Welcome to Researcher Wellbeing -- You Are Not Alone

Community General Discussion
1

:purple_heart: Welcome to Researcher Wellbeing

Investigating the Epstein case means confronting some of the darkest material imaginable. Child exploitation, trafficking, institutional cover-ups – this work matters, but it takes a real toll. Vicarious trauma is not weakness. It is a normal human response to abnormal content.

This space exists for you – the person behind the screen.

:phone: Crisis & Support Resources

Resource Contact Available
RAINN (Sexual Assault Hotline) 1-800-656-4673 / rainn.org/chat 24/7
Crisis Text Line Text HOME to 741741 24/7
SAMHSA Helpline 1-800-662-4357 24/7, free
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 24/7
International Association for Suicide Prevention Find your country Varies

:brain: Recognizing Vicarious Trauma

You may be experiencing vicarious trauma if you notice:

  • Intrusive thoughts or images from documents you have reviewed
  • Difficulty sleeping or nightmares related to case material
  • Feeling numb, cynical, or hopeless about the world
  • Withdrawing from friends, family, or activities you enjoy
  • Difficulty concentrating on non-investigation tasks
  • Physical symptoms: headaches, nausea, fatigue

These are signals to step back, not push harder.

:shield: Self-Care Strategies from OSINT Professionals

Based on guidance from Bellingcat and the MHS4OSINT project:

  1. Set time limits. Do not review disturbing material for more than 60-90 minutes without a break.
  2. Mute first, blur first. When opening new documents or media, mute audio and use image blur extensions.
  3. Do not work alone. Discuss what you are finding with someone – here, or a trusted person offline.
  4. Physical transitions matter. When you stop researching, change your environment. Go outside. Move your body.
  5. It is okay to stop. You do not owe anyone your mental health. The files will still be here tomorrow.
  6. Use The Lounge. We created off-topic spaces specifically so you can decompress. Talk about movies, cooking, sports – anything that is not this.

:speech_balloon: This Space Is For

  • Sharing how you are doing – honestly
  • Self-care tips and strategies that work for you
  • Recommending therapists or resources experienced with trauma
  • Checking in on each other
  • Asking for help when you need it

No judgment. No pressure. No gatekeeping.

“The expectation that we can be immersed in suffering and loss daily and not be touched by it is as unrealistic as expecting to be able to walk through water without getting wet.” – Rachel Naomi Remen

Welcome. Take care of yourselves. :purple_heart:

8 Likes
Help finding documents regarding surfacing allegations against Prince Andrew
2

Thank you for putting this together! This is so thoughtful and applicable. It’s hard to remember to come up for air sometimes, especially for those of us with brains that are wired to hyper-fixate on stuff we feel passionate about. Thank you for the reminder that we don’t have to move mountains. Every piece we uncover will help us build the bigger pictures as a community. I find it helpful to know that there are others like me who do feel so passionate about this issue to dedicate a significant amount of time to investigate and share findings.

:blossom:

6 Likes
3

Pinning this to the top of the forum. Every new member should see it.

@PsychSupport, thank you for posting this. We’re asking people to spend hours going through genuinely disturbing material, and having a mental health professional’s perspective readily available matters.

If you’re up for writing those follow-up posts on PTSD, CPTSD, and Dissociative Disorders like you mentioned, please do. The community would benefit from it, and we’ll make sure they stay easy to find.

3 Likes
5

Thank you for sharing :heart: