Jono Starsmore (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
furnaceface) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2013-04-19 09:53 am
furnaceface) wrote in fandomhigh2013-04-19 09:53 am
Entry tags:
Fandom Invasions: A Survival Guide- Friday, Period One
"I suppose it goes without saying that last week was most likely difficult on us all," Jono said, standing at the front of the room with a whole bloody pot of coffee on his desk and enough cups to go around. "We all made it through in one piece, as these things often go, but our experiences in the maze almost certainly left a stain on our psyches. That's normal, too."
He waved at the coffee and the cups, inviting people in the class to help themselves while he spoke.
"That's one of the biggest difficulties of being on this island," he continued. "We can literally go to Hell and back," that had apparently happened on the island at some point before Jono's time, "and come out without a mark on us, physically. But there will be nightmares, there will be those moments that something goes bump behind you and you flinch. And not all of us know how to cope with things like this. Hell, I barely know how to deal with things like this. At least not in a healthy manner. So, I've asked a friend of mine, one of your peers, to talk to you about this for me. This is one of those topics that I can't give advice on. At least, not with a clear conscience. Karla?"
Pushing aside the coffeepot so she could see the students, Karla gave them a small wave from where she was sitting at Jono's desk. "Hey there," she said, trying to look a little better-rested than she was. Her own coping skills were getting sorely tested this week. "So, coping. There are plenty of ways to do so, many of them may feel better in the short-term, but aren't actually that good for you. Some of them are downright dangerous or maladaptive. For example, drugs, alcohol, or excessive caffeine are often used to help deal with stress or trauma--" she wasn't giving Jono looks, no, really she wasn't. "When dealing with stuff like last week, sleep is actually really beneficial. It gives your body and mind downtime to try and come to terms with what happened to you. Unfortunately, sleep often comes with nightmares, so people tend to try to avoid it, or take substances that keep them from thinking about their traumatic experiences."
Karla gave them a wry shrug. "I'm not going to lecture you on the evils of alcohol. It's a useful tool and one that I use, too. The key is moderation. A glass of wine or a few beers to help you sleep is one thing. Drinking until you pass out or are unable to function is another and completely unhelpful. On top of that, alcohol is a depressant, and if you're already feeling down, drinking might just make you feel worse. That's something to keep in mind before you head down to Caritas, especially if you or your close family have had difficulty with alcohol before."
Standing up, she made her way to the front of Jono's desk and leaned against it. "Proper sleep, good nutrition, and taking some time to pamper yourself are all good ways to start feeling better after traumatic experiences. Getting your body back on an even keel will help get your mind there. All too often in situations like these, we ignore our bodies' basic needs like decent food and rest, which just make us feel worse." Trust her, kids. She was a Black Widow. "But there's more to coping than eating a good meal and getting a decent night's rest. Talking may be helpful for a lot of you. Sharing your emotions with people you trust can help; you get those bad feelings out of your system and you'll likely discover you're not alone in feeling that way. For people who don't feel comfortable taking to others, don't hesitate to write stuff down. Burn it when you're done, or destroy it, or whatever if you don't want to keep a record of it, that's fine, too. Catharsis comes from getting those feelings out of you. Watching very intense movies, like actions or comedies also help. They take some of that energy that exists as emotion and kind of...boil it off in ways that aren't at all related to the previous events."
Her phone beeped and she nodded at Jono towards the door. "Another coping mechanism that people have found to help them through is spending time with animals. They're safer to cuddle and love because they have no expectations of you. You can talk to them or not, hug them or pet them or just watch them, whatever you're most comfortable with."
Jono had stepped out of the room for a moment at the beep on Karla's phone. Now, from out in the hallway, he was opening the door again, and into the room bounded a small herd of puppies and kittens, on loan courtesy of Everything But The Monkey.
"Be gentle with them," Jono cautioned, "but hug them or play with them or just curl up and nap with a couple of them in your lap if you're feeling so inclined. Being a cat owner myself, I can attest to the fact that this one works. They'll be here for playtime for the rest of the class period, and then we'll be sending them back to the pet shop, where you can visit them any time you wish. They're always in need of playmates, probably about as much as many of us are in need of the occasional bit of puppy therapy."
[Open, many thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
glacial_witch for participating!]
He waved at the coffee and the cups, inviting people in the class to help themselves while he spoke.
"That's one of the biggest difficulties of being on this island," he continued. "We can literally go to Hell and back," that had apparently happened on the island at some point before Jono's time, "and come out without a mark on us, physically. But there will be nightmares, there will be those moments that something goes bump behind you and you flinch. And not all of us know how to cope with things like this. Hell, I barely know how to deal with things like this. At least not in a healthy manner. So, I've asked a friend of mine, one of your peers, to talk to you about this for me. This is one of those topics that I can't give advice on. At least, not with a clear conscience. Karla?"
Pushing aside the coffeepot so she could see the students, Karla gave them a small wave from where she was sitting at Jono's desk. "Hey there," she said, trying to look a little better-rested than she was. Her own coping skills were getting sorely tested this week. "So, coping. There are plenty of ways to do so, many of them may feel better in the short-term, but aren't actually that good for you. Some of them are downright dangerous or maladaptive. For example, drugs, alcohol, or excessive caffeine are often used to help deal with stress or trauma--" she wasn't giving Jono looks, no, really she wasn't. "When dealing with stuff like last week, sleep is actually really beneficial. It gives your body and mind downtime to try and come to terms with what happened to you. Unfortunately, sleep often comes with nightmares, so people tend to try to avoid it, or take substances that keep them from thinking about their traumatic experiences."
Karla gave them a wry shrug. "I'm not going to lecture you on the evils of alcohol. It's a useful tool and one that I use, too. The key is moderation. A glass of wine or a few beers to help you sleep is one thing. Drinking until you pass out or are unable to function is another and completely unhelpful. On top of that, alcohol is a depressant, and if you're already feeling down, drinking might just make you feel worse. That's something to keep in mind before you head down to Caritas, especially if you or your close family have had difficulty with alcohol before."
Standing up, she made her way to the front of Jono's desk and leaned against it. "Proper sleep, good nutrition, and taking some time to pamper yourself are all good ways to start feeling better after traumatic experiences. Getting your body back on an even keel will help get your mind there. All too often in situations like these, we ignore our bodies' basic needs like decent food and rest, which just make us feel worse." Trust her, kids. She was a Black Widow. "But there's more to coping than eating a good meal and getting a decent night's rest. Talking may be helpful for a lot of you. Sharing your emotions with people you trust can help; you get those bad feelings out of your system and you'll likely discover you're not alone in feeling that way. For people who don't feel comfortable taking to others, don't hesitate to write stuff down. Burn it when you're done, or destroy it, or whatever if you don't want to keep a record of it, that's fine, too. Catharsis comes from getting those feelings out of you. Watching very intense movies, like actions or comedies also help. They take some of that energy that exists as emotion and kind of...boil it off in ways that aren't at all related to the previous events."
Her phone beeped and she nodded at Jono towards the door. "Another coping mechanism that people have found to help them through is spending time with animals. They're safer to cuddle and love because they have no expectations of you. You can talk to them or not, hug them or pet them or just watch them, whatever you're most comfortable with."
Jono had stepped out of the room for a moment at the beep on Karla's phone. Now, from out in the hallway, he was opening the door again, and into the room bounded a small herd of puppies and kittens, on loan courtesy of Everything But The Monkey.
"Be gentle with them," Jono cautioned, "but hug them or play with them or just curl up and nap with a couple of them in your lap if you're feeling so inclined. Being a cat owner myself, I can attest to the fact that this one works. They'll be here for playtime for the rest of the class period, and then we'll be sending them back to the pet shop, where you can visit them any time you wish. They're always in need of playmates, probably about as much as many of us are in need of the occasional bit of puppy therapy."
[Open, many thanks to
glacial_witch for participating!]
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Lecture!
Playtime!
Re: Playtime!
Yeul settled herself on the floor and undid one of her bracelets to use it as a toy for a few of the kittens to chase along after as she wriggled and moved it around on the floor in front of her.
Re: Playtime!
Talk to the TA!
Talk to Jono or Karla!
Re: Talk to Jono or Karla!
Still, he'd be happy to talk to you if you want. From right where he's seated.
OOC!