Week in Review 6 & 7 – Some things take a little more time
I started writing last week’s week in review and then things just kept on happening that needed a little more time and required a little more attention. That’s life; it happens. So this week’s week in review is a double feature.
Jeffry Stijn Foundation
Purpose Foundation
One of the things that took a little time was to formulate the purpose of the Foundation. After a brainstorm session with the Foundation’s council of sages, it was formulated as follows:
The purpose of the Jeffry Sijn Foundation for Mental Health and Patient Advocacy is to de-stigmatize poor mental health and mental illness and advocate for, support and develop practical solutions for problems related to mental health issues, especially in small communities with limited resources.
Informative Articles
Dr. Fleur has joined the Jeffry Stijn Foundation as its first (mental) health director. She will be adding on to existing articles to explain the physical side of mental illness. This will probably take a little time, because the research and medical studies related to mental illness are extensive and detailed. I’m also reaching out to neuro-scientists who will, hopefully, be able to explain how some things affect the brain specifically.
Other articles I’m currently writing also need more time and attention. I’m currently working on complex trauma articles such as generational trauma and racial trauma. Although I’ve already added some sources to most articles, these subjects deserve to be thoroughly researched and written. I’m lucky enough that there are people who are experts in the field willing to give feedback and input.
Basic information inter-related subjects
What’s also taken some time these past 2 weeks has been writing basic articles that initially don’t have a direct link to mental health and mental illness, but are part of things such as the underlying reasons for trauma, or things like misdiagnosis of mental illness due to differing norms in different societies. As I kept running into this while writing various articles for the Foundation, I put some of my articles related specifically to mental health on hold to write some basic posts and articles about human nature and human rights.
Waiting on information
Some articles are written, but require further information when it comes to the specific situation here in Aruba. And that takes time. I’m currently waiting on 5 organizations to supply specific information. Examples are Aruba’s Department of Health and the legislation concerning service- and emotional support animals. As well as Aruba’s national health insurance provider, UO AZV, and legislation concerning medical support products for disabilities.
Projects that need a little more time
Behind the scenes some projects are coming along nicely, but need to be fleshed out before their status will be announced. I expect two of them to be ready to be published soon. The first will deal with service- and emotional support animals in Aruba, specifically training and certification. The second will support trauma recovery through mediation in various layers of society. Stay tuned!
Personal Journey
When it comes to my personal journey in recovering from complex trauma I will need a lot more time. But there are a few opportunities on the horizon.
Writing about complex trauma recovery
Writing about (complex) trauma, mental illness and recovery through the Foundation helps me manage my symptoms. That its not gone unnoticed is a bonus. In that vein I will be joining the CPTSD Foundation as a guest contributor. Their vision is “to end the cycle of complex relational trauma by providing the safety, life skills, relational education, and reparative experiences a survivor needs so they can create new habits and experience optimum health in every area of life”. I look forward to helping realize that vision with my writing.
Learning more about (complex) trauma
I have spent the last four and a half years learning about (complex) trauma whenever I felt well enough. In that time I gathered a lot of sources and studies related to (complex) trauma. Sorting the gathered information and writing about it is teaching me things that I instinctively knew, but now have rational explanations for. This process is not easy. It’s confrontational and some things I would rather avoid thinking about or re-experiencing until I get assigned a therapist who can help me confront my personal complex traumas.
Learning about complex trauma is one thing. Dealing with complex trauma another.
(Complex) trauma recovery in Aruba
The thing that requires the most time is the lack of know-how and resources when it comes to complex trauma recovery in Aruba. In small communities with limited resources most mental health specialists whose services are covered by national health insurance are generalists with their own interests in specialized areas. On top of that the treatments offered generally work from the “what is wrong with you” point of view, not the “what has happened to you to make you this way” point of view.
Considering complex trauma lies at the root of a lot of mental health problems, it is difficult for me, and others like me, to understand why institutions like Respaldo do not offer more therapies that deal with the root problems of complex trauma before trying to help patients change what is wrong when it comes to their learned survival coping or defense mechanism.
When I inquired if there were any therapist who would be attending the 34TH ANNUAL BOSTON INTERNATIONAL TRAUMA CONFERENCE the reply was negative. Unless a mental health professional wants to attend, the need for the organization to attend is not considered. I am trying to raise the funds to attend virtually myself, and there are a few psychologists or student psychologists who are also trying to get their respective organizations to attend virtually.
Official Complaint Lack of Trauma Informed Care in Aruba
The handling of my official complaint when it comes to the availability of trauma informed care in Aruba is being handed off to outside complaint mediation. The Inspector for Public Health in Aruba has been informed of my complaint, and has been made aware that the term for the handling of the complaint will probably be exceeded. The term in Aruba for these kinds of complaints is 6 weeks, with an option to extend the term with another 4 weeks, for a total of 10 weeks. How long my complaint will take? I honestly do not know.
I do know there are a lot of other people with complex trauma histories who are waiting on available therapists. That they have not lodged official complaints as yet, does not mean that my specific complaint is unique or more complex. It just means that the problem is not yet seen as structural, rather than incidental.
Medical Treatment Abroad
After speaking to the medical treatment center abroad, there are a lot more things I need to arrange here in Aruba before starting medical treatment abroad. Things like getting Azula certified as a service dog and finding fitting accommodations in The Netherlands. Some of these things I cannot do independently. Accommodations are handled through a broker provided by the UO AZV. How to contact this broker is one of the questions I have yet to get an answer for. How to get Azula certified in Aruba is something I have been working on for nearly 6 months. Unfortunately I cannot get answers to that either.
Managing symptoms
When it comes to managing my symptoms these past weeks have been riddled with ups and downs. Figuring out that my agoraphobia is not a fear of panic attacks, but due to the realization of lack of safety within myself and the fear of inescapable situations, has been helpful. My agoraphobia has lessened. But it’s still there. It’s just easier to push away when really needed.
My hyper-vigilance is still constant. Choosing to minimize situations that trigger my hyper-vigilance to go into overdrive helps, but needing days to recover when I do decide to place myself in triggering situations still remains. I have no idea how to lessen this beyond what I have already learned.
Focusing on healthy relationships and avoiding toxic ones is also helping.
There’s nothing wrong with taking a little more time
All in all taking a little more time is what the Foundation and I both need to lay good foundations for the future. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
