Dr. Palwasha Ahad
@DrPAhad
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Ph.D. Psychology; Cognitive and Brain Sciences • Vegan • Introvert
California
Joined February 2012
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بورنموث
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There’s no future for Afghanistan without education.
Let Afghan Girls Learn 🥺❤️
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This is called SELECTIVE OUTRAGE. Where were mass protests over the last 20 yrs against:
indiscriminate airstrikes/drone strikes, death squads, night raids, torture, child prostitution, corruption, etc
The hypocrisy must be called out.
#Afghanistan
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Dr. Nakamura
Remember his name and contributions to the rehabilitation of our lands & dignity. He understood the significance of water rights & paid heavily with his life.
May there be many more Nakamuras for the motherland.
#Afghanistan
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We’re experiencing empathetic distress fatigue (actual pain & helplessness) from watching a genocide & ethnic cleansing unfold.
Transform your pain into action toward ending this genocide. Tap into the collective consciousness. 💔
#Gaza
#Gaza_Genocide
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The future of Afghanistan is bright. Peace is obtainable and healing from the trauma possible.
#Afghanistan
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There’s no future for Afghanistan without education.
Let Afghan Girls Learn 🥺❤️
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“They steal your bread
then give you a crumb of it
Then they demand you to thank them for their generosity…
O their audacity!”
- Ghassan Kanafani
#Afghanistan
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Kabul is my birthplace. I love her dearly.
It’s also home to millions of innocent Afghans who are exhausted, scared & have nowhere to run to.
This war is over.
It’s time to negotiate a peace settlement & hand over the capital in order to avoid further bloodshed.
#Afghanistan
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Dr. Nakamura
He dedicated his time and ultimately lost his life passionately working to rehabilitate the lands.
This is how I will remember him - amongst the people, humble and happiest.
#Afghanistan
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Spent a beautiful day teaching English to a room full of girls who for one reason or another can’t go to school. They were excited to learn and extremely intelligent. Imagine the potential...
#Afghanistan
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Beautiful to see democracy in action w/ marches for the Afghan flag.
It would’ve been nice to have seen the same elite show this much energy over the past 20 yrs against US airstrikes raining down on innocent civilians in villages.
There was nothing but silence.
#Afghanistan
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@Jairo_I_Funez
“Every empire, however, tells itself and the world that it is unlike all other empires, that its mission is not to plunder and control but to educate and liberate."
- Edward Said
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An economic chokehold is happening that will quickly plunge the country into a free fall. A large percentage of Afghans risk falling below the poverty line within a year.
The international community must unfreeze Afghan bank assets now.
This is inhumane.
#UnfreezeAfgMoney
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Afghans:
It’s ok to decline interviews. You don’t owe anyone a glimpse into your trauma for a quick sensational sound bite. It can be triggering to an already overwhelmed nervous system.
Protect your boundaries & put your mental health first.
#Afghanistan
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"The war will end, and leaders will shake hands.
That old woman will keep waiting for her martyred son.
And those children will keep waiting for their hero father.
I don't know who sold our homeland, but I saw who paid the price.”
-Darwish
#Afghanistan
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@Cobratate
Depression is very real & nothing to be ashamed about. We need to remove the stigma & shame attached to it & rather support one another.
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@HC_Richardson
@DineshDSouza
@KevinMKruse
How many academics is it going to take for
@DineshDSouza
to take the initiative to educate himself?
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Peace activists are still marching to the capital city of Kabul. A trek of nearly 700km. They’re not receiving nearly enough attention for this symbolic act demanding peace and an end to terrorism in Afghanistan.
#AfghanPeaceMarch
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This is stealing.
This is genocidal.
This is inhumane.
Where are the reparations for Afghans who suffered 20 yrs of drone strikes, night raids, torture sites & now a man-made humanitarian crisis as a parting gift?
Breaking News: President Biden is moving to split $7 billion in frozen Afghan central bank assets between 9/11 victims’ families and humanitarian aid in Afghanistan. The highly unusual set of moves is expected to be announced on Friday.
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This is a man made humanitarian crisis targeting a heavily aid-dependent country.
Millions of lives are literally hanging on by a thread w/ children dying of starvation.
Unfreeze bank assets before winter hits.
Fund aid agencies.
#UnfreezeAfgMoney
#Afghanistan
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Afghanistan now:
- 18 million Afghans are dependent on humanitarian aid
- 14 million are facing acute food insecurity
- 2 million children are at risk of malnutrition
(WFP report, Sep ‘21)
#UnfreezeAfgMoney
#Afghanistan
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Afghanistan deserved a peace settlement, a transitional government & a path towards reconciliation & healing. We were robbed of that
Right now, we’re facing a humanitarian crisis requiring immediate international assistance
Protect & support Afghan citizens
#Afghanistan
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There’s no future for Afghanistan without education.
Afghan girls deserve more than aid projects & pop up “secret” schools. They deserve curriculum, testing, adequate teachers & classrooms that nurture psychosocial development.
Let Afghan girls learn. Open the schools.
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I’m praying for all of my Afghan brothers & sisters. We have been victims of an unjust war.
Taliban leadership must ensure:
- peaceful transfer of power
- no fighting
- no entering of homes
- no revenge killings
- amnesty for all
It’s time to collectively heal.
#Afghanistan
❤️
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“… and if happiness should surprise you again, do not mention its previous betrayal. Enter into the happiness, and burst.”
- Darwish
#Afghanistan
#mentalhealth
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“My dream is to become a doctor so to serve my people and make my parents happy.”
Education is ingrained in our culture. No matter how hard the Taliban try to take that away.
#Afghanistan
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“I met this young girl at a camp in Kabul. As she glanced up, I smiled back down at her. Running off past makeshift houses, she gleefully laughed looking back at me. I’ll never forget her smile.”
-
@mustafa__bag
#Afghanistan
❤️
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I love Afghanistan. It’s my birthplace & the motherland
For that reason, I will continue to criticize any governing power in charge of her people
Dissenting opinions are healthy for any progressive society. Free speech extends to those we don’t always agree with
#Afghanistan
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Afghan girls will go to school.
Afghan women will go to universities.
This is their right. They will take it.
#Afghanistan
❤️
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Stop celebratory gunfire & posting war propaganda on tv.
Afghan children have been traumatized enough by war.
Whether it be in villages or the capital, kids have exhibited complex trauma that needs immediate assistance; not to be repeatedly triggered daily.
#Afghanistan
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Contrary to what the Pakistan ambassador states, one of the tenets of Pashtun culture is education. We have a very rich & old history that he should first read about before trying to describe without any basis or knowledge.
#Afghanistan
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Banning Afghan girls from secondary education amounts to psychological abuse.
Learning is an innate neurobiological process that can’t be contained.
Education is their right on their own land
No foreign entity can stop it
Let Afghan Girls Learn
Open The Schools
#Afghanistan
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We’re going to heal our next generation of Afghan children & silence transgenerational trauma, but that first requires a solution to the ever growing humanitarian crisis.
When you feel defeated, remember their smiles. Resilience is beautiful!
#Afghanistan
❤️
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My heart & prayers are with Afghan villagers. They continue to face indiscriminate airstrikes & ground operations without any protection or voice.
They’re not collateral damage.
They’re not terrorists.
Their lives matter.
NEGOTIATE A PEACE SETTLEMENT
#Afghanistan
❤️
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Airstrikes are raining down on heavily populated rural areas indiscriminately killing innocent civilians. Extremely barbaric & inhumane.
It’s hypocrisy to chant “Allahu Akbar” while cheering on B52s murdering innocent civilians.
NEGOTIATE A PEACE SETTLEMENT NOW
#Afghanistan
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I was born in Kabul but both my parents are from Nangarhar. The people and lands will always have my heart. It has a way of calling for you.
Peace is coming.
#Afghanistan
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Trauma isn’t just what you’ve experienced, but also what you’ve missed out on due to chronic stress, poverty & war. It ages you at a cellular level.
It’s time to heal transgenerational trauma.
#Afghanistan
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As Afghans, we must collectively come together to raise awareness & pressure the Taliban to lift the secondary education ban on Afghan girls.
Education is the right of every Afghan citizen. Open the schools.
#Afghanistan
#mentalhealth
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“Every empire, however, tells itself and the world that it is unlike all other empires, that its mission is not to plunder and control but to educate and liberate."
-Said
My heart is with my people. The victims of US imperialism.
#Afghanistan
❤️
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A reminder that secondary education is banned for girls in Afghanistan by the Taliban.
Education is a pillar of our rich culture. This is psychological abuse & a human rights violation.
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Happening now:
“97% of population could plunge into poverty by mid-2022.” -UNDP
“Half of kids under 5 expected to suffer from acute malnutrition.” -UNICEF
“International community must release funds they pledged weeks ago or impact could be irreversible.” -WFP
#Afghanistan
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I still believe this to be true. Peace is coming. No matter the hurdles she faces. Reconciliation is possible and societal trauma can be healed; together.
#Afghanistan
The future of Afghanistan is bright. Peace is obtainable and healing from the trauma possible.
#Afghanistan
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In a world where men seek power, status & money, Dr. Nakamura worked tirelessly for the dignity of Afghanistan’s lands, water & people.
May there be many more Nakamuras in our lifetime…
#NakamuraNeverDies
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“I rubbed the leaf of the orange in my hands
As I had been told to do
So that I could smell its scent
But before my hand could reach my nose
I had lost my home and become a refugee”
-Barghouti
NEGOTIATE A PEACE SETTLEMENT
#Afghanistan
❤️
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There’s no future for Afghanistan without education.
Let Afghan Girls Learn 🥺❤️
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@Cobratate
For anyone suffering w/ depression: you're not alone. Don't struggle in silence, build a support system & please seek help. Sending love!
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Senseless killing of Dr. Tetsu Nakamura and his team in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. He dedicated his time and ultimately lost his life passionately working to rehabilitate the lands.
This is how I will remember him - amongst the people, humble and happiest. 💔
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Never stop learning.
Keep your brain active, flexible & strong.
Don’t confuse degrees for intelligence.
We heal ourselves & others when we continue to seek knowledge, build critical thinking skills and work to enhance our emotional intelligence.
#Afghanistan
#education
❤️
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The appointment for Chancellor of Kabul University must be fixed.
Leading a university requires years of research, teaching & administrative experience.
This isn’t the way forward & an insult to higher education.
#Afghanistan
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Mass education in Afghanistan can’t happen until the economy is stabilized.
Poverty, stress & psychosocial trauma all interrupt neurological learning circuits.
End this MAN-MADE humanitarian crisis.
#Afghanistan
#UnfreezeAfgMoney
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Afghanistan has a mental health crisis. We’re dealing w multi generational trauma
There are no psychosocial services available. The gov’t must develop & support mental health services for all citizens. Let’s not leave this up to NGOs but instead implement policy
#Afghanistan
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Depression and suicidal ideations are real. Rid yourself of any shame. Instead, focus on healing and self love. You don't want to die. You want the pain to end. You're worth fighting for. So fight for yourself. Sending love...
#NationalSuicidePreventionDay
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Afghanistan has a liquidity issue which is pushing the country into a total economic collapse
Sociocultural progress can’t happen under a humanitarian crisis
Kids are dying
It’s time to stop punishing native Afghans who didn’t flee or plunder their country
#UnfreezeAfgMoney
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@Cobratate
Neurochemicals associated w/ mood regulation, appetite, sleep & concentration have been implicated in depression (abundance &/or deficiency)
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Afghanistan right now:
18 million Afghans are dependent on humanitarian aid
14 million are facing acute food insecurity
2 million children are at risk of malnutrition
(WFP report, Sep ‘21)
#UnfreezeAfgMoney
#Afghanistan
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Drug addicts must be treated w/compassion; not violence & public shaming
Addiction is a psychophysiological issue stemming from complex trauma; an attempt to escape emotional pain & gain self control
Create & implement policy for addiction treatment rehab centers
#Afghanistan
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What you need in order to maintain a healthy relationship.
1. Respect
2. Honesty
3. Trust
4. Accountability
5. Safety
6. Support
7. Cooperation
Above all, uninhibited unconditional LOVE.
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Afghanistan desperately needs an influx of:
-mental health workers
-trauma specialists
-addiction treatment specialists
-educators trained in emergency interventions for war ravaged countries
Let’s push for a peace settlement to end this war so we can heal.
#Afghanistan
❤️
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There’s absolutely no counter argument to the secondary education ban against Afghan girls. This is psychologically traumatizing for a vulnerable nation that endured decades of systemic violence & atrocities.
Education is at the root of Afghan culture.
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Habits that nourish the brain & body:
Drink water
Exercise
Meditate
Clean eating
Sleep
Smile
Eye contact
Human touch
Deep conversations
Nature walks
Gratitude journal
Reading
Vulnerability
Laughter
Dancing
Writing
Disconnecting from sensory noise ❤️
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Afghanistan needs an influx of:
-mental health workers
-trauma specialists
-addiction treatment specialists
-educators trained in emergency interventions for war ravaged countries
None of this can happen under a man-made humanitarian crisis punishing civilians
#Mentalhealth
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School children walking home. All I wanted was a hug but they were too fast for me to catch. Adorable smiles and giggles.
#Afghanistan
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It’s a violation of fundamental human rights to deny access to secondary schools to Afghan girls.
Reverse this policy immediately.
#Afghanistan
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Afghan girls deserve more than aid projects & pop up “secret” schools. They deserve curriculum, testing, adequate teachers & classrooms that nurture psychosocial development.
Open the schools.
Stop traumatizing children.
#Afghanistan
#mentalhealth
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We should show some humility & finally listen to the Afghan people who have suffered from decades of terrorism, poverty, displacement & trauma. They’ve been dehumanized & reduced to collateral damage for too long
Let them decide
Convene a loya jirga
#Afghanistan
#LoyaJirgaNow
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There are millions of Afghan girls in Afghanistan who aren’t leaving & are just as deserving of high quality education.
These are future doctors, engineers, scientists…
Open the schools.
Let Afghan girls learn.
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@Cobratate
Neurochemical imbalances affect our mental health as the brain goes unchecked w/o supervision. Thus healing the brain is a top priority.
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Never underestimate the healing power of sitting around with a cup of green tea. While mental health services are nonexistent in Afghanistan, group therapy can still happen when we open up and listen to one another’s shared psychological pain.
#kabul
#mentalhealth
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LAUGHING
Enhances mood, social bonds, intimacy & lessens one’s emotional response to stress. Activates brain areas involved in cognitive, emotional, motor & social functioning.
Make peace. End the trauma. Let us have a chance at healing our children.
#Afghanistan
❤️
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“Every western politician who has given Israel impunity and unlimited moral and military support, has the blood of these massacred children on their hands”
-A British-Palestinian doctor at the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza
#PalestineGenocide
#Gazagenocide
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Study tips based on research: 1. Read through chapter passively w/o taking any notes 2. Read chapter again underlining sentences that summarize key points 3. Read chapter again in depth adding notes/trigger words on the side. 4. Verbally lecture chapter to yourself.
#education
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Unfreeze the assets. This is inhumane.
“They steal your bread
then give you a crumb of it
Then they demand you to thank them for their generosity…
O their audacity!”
#UnfreezeAfgMoney
#Afghanistan
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“It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor.”
- Mandela
OPEN THE SCHOOLS
STOP TRAUMATIZING AFGHAN CHILDREN
#Afghanistan
#mentalhealth
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I’ve taught women dressed like this at American universities & would never question who held autonomy over their bodies.
A woman’s agency (capacity to act independently & make free choices) is a complex topic that I hope gets discussed w sensitivity & nuance.
#Afghanistan
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Education is one of the most effective components to the economic & social development of a country.
To ban Afghan girls from going to school is both psychological & socioeconomic warfare.
Let Afghan girls learn.
Open the schools.
#Afghanistan
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Mental health needs to be nurtured on a daily basis. Some tips:
1. Eat clean
2. Sleep well
3. Physical exercise daily
4. Mindful meditation daily
5. Enjoy your own company
6. Learn to control your thoughts
7. Learn to block out negative energies
#WorldMentalHealthDay
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This is how Afghan women are being treated for protesting against the Taliban’s cowardly ban barring women from higher education.
Let the Taliban never speak of ghairat, culture or religion again.
#Afghanistan
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Reading is a form of self care. Reading for pleasure can potentially impact:
-mindfulness, concentration, focus, imagination, creativity, optimism, happiness, positive emotions, respiratory & cardiovascular functioning (breathing & heart rate function).
📷 • unknown
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Giving Afghan women “honorary degrees” does nothing for their quality of life. It puts a band aid on the issues of patriarchy & misogyny. Instead, offer scholarships, funding & guidance so they can obtain advanced degrees from competitive universities abroad. That’s change.
#AFG
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I’m giving students the week off from assignments to focus on self care. Please think of ways you can offer something similar. Science can wait a week! 😉
#AcademicChatter
#AcademicTwitter
#phdchat
#mentalhealth
#anxiety
#depression
#STEM
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Tips for down days when you feel suicidal:
1. Get out of the house asap
2. Don't be alone
3. Calm your system (deep breathing/meditation)
4. Exercise
5. Put on happy music
6. Watch and/or listen to something funny
7. Seek professional help
8. Call your person
#depression
#suicide
My whole feed rn is all ppl who loved Brody. I knew Brody, but not as well as I know depression, and I can guess that Brody knew how much he was loved, and by how many people, and it still didn’t stop him. Depression is a fucking killer. Don’t ever underestimate it. Get help now.
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It’s an atrocity for women protestors & journalists to be beaten & whipped by Taliban.
Freedom of expression is a hallmark of any healthy society. We’re continuing the cycle of traumatizing an already traumatized people.
Neither in Afghan culture nor Islam is this permitted.
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Daily reminder that the Taliban banned girls from secondary education; essentially turning the lights off on an entire gender.
There will be long term psychological ramifications for this human rights abuse.
#Afghanistan
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DEPRESSION
-sleep issues
-loss of appetite
-loss of interest
-low energy
-social isolation
-mood swings
-thoughts of suicide
FOCUS ON BASICS
sleep, food, exercise
CREATE ROUTINE
short bursts of work + “me time”
SOCIAL STIMULATION
laugh, talk, dance,smile
LIMIT SOCIAL MEDIA ❤️
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Afghanistan could be a hub of academic excellence leading the way in science & technology.
Instead of banning secondary education for girls, we should be working to develop both the education & higher education sectors.
Let Afghan girls learn.
Open the schools.
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Afghanistan has a mental health crisis quickly spiraling out of control. Four decades of armed conflict have torn at the sociocultural fabric of our country causing multi generation trauma.
Negotiate a peace settlement. Let us heal.
#Afghanistan
#AfghanPeaceProcess
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Witness the psychological trauma exhibited on countless Palestinian children. His tiny brain & body can’t handle what he’s endured. And yet they lecture us on morality.
#Palestine
#Gaza
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The psychological harm in banning secondary education for girls is immeasurable & unforgivable. What a shameful act.
Let Afghan girls learn. Open the schools.
#Afghanistan
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Rather than take a picture of a traumatized child, I wish one of those men standing around had grabbed her and given her comfort. She’s not a photo op to make a political point. These kids are growing up without any psychological help.
#Afghanistan
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POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER
startle responses, nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, survivor’s guilt, mood swings, social isolation, low self esteem, fear, lack of interest, self harm, depression
NEGOTIATE A PEACE SETTLEMENT
LET US HEAL
#Afghanistan
📸 theafghan | Instagram
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To ban secondary education for Afghan girls is a form of psychological warfare. Violations of human rights always begins with the most vulnerable. Pay attention to this.
Let Afghan girls learn.
Open the schools.
#Afghanistan
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“It is very nearly impossible, after all, to become an educated person in a country so distrustful of the independent mind.”
- Baldwin
#Afghanistan
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Degrees don’t equate w/ knowledge.
Revolutionary mindsets require CRITICAL THINKING skills:
-remain a skeptic
-question everything
-read widely
-discuss ideas
-study behavioral patterns of ppl, groups & movements
-identify your biases
-stay humble; your opinion is NOT fact
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Adolescence is a critical period for brain development. Education directly impacts the psychosocial & cognitive growth of kids into adulthood.
To deny Afghan girls an education is a violation of basic human rights.
Let Afghan girls learn.
Open the schools.
#Afghanistan
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