Common House Residents Journal #12: 2014-12-07

Entry #: 12
Journal Type: mixed
Date: 2014-12-07
Replies: yes
Author: Kevin
Trigger Warnings: i don't think there are any

Front doesn't seem to like me much. But that's probably the fact that my reputation apparently precedes me and no one wants to front with me, but because I'm new I'm not allowed to be alone.

Emmy's making me also leave notes inworld and out for Cecil to show that I'm learning now. So far, I've learned that Desert Bluffs definitions don't match up with Outsider definitions inworld or outworld, magic exists inworld and that I can sort-of use it to help me with what Strex fixed though i'm at square one with a few of those things since magic doesn't work on all of them, and that outworld i am really bad at figuring out the body's limits, but i'm pretty good at getting things done.

Carlos seems to agree with Emmy that maybe next week IF Carlos and Aeslyn are present, maybe they'll let the front mechanism pair Cecil and I together as a stretch team, even though Cecil didn't seem happy about that. But that might be because he's been really sick the past two weeks. He fainted over breakfast the other day. Which was weird.

Outworld we got a new coat. It's pretty, but not a color I'd choose personally (it's blue) and I'm still not sold on if it's warm enough for this weather. And we have a whole box of trader joe's knock-off oreos gathered from the 3 different boxes that were available at the NaNoBoston TGIO party. Emmy says they're rewards for doing good work. [I ate some for dessert after dinner and then combined them into one box].

I've been doing lots of cleaning but there's still lots more to be done this week.

(x-posted from Plurality Resource Forum)

NaBloPoMo Dec 2014 Day 6/100 Things We Have Or Want To Add To Our Self-Care Toolbox: 003. Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Recovery Education Program

Saturday, Dec 6th, 2014: Free Write: 100 Things - Self-Care Toolbox: Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation's Recovery Education Program

One of the things I'm pretty open about online (and off) is that I have mental health challenges. I think probably one of the most telling parts of my self-care toolbox is that I probably wouldn't have one in-use if it wasn't for the Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation's Recovery Education Program. I also wouldn't be nearly as hopeful as I am now.

Basically, it's a very little known (but very influential) adult education program for people with mental health challenges. The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation was founded as the research base for the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Movement, which stemmed out of the ex-patient movement that got a lot of consumer-operated service groups out in to the open. Members with mental health challenges who apply and get accepted are able to enroll in classes to gain wellness tools and social opportunities.

I am always a bit regretful that I didn't know about this until 2011, since it was something I was looking for when I re-started therapy in college. They don't advertise it much to consumers, but word of mouth gets around from students and the few treatment teams that hear about it from their clients. 

It's a really wonderful place though. I have learned so many different tools to support my recovery here and how to keep them accessible. I sometimes liken my journey to this program as kind of like how Neville realized how much he could do in Dumbledore's Army when he was given the right teachers at the right time.

NaBloPoMo December 2014 Day 5: Happy Playlist

Friday, Dec 5th, 2014: What's on your happy playlist? (NaBloPoMo)

It's not all happy songs but this is my happy/hopeful/inspirational/dancing music playlist that I called "Hopeful Morning Feels Good" because we often play it when we're walking to places in the morning. It's 114 songs compiled from various CDs, mix tapes and fan vocalists. 


1. Adriana Figueroa - Courtroom Revolutionnaire (Fan Vocal)
2. Adriana Figueroa - Child of Magic (Fan Vocal)
3. Adriana Figueroa - The Great Truth Burglar (Fan Vocal)
4. Adriana Figueroa - Turnabout Sisters Ballad (Fan Vocal)
5. from Annie - Tomorrow
6. from Annie - You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile
7. Anna Nalick - Broken Doll
8. Anna Nalick - Walk Away
9. Anna Nalick - These Old Wings
10. Anna Nalick - Shine
11. Anna Nalick - All On My Own
12. Collin Raye - I'm Gonna Love You
13. Collin Raye - Blackbird
14. Collin Raye - Hearts are for When You Want to Love Someone
15. from Frozen - Let It Go
16. Demi Lovato - Let It Go (Cover)
17. Switchfoot - Meant to Live
18. Chumbawumba - Tubthumping
19. Kelly Clarkson - Whyyawannabringmedown
20. Barlow Girl - One More Round
21. Lenka - Bring Me Down
22. Sleater-Kinney - Rollercoaster
23. Mandy Moore - Pocket Philosopher
24. Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
25. Sia - Don't Bring Me Down
26. The Dresden Dolls - Half Jack
27. Jack's Mannequin - Swim
28. Muse - Feeling Good
29. Sugababes - Stronger
30. Destiny's Child - Survivor
31. Christina Aguilera - Fighter
32. Spice Girls - Never Give Up on the Good Times
33. Natasha Bedingfield - If You're Gonna Jump
34. Ace of Base - It's a Beautiful Life
35. Britney Spears - Stronger
36. Jennifer Lopez - Feelin' So Good
37. MIA - Sunshowers
38. Kanye West - Stronger
39. Joss Stone - Free Me
40. Kris Allen - No Boundaries
41. from GLEE - Don't Rain On My Parade
42. from Wicked - Defying Gravity
43. Azure Ray - Nothing Like A Song
44. Azure Ray - These White Lights Will Bend to Make Blue
45. Azure Ray - Hold On Love
46. Azure Ray - New Resolution
47. from Honk! - Warts and All
48. Sting - Deep in the Meadows (Lullaby)
49. The Secret Sisters - Tomorrow Will Be Kinder
50. Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars - Safe and Sound
51. Punch Brothers - Dark Days
52. The Civil Wars - Kingdom Come
53. The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Around the Bend
54. Fiona Apple - Better Version of Me
55. Tremolo - You Were Born for This
56. Collin Raye - All I Can Do Is Love You
57. Missy Higgins - Unbroken
58. Rascal Flatts - ~No ~Reins
59. Collin Raye - Let Your Love Flow (The Bellamy Brothers cover)
60. Jo Dee Messina - I Wish
61. Dar Williams - After All (Live)
62. Limahl - Neverending Story
63. Mary Chapin Carpenter - Sudden Gift of Fate
64. Loreena McKennitt - Beneath a Phrygian Sky
65. Brian McKnight - Remember the Magic
66. Jo Dee Messina - I'm Alright
67. Rascal Flatts - My Wish
68. Donna Summer - The Power of One
69. Plus One - With All Your Heart
70. Westlife - Flying Without Wings
71. Ray Greene - My Best Friends
72. Sheila Brody - Everything Changes
73. J.P. Hartmann - Together, Forever
74. John Loeffler - You Can Do It (If You Really Try)
75. N'Sync - Somewhere Someday
76. B*Witched - Get Happy
77. Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) - Hey You Free Up Your Mind
78. 98 Degrees - Fly With Me
79. Vitamin C - Vacation
80. Billie - Makin' My Way Any Way That I Can
81. Angela Via - Catch Me If You Can
82. Aaron Carter - Have Some Fun with the Funk
83. Blessid Union of Souls - Brother My Brother
84. from Rankin & Bass's Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer TV Special - There's Always Tomorrow
85. Marjorie Jacobs - Always Near
86. A7 - Bringing In The Noise (Rise Up)
87. Sister ChanKhong - I Smiles
88. Marjorie Jacobs - Start the Day
89. Glenn Campbell - Try a Little Kindness
90. James Taylor - Shower the People
91. Amae Ellen Allen - Thank-Full
92. Ravenna - May My Mind Turn to Others
93. Fo Guang Shan - Harmonize
94. Miriam Makeba - 'Cause We Live for Love
95. India Arie - A Beautiful Day
96. Hayley Westenra - Flower
97. Libby Roderick - Cradle of Dawn
98. Libby Roderick - How Could Anyone
99. Vixy and Tony - No Hurry (2012)
100. Rascal Flatts - Every Day
101. Copeland - You Have My Attention
102. Jon Robert - Hear You Call
103. Satellite - What You Need
104. Tremolo - Room 139
105. Satellite - Ring the Bells
106. Nickelback - If Everyone Cared
107. Anna Nalick - Paper Bag
108. Anna Nalick - In My Head
109. Laura Shigihara - Everything's Alright
110. Dale North - Everything's Alright (Short Steps Mix)
111. Danny Schmidt - This Too Shall Pass
112. Simone Felice - You and I Belong
113. Carrie Elkin & Danny Schmidt - Echo in the Hills
114. Sara Watkins - Take Up Your Spade (Folkadelphia Session/Full Version)

[NaBloPoMo Dec 2014] Day 4: Companionship

Thursday, December 4th, 2014: 

Who do you like being with when you're sad? (NaBloPoMo)

To be honest, we usually don't want to be with anyone when we're sad.

If we were forced to choose someone it would probably be a toss up between fiancé or little sister.

[NaBloPoMo Dec 2014] Day 3: Happy Foods

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2014:
What food always makes you happy when you're eating it? (NaBloPoMo)

Chocolate end of story.

I agree with our Reiki Master's justification: "Almost everything can be solved with either an Epsom Salt Bath or chocolate."

Though at this time of the year, I'd say peppermint bark is the happiest chocolate-related candy. :)

[NaBloPoMo Dec 2014] Day 2: Happy Surprise

Day 2: Talk about a surprise that made you happy. (NaBloPoMo), When did you work out you were plural, and what were some of the adjustments you had to make after finding it out? (Plures^K, December Blogging Meme)

This is one of those weird things where it's our discovery of our own neurodivergence that was a happy surprise.

I identify as plural, meaning that there's more than one person sharing this physical body. It's actually a kind of relief. I'm never alone and I never have to be the only one doing something -- there's always someone who's good at something that needs to be done!

I'm not sure when exactly we worked out we were plural. We started off in the soulbonding communities not long after we first came over to LJ back in 2004 (we made our first account in 2003, but didn't end up using it until 2004).

At some point in, I think, 2004 or 2005, we had a huge over-the-phone fight with a suicidal classmate/"friend" named Casey, and Ryou (Bakura Ryou, YuGiOh!; on our website and on plural sites, he usually goes by Nathan) kind-of projected himself as comfort. That story's here on Deviantart.

During high school we were a fairly small system (I think there were 6 of us at the largest point).

In college, we just kept picking up more and more headmates. Most of them with trauma experiences that didn't match the body's experience. Learning to manage triggers and related dissociation without any previous knowledge of how to do this was probably the biggest adjustment.

Nowadays the biggest adjustments are still similar: managing triggers, managing related dissociation, also finding low-cost workarounds for the headmates that need additional accommodations, and dealing with the fact that a few of us bypass the voice-filtering system, which can get annoying when our parents don't really understand plurality, particularly when younger parts/headmates [we have both] are fronting and sound childish.

[NaBloPoMo Dec 2014] Bringing A Little Bit of Joy

Monday, December 1, 2014
What do you do when you're down to bring yourself a little joy?

There are two.

One is to sing and dance to our "happy/inspirational/hopeful-ish" playlist, but that's another prompt for later in the month, so you'll have to wait to hear that one.

The second is to play Katniss's game from the Epilogue of Mockingjay: "I make a list of every single good deed I've seen."