Even when our eyes are closed

“I think a lot about what makes a strong female character. You...

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:04:02 -0500

“I think a lot about what makes a strong female character. You know, movies and TV shows, these things have influence, my own website. So I think the question of “What makes a strong female character?”, often goes misinterpreted. And instead we get these two-dimensional superwomen, who maybe have one quality that’s played up a lot. Like, you know, a Catwoman type, or she plays her sexuality up a lot and it’s seen as power. But they’re not strong characters who happen to be female, they’re completely flat and they’re basically cardboard characters.
The problem with this is that then people expect women to be that easy to understand, and women are mad at themselves for not being that simple. When in actuality, women are complicated. Women are multifaceted. Not because women are crazy, but because people are crazy. And women happen to be people!”

-Tavi Gevinson for TEDTalks [x]

The Writers Helpers: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:35:52 -0500

The Writers Helpers: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder:

howdoesmewrite:

Also called “PTSD” and, formerly, “shell-shock”

What is it?

PTSD is a mental disorder resulting from a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, abuse, and seeing combat. While fear is a natural response to an alarming or uncontrollable situation, PTSD is fear even when that situation has stopped or been resolved.

Who gets it?

PTSD affects people of every race, age, and societal standing, but not everyone exposed to a traumatic situation contracts it. You are more likely to develop PTSD if you have a history of mental illness, few family and friends, watch someone else get hurt or killed during the event, disapprove of your actions during the event, and/or deal with extra stress afterwards like the loss of a job. Conversely, people who have a large support network and/or approve of their actions during the event.

What are the symptoms?

Re-experiencing Symptoms

Having uncontrollable flashbacks to the traumatic event

Bad dreams

Uncontrollable negative or frightening thoughts (other than those about the event)

Avoidance Symptoms

Staying away from place, objects, or situations that remind you of the event (for example, someone in a plane crash might refuse to fly)

Feeling emotionally numb, strong guilt, depression, and chronic worry

Hopelessness about the future

Trouble concentrating

Hyper-arousal Symptoms

Being easily startled

Feeling tense or edgy

Having difficulty sleeping and/or angry outbursts

What are the symptoms in children?

Very young children (>5 years old) temporarily forget how to talk, wet the bed, and/or attach themselves excessively to a parent or guardian. They may become extremely nervous or unreasonable if the parent/guardian is not present. Children (6-12 years old) act out the scary event during playtime, have nightmares, have difficulty making or keeping friends, and/or become more aggressive and edgy. Teenagers experience mostly the same symptoms as adults. They sometimes seek revenge for those they believe responsible.

When do the symptoms appear?

The symptoms of PTSD can occur immediately or months after the event.

What treatment is available?

There are two main types: psychotherapy (“talking” therapy) and medication. Psychotherapy attempts to remove the fear from the situation by re-experiencing it or talking about it. One method is exposure therapy, where the person is slowly acclimatized to stimuli that remind them of the event. Another is cognitive therapy, where the therapist and patient work to construct a rational reconstruction of the event (especially effective with people who feel guilt or shame about the event). The last common form of psychotherapy is teaching people how to calm their anxiety and fear; treating the emotions associated rather than attempting to puzzle through the event.

Zoloft and Paxil are the two medications most commonly prescribed to PTSD sufferers. They are anti-depressants, and come with the associated side effects (suicidal thoughts, nausea, agitation, reduced sex drive). Most people choose a combination of medication and counseling.

How do I help someone else with PTSD?

Firstly, make sure they get the right diagnosis and treatment. Make sure they are safe and do not think about self-harm or suicide, which happens frequently in PTSD sufferers. Other than that, avoid talking about anything relating to the event, unless they bring it up first. If they do, listen to what they need to say. Offer continuous support and never give up on them. Having a friend or family member with PTSD can be extremely stressful for you. They weren’t the person you knew before. Instead, they’re more irritable, isolated, frightened, and angry. You may want to build a support group around the person or find a counselor or confidant for yourself if you feel stressed.

buffyverse meme | character centric episodes → blood ties

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:07:21 -0500

buffyverse meme | character centric episodes → blood ties

Photo

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:39:22 -0500

sonicboomerang: to save you, i could do anything tokka month...

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:10:56 -0500

sonicboomerang:

to save you, i could do anything

tokka month 2012 :: day 5 (promise)

{the official blog for tokka month can be found here}

♔

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:42:55 -0500

♔

noseinabook: LGBT books for teens

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:34:09 -0500

noseinabook:

LGBT books for teens

I think I’m gonna orient myself more towards reading about SJ than participating in...

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:32:51 -0500

I think I’m gonna orient myself more towards reading about SJ than participating in discussions about it on here. Things get…messy. Especially when you involve fandom. And I just need to become more self-aware before I write about it.

'White backlash' revealed at Scotland Yard

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:14:57 -0500

'White backlash' revealed at Scotland Yard:

sugahwaatah:

tooyoungforthelivingdead:

thisweekinpoliceviolence:

tipsforradicals:

SCOTLAND Yard is experiencing a “white backlash” from its own officers who are furious at the time “wasted” on diversity issues, a shocking internal Met Police report has found.

A worrying complacency about race has seeped into all echelons of the Metropolitan Police, the report says, adding that the lessons from the Macpherson inquiry into the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence in 1993 risk being forgotten.

The Met’s Diversity Heath Check report found many officers believe “white, heterosexual males were being passed over for promotion” and that there is a “growing antagonism towards diversity” in the force.

In terrifying and unsurprising news…

“Growing antagonism towards diversity” is a truly remarkable rebranding of “racism.”

ahaha, yes!

The UK everyone. white het men are being passed up for promotion but the police is mostly white het men.

Photo

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:46:24 -0500

Parent: Why don't you come socialize with the family?

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:45:43 -0500

Parent: Why don't you come socialize with the family?
Me: *sits with family*
Me: *gets insulted by entire family*
Me: *goes back to bedroom*

You can leave Rosewood, but Rosewood never leaves you.

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:31:25 -0500

You can leave Rosewood, but Rosewood never leaves you.

Angel Beats! SSS Members // Ooyama

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:18:01 -0500

Angel Beats! SSS Members // Ooyama

twigwise: elksy: elksy: elksy: i think there’s like a fucking owl right outside my window i...

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:11:35 -0500

twigwise:

elksy:

elksy:

elksy:

i think there’s like a fucking owl right outside my window

i opened my window and wow thats a lot of owls

THESE ARE NOT NORMAL OWL SOUNDS

I THINK OWLS ARE HAVING SEX OUTSIDE MY WINDOW

You’ve ignored your Hogwarts letter for far too long. They’re resorting to drastic measures.

Rose,before I go,I just want to tell you,you were fantastic....

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:49:54 -0500

Rose,before I go,I just want to tell you,you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.And you know what?So was I.

watermel0n-smile: he just accepts it, not even surprised by it....

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:42:41 -0500

watermel0n-smile:

he just accepts it, not even surprised by it. must happen all the time

shadowrawrs: strawberrydaydreams: do you ever hate someone so much but you don’t even have a valid...

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:36:36 -0500

shadowrawrs:

strawberrydaydreams:

do you ever hate someone so much but you don’t even have a valid reason

you’re just like

no

And then they give you a reason and its like

"Trans men are MEN. Not special edition sparkly vampire fluffy unicorn womyn-space-compatible..."

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:21:27 -0500

“Trans men are MEN. Not special edition sparkly vampire fluffy unicorn womyn-space-compatible men-lite. It is utterly, utterly, utterly fucked up to even suggest that they should be allowed in womens’ spaces, especially at the expense of trans women.”

- freedominwickedness (via kiriamaya)

My point with misogyny in slash is I think there isn't as much as the detractors make it out as, but that could also depend on the fandom: I've heard that some, like Hetalia, are awful about it. I only occasionally see it with my FMA ships, and it grinds my gears (god the worst are those post-FMAB Royed fics where Ed and Winry get a divorce. She's always flanderized over the wrench thing). The worst is usually just them having Ed get oversensitive (to an OOC degree) about being "like a girl"

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:18:00 -0500

It definitely varies depending on the fandom. The FMA fandom is also prone, in the past, to getting misogynistic over straight ships—see what I understand to be infamous Rose/Ed/Winry wars.

The SPN fandom can be pretty bad about it, but most of their misogyny seems less about shipping and more about “I don’t like this female villain and I am going to be a hypocrite by loving all the male villains and hating the female ones.” Which is basically what happens :l

The fandom I consider to be the worst about misogyny in a slash faction….Naruto, maybe? Though they also have shit wars between straight ships where they hate on female characters who’re “not good enough” or “in the way” and I see it on my dash despite not following that many Naruto blogs.

IMO misogyny is not so much a slash fandom problem as it is a fandom problem in general because people act this way independently of shipping.

xriverxamv: giftoki: Soul Eater - Ending 01 "Meisters" yes....

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:53:34 -0500

xriverxamv:

giftoki:
Soul Eater - Ending 01 "Meisters"
yes. just yes.