Today is not one of those chair dancing days. News came out that another of the DC Capitol Police Officers has taken their own life. That is two gone to suicide and another died after being beaten.
CNN Acting Metropolitan Police Chief Robert J. Contee told the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday that two police officers have died by suicide since responding to the riot at the Capitol on January 6, according to Contee's opening statement before the committee, which was obtained by CNN.
This is the first time the force has confirmed that two officers took their own lives after the attack.
"Tragically, two officers who were at the Capitol on January 6th, one each from the Capitol Police and MPD, took their own lives in the aftermath of that battle," Contee said in his statement.
Surviving trauma can suck for a while. Surviving it when there is betrayal involved is even worse. Trust in others has been lost. If the survivor needs to talk, which is vital to healing, they do not know who to trust.
If you know someone who seems to be hurting, let them know you are there for them...the shut up and listen to them. Give them whatever time they need while paying attention to them...and only them. Do not try to fix them by doing anything other than helping them know you are there for them.
I know this in my own life because all the times I survived, I had people I could talk to. They listened until I was done talking...and often it was days or weeks later. They were my family and knew nothing about psychology. I was able to feel safe and start to deal with it.
They gave lousy advice, but just be prepared for that, because all you need to know from them is, you matter to them. Trust will return but it will take time.
When I needed more help than they could give, I saw a therapist and it helped too!
Remember, it is your life...get in a drive it and if you know someone who needs help...get in and drive it to them!
#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD
Because of the two officers who died by suicide, this is for them.
Sarah McLachlan New "Angel" Video and PSA
The Pretenders - I'll Stand By You
Oh, why you look so sad?
Tears are in your eyes
Come on and come to me now
Don't be ashamed to cry
Let me see you through
'Cause I've seen the dark side too
When the night falls on you
You don't know what to do
Nothing you confess
Could make me love you less
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
So if you're mad, get mad
Don't hold it all inside
Come on and talk to me now
Hey, what you got to hide?
I get angry too
Well I'm a lot like you
When you're standing at the crossroads
And don't know which path to choose
Let me come along
'Cause even if you're wrong
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
Take me in, into your darkest hour
And I'll never desert you
I'll stand by you
And when
When the night falls on you, baby
You're feeling all alone
You won't be on your own
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
Take me in, into your darkest hour
And I'll never desert you
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
Take me in, into your darkest hour
And I'll never desert you
I'll stand by you
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Thomas Kelly / Christine Hynde / Billy Steinberg
I have been struggling with this one all day. I thought it would be good to do a message on forgiveness, especially after what happened last week in Washington when the Congress was attacked. After several attempts to do the video, I realized the Impeachment hearing yesterday troubled me more than I thought it did.
As I listened to some people defend the president, pretend it didn't happen, or say it was time to move on because he would be out of office next week, I was sick to my stomach. It was almost as if they were saying it was no big deal at all.
I was about to change the message of the day so that I could do a positive one, until it made more sense to just do it from where I am emotionally right now. After all, there are a lot of people going through the same thing and all of us will have to reach the point where we are able to forgive those who betrayed the rest of us. Considering that 53% thought he should be impeached, there are a lot of us.
We are seeing many of the images of the people online. Their anger was on full display, but so was their pride. One man who was carrying the Confederate flag, was arrested along with his son. The FBI found him because he went back to work and was bragging about what he did. That is something that most of them did...because they were proud of themselves. Will they be so proud when the next picture taken of them is their mugshot? Will they be so proud when they lose everything they built in their lives up until they decided to violate the People's House? How are they feeling right now as they face charges tide to insurrection after the president came out and condemned what they did, after he encouraged them to do it?
What will they do now that he no longer has any use for them? Who will they believe when he is no longer able to lie to them and betray the trust they placed in him to the point where they were willing to pay any price to serve him?
They will be arrested and charged and we will begin to heal, but the damage they did will change the way we look at each other for a long time.
If you are struggling with this, then, reach out to God for help to forgive them. I know that is what I will be doing because I do not want to allow what they did to hold any more place inside of me than it has already taken up.
O God Forgive Us
KING and COUNTRY
We've prayed the prayer with no reply
Words float off into the night
Couldn't cut our doubt with the sharpest knife
Oh, oh God forgive us
Silence isn't comfortable
We want drive through peace and instant hope
Our shallow faith it has left us broke
Oh, oh God forgive us
Oh, oh God forgive us
Enslaved to our uncertainty
Help us with our unbelief
Oh God forgive us
Young and old, black and white
We're rich and poor, there's no divide
Hear the mighty, hear the powerless, singing
Oh, oh God forgive us
Oh, oh God forgive us
Forgive us
Yes, we have ignored You
So busy doing Your work that we forgot that this was for You
Arms wide to our homeless Savior
But arms crossed to our homeless neighbor
On bended knee, unite us all
Set us free
With our white flag sailing in the night
Eyes pointed to the sky
Hand up and open wide, open wide
With our white flag sailing in the night
Eyes pointed to the sky
Hands up and open wide, open wide
With our white flag sailing in the night
Eyes pointed to the sky
Hand up and open wide, open wide
With our white flag sailing in the night
Eyes pointed to the sky
Hands up and open wide, open wide
With our white flag sailing in the night
Eyes pointed to the sky
Hand up and open wide, open wide
With our white flag sailing in the night
Eyes pointed to the sky
Hands up and open wide, open wide
Oh, oh God forgive us
Oh, oh God forgive us
Enslaved to our uncertainty
Help us with our unbelief
Oh God forgive us
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Mosley Seth David / Smallbone Joel David / Smallbone Luke James
America is in shock right now. Now is the time to take back your life before PTSD sets in. If you were in the Capitol on January 6th, you need the understanding and tools to help you heal.
The first step is to accept that you had no power over what others chose to do. You do have the power over what you do afterwards. You are no longer a victim of those hours...but you are a survivor of all of it!
(CNN) "As is the case with many traumatic events, it has taken some time for the reality to sink in. "I was in the crowd and didn't realize how bad it was until a day or two after," reporter Richard Hall of The Independent, a British newspaper, tweeted Saturday."
"Only later did it become clear that lawmakers feared for their lives; that some of the attackers were hunting for congressional leaders; that there could have been a massacre."
Shock will remain for a while as you process what happened. Returning to that building, will turn your stomach. As you come closer to it, it will get stronger. Walking up the steps will feel as if you are carrying a thousand pound weight on your feet. Walking down the halls will bring back haunting images of that day. Entering into the rooms you were in before it happened, will fuel a sense of dread. You will have emotional flashbacks. All of your senses will be taken over from then, so you will not feel anything but the way you felt that day.
Now is the time to take action before PTSD has a chance to take hold of your life.
Today on PTSD Patrol, there will be a special post and video about this.
When you enter this place, images will come back as you look around.
As you look at others you serve with, knowing they supported this, anger will try to overcome your sense of trust. It is one thing to be on political sides, and a much deeper level of division when they supported this. Remember, that you were not the only target, so were they.
The invaders were looking for the Vice President, chanting "Hang Mike Pence" while he was there to uphold his Constitutional duties.
Slowly the building will be repaired. Security will be tightened and you will begin to feel safer there. Those who attacked you, are being found and arrested. Considering the news crews were not the only ones filming them, but they provided their own evidence for convictions, they will begin to suffer the consequences for what they chose to do.
(VOX) Many participants willingly — and quite happily — posed for photos and videos at the scene, or boasted of their exploits on social media and verified livestream accounts during or shortly after the melee, even though many of their actions may well constitute serious crimes. Apparently believing they weren’t doing anything wrong, or that law enforcement wouldn’t go after them for their actions, the Trump supporters paraded in front of cameras wearing distinct (and thus easily recognizable) costumes and, in some cases, even ID badges.
But you will also suffer the consequences for what they chose to do too.
Nightmares, flashbacks, mood swings, paranoia and anger, will invade your days.
It can be difficult to talk to close family or friends after a traumatic event. You may not want to cause them any distress or may simply want some space to process it all. However, it is important to be around other people when you feel able to, as they can help with your recovery and wellbeing. You do not have to talk to them about the experience. If you don’t have anyone close by to talk to, you can contact one of the organisations below, who will be able to offer further help.
Look after yourself
It is important to look after your health and wellbeing. This can include taking a break or some time away to deal with your experience. You should also try and keep a healthy diet and stay away from drugs and alcohol, which can exacerbate the problem.
Do not expect people you know to understand if they were not there. Turn to those who were with you, experienced the same event because they will understand.
Honor your feelings, Do not think you are supposed to be stronger or better than "this" because you are only human. If you need to cry, then cry. If you are angry, then scream. Honor whatever you need to, so that you will be ready for healing.
Letting out the bad emotions you are feeling, allows the pain to flow out of you so that healing can enter into you. Understanding and accepting what you were powerless to do, will fuel what you are empowered to do.
This is not a contest. One among you may be suffering at a deeper level. Do not judge them because you will never know what else they have gone through before. Some may seem emotionally stronger than you, but that does not mean you are weaker in any sense. It very well could mean your emotional core is stronger and you felt it more. Just support each other and be there to listen for as long as they need to talk. You do the same for yourself.
As you support one another in healing, you heal together. Human nature dictates that helping is healing to the helper. Ask then for what you need and when you offer help, but they cannot express what they need from you, do what you would need from them.
The building will be restored step by step and so will you!
If the symptoms do not subside within 30 days, you may need more help to heal. Find a mental health expert who specializes in trauma.They are listed by state. It is imperative they understand the difference between trauma and other mental health conditions. They are treated differently because they are different. The only way to have PTSD strike is from trauma hitting you.
This is one of the first videos I did on PTSD for veterans.....
Why be afraid if you're not alone? Life is never easy, the rest is unknown. The song is by Gloria Estefan and the first time I heard it, all I could think about were the Vietnam veterans I spent so much time with including my husband. You are not alone fighting to heal PTSD just as you were not alone during combat.
The video for today has been delayed due to the events in Washington DC. Armed protestors stormed the US Capitol. One took to the place of honor and shouted TRUMP WON.
Others took down the American flag and put up the Trump flag.
This was incited by the president! This day will go down as the darkest day in our history because of what the president has done to this country!
UPDATE
Assault on democracy: Sen. Josh Hawley has blood on his hands in Capitol coup attempt
Kansas City Star
REPUBLICANS KNEW TRUMP’S FRAUD CLAIMS WERE BOGUS
Just before the putsch began, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said sadly that we need to once again work from an agreed upon set of facts. Only now has he noticed that lying to the public on a daily basis poisons democracy.
“People have taken this too far,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Fox News. Until he had to run for cover, McCarthy was fine with this sick stunt.
U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, a Republican from Kentucky, said in a statement, “Today’s events at the U.S. Capitol are tragic, outrageous, and devastating. They are wholly inconsistent with the values of our constitutional Republic.”
Yes, they are. But they are wholly consistent with Trump’s calls to overturn this election to address nonexistent fraud. And they are wholly predictable, given the willingness of most Republicans to repeat these baseless claims. read more here
Because of the two officers who died by suicide, this is for them.
