[Semi-depressed]

First post, and I should really introduce myself, but I attempting to find the right therapist, and have a question.

Is treatment for PTSD appropriate when I have CPTSD?

I have heard that CPTSD is different in many ways, including that it is normally coupled with an attachment disorder. If this is the case, would ignoring the affects of emotional abandonment be appropriate treatment in the first instance?

I have a feeling I know, I just would like to validate this.

Thanks all.

From my experience, I'd say that CPTSD and PTSD are very different and that PTSD treatment would not be wholly effective for CPTSD. Definitely a trauma expert is needed rather than a generalist or a therapist who merely prescribes meds but does little else. Psychoanalysis and psychodynamics are more effective treatments than cognitive-behavior therapy. Please stay in touch and feel welcome to post here.

[Semi-depressed]

Thank you for that. It helped validate the way I felt. I changed therapists after one session because of how I felt, and it is good to know I made the right decision.

I will introduce myself and share some of my story one day soon.

Thanks again.

[Trace14]

Unguy can a regular counselor do Psychoanalysis and psychodynamics ?

I think that we get too hung up on labels and there are more differences between individuals than between diagnoses. A diagnosis is not a gaurantee on treatment.

Something like EMDR is great for both... Meds are used to treat individual symptoms and a diagnosis is just a collection of symptoms...

Everyone has a unique story. A dx simplifies this. A good t can work with various forms of trauma. But they aren't all good...

Psychoanalysis could work great for some but reinforce trauma for others, regardless of dx. I think it's about the individual...

Originally Posted by Trace14

Unguy can a regular counselor do Psychoanalysis and psychodynamics ?

You should always ask a counselor of the school of methods they use.

My recommendation is to find a trauma expert - if possible, some who is very knowledgeable about C-PTSD. Someone who is not skilled in treating trauma will be of little help regardless of the type of therapy they use.

[Semi-depressed]

Originally Posted by unguy

...Psychoanalysis and psychodynamics are more effective treatments than cognitive-behavior therapy...

Originally Posted by unguy

...Someone who is not skilled in treating trauma will be of little help regardless of the type of therapy they use.

I have started with a new therapist and she is much better and has a lot more experience. Her bio speaks of Trauma treatment and PTSD.

The issue is that so far she has only listened to my story. She has also started saying things like 'I don't follow any defined treatment model', 'I don't follow a list of steps', 'I want you to lead this', and 'I want you to be in control'. Mean while she just listens to my story and writes stuff down she finds interesting. As far as I know she has done no analysis and when I asked about her steps and experience with c-PTSD she told me that she had to get to know me and that this would be fluid.

Everything I have read suggests that c-PTSD trauma survivors respond best to a staged therapy. I could provide loads of references, but anybody that has done any reading about c-PTSD has seen that phase oriented treatment is almost always recommended.

Psychoanalysis? I have not gotten anything like that from her. I have told stories, she has told me a bunch of stuff I already knew, and told me that I had already made a lot of progress on my own (in reference to my coping strategies, and how operational I was based on my past). But what I came to her for was healing and dealing with the source of my problems. I am dealing with the symptoms pretty well already.

I have been told that I will not get in touch with my emotions while I am being so analytical, but I also feel like I need to know where we are headed before I invest in weeks of therapy.

Thoughts.

Originally Posted by Semi-depressed

I have started with a new therapist and she is much better and has a lot more experience. Her bio speaks of Trauma treatment and PTSD.

The issue is that so far she has only listened to my story. She has also started saying things like 'I don't follow any defined treatment model', 'I don't follow a list of steps', 'I want you to lead this', and 'I want you to be in control'. Mean while she just listens to my story and writes stuff down she finds interesting. As far as I know she has done no analysis and when I asked about her steps and experience with c-PTSD she told me that she had to get to know me and that this would be fluid.

Everything I have read suggests that c-PTSD trauma survivors respond best to a staged therapy. I could provide loads of references, but anybody that has done any reading about c-PTSD has seen that phase oriented treatment is almost always recommended.

Psychoanalysis? I have not gotten anything like that from her. I have told stories, she has told me a bunch of stuff I already knew, and told me that I had already made a lot of progress on my own (in reference to my coping strategies, and how operational I was based on my past). But what I came to her for was healing and dealing with the source of my problems. I am dealing with the symptoms pretty well already.

I have been told that I will not get in touch with my emotions while I am being so analytical, but I also feel like I need to know where we are headed before I invest in weeks of therapy.

Thoughts.

1. The T does need to get to know you first. That will take several, sometimes many, sessions. Patience is required. I know that I often return to therapy when I feel desperate and need immediate relief of some sort. Therapy takes time and treating c-PTSD takes more time than other issues.

2. I had therapy at a center where the T's seemed to do very little except listen. Finally, my 3rd therapist at the center (I'd made no progress under the prior 2) called in the director when I protested. The director told me that the therapy at the center was patient led. I left immediately as c-PTSD is something I cannot treat on my own and a certain degree (actually, IMO, a lot) of therapist intervention is required. My recommendation? Get out of there and get a better therapist. I've heard it all before "I'm eclectic and don't follow any one particular type of treatment;" and "I want you to take the lead" (in other words, I do not want to take responsibility for your treatment success or failure). Find a real trauma specialist. Be aware that there are not many treatments and progress is slow.

It appears that many counselling centers, it an attempt to squeeze in as many patients as possible, are using a new tactic where therapy is almost totally patient led. It absolves the therapist / therapy center of responsibility for outcomes (which helps legally too). In my experience, this approach to psychotherapy also does not help patients with issues who require specific treatments or interventions to make progress. A sign of a center like this is where all patients are required to sign a "treatment plan" that they never see because it's the same generic and vague treatment plan for all patients; it's intended to protect them from being sued for incompetence and nothing more.

It is important to have a T who works with you and to some extent guides you when you cannot help yourself. A T who just listens is mostly useless in my opinion. Ultimately, it's your decision. You have to do what is best for you. Tell the T what you need from them and if they cannot or will not deliver then move on.

[Semi-depressed]

Originally Posted by unguy

1. The T does need to get to know you first. That will take several, sometimes many, sessions. Patience is required. I know that I often return to therapy when I feel desperate and need immediate relief of some sort. Therapy takes time and treating c-PTSD takes more time than other issues.

2. I had therapy at a center where the T's seemed to do very little except listen. Finally, my 3rd therapist at the center (I'd made no progress under the prior 2) called in the director when I protested. The director told me that the therapy at the center was patient led. I left immediately as c-PTSD is something I cannot treat on my own and a certain degree (actually, IMO, a lot) of therapist intervention is required. My recommendation? Get out of there and get a better therapist. I've heard it all before "I'm eclectic and don't follow any one particular type of treatment;" and "I want you to take the lead" (in other words, I do not want to take responsibility for your treatment success or failure). Find a real trauma specialist. Be aware that there are not many treatments and progress is slow.

It appears that many counselling centers, it an attempt to squeeze in as many patients as possible, are using a new tactic where therapy is almost totally patient led. It absolves the therapist / therapy center of responsibility for outcomes (which helps legally too). In my experience, this approach to psychotherapy also does not help patients with issues who require specific treatments or interventions to make progress. A sign of a center like this is where all patients are required to sign a "treatment plan" that they never see because it's the same generic and vague treatment plan for all patients; it's intended to protect them from being sued for incompetence and nothing more.

It is important to have a T who works with you and to some extent guides you when you cannot help yourself. A T who just listens is mostly useless in my opinion. Ultimately, it's your decision. You have to do what is best for you. Tell the T what you need from them and if they cannot or will not deliver then move on.

Thank unguy for the support and reassurance. I may give her another week or two while I look around again. Another clue that she was not invested at all was when she asked me if she had had me visit their Psychiatrist yet. Second session and she does not know that?

I am finding looking for a good CPTSD informed T in this medium sized city almost as hard as dealing with CPTSD on my own. I have been sent in to both minor and medium EF while dealing with some of them. I had one I called make me defend whether I actually had discotiation or not.

Any clues on where to look? Phsyccentral seems out of date. Probably be best just to visit local company's websites.

Thanks again. I am looking for guidance from Ts and what I am getting is disappointed and frustrated. I was told that finding a good one would be hard. Guess I was hopeful I might get lucky on my second one.

[(JD)]

“The actual scientific evidence shows that psychodynamic therapy is highly effective. The benefits are at least as large as those of other psychotherapies"

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Brings Lasting Benefits through Self-Knowledge

According to the National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD), "5.2 million adults have PTSD during a given year," and "8% of the population will have PTSD symptoms at some point in their lives" (NCPTSD). Today, many treatment options including psychotherapies, medications, and combinations of the two are being developed to treat PTSD (NIMH). One form of psychotherapy gaining recognition as a viable treatment option for PTSD is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Many sources such as the NCPTSD claim that the therapy is the "most effective type of counseling for PTSD" (NCPTSD), and studies testing its effectiveness in treating the symptoms of the disorder continue to be tested daily.
...

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a form of psychotherapy designed to help a person develop a more adaptive response to a fear" (NIMH-CBT). The NIMH states that "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a blend of two therapies: cognitive therapy (CT) and behavioral therapy (BT)" (NIMHs-CBT). CT concentrates on "a person's thoughts and beliefs, and how they influence a person's mood and actions" (NIMH-CBT). In doing so, the therapy "aims to change a person's thinking to be more adaptive and healthy" (NIMH-CBT), and BT strives "to change unhealthy behavior patterns" (NIMH-CBT). As a combination of the two, CBT "emphasizes the important role of thinking in how we feel and what we do" (NACBT). CBT for PTSD

[Semi-depressed]

I wanted to update everyone that might look at this.

I have found a therapist that I am starting to trust. She is very nice and speaks in soft emotional terms. I find that hard since I am logical, and analytical. On top of that my cPTSD makes me afraid to make mistakes, so not having a plan feels dangerous. This relaxed environment is strange for my 'list' driven mind. I guess I am still in stage 1, might be easier once I relax and start feeling again.

I almost left her care once, but I am willing to give her a chance for a while. She seems to have the experience and she seems to care. I know I have started to improve with Medication and developing tools to use.

I did have one of the stronger EFs last Friday, but I was able to cut it short by talking about it. I was pretty happy with that, well, and the fact that I have had less recently. We are also working on my fear/road-rage when commuting.

Things are going well it seems and I have been only going for 6 weeks. On top of this I am reading a lot of books on trauma, doing meditation 4+ days a week, and unprescribed EFT (Tapping). Thing are continuing to improve and I am getting more insight.

Best to all.