PTSD and Trauma recovery

[Martina]

Unusual for a therapist to give a Wechsler. I assume she's a clinical psychologist. She said most people enjoy it? Does that suggest she gives them often? Trippy for a therapist to be administering these often. I can't imagine the context. Obviously for a complete evaluation, but therapists rarely need or use those. And people who give them often are usually people whose jobs are doing psych evals, not therapy. It's none of my business, and you're smart and well-educated so I assume there's a good reason. I'm kind of like Georgia_Ma'am in thinking they usually get re-done after a brain injury for people applying for disability or something. But there's lots I don't know.

[Apocalipstic]

Hi all, so sorry I have not been here to give support! So very sorry and light and healing vibes to all who shared.

Its crazy how PTSD seems to layer in more trauma over the years. Like the oroginal trama/s get wrapped up in more traumas as they happen. Or new traumas cause us to rething and replay old traumas? I am not sure how to explain it.

I won't go into what happened. I wrote a whole thing, but don't want to trigger anyone. I just want us all to be ok. So many people are not.

Just Jenn, I hope things are getting better for you.

Sending love and light to all of you. Its a scary world.

[dark_crystal]

Originally Posted by Apocalipstic

Hi all, so sorry I have not been here to give support! So very sorry and light and healing vibes to all who shared.

Its crazy how PTSD seems to layer in more trauma over the years. Like the oroginal trama/s get wrapped up in more traumas as they happen. Or new traumas cause us to rething and replay old traumas? I am not sure how to explain it.

I won't go into what happened. I wrote a whole thing, but don't want to trigger anyone. I just want us all to be ok. So many people are not.

Just Jenn, I hope things are getting better for you.

Sending love and light to all of you. Its a scary world.

This /\ is what i was talking about here \/

Originally Posted by dark_crystal

I found this article on Somatic Therapies, which include EMDR and Somatic Experiencing. I did not vet the source so YMMV.

I get the basic principle but i am wondering how it would work with cPTSD? Like, we can't do The Rape or The Battery or The Bullying. Like, I have so many traumas that i cannot even keep track at this point.

How is the therapist going to know which one is causing the disruption? And if they all are, how will we ever get through all of them when i can't even make a complete list anymore AND new ones keep happening?

My big issue is emotional avoidance-- i see myself do it all the time, like when we are helping my dad into and out of his wheelchair from the car, etc.

It is difficult to watch, so i am busily examining the trees next to the car, or the cracks in the pavement, etc. all while my hands are holding onto his belt, etc.

I am guiding him and encouraging him but i am also dividing my focus so that i can turn my attention away from the sadness i see to the wasp nest on the garage or whatever, like "oh god oh god poor dad why why why why-- hey i wonder if those are yellowjackets or dirt daubers i should google-- oh go oh god why why-- hey that crack in the pavement looks like a slice of pizza-- oh no he had an accident he must be so humiliated-- hey look the azaleas are blooming"

Traumas that happen during that process get kind of cocooned and submerged and overlooked but they are piling up still almost weekly. Any therapy that has to do with reexperiencing memories is not going to find all of the memories, is all i am saying.

My new therapist is really pushing EMDR
She's going to have to sell it to me

[CherylNYC]

Originally Posted by dark_crystal

This /\ is what i was talking about here \/



My new therapist is really pushing EMDR
She's going to have to sell it to me

I once had a therapist who wanted to try EMDR. I don't know if I was too disconnected or if she simply didn't have enough experience, or both. I got NOWHERE with it, although I thought it was an interesting exercise. So many people have had wonderful results with EMDR, but I'm not one of them.

[Apocalipstic]

Originally Posted by dark_crystal

This /\ is what i was talking about here \/



My new therapist is really pushing EMDR
She's going to have to sell it to me

For me, EMDR works on one thing at a time. Like if you know what the trauma is specifically that haunts you is, it helps blur the edges.

I totally get that it does not work for some people. I did not think it would work for me. The results for me were not instant, but over the years I can see it has worked.

Brain Spotting has worked to blur the edges on the trama your mind it leads to. Like body trauma we don't have words for.

Therapy gives me a safe place to just talk through layers of traumas and microtraumas and sometimes just the value in having someone actually listen to me, and over time know the me I show them, even though I am paying them to, is very validating.