“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” (– Attributed to Anne Frank)
Stanton’s 10 Stages of Genocide and how the US stacks up:
Reflect on your own values, and see what you may do to “start to improve the world.” ❤
In 2019 in the United States of America, the Jewish community still experiences life-threatening anti-Semitism:
We don’t want more people to have to die singing.
Antisemitism is real and being stirred.
If the Jewish and Muslim communities can support one another, then others can–and must–also learn to de-escalate.
Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, of Chabad of Poway, who was injured in the shooting today, wrote this post in March:
If you would like to help in a concrete way, donations are being collected:
Be mindful of neighbors and coworkers who may be very affected by these events and check in with them if you can.
Be safe, and help others feel safe, too. ❤
Phobias are irrational or excessive fears. If a phobia interferes with someone’s everyday life, it may be anywhere from annoying to debilitating. Other phobias will only come up once every so often, so they are less intrusive.
If a phobia interferes with an everyday or essential activity–such as dental work, flying, or animals–a person might choose to get treatment in order to overcome it. Phobias can be treated by exposure treatment, an intervention in which the person is exposed to tolerable aspects of the phobia in a safe environment until their anxiety diminishes.
First, the treatment focuses on exposure to the least anxiety provoking aspects of the phobia, as determined by the patient in a “hierarchy of fear.” The accompanying anxiety is addressed until it diminishes to tolerable levels, however long that takes.
Then, and only then, does the exposure move to increasingly more anxiety provoking aspects of the phobia. This may take days, weeks, or even months, depending on the nature of the phobia and the person’s level of anxiety.
An example of a phobia hierarchy based on items generated by clients working in exposure treatment:
Just thinking about exposure treatment may be anxiety provoking enough to count as exposure!
As a certain little pink dog has taught us, it takes courage to face your fears. Being courageous doesn’t mean not being afraid, it means taking action, even if it feels scary to begin.
