Question:
Have suffered with ptsd for several years. Wondering which therapies if any that you have found benefical.
Response:
john smith <john sm…@hotmail.com> wrote in message <news:0ikr4ukij6su873oasha3egkmm4g6b331t@4ax.com>… > Have suffered with ptsd for several years. Wondering which therapies > if any that you have found benefical.
The most commonly accepted therapy used for PTSD is psychotherapy and medication. Some doctors tend to medicate their patients without any form of talk therapy and this does nothing more than keep a person functioning but the PTSD untreated. In order for psychotherapy to work, some or most people need some medication to control the symptoms of PTSD so that they can work on the therapy. For example, a person can’t expect to show up for therapy sessions and work with their therapist if they can’t sleep at night or are so depressed they can’t get out of bed some days. Medication is necessary to get a person to a functioning level then the therapist can work on the problems associated with the PTSD itself. Some therapists use EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) or CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) in addition to talk therapy. Some things are certain regardless of what therapy route is taken – the sooner you get help the better. The longer you let the symptoms fester, the harder it is to battle them in the long run and the more debilitating they can be. And once you do sit down and start therapy, it is a long process – don’t expect results overnight. If you find you don’t like your therapist or are making no progress, then get another one – on average a person can go through three to five therapist before you find one that ‘clicks’ with you. Don’t be afraid to ‘interview’ potential therapists and don’t be afraid to say ’see ya’ to one if they are not helping. It’s your time and health (and money for some). You can find more information in the links found in the FAQ. chech View the AST-PTSD FAQ @ http://astpfaq.tripod.com/astpfaq/
Response:
chech’s post was excellent. Can’t add much to it really. Just a couple of things off the top of my head. Being sober and stopping the self-medication was key to therapy working. For multiple traumas EMDR was too painful for me. A therapist experienced with trauma survivors is KEY. A good fit for YOU is the other key. Medication does make the progress possible, it did in my case. Bravery is another component in therapy. There’s a great desire to cut and run when things get too close to the bone. That can be a good thing, means you’re progressing, its a bad thing if you leave though. Great post chech, Kristine
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