Alright, the start of a long-term thread for protecting your mental health. #1 fact: it doesn't matter how tough you are, how you feel rn, what your past experiences are. You ARE accumulating trauma and this shit is going to stay with you the rest of your life. Take it seriously.

If you dont feel emotionally affected by the past month, you are in a dangerous space. Your emotions are being blocked off subconsciously and it is going to crash down on you one way or another - through burnout, depression, OR violent outbursts. Protect yourself & your comrades.

Going to post more specific coping mechanisms for different responses, but here's a handy visual for identifying how you are responding this constant stress and risk of violence/death

Here is something I saw and saved a little bit ago - some really great tools to identify and respond to a decent array of stress responses

P2

As decentralized as we are, we depend on everyone to take responsibility for their limits. If you can only be out a few days a week, then don't try and exceed that- or you might be out for good.

If you do hit a crash and burnout, I have something to say youre gonna hate. You need at LEAST one full week off. No images or streams, no *live* updates. Once you hit that point, there's no rest&rally. You need to heal. The more you try and resist it, the longer it will take.

(Ps all sources on this are either shown in image or shit i learned from my therapist)

Going to offer in-the-moment regulating tips for what you might experience while on the ground. The ones I thought of were anger, panic, grief, and void/shock. Has anyone experienced other emotions they would like advice for regulating? #defendpdx #pdxprotest #portlandprotests

Preamble for SR (stress responses): if you have volatile reactions on the ground (including less obvious ones like shock/grief), have a buddy that knows how to reground you. I have one because I know my hopelessness will make me act rashly out of a need to do SOMETHING.

For any SR, recognize that what is happening is your body trying to protect you. Your emotion is strong and real, but it is not situational. It is your body hitting the big red ALERT button. You cannot stifle it, it must be regulated through skills that lower ur body's distress.

Last preamble, as a result of this you are going to need to deliberately think with evidence, not emotion. Remind yourself of what you know is true and flag anything that MIGHT be true. You will need to learn to question reactions and remember what you knew before this moment.

If you tend to panic, as we ARE in a dangerous situation you should have someone w/ you to say if you do need to split or not. If your pulse is racing, breathe is short, and you're extremely jumpy while the lines are all strong, have a spot that's quiet and covered to retreat to.

Find out if physical contact centers you or worsens your panic. Make sure people know and if you find yourself w/o your group, prepare yourself to repeat that fact. Have a self-soothing mantra that you repeat to block out unhelpful thoughts. Notice if others are afraid or calm.

Some example mantras:
- counted breathes
- "I am with community"
- "This is normal, this will pass"
- "I have survived, I will survive"
- "I am stronger than I think"
Learn if you are helped by being grounded in current risk or by being comforted.

If you are panicking because something you or another is attacked- have a plan with your people and have it drilled into your head. If you are being helped, ONLY pay attention to those helping you. Listen, look, feel. Your mantras at this time are the safety tips we've learned.

Hold onto someone and let them take care of your position while you manage your panic. That's all I can really advice without going on forever because people's panic responses are so varied. So! Onto paranoia.

Paranoia is also a difficult area because, well, we ARE in danger. The best way I know to handle paranoia is w/ external checks. Ideal is another person you can double check with and straight up ask - "hey do they look suspicious?" "Do you think they were trying to distract us?"

Panic mantras & breathing are also helpful for paranoia. Imagine you're a detective (lol) and need evidence. If you don't have objective hard facts and theyre not actively doing anything, let security know and move on. Stick around ppl you trust or a quiet place.

Paranoia when you are out of the field... phew that's its own thread. I'll add that to the list.