[Irine]

Has anybody tried? How dies it feel afterwards?
I am supposed to start next week and afraid...because..well.
My therapist said that i have DID too and then went back to the thought i have PTSD ...

I read a little online but the information did not satisfy me...i understood it contains breathing. Therapist says this is nothing like hypnosis.

Does anybody know what its like?

[skeksi]

I have done PE therapy, twice. it was INCREDIBLY helpful--it drastically reduced my PTSD symptoms and made it possible to address the trauma in a way nothing else we had tried did.

It took me a looooong time--months of weekly sessions--but the time varies for people and what they are working on. Here's what I did with my therapist over the course of many weeks:

First, we did lots of relaxation work. I created a safe place and T took me through guided imagery to get there.
I wrote a short list of memories that were bothering me with flashbacks.
We grouped some of the traumas together (like 'all the times he did X') and I picked the worst memory.
We numbered the traumas from least disturbing to most disturbing.
We discussed how to rate my anxiety on a scale of 1-10.
We started with the least disturbing memory. Sometimes I could talk through it, and sometimes I had to write it and T would read it aloud.
When I reached our pre-arranged anxiety rating (originally it was 5, but I was so poor at identifying it before it got bad that he switched it to 3), we stopped and did the relaxation.
Then when I was relaxed again, we would go through the memory again.
We repeated this over and over with each memory until I could tolerate the whole thing.

T and I did this both with memories and with real-life exposures (having to see my abuser). For that, we started with me thinking of his name, imagining passing him on the street, imagining being near him, etc. We did this because my abuser is a family member that I can't always avoid.

In the end, there were some aspects of my trauma that even PE couldn't touch, my anxiety was too high. But I am a totally different person after that work. The key is to go slow slow slow and to talk with your T about everything you are thinking and feeling. I always try to rush things and that's not how PE works!

[autumnleaves]

Skeksi, did you have to recall memories in extreme detail? Did you talk about situations that you anticipated being triggering for flashbacks (like things that hadn't happened, but could happen)? The reason I ask the latter *****TRIGGER****** is that I have a history of CSA, I am a virgin, and I worry that my first intimate encounter with a man as an adult with be triggering. I am about to start PE with my therapist.

[skeksi]

For PE to work, yeah, it eventually gets very detailed. But you get there gradually, the whole point is to be upset but not overwhelmed or retraumatized. I encourage you to share your feelings throughout the process wither T so he knows how you are doing--the more feedback I gave my T, the better he could adjust the exposure.

Imaginal events are certainly used in the hierarchies so I think your example could be, too. The idea is to help de-trigger stuff that is making up life challenging. I did a lot with imagined meetings to prepare myself for real ones.

Here's more information on PE: Prolonged Exposure

[autumnleaves]

Thank you so much.

[Spiderlegs]

Fascinating information. I'm learning so much! Thank you.

[Hellion]

I guess I can see how that would help some people, when I first heard about it and thought it sounded like a terrible idea, as its better not to over-stress myself by having my symptoms triggered even if it is supposed to help with learning how to deal with it better. I just don't think I could consent to that treatment...maybe earlier on it would have worked.

[catesfate]

I have not done PE therapy persay. I've have some cool success with EMDR however and am looking forward to starting some more with my new therapist. My exposure therapy was quite different and not controlled or very safe I'm afraid: I broke down and took myself to the ER which in my city is the same hospital where my father died, and my husband was place on a ventilator, etc. I was on a locked phych floor and the view from my window was of the old cathedral of this ancient hospital with 'the ghosts' of everything traumatic! I did okay, mostly joked around to cover my insecurities, then fell apart when I was in my room alone staring out at the old Gothic monstrosity of a building!