Anonymous #OpMentalHealth

We're proud of efforts by people such as Ian's to help out families in Minnesota. This is what we mean when we say that efforts don't necessarily have to cost *you* financially. You CAN be an organizer and simply develop the plan of who you're going to help, in whatever way and get things rolling.

Really excellent article from Matthew Green that everyone should read. With so many age verification laws coming into effect, there needs to be some sort of verification system that doesn't blatantly wreck the user's privacy.

It's well known that these states are rather hostile to LGBTQIA+ persons, with laws put in to make life even more difficult for them. That hatred of trans in these states, combines with racism to make things even worse, particularly for black trans women. 😢

Many alleged suicides of Black trans women are in fact modern-day lynchings, report finds Jill Collen Jefferson, the founder of JULIAN, explains what happens when a transgender woman’s death is ruled a suicide and a community calls it something else.

This is NOT surprising to us at all given the states investigated for this report. Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama have all had pretty horrible support and laws to help transgender people. What they HAVE had a lot of is hatred and intolerance. 👇🧵

Hatred against women has been on the rise again the past few years. With that inevitably comes violence against them, typically from partners. Shelter spaces to accommodate them is usually lacking, with many people turned away due to lack of space. 😢

Canadian Legacy Project HavenPoint Health to Launch Program Canadian Legacy Project and HavenPoint Health to launch Sister Strength, a mental health program designed for Canadian women veterans.

While the US shows a lack of respect and concern towards many of it's female veterans, Canada is stepping up. A new program being launched, will focus on getting their female vets the #MentalHealth help and support they need.

If you think this is worth sponsoring and are able to do so here is the #0n1ydan5 @refugecharity.bsky.social fundraiser link

www.justgiving.com/page/0n1ydan5

#runningpunks #ukrunchat #marathon #running #marathontraining #londonmarathon #brightonmarathon

Stand With Minnesota Stand With Minnesota is a hub for supporting, learning, and taking action to support Minnesotans impacted by ICE and federal enforcement.

Our little standwithminnesota.com team staved off multiple evictions today. I’m so proud of us. And the stories are so heartbreaking, and there’s still so much need.

If you can help, I’ll get it directly where it needs to go.

V: @Ian-Coldwater
CA: $iancoldwater
PP: @coldwater

We keep us safe 💛

US-Israeli strike on girls' school kills at least 85 students, Iran's judiciary says At least 85 students have been killed in US-Israeli strikes that hit an Iranian girls' school in Hormozgan province, Iran's judiciary said on Saturday. Washington has not commented on the reported str...

The day that we'd hoped would never come, ended up being what we woke up to today. Already US/Israel have apparently hit 2 schools, killing approx 50+ young girls, wounding dozens more people. Neighboring countries will recognize that they're likely next on the menu. This will be very bad. 😢

We're all getting so sick and tired of this shit, targeting good people because of some hateful assholes. 😡

You can tell she was stumped and didn't know the correct response. Her voice changed, lots of "ummm, ahhh", rapid eye blinking, her description was scattered.

When someone tells me their family member has "tried everything" b/c they've been to rehab multiple times, I ask if they were evaluated for a co-occurring mental health disorder. Failure to treat such conditions is a common reason for substance use recovery struggles. #addiction #recoveryposse

Hoping for a good recovery. 🫂

So, we ended up doing a fairly long post about this last night. A lot of people are working in groups with other activists, and they should know what this is, and how to spot it.

i know the situation in kansas right now is dangerous and terrifying. that said, i'm hoping to speak to someone who's had their license invalidated. i will do absolutely everything to protect your anonymity and maintain your safety.

i can be reached securely via signal at marisakabas.04

Take whatever steps you need to in order to reduce the risk of burnout. Activism is not a 50 yard dash, it's a marathon and you need to pace yourself. It's OK to take a time out and look after yourself, there's plenty of others of us, to step in and pick it up for a bit while you do that. 🫂

The best bet is find your people. They don't necessarily have to be activists, just whoever you can trust to discuss the issues with freely without judgement. Get secured messaging (like Signal) chat support groups going and agree to one group simply being a chill zone for supporting one another. 🧵👇

How to be emotionally supportive: Use active listening, give validation, avoid judgement, skip the advice, authenticity over perfection, build them up, support their solutions, check back in.

Realize that in activism, especially the deeper into it you get, this is crucial. A person who breaks from burnout, can end up with serious mental health issues. That can then turn them into a OpSec risk for everyone else in the group. We each have an obligation to our tasks, and to one another. 🧵👇

Cartoon drawing of a cup. On the front is written: "You can't pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first".

We'll send private DMs when we recognize one who might be hitting that point and encourage them to take a breather, focus on themselves for a week or whatever, before returning. In cases where the person refuses to even acknowledge they're having a problem, we WILL remove them from chat groups. 🧵👇

This way, if YOU don't recognize it, someone else will and they'll let you know if they become concerned that you may need a time out and some self care. A number of my groups do this, we'll honestly TELL someone straight up, "hey you're reaching a breaking point and you need to gtfo for awhile". 🧵👇

We mentioned the need to honestly evaluate ourselves and our situation. This is something which needs to be done on a regular basis and we can also rely on other activists to help. Find yourself a circle of people who will be honest and TELL YOU when they feel as though you need to take a break. 🧵👇

Self care check-in: How are you feeling? What are your needs today? What are you grateful for? Take 1 minute to breathe and ground yourself. What do you want to accomplish today?

Practicing good self awareness and self care is critical in doing activism. We need to remain focused and be strong enough to handle all the horrors we fight. Setting up a schedule can greatly help with this and allotting time for self care should be on that schedule. 🧵👇

40 self care ideas: Physical: Exercise, dance, yoga, walking, quality sleep, drink enough water, eat healthy foods, take a long bath, get a massage, breathing exercises. Mental: Listen to mu sic, try a new experience, read a book or novel, declutter your wardrobe, avoid toxic people/places, explore your creativity, meditate, watch a good movie/tv show, sing in the shower, create a to-do list. Emotonal: Journal, say positive things, learn to say no, celebrate your wins, practice gratitude, laugh, practice foregiveness, express how you feel, help someone else, let go of negativity. Social: Take a social media break, catch up with friends, meet new people, try a digital abstinance, be around like-minded people, avoid negative energies, organize a friendly dinner, join a support group, participate in an event, say something nice to someone.

The first step in preventing burnout, is being aware of our potential for experiencing it. This requires self honesty and the recognition that we're not super human and indestructible. With this, we need to acknowledge that balance is the key here, and we should have a plan for how to sustain it. 🧵👇

Activist Action Series! Activism and Preventing Burnout #OpMentalHealth - Feminist Global Resistance Feminist Global Resistance Activist Action Series! Activism and Preventing Burnout #OpMentalHealth

As activists, we constantly run with a high level of empathy. We're aware of the plights of others and feel compassion towards them, wanting to help in whatever way we can. However, that drive can also lead us down a dark path into burnout that can take a long time to recover from. 🧵👇

Signs of Burnout: What It Is, How It Feels and How To Recover Though burnout is often associated with job stress, it can affect many areas of your life, including your health. A psychologist explains how to recognize burnout and take steps toward recovery.

Some people experience burnout from work, being a caregiver to family, or other situations that can cause stress. Fighting the problems of the world as an activist, can absolutely be one of those other situations. We need to recognize the symptoms of burnout, and evaluate honestly. 🧵👇

Signs of burnout can include: Headaches and muscle tension. Feeling helpless and drained. Neglecting self care. Endless anxiety and feeling overwhelmed. Negativity, irritability and unexplained tension. Overly tired, inconsistent sleeping patterns, insomnia. Isolation, blunted/distant emotions. Feeling numb or apathetic about life.

In the US Trump's term isn't even half way through, fascism is rising globally, human rights are being violated with ease. We know many of you are fighting this with all you've got, whatever way you possibly can. To win the fights, we need everyone at their best. This is a thread about burnout 🔥. 🧵👇

elmo is holding a pirate flag with a skull and crossbones design Alt: Elmo is holding a pirate flag with a skull and crossbones design. His left hand is a silver hook and flames are shooting up behind him.

Arrrggh, matey!

This paper linked in the OP, has some really great insight, especially for friends/family/loved ones of those who are battling addiction. The more we can understand about the various aspects of addiction, the better we can help support those people in our lives who are experiencing it.