When I seek professional help I get multiple diagnosis, multiple treatment options

[KaraArtist]

I feel like I am nothing, worthless, hopeless. I don't know what direction to turn, when I seek professional help I get multiple diagnosis, multiple treatment options and they HATE when I say that I don't like to take medication because every one I have tried has caused side affects, that for me, were worse than the actual problem. I just want to stop feeling like this. it seems like no matter what I do I always end up back here. I have moved to the town I love, have an amazing fiance', stopped working due to consistent migraines and this has had a positive affect on my moods, and I have let go of all the poisonous people in my life. Yet I find myself back here, in the dark. Now what do I do?

[Lost_Girl]

Hi Kara,

Did you find out about the botox treatment? I just had my second lot today, it will take a couple of werks to kick in but the effects are cumulative. The last lot eased the pressure in my ears and allowed me to sleep. I am hopeful this will reduce the headache pain more.

I also met someone who gets regular migraines. She had a daith ear piercing and it has reduced the amount of migraines she has. Perhaps you can look into that too. She said it was the best thing she has done.

I'm sorry to hear about your little sis. I hope she is feeling a bit better. Are you aware that Beyond Blue has a suicide prevention app called "BeyondNow"? It can be found in the apple store or via google play. It encorages the user to create a safety plan.

Best of luck for your psych appointment. Have you been to one before? If not I can give you a heads up on what you might expect at a first visit.

Kind thoughts,

Carol

[KaraArtist]

Hi
Carol,

I have been researching migraine treatments but due to my need
to help out my little sister I have been unable to go to my doctor with my ideas. I was going to try the daith piercing but I have found that any cartilage piercings I have tend not to heal. I just took out my Helix piercing {in the cartilage on the top of the ear} because I have had it 2 years and still it flares up and causes infection in my ear to jaw. I also had another one in the cartilage further down my ear and after a year of issues I just got rid of it. My assumption is that the daith will have the same unfortunate
effects. I was looking forward to giving it a go too. Botox will be my next suggestion to the doc after I try out my local naturopath.

I have seen psychologists, therapists you name it in the past. I have even successfully used CBT to heal some deep seeded family trauma. Thank you for offering advice in this area but I am well versed.

Lot’s to do when I get home

Yes unfortunately we are here again with a young family member in the dark. We went through the same with me when I was young and my brother who actually attempted suicide. Depression is common in my family, I’ve seen cousins, uncles and aunts all suffering because of it. There is much in our past to explain it. But I am one who is using all the tools available to help myself and my siblings. I have made a decision to never stretch myself further than my siblings and to never give them more than I have so that I don’t end up hurting myself more.

I have suggested many useful tools to my sister, apps, this page, SANE you name it but she is in that stage where action is slow, she will be going to a regular psyc once I leave as I have urged our parents to make sure this happens but that’s it for now. One step at a time, she will get there and find tools that she likes I’m sure.

Thank
you for popping in Carol.

Kara

[KaraArtist]

Update:

Since staying with my sister and being around my immediate family again I have had an epiphany. I think the reason that I cannot shake the black dog, aside from it being likely a lifelong journey, is that it was born of abuse. My mother was emotionally
abusive from the day I was born. She was also physically violent for most of my childhood. I already knew this but for some reason thought that I was unaffected. I have no idea why I thought that but upon further reflection it makes complete sense. It’s the reason that all 4 of us siblings are struggling with varying degrees of depression, anxiety and mental illness. I have spent
most of my life lifting the mirror up to my mother so that she can grow and stop the abuse, I was successful in stopping the physical abuse but the emotional is harder to see and harder to fix. She too was abused by her father emotionally, physically and sexually. And in turn he was abused by his father. It is a cycle that is beginning to break down as each generation gets better and heals. I am blown away that I never saw it. I have been on my ourney so long I just can’t believe I didn’t put the pieces together.

Happily

Kara

[Lost_Girl]

Hi Kara,

A few people in the forums are undergoing emdr therapy to help with that type of trauma. I am mentioning it in case you're not aware of it. It may be something else for you to have a look at.

Kind thoughts,

Carol

[KaraArtist]

Hello Carol,

Not sure I've heard of emdr? I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on the subject.

Talk soon

Kara

[Lost_Girl]

Hi Kara,

I will ask someone more familiar with it to come help explain it.

Carol 🙂

[Guest_5218]

Hello Kara. We havent met before but I was asked to respond specifically to your question about EMDR therapy.

I experienced a single incident trauma 20 years ago and have been diagnosed with PTSD as a result. I have since done a lot of CBT therapy and a block of Exposure Therapy last year. Although I found these therapies somewhat beneficial, I was still left with very intense emotions surrounding the trauma itself. My therapist suggested that EMDR could assist in further desensitizing the emotional aspects of the trauma.

A little bit of background on EMDR - the therapy was first developed specifically as a treatment for PTSD sufferers or anyone having been through an extremely traumatic situation. However more recently it has been found that EMDR also has a good success rate in treating other conditions involving depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship problems, illness or injury.

During treatment, the therapist asks the client to revisit the traumatic moments and to recall the feelings and thoughts that accompanied them. The theory is that EMDR releases emotions trapped in the nervous system by repeatedly activating opposite sides of the brain through right/left eye movement. Negative memories are processed while tracking the movement of the therapist’s fingers. Emotions lose their intensity as negative images and painful feelings are replaced by more positive images and emotions offered by the therapist.

I would suggest you google EMDR for further research, as there is a fair bit of information out there about it - mostly good but, as with most things, some bad too. If you are interested in trying it you would need to find a properly accredited therapist.

My thoughts on the effectiveness of it? My situation is different from yours, so I can only say from my own perspective that I have found it to be quite effective.

I found that each session brought about increased anxiety and nightmares for several days after. This is normal as a result of stirring up traumatic memories. However the severity of anxiety symptoms and the time taken to recover reduced progressively. After a number of sessions, I can honestly say that the memories became less distressing to recall. So the theory that the process desensitizes the emotional content of memories appears to be true.

I have now undergone 9 or 10 x 2-hour emotionally and physically exhausting sessions and I'm expecting this Wednesday to be my last.

Happy to discuss further.

Sherie xx

[KaraArtist]

Hi Sherie,

Thank you for taking the time to send me your experience with EMDR. I have had success with CBT in the past so maybe this EMDR will be something worth trying. I will add it to the list of things I plan to run buy my psych.

What you've written on the subject is enough for me, I will do some internet research for more if I feel I need it but I think you covered it pretty well. Aside from actually trying it myself I don't think I need to know much more.

Good to hear your story is another successful journey being made.

thanks again

kind thoughts

Kara