Trauma – PTSD

Question:

>Subject: Re: Therapy and the treatment of PTSD >From: jeannielam…@aol.com  (JEANNIELAMONT) >Date: 10/23/2002 1:01 PM Central Daylight Time >Message-id: <20021023140144.08839.00003…@mb-cj.aol.com>

Hi Jeannie, >The right therapist means the difference b/t healing >and not healing.  Or that is the case IME.

I agree.  Finding the right one does make a huge difference. >I just substituted men/relationships for drinking (still surviving) then the >relationship ended and I felt I was going to die. Literally.

I’ve been there — never thought I would get over it. >That is when I started another round with therapists. Found one lady here in >town and she came highly recommended. But 2 years later, I still wasn’t >getting >better.  I would bring up my past and her suggestion was to let it go and >live >in today.

That must have been difficult to hear.  I was diagnosed as depressed. >Then, I heard of another therapist and decided to give it one more try.  By >this time I had decided that if therapy didn’t work I would just stop all >together. >Thank God, the last one, who I had seen for the past 4 years was a God-send. >After assessment and first visit he said, "You have severe and chronic PTSd." >Even he was shocked the other lady therapist didn’t see that.  

Amazing.  How terrific that you never gave up on yourself. >I do know other people who have called the local Dept. of Human Sservices and >they were able to offer them help.

Helpful suggestion.  Thanks, Jeannie. >Take care >Jeannie

You too, Jeannie, Take care, Anne

Response:

Hi Everyone, All the recent postings on alternative methods of helping to cope with the symptoms of PTSD have been extremely helpful.  I’ve learned a lot from all of you. Thank you Ladybug for starting this, this time. I keep coming back to one thing from my own experience, which is the importance of  finding the right therapist. There have been years in my life with PTSD when I could not afford this.  Those were the years when I began to educate myself about alternative methods.  They helped and I was able to function some of the time. Eventually the symptoms became too severe to function.  I reached a point where I had no choice.  Hospitalization, therapy and meds were the only way for me to begin to get well. There are ways, I have found, to work around and with the system to get help to pay for this.  There are also ways to find therapists who specialize in treating PTSD. Perhaps there are some of you out there who could offer your experience in  the basic mechanics of getting help.  It makes me sick to think about people who need therapy and are not able to receive this help. In my case, I am fortunate to have a co-pay system and the right therapist through the university where I teach part-time and where my husband teaches fulltime.  The recommendation for a therapist who specialized in PTSD came through the university’s Employee Assistance Program.   I realise that my circumstances are fortunate.  I am grateful for this because I know without a shadow of a doubt that I could not be making the progress (baby steps, but progress none-the-less) I am making without therapy.  All the other things I do are important to my recovery, and I do a lot of additional things, but the therapy is essential. Thanks for your help and for any information you might be able to share. Take care, Anne

Response:

Hi Anne, >I keep coming back to one thing from my own experience, which is the >importance >of  finding the right therapist.

You are exactly right.  The right therapist means the difference b/t healing and not healing.  Or that is the case IME. I had been seeing therapists off and on for over 15+ years.  But, at the time I was still active with drinking (surviving) and couldn’t get honest.  I knew something was wrong but couldn’t figure it out. Then, I sobered up in 93 and the treatment center I was in diagnosed me with ptsd and just being newly sober, I was consumed/overwhelmed with that and busy going to meetings, etc,…… I just substituted men/relationships for drinking (still surviving) then the relationship ended and I felt I was going to die. Literally. That is when I started another round with therapists. Found one lady here in town and she came highly recommended. But 2 years later, I still wasn’t getting better.  I would bring up my past and her suggestion was to let it go and live in today.  I was diagnosed as depressed. Then, I heard of another therapist and decided to give it one more try.  By this time I had decided that if therapy didn’t work I would just stop all together. Thank God, the last one, who I had seen for the past 4 years was a God-send. After assessment and first visit he said, "You have severe and chronic PTSd." Even he was shocked the other lady therapist didn’t see that.   >en I began to educate myself about alternative methods.  They >helped and I was able to function some of the time.

Me too.  Right after I stopped drinking, I bought all kinds of self help books, tapes, etc,…….. >Perhaps there are some of you out there who could offer your experience in >the >basic mechanics of getting help.  It makes me sick to think about people who >need therapy and are not able to receive this help.

For me, I have Tenncare, so I didn’t have to go through a lot of strings to get help. I do know other people who have called the local Dept. of Human Sservices and they were able to offer them help. Thanks for a good point. Take care Jeannie

Response:

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