Anger | Jotup

Anna Funder rescues George Orwell's wife Eileen from being 'cancelled by the patriarchy' – and reminds us he's a sexual predator

Retrieved on:

Sunday, July 2, 2023

Review: Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s invisible life – Anna Funder (Hamish Hamilton) A few months later, disappointment struck in the form of a derogatory diary entry about his first wife, Eileen O’Shaughnessy.

Key Points:

Review: Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s invisible life – Anna Funder (Hamish Hamilton) A few months later, disappointment struck in the form of a derogatory diary entry about his first wife, Eileen O’Shaughnessy.
The accusations about women’s sexuality are somewhat confounding when they come from a man who, as Funder reveals, was himself a sexual predator.
In her anger, Funder births another project, moving “from the work to the life, and the man to the wife”.

Motherhood and #MeToo

It is composed of two narrative strands: the first, set in the present, is in Funder’s voice as she investigates Eileen’s life while also navigating the pressures of motherhood and the revelations of the #MeToo movement.
The second is written in the third person and reconstructs scenes from Eileen’s life.
Funder reads between the lines of Orwell’s work and the biographies of him to get the measure of Eileen’s contribution to his success.

Patriarchy: then and now

Funder draws productive parallels between her own time and Eileen’s – without sacrificing the historical specificity of either.
This observation captures Eileen’s fate; a talented writer with a masters degree in psychology, she becomes a taken-for-granted helpmeet when she marries Orwell.
She types his manuscripts in between looking after their chickens, unblocking the toilet and preparing all their meals.
Read more:
Friday essay: 'the problem is that my success seems to get in his way' – the fraught terrain of literary marriages

Orwell as predator

She documents his numerous attempted rapes of female acquaintances, as well as his manipulation of Eileen throughout his infidelities.
In 1940, as Eileen was grieving the death of her brother, Orwell penned a letter to an old crush, a teacher named Brenda who had refused his advances on multiple previous occasions.
In Wifedom, Funder mounts a similar argument against Orwell, shedding new light on his work: though he is renowned for his examinations of power, his writing never considers power relations between the sexes.
Read more:
Friday essay: George Orwell is everywhere, but Nineteen Eighty-Four is not a reliable guide to contemporary politics

Interrogating Orwell’s legacy

While this descriptor is often used in inaccurate and contradictory ways, arguably Orwell’s stature as a political commentator has increased with the ascendancy of Trump and his imitators.
Funder is the perfect writer to integrate Orwell’s legacy.
Then, in her Miles Franklin award-winning novel All That I Am, which centred on the strained loyalties of a group of Nazi dissidents.

Paris riots: when police shot a teenager dead, a rumbling pressure cooker exploded

Retrieved on:

Friday, June 30, 2023

Pressure, Poverty, Employment, CV, Violence, Policy, Anger, Video, Government, Population, Police, Council, Racism, Riot, Death, Memory, Drug, Management, Real estate, Private investigator, Macron

Whatever the investigation concludes, the incident forms part of a complex, deep-rooted problem.

Key Points:

Whatever the investigation concludes, the incident forms part of a complex, deep-rooted problem.
Many of the issues behind the unrest back then remain unresolved to this day and have potentially been aggravated by ever worsening relations between the police and the public.

The suburbs and poverty

Evidence has long shown that people living in poor suburbs can expect to face discrimination based on the very fact of living in those suburbs when they apply for a job.
But his vision does not include any plan for using economic growth to bring opportunity to the suburbs or, viewed the other way round, to harness the potential of the suburbs to drive economic growth.
In two presidential terms, he has failed to produce a coherent policy for solving some of the key problems of the suburbs.

Police brutality

Police brutality is a topic of great concern in France at the moment, beyond the Nanterre incident.
In a recent interview I helped conduct for a documentary in the suburbs of Marseille, residents pointed to successive cuts to community based police officers, based in the estates, as key reasons for increases in tension between the population and the police.
And yet, the police are extremely hostile to reform, a stance that is aided and abetted by their powerful unions and Macron himself, who needs the police to crush opposition to his reforms.

Macron vs Sarkozy

Former president Nicolas Sarkozy is infamous for inflaming tensions during the 2005 riots by referring to the people involved as “scum” who needed to be pressure washed from the suburbs.
Macron, too, has been repeatedly criticised for striking an arrogant, tone during his political career, making numerous gaffs including suggesting an unemployed worker only needed to “cross the street” to find work.
However, his consiliatory response to the death of Nahel could not be further removed from Sarkozy’s stance.

‘Oh that happened to me, too!’ Sharing your experiences in conversation is common but sometimes it's best to just listen

Retrieved on:

Friday, June 30, 2023

Panic, Psychology, Human, System, Man, Grief, Woman, Friends, Anger, Emotion, Time, Nuance, Instinct, Dust, Sadness, Management, Dyeing, Online shopping, Real estate, Entertainment, Risk management, Nightclub, Tourism

Do you have a friend who responds to almost every anecdote you tell with “Oh my gosh, me too!

Key Points:

Do you have a friend who responds to almost every anecdote you tell with “Oh my gosh, me too!
This reminds me of when that happened to me.” Or perhaps you are that friend.
Maybe you instinctively aim to bond with others by talking about experiences you’ve had that feel similar to what your friend has just shared.

Why do people use self-disclosure?

It can deepen intimacy and friendships and makes you a bit vulnerable.
That vulnerability can touch other people’s emotions, make them feel you trust them and can forge a connection.

So why does it rub some people the wrong way?

Not all self-disclosure is helpful, and likewise I don’t think anyone is arguing a person should just sit there mute while one friend does all the sharing.
The goal is to have a sense of balance; effective self-disclosure is reciprocal.
Ironically, your effort to “help” may leave your friend with a sense of shame they are not able to solve their problem as easily as you did.

Grief can be a flashpoint

Grief can be a real flashpoint for this clash around self-disclosure.
If a friend is talking about grief and your instinct is to jump in with your own experiences, please remember no two experiences of grief are the same.

It’s not a competition

Not all self-disclosure is wrong!

Sharing your lived experiences can form the basis of a great conversation and a meaningful connection.
We don’t want to be in a position where we have to shrink our joy because we worry about how it will affect anyone and everyone.
At the end of the day, we need to let each other have joy, sadness, anger and all the emotions.

A decade on, the NDIS has had triumphs, challenges and controversies. Where to from here?

Retrieved on:

Friday, June 30, 2023

Officially launched in July 2013, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) reached full rollout in 2020.

Key Points:

Officially launched in July 2013, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) reached full rollout in 2020.
A decade later, Australians with disability, their families, advocates and support providers are waiting for the NDIS independent review and Disability Royal Commission findings, both due around October.

The goal posts

It would be administered at the federal level with joint funding from state and territory governments.
It would also aim to foster inclusion and community awareness and provide information and referrals to services outside the NDIS (such as health and education).
Read more:
Part-time work is valuable to people with disability – but full time is more likely to attract government support

Debates and controversies

But in 2022, the NDIS Act 2013 was changed to embed the principle of co-design into the legislation and new funding followed.
Read more:
A disabled NDIA chair is a great first move in the NDIS reset.
Now expected to cost A$50 billion by 2025, the NDIS will overtake the cost of Medicare or defence.
In our research, incorporating the lived experience of NDIS participants, some people have said their lives have been transformed through the NDIS.
Read more:
What we know about the NDIS cuts, and what they'll mean for people with disability and their families

Untapped potential

Boosting the NDIA workforce, as announced by NDIS Minister Bill Shorten, should help and also reduce mistakes and delays.
And there needs to be capacity development for NDIS participants.
Read more:
The government says NDIS supports should be 'evidence-based' – but can they be?

A new decade

It is clear NDIS reform will stay front-of-mind for some time yet.
It is crucial people with disability remain central and involved in genuinely co-designing the second decade of the NDIS and beyond.

Cohen Veterans Network Releases White Paper with Recommendations to Advance the Use of Standardized Mental Health Benchmarks

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Consensus, Consensus decision-making, Depression, ROM, Clinical Practice, Anxiety, Policy, Training, CVN, Anger, Research, Veteran, Cohen Veterans Network, Grief, MBC, Mental health, PTSD, Nursing

STAMFORD, Conn., June 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Routine outcomes monitoring (ROM) and measurement-based care (MBC) have been shown to improve mental health outcomes. Yet, despite repeated calls for widespread adoption their use in clinical practice remains the exception within the U.S. mental health care system. Now, in Establishing Benchmarks for Outpatient Mental Health Care: A Call to Action with Consensus Recommendations, a new white paper released today, Cohen Veterans Network (CVN), a national not-for-profit network of mental health clinics for post-9/11 veterans, service members and their families, provides recommendations on how to best advance the use of standardized benchmarks and MBC throughout the field of mental health.

Key Points:

Yet, despite repeated calls for widespread adoption their use in clinical practice remains the exception within the U.S. mental health care system.
Now, in Establishing Benchmarks for Outpatient Mental Health Care: A Call to Action with Consensus Recommendations, a new white paper released today, Cohen Veterans Network (CVN), a national not-for-profit network of mental health clinics for post-9/11 veterans, service members and their families, provides recommendations on how to best advance the use of standardized benchmarks and MBC throughout the field of mental health.
"CVN is committed to advancing the field for all Americans as our nation faces unprecedented mental health challenges," says Cohen Veterans Network President & CEO Dr. Anthony Hassan.
"We hope this white paper serves as a call to action for our colleagues across the field to mobilize around the use of standardized benchmarks.

'He was horrific!': Nearly two thirds of family historians are distressed by what they find – should DNA kits come with warnings?

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

I’m not the only one to have experienced intense emotions – both negative and positive – while researching my forebears.

Key Points:

I’m not the only one to have experienced intense emotions – both negative and positive – while researching my forebears.
My recent research revealed about two thirds of family historians have experienced strong negative emotions like sorrow or anger through their hobby.

Passionate ‘kin keepers’

In 2019, Doreen Rosenthal and I surveyed 775 Australian hobbyist family historians to examine their motivations.
They were adults aged between 21 and 93, but most were older and the median age was 63.
Survey respondents described why they were passionately engaged with their hobby – and how it made them feel.

1. Ancestors behaving badly

The first and most common distress trigger was the discovery of ancestors who had behaved badly – either as individuals, or by profiting from unjust social conditions.
And:
[It was] difficult finding that ancestors may have been involved in unsavoury behaviours or events.
[It was] difficult finding that ancestors may have been involved in unsavoury behaviours or events.

2. Ancestors treated cruelly

It was also distressing to discover ancestors who had been cruelly treated.
Many were deeply moved by what their ancestors experienced.

3. Sad stories

Women commonly did not survive childbirth, neonatal deaths were frequent, people died of diseases medical science has now conquered.
[It is distressing] to uncover particularly sad and desperate times in some ancestors’ lives.
[It is distressing] to uncover particularly sad and desperate times in some ancestors’ lives.

4. Family secrets and betrayal

The fourth distress trigger was a belief by the family history researcher that they had been betrayed by other family members: through secrets, lies and feeling their lived experience was ignored or denied.
If family members can lie about these important things, what else might they lie about?
Read more:
We used DNA from Beethoven's hair to shed light on his poor health – and stumbled upon a family secret

5. Moral dilemmas

Finally, several respondents expressed doubt and confusion at the moral dilemmas they faced on discovering information that could greatly distress other living relatives.
An emotional burden attaches to withholding potentially distressing information of this kind.
Yet there is also guilt and fear about the possible outcomes of sharing it.
Read more:
Friday essay: how do I understand who I am, when my family have hidden themselves from recent history?

Healthy outcomes from bad feelings

Sometimes these distressing feelings can promote healthy, growth-enhancing outcomes.
Initial feelings of distress about past injustices and tragedies are sometimes replaced by admiration for the strength and resilience of one’s forebears.

How can family and professionals help?

I processed my great great grandmother’s story by writing it down and sharing it with family members.
We reworked our sadness at her fate into a positive family narrative, emphasising her bravery and the strengths her surviving children showed.
Support can mean just disclosing these stories to family members, friends and other family historians.

Virtual Event Celebrates Launch of New Resource Highlighting the Impacts of Incarceration

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Shame, Executive producer, Pathfinder network, Executive director, Fear, Trust, Anger, Virtual, Outline of counseling, Trauma, Family, Support, Counselor, Tourism, Hospital, Friends, Imprisonment

PORTLAND, Ore., June 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

Key Points:

WHAT: Virtual launch event for Impacts of Incarceration, a free video library featuring interviewees including individuals who grew up with an incarcerated loved one, those who have been incarcerated, and those working with individuals and families impacted by incarceration.
Library topic areas include:
Healing and Support - The trauma of incarceration often makes us feel isolated.
Anger - Loss as a result of incarceration often induces anger, sometimes expressed outwardly, often inwardly.
WHO: Members of the press, advocates, and community members are invited to join Pathfinder Network and Good Pictures in celebrating the launch of Impacts of Incarceration.

Statement from Catholics for Choice President Jamie L. Manson on the One-Year Anniversary of the Supreme Court's Overturning of Roe v. Wade

Retrieved on:

Friday, June 23, 2023

WASHINGTON, June 23, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Catholics for Choice, which uplifts and amplifies the voices of the majority of Catholics who believe in reproductive freedom, released the following statement from President Jamie L. Manson, M.Div., marking the one-year anniversary of the June 24, 2022 Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that overturned Roe v. Wade:

Key Points:

"Here's a crucial, overlooked fact about the Dobbs decision: All of the five justices that overturned Roe v. Wade are, or were raised, Catholic.
The anti-abortion opposition that successfully overturned Roe v. Wade is a Catholic one.
Long-term side effects from the delay and poor quality of care include infertility, heart attack, stroke, uncontrolled hypertension, and chronic pelvic pain and infection.
Catholics for Choice is also hosting "How I Became a Catholic for Choice: A Conversation with Jamie Manson" on June 28.

Cohen Veterans Network Launches Making Moves: Stress Less During PCS in Support of Military Families

Retrieved on:

Friday, June 23, 2023

Unemployment, Housing, Depression, Anxiety, CVN, Anger, Veteran, Cohen Veterans Network, Grief, Mental, PCS, Case management, Spouse, Mental health, Social media, PTSD, Nursing

STAMFORD, Conn., June 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year more than 400,000 service members and their families receive orders for a permanent change of station (PCS), requiring them to move across the state, the country or the world to a new duty station. This summer, during peak PCS season, Cohen Veterans Network (CVN), a not-for-profit philanthropic organization that serves post-9/11 veterans, active duty service members and their families through a nationwide system of mental health clinics, is supporting military families through this process with Making Moves: Stress Less During PCS, an awareness campaign dedicated to providing mental health tips to help manage stress, insights from military families related to their PCS moves and essential resources to ensure a smoother transition.

Key Points:

Military families relocate 3 times as often as civilian families.
On average, military families move every two and a half years with more than half of PCS moves occurring between May and August.
"PCS moves can present a unique set of challenges for military families including school transitions, employment challenges, financial burdens, and the loss of a trusted support network," says Cohen Veterans Network President and CEO Dr. Anthony Hassan.
As part of its Making Moves campaign, the network is sharing strategies to stress less during the PCS process, insights from military families from their PCS moves shared via social media using #StressLessPCS and a collection of essential resources to support military families throughout their PCS journey.

Processing and grieving an ongoing loss – such as a child with a devastating injury or disability – does not fit neatly into traditional models of grief

Retrieved on:

Friday, June 23, 2023

Traditional loss is typically considered a five-stage process, linear and time-bound, where a person moves from denial to acceptance.

Key Points:

Traditional loss is typically considered a five-stage process, linear and time-bound, where a person moves from denial to acceptance.
Generally, traditional loss is linked to death – such as the death of a loved one, or a miscarriage.

Coping with absence, letting go

For over a decade, I have worked with hundreds of parents who became caregivers to once-healthy children who sustained a devastating injury or illness.
In these instances, the caregiver is not only coping with the absence of what was but letting go of what could have been.
That is why studies on ambiguous loss are scarce, and there is no formula to help the caregivers manage their grief.
Until researchers abandon their traditional view of loss, we won’t fully understand how to help those experiencing ambiguous loss.

Finding meaning in loss

Finding meaning, he learned, helps people persevere through their suffering.
In the 1980s, Frankl’s concepts were adapted into the “theory of meaning” – essentially a guide for nurses on how to help patients find meaning and purpose after an unprecedented loss.
But I believe my work is the first of its kind to use the theory of meaning to interact with parents experiencing ambiguous loss.
I interviewed eight parents of children with an acquired disability – mostly traumatic brain injuries – to better understand whether they were able to find meaning in their loss.

How to help

During a time of ambiguous loss, parents say their lives have turned upside down; they are trying to navigate a new normal.
These simple acts of kindness may help them feel better understood – and reinvigorate their purpose to face another day.