

I am heartened by this sharing of stories and communication between those who understand. I think it’s a great step towards openly talking about mental illness and the effects of trauma. In all aspects of mental illness, I think the emphasis on being open, aware, and understanding is one of the best ways to help someone towards recovery.

Our veterans are routinely silenced, either by their own fear of disappointment, or by the well-meaning who believe it isn’t good to dwell on bad things. And just to reiterate:

  • “57,849 veterans are homeless on any given night.”
  • 12% of the homeless adult population are veterans
  • 20% of the male homeless population are veterans
  • 68% reside in principal cities
  • 32% reside in suburban/rural areas
  • 51% of individual homeless veterans have disabilities
  • 50% have serious mental illness
  • 70% have substance abuse problems
  • 51% are white males, compared to 38% of non-veterans
  • 50% are age 51 or older, compared to 19% non-veterans
  • “In addition to the complex set of factors influencing all homelessness – extreme shortage of affordable housing, livable income and access to health care – a large number of displaced and at-risk veterans live with lingering effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse, which are compounded by a lack of family and social support networks. Additionally, military occupations and training are not always transferable to the civilian workforce, placing some veterans at a disadvantage when competing for employment.”
  • “The most effective programs for homeless and at-risk veterans are community-based, nonprofit, “veterans helping veterans” groups. Programs that seem to work best feature transitional housing with the camaraderie of living in structured, substance-free environments with fellow veterans who are succeeding at bettering themselves.”

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans

Random

Net Neutrality in the Library

Link | Posted on by elemonated

Net Neutrality in the Library

“One of the big questions that gets left unasked in the debate between Silicon Valley and the big ISPs is the bigger issue about how this affects the public interest and public institutions. This has not been addressed in the debate on net neutrality through the years: What are the costs to public libraries, to state colleges, to K-12 schools, to local governments and other not-for-profit organizations that provide significant public services?”

I’ve always had computer and internet connection (perks of having parents who do computers for a living) but the number or my peers and kids both older and younger than me over the years using the computers in the library and at school to succeed in my fairly wealthy school district would probably be surprising if I weren’t so used to it. Not everyone has a computer; not everyone can afford one. As the article mentions, letting corporations essentially privatize internet service means it’s that much more difficult for public institutions to serve their public on a passable level.

Now, one large argument against what’s covered in the article is “Well obviously they’re going to exclude public orgs..”

Okay. And so what happens when the public catches on that it’s easier to go on the internet at their school or their library? Overcrowding. These places will have to either suffer or have to find the money somehow to expand their servers. Eventually everyone, unless they pay a premium, will have to get used to subpar service or else not use one of the greatest informational pools ever created. Not to mention that there are a ton of different ways to break or get around proxy servers and staff can’t catch all of them right now as it is.

Psychology

Children and Lying

Link | Posted on by elemonated

Children and Lying

140515_KIDS_LyingI like the picture Slate used :3

My favorite parts of this article are the fact that they say not to ask your kid if you know for sure they did a misdeed so as to not let them choose to lie, but instead immediately confront them with the appropriate punishment on hand. I absolutely agree that the misdeed and the lying have to be treated as two separate things. They even touched upon tact and the difference between honesty and obnoxiousness; something some “older kids” need to learn 🙂

Frankly

Posted on by elemonated

I probably shouldn’t even give him this scant amount of attention.

It’s just a poke after all. He didn’t even request to be connected again or message me or anything since winter. Which I still think he shouldn’t have done. No way would I have let him stay in my house after last time.

But I want him to leave my life entirely. It bothers me, and it’s never bothered me before, that he knows where I live. I don’t think he’d do anything dangerous or rash or anything, but I just don’t want to see him. I don’t like that he could come see me and I couldn’t do anything about it.

I’m glad he moved. I’m glad in a few days I’ll only be living at my house for part of the week.

I want to tell someone but I don’t even know what I’d say. No one reads this really, and then I won’t have to figure out how to explain myself somehow.

Hey. We’re not friends. I blocked you. Don’t talk to me again. I want to forget you exist. Not out of anger or spite, I just want to. If you ever liked or respected me at all, do the same for me.