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Originally Posted by Rachel.i
I am really confused about whether I am in the right type of therapy. I see my T every 2-3 weeks, and she does "supportive" therapy, i.e. whatever is troubling me, or on my mind, we talk about. The issues change, as does lIfe. Lately it's been about practical steps I may need to take (lawyers etc) regarding my father, whose dementia and abusiveness has gotten much worse.
My T is good, but I don't seem to be making much progress at what I call my "automatic" reactions. My T thinks it doesn't matter if you have PTSD, that it's what you do now.
Problem is, I still have symptoms like hypervigilance, nightmares, insomnia, avoidance, etc. My father was so relentlessly abusive when I was age 10-17 I had no peace, just constant severe stress. I would even feel that I wasn't real, though I knew I was, just to escape the abuse. My sister said recently "he just hated you." That he did, and for a stupid reason - I gained about 15 pounds after one of our many geographical moves. Before that I was his golden girl. Talk about confusing.
I also became the scapegoat in my family... everything was my fault according to them all, even though I was quiet and didn't cause trouble. With two sisters, this continued into my 30's. They, however, married abusive men like my father - I didn't - and were/are alcoholics and street-drug users. My other siblings had grown up by then and weren't like that.
I don't want to be in therapy forever, yet as I said I'm confused whether I might need a PTSD specialist and/or group therapy.
Thank you if you read this far.
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I have never heard the term "PTSD Therapy" here in new york we dont have a therapy technique called PTSD therapy. We have therapy techniques like DBT, CBT, EFT, Art therapy, music therapy, aroma therapy, hypnosis, and others but none called "PTSD therapy" and therapists here in new york dont become specialists in PTSD. here all mental health treatment providers work with PTSD issues (nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, sleep problems, depression, suicidal and self injury thoughts...) So Im not sure what you are looking for.
if you mean how did we know we needed be go to therapy because of PTSD problems that I can tell you. I did know when I needed to be in therapy because I was having PTSD issues to the point where the PTSD issues were interfering with my work, and home life..
PTSD symptoms are things like having flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, intrusive thoughts about the traumatic event, suicidal and self injury thoughts, being depressed because of the traumatic event, unable to concentrate on work because of the traumatic event.
we cant tell you when or if ....you...should or should not be in therapy for any of your symptoms ...only you can make that decision but I can tell you it was very helpful to me to be able to go talk to my therapy about my problems surrounding the work related traumatic event I went through, and work with my therapist to find ways to solve my PTSD related issues.