Question:
Hi everyone, I’ve been trying this new therapy for almost a couple of weeks now. It has been a very rewarding experience for me and I’m seeing very positive results. The most fascinating thing – is that I am becoming more sociable with people. I will continue to try this. It does seem to be a breakthrough. I’m thankful to my therapist who always encouraged me to try new therapies and never become co-dependent on her. As she once said "the student can sometimes become the teacher". When I first posted that I had tried this new therapy, I was immediately pounced upon by a handful of self-appointed list nannies who do not take kindly to strangers in town trying new therapies without their blessings. . . . .predicting the future with 100% probability – that will continue with this post. . . . I elect to let this post stand – as is – without response, as no one is going to change their minds on this issue. However, I do hope it can help someone else who is curious like me. We truly live in an exciting time. There are so many experiential therapies being discovered. It appears mankind is very close to cracking the secrets of mental illness. I found Thomas Stone’s book "Cure By Crying" one of the most interesting books I’ve ever read on therapy. Thomas Stone catalogued all the great discoveries made in psychology over last few decades – and documented his own healing from multiple traumas. Tootles, Signed, Takes A Lot More Then That To Intimidated Me, Corinna PS: Tweaking the noses of nannies, here are the links again http://homepages.nyu.edu/~er26/ http://homepages.nyu.edu/~er26/schiz.html http://groups.yahoo.com/group/depression-cause-cure/
Response:
I’m glad to hear that you’re open to self-therapy and not dependent on a clinician. Why? Because I’ve learned that the reason most of us bother with professional therapy in the first place it to find a cure … there isn’t one. I sank into even deeper depression when MY therapist revealed this industry secret to me. There isn’t a pill or a forum or a counselor who can do for me what I now know I can do for myself. The more educated one becomes about this disorder, the more likely they are to develop positive coping mechanisms. Judy Smile, even … or especially if it hurts 
) "Corinna" <N…@ForBots.com> wrote in message
news:adk8ou$11rceg$1@ID-121028.news.dfncis.de… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi everyone, > I’ve been trying this new therapy for almost a couple of weeks now. It has > been a very rewarding experience for me and I’m seeing very positive > results. The most fascinating thing – is that I am becoming more sociable > with people. > I will continue to try this. It does seem to be a breakthrough. > I’m thankful to my therapist who always encouraged me to try new therapies > and never become co-dependent on her. As she once said "the student can > sometimes become the teacher". > When I first posted that I had tried this new therapy, I was immediately > pounced upon by a handful of self-appointed list nannies who do not take > kindly to strangers in town trying new therapies without their blessings. > . . . .predicting the future with 100% probability – that will continue > with this post. . . . > I elect to let this post stand – as is – without response, as no one is > going to change their minds on this issue. However, I do hope it can help > someone else who is curious like me. We truly live in an exciting time. > There are so many experiential therapies being discovered. It appears > mankind is very close to cracking the secrets of mental illness. I found > Thomas Stone’s book "Cure By Crying" one of the most interesting books I’ve > ever read on therapy. Thomas Stone catalogued all the great discoveries > made in psychology over last few decades – and documented his own healing > from multiple traumas. > Tootles, > Signed, > Takes A Lot More Then That To Intimidated Me, > Corinna > PS: Tweaking the noses of nannies, here are the links again > http://homepages.nyu.edu/~er26/ > http://homepages.nyu.edu/~er26/schiz.html > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/depression-cause-cure/
Response:
I couldn’t help myself when reading this post. Because I’ve learned that the reason most of us bother >with professional therapy in the first place it to find a cure … there >isn’t one.
IMO, a good therapist will let you know this on the front end. Mine did so and explained to me that I would always have the memories and experiences that contributed to my having PTSD. He also said that through therapy the end result would be for me to learn to control my response to my ‘monster’ when it reared it’s ugly head, instead of it_ptsd_ controlling me. >The more educated one becomes about this disorder, the more likely they are >to develop positive coping mechanisms.
I dont totally agree, because for me, I read a million self help books and other books by doctors trying to fix myself, all to no avail. Being educated about PTSD is not the same as being treated for it. Here is where a good trauma therapist should (IMO) give the client the tools to work with. Jeannie
Response:
Hi Jeannie, Just a few comments and no arguement from me > IMO, a good therapist will let you know this on the front end.
Right. I agree that a therapist who thoroughly understands PTSD would be honest and upfront and tell their patient the truth. My experience has convinced me that those professionals are few and far between so I was eternally grateful that I was "assigned" to one who "got it." Prior to this one positive theraputic experience, I was made to feel that I was responsible for my condition by allowing others to "get to me" and told that I wouldn’t get better until I "got over it." How the hell does one "get over" 10 years of incest; 17 years of domestic violence; and a lifetime of profound horror at man’s inhumanity to man? Even when we beat the psychological odds and function at an acceptable level, the body never forgets. It holds the memory in our neuropathways, in our cerebral cortex, in its programmed responses to threat of any kind. > >The more educated one becomes about this disorder, the more likely they are > >to develop positive coping mechanisms. > I dont totally agree, because for me, I read a million self help books and > other books by doctors trying to fix myself, all to no avail. Being educated > about PTSD is not the same as being treated for it. > Here is where a good trauma therapist should (IMO) give the client the tools to > work with.
I agree that appropriate therapy and an empathic practitioner can assist their client/patient greatly, but I maintain the importance of self-education. The only book I ever read that "helped" me was "I Can’t Get over It: A Handbook for Trauma Survivors" by Aphrodite Matsakis. The bulk of my education came from working with battered women and children. But everyones journey is their own and they must make their own way. They must find their own answers and not DEPEND on outside voices to make them well. Accept any valid help we can find but trust ourselves above all else. Does that make any sense? Judy
Response:
Hi Judy, I also went through 7-10 years of therapist hoping before I found one that was educated about PTSD. One lady therapist had outstanding creditials and degrees, but no knowledge of PTSD. (Neither did I at the time.) On my weekly sessions I would always bring up the past in some fashion and her response was always more or less -get over it, the past is the past, live for now. I thought I was going crazy and really thought somehting was wrong with me because I just couldn’t. >How the hell does one "get over" 10 years of incest; 17 years of domestic >violence; and a lifetime of profound horror at man’s inhumanity to man?
Exactly–this is what was so confusing to me when I was in therapy with this lady. I am grateful that I took the chance and was willing to try one more therapist before throwing in the towel. He was the one who diagnosed me on first visit after intake that I had full blown, severe, PTSD. I thought only men had PTSD and you had to be a war veteran. Shows how little I knew even after reading book after book. It was also made worse in my case because I had just left a drug/alcohol treatment center and was attending weekly meetings and couldn’t figure out why all those women were so calm and serene and I was still stark raving crazy. I would literally leave meetings, go home, and have a fit of rage. Alot of the recovery people said, I wasnt working a good program or I wasn’t connected to my higher power, just let it go and let God, ……yadda, yadda, yadda. All of that along with therapist I had at the time, and I was a basket case. All of that to say, I am grateful I found a good therapist who knew about trauma and PTSD. Have you found one? And yes, what you wrote does make sense. >Just a few comments and no arguement from me
I dont like arguments either and that is something I really try hard and not do. It is refreshing though, to be able to voice our own opinions and experiences and hopefully help another person, if not ourselves. Take care, Jeannie
Response:
Hi Jeannie and everyone else, Well, you gave me the sensation that I was looking into a mirror when I read your post. It really does help to know that others have comparable thoughts and experiences. No, I haven’t found a therapist that will even listen to me without trying to force relaxation techniques down my throat. I’m not there yet. I need to rage and remember and not be made to feel that I’m "bad" for doing so. The one professional I met that had an excellent handle on it all was my med physician and he couldn’t treat me because of clinic policy. I’ve had horrible luck with female therapists and won’t even give them a chance anymore. I’m starting to believe that there’s a huge difference between treating fresh, situational PTSD and dealing with long-term cronic PTS. In fact, I’m wondering if the trauma induced in childhood is actually treatable in later adulthood. I couldn’t tolerate any of the meds prescribed and found that they increased my symptoms 1000% and gave me seizures on top of everything else. If I notice I’m clenching or clicking my teeth I take 1 or 2 ativan from my stockpile to relax and it helps a great deal. But nothing helps when I become mentally confused and I usually slip into a full-fledged episode. I really want to find a competent therapist and work through my ancient issues so I’m less susceptible to future complications. You almost give me hope that there’s a match out there somewhere. Unfortunately, I’m on SSI and am pigeonholed into county clinics that are too busy dealing with scizophrenics and druggies to waste their time on an aging, broken spirit. Doesn’t mean I won’t keep trying but I’ve taken a respite from the quest. Thank you for your kind and gentle support. You just don’t know how much that means to me … Judy
Response:
Hi again, >No, I haven’t found a therapist that will even listen to me without trying >to force relaxation techniques down my throat.
Do you have anyone to possibly give a reference for a therapist who understands trauma? Or, I knew a person who got on the phone and called different clinics and asked over the phone. Just a thought. ARound this area_ the southern states_ these kind of proffesionals are hard to find. >In fact, I’m >wondering if the trauma induced in childhood is actually treatable in later >adulthood.
Absoulutely_ in my case, that is where my truamas began, early in childhood and continued throughout my early and late 20’s. The down side was I had to go through several therapist before I could find one who zereoed in on my situation and gave me a correct diagnoses. Gosh, I was diagnosed with everything before finding out I really had PTSD. >Thank you for your kind and gentle support. You just don’t know how much >that means to me …
Support was one of hte major tools that helped me through recovery as well. Glad I could pass it on. Wishing you the best, Jeannie
Response:
I have had a good therapist. He died. I dont go now because it will be so hard to find a therapist who really knows about PTSD. I’m not going to pay
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