PTSD Therapies

[Patches63]

EMDR …. CBT.   Has anyone gone through therapy for PTSD / Separation Anxiety with either of these?   

Seeking any thoughts, knowledge, experiences with either plus, if possible, and positives or negatives for either.

My therapist keeps talking about me starting EMDR due to years of trauma initiating with suicide of an uncle when I was 9year old.  Don’t know if I want to do EMDR.  Having someone in my personal space I find leaves my feel nervous and on edge some times.

Wanting to talk to my therapist at next session about me being involved and having a say as to type of therapy I feel I want to try.  During last few months therapist has mentioned her high success rate when using EMDR.  She has explained about EMDR but not about CBT or other therapies she is trained in

[ABC01]

Dear Patches63,

I haven't tried EMDR for PTSD. I am currently trying Neurotherapy Feedback. But it helps Anxiety as well.

I have talked to others before and they had success with EMDR. But you need to be comfortable with what you want to happen to yourself. I have talked about possibly doing EMDR too. But Neurotherapy is first.

CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy)? If that is it, I have tried this for many years. It is about actively challenging and changing your behaviours. I have had success with challenging my automatic thoughts. And then re-routing them to something more rational. Asking myself about my thought. Is it rational? Is it reasonable? Is it kind to myself? Along those lines.

You have control of your appointments. It is your time and your session. You can vocalize your concerns, thoughts and wishes. You don't need to do only what they suggest or offer. It is up to you. Therapy should always be a safe place for you and be a place you can always say what you need too. It is about a partnership in bettering your mental health.

I hope this helped. And that someone who has tried EMDR will get in contact with you soon.

ABC01

[Patches63]

Hi ABC01,

I started seeing this therapist 17months ago and have seen her 19 times.  At first it was each 2 to 3 weeks then became one session each 4 weeks.  During the last 10 weeks I’ve had couple one night stays in hospital due to some surgery and had no contact with or from therapist during this time.  Friday was a prebooked Telehealth appointment which was a disaster.  My next session is 4 weeks time, will be face to face and have prepared a typed note to have me in which I’ve explained my feelings, what I wanted out of the session plus asking couple questions.

next session early December and, if I continue seeing her, session after that possibly 6 to 8 weeks away.  All we seem to do each session is discuss what’s been happening since the previous session.  I can do that with various other people.  Don’t know if therapist is using this as way to build my trust in her, if so it isn’t working

[ABC01]

Dear Patches63,

I can completely understand only getting through the things that have happened in the last few weeks in between sessions,only then for the session to be over. And how frustrating that can be.

Perhaps they are building trust, or maybe they are listening for repeated stressors and how you coped with them, to then know how to proceed with therapy in the future. However you want to proceed with therapy now. I recently started a therapy,only for the facilitator to need to take leave and have had to wait 6-8 weeks for the therapy to begin again. It is soo frustrating. I want to do the therapy now. In the meantime I am stuck in my own head for 6-8 weeks. So I do empathise with you. And can feel like I am not getting anywhere.

But your idea with the piece of paper is great.👍 I often write on a post-it things to bring up and address in my sessions. I try not to get intimidated,because they are my sessions. The worst is that I can get shut down,and then I know this person is not the person for me and my mental health. Writing them down is such a great way for the professional to know you are serious about it. They may ask to keep your paper too.

I hope your next session goes well. I prefer in person sessions for the reason that I am there and infront of them. We can read body language and interpret peoples faces much better then on telehealth. And it also gets me out of my home. Which is something that I need to do.

ABC01

[white knight]

Hi, welcome

Interesting post thanks

20 years ago I tried CBT and my psychiatrist that wrongly diagnosed me with ADHD but found that out 6 years later!, wanted me to do a computer program and I found it really hard. I explained that and he said "well you wont get better then". It was a bad comment and I drifted away after that. In fact my next diagnosis 6 years later was bipolar and dysthymia etc, so that is why I found his programs difficult to focus. The moral of the story is- these programs might well be an advantage for you as ABC said, but- with treatments YOU decide if you are comfortable with being involved in them. If not then maybe the person hasnt explained it to you well enough?

Having a mental illness doesnt mean you are at the mercy of professional and non professional people. We are not guinea pigs nor lesser of a person for our illness. We can respect them but like anybody in society we either feel comfortable with them and proceed or we dont. I now refuse to continue in a room with someone that I find abrasive, in fact I've walked out a number of times with different people.

The trick is to continue to try different therapy methods, be open minded and not give up. 

That's my advice.

I hope you enjoy this forum and post on any topic that bothers you.

TonyWK