#ptsd representation

[cripplecharacters]

Hello! I hope you guys are having a good day :) [Smiley face]

I'm writing a story and one of the main characters has CPTSD, and I had a few questions about it. I think I might have CPTSD but I'm not able to get evaluated right now.

I know you say we can do whatever we want when writing about our own conditions, but since I'm not actually diagnosed I wanted to double check things.

Relevent character info: She's been in therapy on-and-off for about 5 years (she had a therapist, stopped seeing him because she moved, and then started seeing a new one) and her trauma revolves around being abused/neglected as a child, witnessing violence, and having assassins sent after her.

Question 1

If she's been in therapy for a years and has a very good therapist, would it make sense that she's able to better deal with stressful/traumatic situations when they come up? Like, being more "resiliant" to being triggered I guess?

For example, she ends up having to work with a group of people, and initially she worries that they might be assassins that were sent after her, but she later realizes that they're not.

Would it make sense for her to not be as hypervigilant/wary around them after realizing this, and more willing to get to know them, and slowly sharing more information about herself as time goes on? Especially if they're also telling her about their past and showing her that she can trust them?

I know that trauma and triggers aren't exactly "logical" sometimes (like being scared of something even though you know it's harmless) so I don't want it to come off as "Well she was scared but then she realized she was being silly so now she's fine lol!"

Should I maybe have her mention to one of them something like "Yeah if I met you guys years ago I would have refused to trust any of you, but therapy really helped me with my issues"?

Question 2

This is sort of related to question one.

I've read that one big thing that determines whether or not someone is traumatized by something/develops PTSD is whether or not they recieve adequate support after the traumatizing event.

So for example, if someone is in a car accident and then they recieve a lot of support from friends/family/therapists, they'll be less likely to develop PTSD VS someone who is in a car accident and then given no support.

In the story, there's a lot of bad things going on. But this time, instead of only having one or two friends to help comfort her, she has a very good therapist and large support network who are there for her.

Would this help prevent her from being further traumatized or making her symptoms worse?

Question 4

Is there a specific order in which symptoms get "fixed"? Like for example, if someone has nightmares, flashbacks, and hypervigilance, would it be possible that their nightmares and flashbacks are less of a problem after treatment, but they're still hypervigilant?

She generally doesn't have issues with nightmares or flashbacks unless extremely stressed or triggered by something specific, but she still has emotional regulation issues (quick to fly off the handle and get mad) and she's quite wary and hypervigilant, especially around people she's doesn't know.

I just wanted to make sure that that behavior makes sense.

She used to be very quiet and people please-y but after therapy she started standing up for herself more, and now she sort of went in the other direction. So instead of just taking everything quietly, she's quick to speak her mind and she's not afraid to defend herself.

Question 5

During the story, she ends up falling in love with one of the people she had to work with, and they start dating about a month after meeting.

I don't want to fall into the "The power of love cures mental illness and now they're all better" trope, so I want to make sure that I show her having occasional symptoms even though she's been doing really well in therapy.

I know it's kind of hard to say since healing doesn't really work on a scale of "0% healed, having a bad time" to "100% healed, no symptoms" but for someone who's been in therapy for years, how often would she still experience symptoms, and what would they be?

I was thinking of showing that she's mostly okay, but still having the occasional nightmare, intrusive thought, flashback, etc.

Hello!

Before I get into the specific questions you have, I just want to give a general disclaimer about PTSD/C-PTSD.

Trauma and trauma disorders are very complex and vary greatly from person to person. The diagnoses for both PTSD and C-PTSD are fairly new (PTSD was only added to the DSM in 1980 and C-PTSD has not yet been added) and the effect that trauma has on the brain is still yet to be fully understood.

I'm speaking from both my own experiences and my own knowledge on the topic as well as some additional research to ensure my information is up-to-date.

Throughout the post, I do mostly refer to PTSD instead of C-PTSD. This is because C-PTSD is generally considered to be a sub-type of PTSD so what I'm describing will generally apply to both. Though there are differences between C-PTSD and PTSD, there isn't exactly a single, commonly agreed upon list of them.

In general, C-PTSD is believed to stem from long-term, repeated/chronic trauma (especially when the brain is still developing) while PTSD comes from a singular event or several separate events. Of course, because C-PTSD isn't in the DSM yet, there are many people who have been diagnosed with PTSD but may better fit the label of C-PTSD.

Personally, I was diagnosed with PTSD as well as a several other trauma-based/trauma-related disorders. My psychologist believes that C-PTSD would be more fitting for what I'm experiencing but, because it's not commonly used in my area, deferred to PTSD.

Interestingly enough, C-PTSD is often mistakenly called "childhood PTSD" because it's most frequently seen in victims of childhood abuse/trauma.

Question 1

Although it doesn't work for everyone, having a good therapist and attending therapy sessions regularly can certainly have a positive effect on trauma and PTSD in general.

Some of the main things that therapists can do include:

Helping your character to recognize when they are becoming triggered.

Helping your character to pinpoint some of the situations that may trigger them.

Working with your character to develop strategies for dealing with their triggers and the feelings that they bring up.

Working with your character to open up about and process their trauma.

Being a safe person to vent to.

Helping your character to navigate difficult situations that arise and helping them to separate their rational thoughts/beliefs on the situation from their initial, trauma-based responses*.

*As an example: A character with trauma from an abusive relationship has a big fight with their new partner. Their first instinct might be to pack their things and leave before their partner gets the chance to hurt them. A therapist can help them recognize that their current partner has never behaved aggressively towards them and identify the ways that this situation is different from their past relationship (They have a stronger support system, they're in therapy, they live in a place with different views on abuse, etc.). With trauma, the past and present often end up blurred -- especially when the present starts to mirror the past -- and it can be difficult to separate the two without help. A therapist can provide this help.

While these things may not make your character immune or even more resilient to being triggered, they can help your character manage it and navigate the situation when it does happen.

Considering the example you gave, I think it could work but there are some other things to consider here:

Why does she originally suspect them of being assassins? Is this something that she suspects all new people of or did they do something specific to trigger the belief? For example, maybe the assassins she encountered tried to poison her and the new people keep offering her food.

How long does it take her to realize that they aren't assassins? What kind of thought process does she go through during this time? Did she speak with her therapist during this time? What does her therapist have to say about it?

What made her realize they aren't assassins? Was it something logical (For example: She uncovers information that proves they aren't assassins) or is it more emotional in nature (For example: She makes a connection with them/bonds with them and starts to trust them)? Are her doubts completely assuaged with this or is she still a bit suspicious in the back of her mind -- even sub-consciously?

It would make sense for her to grow more trusting and open with them as time goes on but, from a PTSD standpoint, trust alone doesn't really have much of an effect on hypervigilance.

Being wary and being hypervigilant are two very different things. The way I usually describe it to people is that wariness is more conscious -- hypervigilance isn't. Even when I'm with somebody I trust, I'll still flinch when they come up behind me unexpectedly -- even if I know it's them. It's a physical response, not something that I can necessarily turn off.

Although your character's wariness may be assuaged, their hypervigilance wouldn't necessarily be something that is eased by trust.

While I do think that having her mention her therapy journey is a good idea (especially considering the fact that there's still a stigma around therapy), I wouldn't rely on it to get your point across about her trauma and trust issues not being an immediate fix.

Instead, I'd encourage you to show how it's a longer process:

Maybe she still has some lingering suspicions/doubts about them on a sub-conscious level and has to mentally talk herself out of them ("You've known these people a long time. They're making coffee for everyone, not just you so the likelihood that they're trying to poison you specifically is low."). While trauma isn't necessarily logical, using logic against these kinds of thoughts can be helpful.

Maybe she still has a physical reaction to something that triggers her. For example, she goes into the kitchen and one of her new coworkers turns around with a knife in their hand from where they'd been cutting food and she stumbles back/gasps because she isn't prepared for it. Not every trigger has to result in a major flashback -- being triggered can just look like your body going "wait a second, I've been in this situation before and it's not safe. Let's take a few steps back until we know it's safe".

If the story is in first person, I'd encourage you to explore her thoughts on the new people, both at the beginning when she distrusts them and later on when she begins to trust them more.

You could also show how she uses some of the tools she's learned in therapy such as self-regulation techniques like grounding exercises or controlled breathing or even just recognizing when she's getting triggered and doing something about it. Depending on what kind of person she is, this could look like her making an excuse to be alone for a moment ("I'm just going to run to the washroom quickly.") or speaking up about her situation ("Just... give me a minute, okay?" or "Wait. I need a second.").

I'd advise against having her explicitly state what is happening ("I'm getting triggered right now." or "I'm starting to have a panic attack.") for a few reasons:

The first being that -- for the most part -- people don't naturally speak like that, especially not when they're already stressed out. A lot of the time, it's not always evident what exactly is happening. The beginning of a panic attack can feel a lot like a spike of anxiety or an increase in hypervigilance.

The other big thing is that words like "triggered", "panic attack", and other mental health-related terms have a history of misuse behind them (Ex: People using "triggered" to mean offended, people using "OCD" to mean neat/organized, etc.). As a result, you run the risk of giving your readers the wrong impression when using them in this context -- especially in dialogue.

One other thing I'll mention is to keep in mind that changing therapists can be very stressful and set your character back a few steps, especially since they have to build that relationship with their therapist again. Keep that in mind when you consider the timeline for these events. If she has just changed therapists, she may not be comfortable enough approaching them about this yet.

Question 2

We don't yet know what specifically causes somebody to develop PTSD. In a broad sense, it's a traumatic event but there are so many different factors at play that can determine whether or not somebody is traumatized, develops PTSD, or develops another trauma-based disorder.

You are right that the level of support somebody gets after a traumatic incident can have an impact -- but there are so many other factors too such as:

The event itself including the duration, the type of incident, their involvement in it (as a witness, a victim, a rescuer, etc.), etc.

Their age and brain development. A child who witnessed somebody's death but was too young to really understand what was happening would have a vastly different experience than an adult who was fully aware of it. Something to keep in mind, however, is that while children were generally considered to be more resilient to trauma than adults, that isn't necessarily true*.

The specific individual -- including their personality, resilience, past experiences/history, pre-existing disabilities and other conditions, etc.

Their experiences during the trauma. There's a common misconception that people develop PTSD only when they don't believe help is coming (for example, being stuck in a car accident in the middle of nowhere). This isn't exactly true but it can have an effect.

Now, on to your actual question: That depends.

Along with the factors mentioned above, their current situation should also be considered. If they're on a series of busy missions and don't have the time to actually process their trauma, they'll have a harder time with healing than they would if they were able to take it easy and process things at their own pace.

While her therapist and support system can absolutely help her manage the more recent trauma, her past experiences in therapy and the skills/tools she's learned can also benefit her -- both in the traumatic moment and after the fact.

In short: Yes, it could make sense that she's more resilient to this new experience than she was to her original trauma.

*There's a great book by Bruce Perry (the child psychologist) that talks about this. It's called The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog and it's a heavy read but a good one.

Question 4

Something that's important to remember about PTSD and C-PTSD is that the trauma can never be fully "fixed" or healed.

Trauma -- especially complex and long-term trauma -- has lasting effects on a person's brain. It changes the way we think, the way we approach new situations, the way we deal with stress. Some types of trauma can even have an impact on the way our kid's brains develop [Link].

While therapies, medication, and support can make a difference and cause symptoms to lessen (or disappear entirely), the trauma will still have lasting effects.

In terms of the order that symptoms get resolved, this is something that varies so greatly from person-to-person that I can't give you an actual answer.

The other thing is that healing from anything (especially something as messy and complex as trauma) isn't as straightforward as it seems. Even with the proper treatment, symptoms don't just decrease steadily or in order.

You may have heard the phrase "progress isn't linear" before. This is very applicable to PTSD and C-PTSD. There will always be setbacks or stumbles or relapses. You can go for years without having a flashback or nightmare and then one day be triggered enough for it to happen. You're still healing, it's just not a straight path.

In your character's case, it could absolutely make sense for her symptoms to lessen at different rates. That said, I'd be wary about portraying it as a straightforward path.

Although recovery is complicated and it's normal to relapse/stumble/have a setback, it's frequently portrayed as a straightforward path and characters rarely experience these setbacks -- which is very discouraging when you're actually recovering from trauma.

Question 5

You might be getting sick of me saying this by now but: ✨it depends!✨

The experience you described (with her occasional nightmares/flashbacks/etc.) is one possibility but it's definitely not the only one.

Somebody can be in therapy for just as long and still experience the same amount of symptoms they did when they first started. Likewise, somebody can have that same experience (with the occasional nightmares/flashbacks/etc.) after only being in therapy for a couple months.

It is important to remember that therapy doesn't get rid of symptoms -- it just helps you process them and teaches you how to cope with them. In some cases, this can cause a decrease in symptoms (for example, talking about an experience can help you process it and decrease the amount of nightmares you have about it) but it doesn't directly get rid of symptoms.

Also worth noting is that therapy doesn't work for everybody and that there are so many other ways of managing PTSD and trauma in general. Some people benefit more from medication (usually anti-anxiety meds or antidepressants) or other types of therapy (such as eye-movement or narrative therapies).

Of course, there are also people that cope with their trauma in ways that aren't generally considered "healthy" such as substance use, risk-taking behaviours, self-harm, etc.

Although therapy is becoming more popular and more openly talked about, I think it's important to acknowledge that there's not just one "right" way to healing from, coping with, and processing trauma.

Cheers,

~ Mod Icarus

[alienated-arts]

“We need strong female characters!” “We need better PTSD representation!” You couldn’t even handle Korra

[niceandaccurategoodomensanalysis]

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Dealing with trauma in Good Omens: how the Fall affected Crowley

One of the most interesting aspects of the Good Omens series is the psychological characterisation of the leads.

Let us take a look at Crowley's development and how the traumas he has experienced have made him the demon he is today.

DISCLAIMER

This post is about painful experiences and the different ways you can react to them. This may affect you in particular and be difficult or stressful to deal with.

In order to illustrate the importance of the (little) physical contact between our two favourites, we first need to understand what is stirring inside them and preventing them from accepting the feelings they have for each other.

I want to talk about Crowley in particular.

We know his story: at the beginning of S2, we find him beaming and smiling, an angel about to launch the magnificent machine he helped design and is so proud of, a nebula, or as he calls it, "a star factory". Very different from the demon we came to know and love in S1, shadowy, lanky, perpetually worried and in a hurry.

In between, as we know, is his fall and 6000 years on Earth, with only the (occasional) company of Aziraphale and, more recently, his plants. Of the various unpleasant events that Crowley will experience, only a few can truly be called traumas, and they irreversibly change his personality and the way he reacts to his environment and the people around him (including our favourite angel). Let us therefore explain in detail what a trauma is, what types of trauma there are and what the consequences are for those who experience them.

WHAT IS TRAUMA?

In psychology, trauma is defined not as an event in itself, but as its consequence. The event that triggers it is called a traumatic event and has one characteristic above all others: it is strong, it is big, it is perceived as too big and too strong. Any event can potentially be a trauma. It is a stress of enormous severity, it surpasses all the experiences we go through in our daily lives, it makes us feel powerless, vulnerable, small, it often brings us suddenly into contact with death. The world is no longer the safe place it used to be.

VICTIMS OR BYSTANDERS

Trauma is not necessarily caused by an event we experience first hand, quite the opposite. Traumas are classified according to our degree of participation in the event that triggers them:

_episodes experienced in first person; _episodes experienced as a spectator at the time of the event; _episodes experienced as a bystander, but at a time after they happened (e.g. rescuer); _events that were not witnessed (e.g. we are told of the death of a loved one).

DEFENCE MECHANISMS

In response to a traumatic event, the mind tries to react and make sense of what has happened. This can lead to the experience of one or more symptoms, resulting in what is known as post-traumatic stress syndrome.

A person can relive the trauma, either mentally or physically, whenever an image, a memory, a smell can take them back there in their mind. These are called 'triggers' and can be completely unpredictable. This is why traumatised people sometimes abuse alcohol or other substances to numb themselves and escape these painful feelings.

People may not remember what really happened, or they may construct a different version of the facts. They experience many different feelings, including a sense of shame or responsibility, as if they are to blame for what has happened. Emotional dissociation and desensitisation may occur, where one feels nothing and feels empty, distant, cold, or on the contrary, outbursts of intense emotions such as anger may come out of nowhere, seemingly unjustified, but in fact due to the trauma still firmly rooted in the person. Panic attacks, violent and sudden, or a constant state of anxiety may occur during waking or sleeping hours, even leading to chronic insomnia. Often those who have experienced trauma live in a state of constant vigilance and worry, trying to regain a minimum of control over their environment. In order to prevent the unpleasant events from happening again, many people do everything they can to distance themselves from people or situations that might trigger them or even bring the trauma back.

However, once one manages to overcome trauma and build a new identity, one can also experience profound benefits: many children and young people who suffer trauma can learn to see the world through different eyes, developing deep empathy and an ability to understand the emotions and needs of others. A personal growth that might not have been possible otherwise.

CROWLEY'S TRAUMAS

Let us therefore go into the details of our series. On the basis of what we are shown, three potentially traumatic events can be identified for Crowley, and of these we as viewers directly witness only one.

Crowley is constantly worried about something and always has Plan B at his disposal. In his attempt to maintain control over his reality, he always runs for cover as soon as something is about to ruin the ‘fragile existence’ he has built for himself on Earth. This constant fear is the driving force behind the events of both seasons: the fear of the Apocalypse will lead him to devise a plan to stop it; the fear that Gabriel will give him trouble will lead him to suggest dumping him as far away from Soho as possible; the fear that Aziraphale will be erased from the Book of Life will bring him back to the bookstore to him and, in addition to giving us the epic apology dance scene, will prompt him to perform together with Aziraphale a ‘small, infinitesimal half-miracle’ to hide Gabriel from Heaven and Hell. In between, we are shown the habit of drinking inordinate amounts of alcohol in response to any unpleasant event. Crowley definitely drinks to forget.

THE FALL

When the series begins, Crowley has already fallen. We only know him as a demon, we only know his new name (which he later changes) and his non-anthropomorphic traits: he is the serpent who tempted Eve to eat the apple. In our eyes, Crowley is cynical, realistic, not very respectful of Aziraphale (he immediately begins to mock him because he no longer has with him the sword of fire that was given to him to protect the East Gate of the Garden of Eden), and very amused by his embarrassment. He also seems confident. But as soon as it starts to rain, the first rain ever to fall on Earth, Crowley immediately seeks shelter, finding it under Aziraphale's welcoming wing (note the very sweet parallel with S2E1, where it is he who shelters Aziraphale from the meteor shower).

When Crowley mentions the fall, he is always very vague about its causes: he mentions bad friendships, constant questions, a casual walk downstairs. Neil himself tells us that Crowley may not be the most reliable narrator when it comes to his fall. Crowley tries as hard as he can not to remember what happened, and every time the conversation turns to it, he deflects and changes the subject. At the beginning of S2 we learn of his discouragement at the ineffable grand plan and the fact that the nebula he was so proud of could be dismantled after only 6,000 years. The fall begins there, as doubt creeps into him and he begins to question everything he has always believed in. This is shown to us in the scene with the progressive greying of his wings (as confirmed by Neil himself). The fall, like many childhood traumas, is accompanied by a loss of innocence, and our dear Crowley goes from being a dreamy, enthusiastic creature with fluffy curls and sonorous squeaks to a gloomy, ragged, dirty creature with two big yellow eyes that he will always hide behind dark lenses. Accompanied by a straight dive into a pool of boiling sulphur.

Crowley does manage to come to terms with what he has been through: a thousand years after the Fall, we find him in a better state of mind, witness to the construction of Noah's Ark, indignant at the killing of innocent children and animals; a little while later, he is at the centre of a series of actions detrimental to Job, yet instead of simply carrying out all the orders he has been given (and with which he does not agree), he finds an excuse to avoid carrying them out. Crowley begins to react to what he has suffered and stops being a passive part of the situation: regaining a sense of control over events is the first step in building a new identity after the trauma.

THE TORTURE

Fast forward a few millennia and we are in 19th century Edinburgh. Crowley has just openly violated the demons' code of conduct by preventing a man from taking his own life. His pretence with laudanum is of no avail: suddenly the earth swallows him up and he disappears screaming. Aziraphale writes in his diary that he will not hear from him again for a while.

Again, we do not know what happens, but we can assume that our favourite demon suffers some harsh, presumably physical, punishment: torture.

All we know is that a few years later he meets Aziraphale and asks him to help him get 'a way out': some holy water. When the angel dismissively refuses, Crowley manages to get it himself, organising the theft in the church and thus coming into contact with a young Sergeant Shadwell, as we see in S2E3.

Again, our demon immediately tries to run for cover to avoid being found out in the open again. The rush to plan B is an expression of his constant fear, his feeling of being constantly under attack. Crowley can never let go, he can never let his guard down, because at the slightest misstep, punishment looms. He is unable to show himself for who he really is, a creature who, in spite of everything, is good and kind. The Fall has given him the opportunity to grow up and pay more attention to the world and those who live in it, in an attempt to take the focus off himself: Crowley knows exactly what Aziraphale likes and dislikes, and rushes to his aid when something is wrong. Crowley is able to put himself in the human's shoes and tries to spare them as much suffering and stress as possible. He is happy to help Maggie and Nina fall in love because, in his words, "she was crying and you needed saving". Out of his suffering has come a new personality, perhaps less cheerful, but certainly more empathetic and caring.

THE THREAT

The third traumatic event involves Crowley as an indirect party: when in the finale of S1, in the guise of Aziraphale, he is threatened with burning in hellfire and sees Gabriel's cruelty, he is angry and upset, so much so that he lashes out at Gabriel/Jim in S2, even though the latter has no memory and is completely unaware of what has happened. The power of this event lies in the fact that Crowley knows full well that it should have been Aziraphale who was threatened and abused, and he is literally there as a bystander.

Crowley is incapable of being truly cruel and mean, especially to those he knows to be as innocent and pure of heart as his beloved angel. When the cruelty of Aziraphale's superiors, their inability to feel compassion or to distinguish between right and wrong, is thrown in his face, Crowley reacts as he has learned to do, detached from the situation, losing interest in what is happening to him: he does not react when he is thrown out of his apartment, he simply sleeps in his car with his beloved plants; he lets the events roll over him and tries to let time pass; he pretends nothing has happened and licks his wounds. As soon as a threat looms on the horizon, however, he is ready to react: Crowley is ever vigilant, and apathy was only apparent.

More infos at:

Psychological trauma - Wikipedia Elevated empathy in adults following childhood trauma | PLOS ONE

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[franticvampirereads]

I loved getting to see more of Derek and Baz! They are some of my favorite characters from this series. Getting to see them struggle through some of their most stressful and challenging moments and also some of their happiest, had me in tears. The heartache, the angst, the joy, all of it made this book for me. Last Minute Walk-In is getting a solid five stars.

[maslorzech]

I really, really hate when characters who are supposed to be "mental illness representation" are just soulless check list for said disorder from dsm-5 without any personality, without trying to make character be trully individual, with their own unique way living with said mental condition

I see it very often in fanfics that want to focus and dive deep into characters struggles, but instead it makes them so ooc, so dull and one-dimentional personification of wikipedia article about disorder they're supposed have. Its even worse, when authors completely disregards character's gender/social background/individual circumstances, which sometimes results like teenage girl abused by her parents manifesting ptsd symptomps in the same way as vietnam war veteran from 90s movie or something like that

You should do research, and care about accurately portraying your characters struggles, but don't forget to actually... make them a real character

[uzi-x33]

THIS. THANK YOU.

it’s “we need more ptsd rep!!!” until it’s atsushi nakajima.

i’ve seen so many takes where people have called his flashbacks annoying or repetitive and it makes me SO UPSET. it’s almost like he’s severely traumatized, what did you expect???

i personally think he and the portrayal of his trauma were written extremely well, considering ptsd can be a constant thing.

anyway i love atsushi and he deserves all the love and happiness in the world 😁

[atlasrewrites]

"mi media naranja" (literally: "my half-orange") to mean "my husband" or "my wife" etc.

since no two oranges are identical, each half-orange only has one possible match. in this view, "media naranja" isn't just one's mate, but also their perfect match, something of a soulmate.

and now i stand on the precipice of understanding the world i was born into and the double edged knife of love. hand on my heart with love. hand on my heart with rage.

and now thoughts are all i have left and they're episodic and they toss and toss and turn in my skull

a half orange: when you open a bruise big enough to hide in are you allowed to believe for a second you're not bruising? when you stand in the rain and greet winter could you pretend that you don't tremble like a tree with no roots to keep it steady? when you spit out the salve of shame and realize it is buried in the heart of you and is sputtering, is it too late to ask it to move somewhere else? when the connotations of rain and war are suddenly one and the same and you cannot hear the thundering anymore without two hands to your ears, what then?

a half orange: i ask november to go easy on me. i ask it to realize how far this skin has carried me even under the subtext of self wounding.

every winter i have to gurgle and spit out what it means to be marked

my home can't hold me anymore because my home can't hold itself anymore because an entire nation spat acid at "home" and chose to look away

i'm dizzied and writing this with shaky hands

a half orange: my flesh is too heavy with a past i can't remember clearly so i try to tear it off of me. i have never been able to accept someone saying i love you without turning it over in my head. what does it mean? what does it mean? my heart is a lake people jump into and make ripples that go on and on and on

and then they forget to get out. now i have people lodged into my throat like bodies in water

do you think bones feel longing worse than the heart? do you think that something can haunt you without you haunting it back? do you think that i've lost the narrative completely?

"mi media naranja" i say - and quieten the war with the half orange that is me.

[lizanneyoung97]

BOOK REVIEW: THE OHANA COLLEGE BY MEGAN REINKING

⭐⭐⭐⭐

TROPES

Grumpy/Sunshine

PTSD Representation

Dual POV

I feel like in most of the books I read where the FMC is fresh off a break up, they aren’t necessarily wallowing, but they are going about their usual routine, just trying to find their new groove. I love that this wasn’t the case for Mia, who decided to go on the trip she’s always wanted to. It very much gives off the energy that she’s taking control of her own life and doing what she wants, which is great. 

I love that Mia was so willing to try and do everything new on her trip. I’m the kind of person that likes vacations where I see and do things I wouldn’t be able to do in other places, like visit particular museums or go to national parks, and I see that in Mia. She had such a great attitude about it all, even when the fishing trip didn’t go exactly how she planned, and it helped the reader both enjoy the trip through her eyes and root for her happy ending.

I appreciate that this story was told through both POVs. Seeing everything through John’s eyes, especially as he comes to terms with his own feelings, was an important development because we needed to understand both why Mia was a source of comfort and why it was so difficult to open up to her. Maybe I’m just a sucker for a dual POV, but I think it was necessary here. 

[not-aurii]

I absolutely adore how ATLA deals with disabilities.

I know we all love to talk about how great of a disability rep Toph is, but we should really be talking more about Teo (the boy in a wheelchair the gaang meets in the Northern Air Temple)

Teo, just like Toph, has his disability be both something that hinders him in some way, but also something that gives him an advantage/ different view on some points - in Teo's case, him being the only one with "an airbender spirit".

But there's something that Teo has that Toph doesn't, and that is a properly supportive father.

Teo has a dad who went above and beyond to give him not a "cure", but accommodations, which was what he truly needed. There's nothing wrong with the fact that he can't walk, nothing to be "cured". No one even brings up the possibility of him walking again, no one asks about it because it was not relevant at all. He is disabled and has proper accommodations and a great support system, and a very good life!

Teo is such an amazing disability rep because the fact that he needs mobility aids is not viewed as an inconvenience or a bother - his dad, and literally everyone around him, are more than willing to accommodate his needs, it's not even a question. And that's how it should be for every disability, in and out of fiction.

[irenetherogue]

First GIF I've ever made. It's of myself. If you liked it, plz tap buttons so I know you want me to make more gifs like this

[cripplecharacters]

Hi, writer here!

I don't have any disabilities myself, but a character I'm working with does (a man with erbs palsy), and he's the antagonist. I didn't realize that giving villains disabilities was a trope, but he's always had this disability since he came in my head, and I think it would be wrong to remove it. The main character also has a disability (PTSD), and I was wondering if this... cancels out? I want to make sure I'm not furthering the weird prementioned trope.

Thanks a ton!

Hello!

There's a lot to consider here.

For one thing, it can't exactly "cancel out" because it doesn't really work like that. Disabilities aren't one size fits all. They're different and when it comes to representation, each one comes with its own history of stereotyping, ableist tropes, and social context that needs to be considered.

With this in mind, there are some MAJOR differences between a character with PTSD and a character that has a physical, visible disability -- especially something like Erb's palsy that causes visible differences in their body.

Characters with visible disabilities (and especially those whose disabilities cause visible differences in their body) are almost always portrayed as the villains in their stories. Think of characters like Freddy Krueger (Nightmare on Elm Street), Dr. Poison (Wonder Woman), and most Bond villains.

I don't think I've ever seen a character like this in any role but the villain.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of characters with PTSD who have other roles. Tony Stark (Iron Man) is a hero, Judd Ryder (911 Lonestar) is one of the main protagonists, several characters from the Hunger Games. While I'm sure that are villains with PTSD as well, they're far fewer.

There's also the issue of how villains with PTSD are portrayed versus those with visible disabilities. Many 'villains' with PTSD (Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Jason Todd/Red Hood, etc.) are portrayed as characters that have been through a lot and need healing/love. They usually get a redemption arc.

On the other side of this, visibly disabled villains don't get that. They're portrayed as simply needing to be stopped.

I have... a lot more to say on this subject but the point here is that no, it doesn't "cancel out". If your disabled character is problematic or ableist in some way (which I can't say based on what info is included here), that isn't something that can just be magically fixed by throwing in a character with PTSD.

There are a few things you can do to make some improvements to your concept, though.

First, I'd suggest checking out some of our posts on writing disabled villains. You can find most of them in the pinned post or by looking through the #villains with disabilities tag.

They have a lot of good advice that you might find beneficial.

If you'd like to send another ask with more specific information on your character after you've done that, then we can help with workshopping them.

Cheers,

~ Mod Icarus

[ghost-bxrd]

Love what they are doing now with Wayne Family Adventures.

Bruce is being a jerk, but unlike mainstream, the narrative is definitely not on his side.

He gets called out on it, and it's made clear he is overreacting due to his own messed up mindset.

Yup! And they’re making absolutely clear the readers know that Bruce’s actions (and assholery) are because he’s terrified for his kids. Not because he’s “got no time for teenage rebellion” or the I-dont-need-a-son-i-need-an-obedient-soldier shtick

Yes he’s being a jerk about it, but honestly I’m not sure I would handle the situation much better after trying to get the most important people in my life out of the line of fire only to have them show up at literally every location of interest 😭😂 like, that man is stressed 🤣

[apparentlyhuman]

Would your younger self be proud of what you've become?

[mysecret02]

Hello lovelies!

Happy Prid- I mean Men's Mental Health Month!

I know I am kinda late but I really wanted I am sure that such a well-known and celebrated thing which is totally being talked about would mean fictional character would get the recognition too, right? Right?

I mean I am sure nobody forgot about Dick's episodes of hallucinations and and how he was a victim of sexual assault, right?

I am also sure nobody thinks Jason's sudden mood shifts and childhood issues are just being swept under the rug, right?

Oh and Tim's broken personality and parentification are also being talked about, right?

And we know about Bruce's inability to get over his parents' murder and his need to take in orphanes but not learning to be the parent who puts their child first, right?

We talk about Alfred's emotional detachment and boundary crossings tendencies, right?

We talk about how Duke needed to continue living without ever getting closure, right?

We talk about Roy's drug problems and how hard it is to raise a little girl as a single dad, right?

Do we talk about Clark's need to fit in in a place that was never built for him and it will never get better?

Do we talk about the Steve and Bucky being suddenly dropped into another century and how they supposed to just run with it?

Do we talk about Wade and the voices and what it's like living with a narration and inner criticism without an off button?

Do we talk about Mark, Steven and Jake and how it feels to be a system, how it feels to live as a multiple?

Do we really talk about these men and their issues or are they just fanfic Ideas?

All jokes aside: These are just a few examples, but I could talk about this topic for days. I find it really unfair how we don't see more of these things. Nowadays it's getting better but I still feel the stigmatization. Without talking about it it won't get better. I know it's shameful because the past generations had treated mental health issues as something evil and something that needed to end. But there are things that don't end, things that stay doesn't matter what you want and you need to learn how to live with it. There's prejudice because there isn't enough information out there. There aren't many people that wear their issues like battle scars because these scars won't stop bleeding sometimes. I hope that in the future with more recognition we can get more help for everyone. Only one character, just one representation can give hope to a lot of people, I wish that we'd have it.

[local-redhead-bookworm]

I need to talk about Fizzarolli a little bit

I love him so much. He’s such a dynamic and multifaceted character, but he means so much to me as a disabled person myself. He’s a quadruple amputee in a loving committed relationship and regularly engages in extremely kinky sex. He’s so important considering we as a society are still getting past the idea that disabled people are inherently non-sexual beings. He’s also got PTSD from the event that caused his disability. And Asmodeus showers him in constant love and support! He never makes Fizz feel inadequate for being disabled or not being at his best! He loves Fizzy even on his bad days!

I just. Man, as a disabled person I felt so seen by Fizzarolli and “Crooked” makes me tear up every time.

[urfavcrime]

dsmp is still SO insane to me. still not completely convinced it wasn't a social experiment. it is something that can never be replicated again due to the really specific circumstances that attributed to it's creation and popularity