[Alishia88]

Is it something that you think one should try?

For me it´d be mostly anxiety/sleep medication.

Is it only if you think you really really cannot go without it or should you try it if you think it might help?

I manage without I´d say, but I´m also restricted very much in what I can do in the outside world so there it might help me move forward into a "normal" life...

I don´t know...

[Open Eyes]

Alisha, I asked that question myself too. I actually like Teacake's advice about the Gaba and think you should consider tying that first.

I was really bad for a while and took Klonopin to help me sleep and with the anxiety when it got disabling during the day. However, it does slow down the metabolism and has side effects that I did not like. The only time I take the Klonopin now is when I have an extremely painful day and have not had any restful sleep either. It is important to remember that Klonopin is a "depressant" and that it can make the depressive part of the PTSD even worse.

So, I think you should try the suggestions that Teacake has first because it sounds more natural to me rather then other medications.

I am not a professional by any means, however, what I have noticed is that professionals often get patients on a drug treatment program and I don't think a drug cures PTSD, at least not right now. Some people have said that AD's have been a help, but are not a cure.

OE

[doglover1979]

Medication can make a huge difference in quality of life. I take medications for bipolar disorder, but the effect of reducing my overall anxiety has definitely helped my PTSD.

While there is no medication for PTSD, some symptoms can be addressed with meds. For example, if part of your PTSD is depression and anxiety, antidepressants might be a help.

There is also a good amount of evidence that if you have PTSD there is a greater likelihood of also having other disorders that complicate PTSD. If you have PTSD and something else (like a mood disorder), it is really important to treat the symptoms of the comorbid disorder.

I know, for me, if my Bipolar illness wasn't treated that I wouldn't have ever been able to address my trauma.

If you think they can improve your life then I don't see why not.

I take meds, I have BPD, PTSD along with MDD, I find my meds do help with the anxiety, However I am going through a load of emotions right now and I did consider stopping my medication (I did this for three days) I noticed the difference as I felt so low in myself.

[Open Eyes]

Originally Posted by doglover1979

Medication can make a huge difference in quality of life. I take medications for bipolar disorder, but the effect of reducing my overall anxiety has definitely helped my PTSD.

While there is no medication for PTSD, some symptoms can be addressed with meds. For example, if part of your PTSD is depression and anxiety, antidepressants might be a help.

There is also a good amount of evidence that if you have PTSD there is a greater likelihood of also having other disorders that complicate PTSD. If you have PTSD and something else (like a mood disorder), it is really important to treat the symptoms of the comorbid disorder.

I know, for me, if my Bipolar illness wasn't treated that I wouldn't have ever been able to address my trauma.

doglover, while you may believe that there is a greater likelihood that if PTSD is present there are also other disorders there too. What is also happening is that professionals are seeing the symptoms of PTSD, and misdiagnosing what are all the symptoms of PTSD as other disorders. This is something I have discussed extensively with my therapist too. While a person can have a learning disability like ADHD or Dyslexia for example that has led them to be misunderstood and abused that can lead to experiencing PTSD, a person struggling with PTSD alone can express symptoms that can appear to mimic symptoms of other disorders when it is "not" another disorder like Bipolar, or avoidant personality disorder, or major depressive disorder, or a mood disorder, or acute anxiety disorder, but simply all just PTSD. There are cycles to PTSD that may sound like "bipolar" for example, but it is simply not the same. It is very common for someone diagnosed with PTSD to also be diagnosed with Bipolar II for example when that is really not accurate and the person is "only" suffering from PTSD.

It is important to keep that in mind and make sure you get another opinion and preferably from a professional that specializes in PTSD. What we do know is not an "exact" science and we have been learning more and more about the brain and PTSD as well. What I have said about PTSD symptoms being mistaken for other disorders is something that has been "slowly" recognized and professionals are "slowly" learning how to avoid misdiagnosing. It is actually not unusual to run into an older psychiatrist that knows about PTSD, yet doesn't really understand to recognize the symptoms clearly so that they do not make the mistake of misdiagnosing.

OE

[Open Eyes]

The other thing I did want to mention here while I have the chance or mind to is for women, I cannot stress enough to also pay attention to what is taking place with yourself hormonally too.

I suffered for several years with endometriosis, and it continued to get worse and PMS for me was as though I had several uteruses instead of just one. Women do have mood changes as they go through their menstrual cycles anyway, so it is important to pay attention to your cycles as some women do experience highs and lows, that is not depression or anything other than hormonal. I got so bad that I began to have strange attacks about 4 days after my period. These attacks were very painful to where I was on all fours on the floor throwing up, until after about an hour they would subside leaving me exhausted. I would only get about a 3 minute warning with a twinge of pain to where I knew I had to get someplace where I could be sick in private. I did complain to my gynecologist and she kept telling me there was nothing she could do and that I was just developing cysts that were breaking and creating all this pain. It kept getting worse, I would complain again, and again my gyno would say the same thing and even be snippy about it.

Finally, I was talking to some other women and they told me that was not right and gave me the name of their gynecologist and told me to get another opinion. I went for an exam and a pap test and was told I looked fine. Then I had an attack that would not end, I was in excruciating pain all night and my husband called this new gyno who told me to wait until morning and come right in to see him because I would only have to wait if I went to an emergency room. When I did that I was still in a great deal of pain, was examined and they could see nothing, had an ultra sound, nothing, so they sent me to a hospital where there was a more powerful ultrasound, still nothing and that nurse was actually rude to me telling me I should not be in pain because she could not see anything.

Finally, it was so bad the gyno performed orthoscopic surgery where he could go in through my belly button and into my uterus and look around with the orthoscopic and that is when he was able to see all the endometriosis, which cannot be seen in an exam or by an ultrasound. They also could show it on a screen so my husband could see it too, because he was also having a hard time believing me. What it looks like is all these red blotches on what looks like nice pink raw skinless chicken meat. It was on my right side and was going down my right leg too. Endometriosis is serious and can travel in the blood stream and get into the lungs and other areas of the body so it is important to pay attention. They lazar it out so it doesn't spread or continue to also have periods like the uterus does, yes they all have periods and send out hormones just like they are uteruses themselves. There are women that have this but don't experience the pain I did too. However, they will definitely have hormonal problems and health problems.

After my surgery I was given an "implant" of a drug called Lupron that totally stopped my period. Unfortunately, that drug also completely depleted me of estrogen which resulted in extreme debilitating depression which was later revealed as a known side effect of Lupron. I was given Zoloft and estrogen medication until I slowly, and I mean slowly came out of the extreme depression where I could do nothing. I slowly became myself again. However, what happened is that I only had a few periods and went into early menopause. So much for having more than one child, I was actually lucky to be able to have one. Menopause is no picnic either but at least I didn't have debilitating depression.

So, as a woman, it is very important to pay attention to your hormone levels, you can have them checked with a blood test. It is also important to pay attention to any pain you may have too, because it could be more than just menstrual cramps. I suffered for "years" and was dismissed when I didn't have to suffer so long or have the endometriosis keep spreading and getting worse.

It is also important to understand that if you take birth control medications, that will change your hormones too, and could also affect your moods too. Just because we can stop a woman from having cycles where she can get pregnant, doesn't mean there are no side effects or dangers to doing that. Actually several of these birth control pills have even been taken off the market as they did cause life threatening side effects.

OE

[Hellion]

I have prescriptions for trazodone and valium, to help with sleep and anxiety. I have tried various anti-depressants(mostly for depression but have been told by mental health professionals they can help PTSD symptoms to) and none of those have done anything to help. I have tried other meds including seroquel, zyprexa and various anti-histimines but those don't do anything to help with depression or anxiety and just cause unpleasant effects.

Other then that various herbal remedies are rather helpful.

I tried a few medications when I was younger but they didn't have any benefit for me. The final one I tried actually made me go psychotic for a time and I had to lock myself in a room because of incredibly strong violent urges (apparently a known side effect). After that I said "No way" to any further medications offered to me.

My doctor has continued to offer them to me through the years, the most recent being some antipsychotics used to treat schizophrenia. I don't have schizophrenia, but he said in low doses it may help with some shared symptoms, like the anxiety. There's not a chance I'll take him up on the offer though. He's offered to start me on the process for getting medical marijuana as well, but the only types offered here are not strains that would be of much help (high THC with low CBD). It's not legal for me to grow the ones that would possibly help, which is rather stupid but that's the laws.

Lately I've been changing up my diet to see if an increase in certain vitamins has any effect, and I'm building something on my property so I can get outside for the summer and not feel so exposed. Getting out of my regular space and routine through that may help.

If you are having trouble sleeping, depending on the cause you may be able to resolve those difficulties without taking anything - medications or otherwise. For example, if it's due to nightmares and flashback dreams, you can actually learn to make them stop (for the most part) by increasing your awareness of your dreams.

[doglover1979]

Originally Posted by Open Eyes

doglover, while you may believe that there is a greater likelihood that if PTSD is present there are also other disorders there too. What is also happening is that professionals are seeing the symptoms of PTSD, and misdiagnosing what are all the symptoms of PTSD as other disorders. This is something I have discussed extensively with my therapist too. While a person can have a learning disability like ADHD or Dyslexia for example that has led them to be misunderstood and abused that can lead to experiencing PTSD, a person struggling with PTSD alone can express symptoms that can appear to mimic symptoms of other disorders when it is "not" another disorder like Bipolar, or avoidant personality disorder, or major depressive disorder, or a mood disorder, or acute anxiety disorder, but simply all just PTSD. There are cycles to PTSD that may sound like "bipolar" for example, but it is simply not the same. It is very common for someone diagnosed with PTSD to also be diagnosed with Bipolar II for example when that is really not accurate and the person is "only" suffering from PTSD.

It is important to keep that in mind and make sure you get another opinion and preferably from a professional that specializes in PTSD. What we do know is not an "exact" science and we have been learning more and more about the brain and PTSD as well. What I have said about PTSD symptoms being mistaken for other disorders is something that has been "slowly" recognized and professionals are "slowly" learning how to avoid misdiagnosing. It is actually not unusual to run into an older psychiatrist that knows about PTSD, yet doesn't really understand to recognize the symptoms clearly so that they do not make the mistake of misdiagnosing.

OE

The way my T explained it is that people who already have other stuff are more likely to develop PTSD in response to a traumatic event than other people. Therefore, people with PTSD are more likely to have a comorbid diagnosis. The chicken and the egg, I guess.

She also specializes in trauma. Actually she specializes in all the stuff I have! I'm very lucky to have her.

[Wysteria]

I hope you are seeing a psychiatrist and not just a family doctor to have these discussions...
If you are put on meds, please be careful of any natural remedies and get them checked out carefully with doc/pharmacists to make sure they are okay together...

There are some new studies of some meds that are helping with PTSD and comorbid depression/anxiety...

Personally, I have fought it for 10 years...tried so many combinations...some better, some worse...each person is different.
I have horrid dreams...nothing ever really touched them much..
But, lately, I have been taking some of my ad at night and then the larger dose in the AM....FINALLY...I have had some relief from the night terrors..

Therapy also changes brain chemistry and creates new neural pathways and ways of putting what has happened into perspective, distancing some of the harder emotions from the memories, etc...Many different types of therapies being tried. Even more funding for the research due to all the honoured vets coming home and suffering from this horrid disease...

Best of luck...keep your mind open and keep connected...
Gentle hugs if welcomed...
WB

[Open Eyes]

Originally Posted by doglover1979

The way my T explained it is that people who already have other stuff are more likely to develop PTSD in response to a traumatic event than other people. Therefore, people with PTSD are more likely to have a comorbid diagnosis. The chicken and the egg, I guess.

She also specializes in trauma. Actually she specializes in all the stuff I have! I'm very lucky to have her.

Ok, well I am sure it is possible that someone can be disordered and experience a trauma, even experience abuse because they were not understood by a parent which can then create PTSD. However, my
T also specializes in trauma patients and PTSD and he has explained
to me how PTSD patients can be misdiagnosed with other disorders
because of the PTSD symptoms too.

You may feel your T is right, however, just keep what I said in mind too.
PTSD has a lot of symptoms to it that really can mimic other disorders
and I listed several that my T told me often get diagnosed by mistake.
I think it is important for the T to take time and listen to a patient's history, not be too quick to diagnose, but take more time with that.

It's good that you are happy with your T, that is very important IMHO. My T has helped me understand a lot too and has explained to me "why" I was misdiagnosed in spite of the clear red flags I was expressing that was clear I was a trauma patient suffering from post traumatic stress. He told me unfortunately there are specialists that still misdiagnose out there too, still go by old observations and diagnosing.

Your diagnoses may very well be correct, I am not a specialist like your treatment provider.

How to Know If You Have Been Misdiagnosed With Bipolar Disorder - Wellsphere

I posted this link because it talks about what the real symptoms of Bipolar
is verses other things a patient can say or complain of that are "not" bipolar.

When I broke down because I not only saw my neighbor's dog cause so much damage, but I had been tending to that damage for almost 5 months non stop, had to also run my business, and had very little sleep, I was in constant hyper vigilance, even slept in the barn to keep an eye on a sick pony. I did not know what hyper vigilance or trauma was, I thought I was having a nervous break down, I was genuinely physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted and could no longer function. I was also overwhelmed with grief and anger, and after working so hard to save one of my ponies for a few months with IV's and medications and constant care, I lost that battle and had to put her down and she followed me faithfully to a grave we had dug as she had always done because she was so good and trusting of me.

By the time I got to the psych ward, I was so tired doglover and suicidal, I was pushed way beyond my limit in every way. I complained of feeling like I was having a nervous break down and I asked for rest and grief counseling. I was also irritable and rambling because I was so completely exhausted. The psychiatrist felt that I was "wrong" to be like that and decided I was narcissistic. What my therapist told me is that when a patient presents like I did, they are clearly overwhelmed with shock from being traumatized and are often very agitated and even angry and are looking for "safety" and "quiet". If a professional doesn't understand the "red flags of shock/trauma/crisis", they can easily misdiagnose NPD as was the case with me. Of course it did not help that this psychiatrist was from India and spoke with a heavy accent. It never even occurred to me that his cultural back ground already tends to not recognize or value women as we do here in the states. And I have found out I am only one of many who did not have a good experience with him either.

I did "not" get rest in that psych ward, they opened my door or checked on me every 15 minutes, which constantly startled me awake, keep in mind that I had already come off of almost 5 months of that non stop caring for sick animals where I often did not sleep at all and I lost one of them but still had to keep caring for the others. Plus they let my sister come in and visit me who basically yelled at me for being that way, how dare I, and that I better get my act together or I would lose everything. I was treated by everyone like I had no right to struggle the way I was struggling and I was surrounded by patients where they were all on several different medications and all messed up. I left that place even "more" exhausted than when I went in, and my husband was mean and angry towards me. Then I had to go back home and go right back to tending to these damaged/sick ponies and horses too. And experience constant night terrors, not even understanding that either.

By the time I got to see a psychologist in out patient, I struggled to articulate why I was so "grief stricken" and as I was doing that I was afraid she too would think badly of me. She too misdiagnosed me because she did not believe me when I told her the value of some of the damaged animals. Plus, I had no idea how we were even going to pay her as by that time I was in so much debt from veterinary expenses.

By the time I got to see another psychiatrist, I still had a hard time trying to explain the volume of how much I was challenged and what it meant to me. No, I was not getting much sleep, I was still hyper aware, hyper vigilant, and experiencing extreme anxiety and was experiencing night terrors, however I did not use these words then because I did not know about them. What I did know is that I was still experiencing deep grief and anger yet trying to hide it because apparently I had no right to be that way. And when they tried to give me AD's in the psych ward, I was either on my knees sick to my stomach, or the AD totally knocked me out so I could not get up and both times I was yelled at. I did not get past one or two days and told them to stop trying to push AD's at me, but to let me rest and PLEASE GIVE ME GRIEF COUNSELING.

Finally, I was diagnosed with PTSD. But it was not really explained to me, but what I thought what PTSD meant was extreme deep grief, and that is exactly how I felt. I still was exhausted, was not sleeping well, had anxiety attacks, and my family was still being impatient and mean to me and I was still taking care of damaged animals and my neighbor was still being intrusive and almost hit me with their car as I was trying to hand walk a sick pony. Can ANYONE blame me for having racing thoughts or struggling to articulate all that I was addressing STILL? How on earth does that mean I have Bipolar II?

I had no idea what a "trigger" was, it was not explained to me, but let me tell you I WAS HAVING THEM CONSTANTLY. Plus the bills were piling up on the table and I could clearly see my husband was overwhelmed by it all and I really began to worry about losing everything. The "only" medication that was helping was the Klonopin this psychiatrist prescribed for me. But I had to try to only take a very small amount during the day because otherwise I could not take care of all my horses/ponies.

I did try Welbutrin, but that drug just wound me up too much, actually it is not a good drug to prescribe for PTSD, especially not the generic of it which is a different mix and has even more side effects. My psychiatrist went away on vacation for three weeks, so I stopped taking the Welbutrin on my own, and within two days, I could notice a big difference, not so batty and wound up. The psychiatrist wanted to put me on mood stabilizers, and he talked about other medications that were new that was two different medications, and I am very glad I did not take one of the ones he mentioned as it was taken off the market.

This psychiatrist decided my GP could prescribe renewals of the Klonopin.
My GP saw my records, was clearly very angry and began to spout out
resentments about how a psychiatrist could expect him to prescribe for
such a mentally disturbed patient and he mentioned all the different diagnoses that no one mentioned to me and threw my records at me. I was so completely embarrassed and "severely triggered" and had all I could to get to my car in tears.

My whole point in sharing all of this is because I definitely was misdiagnosed and misunderstood and not enough time was spent on "listening" to get a better idea of my history so that I actually was diagnosed correctly. I never stayed up all night, did reckless things, went on shopping sprees buying things without careful thought, or any of the other manic symptoms discussed that are symptoms of Bipolar Disorder or even Bipolar II. And a narcissist doesn't give up so much time to support her husband to recover from alcoholism, work her butt off and work around helping her daughter with her dyslexia, or spend the time and money I spent on her with her riding to help her with her self esteem issues due to her dyslexia. A narcissist would never walk away from a trainer when their child is high ranking on a show circuit to be state and zone champion, to put that at risk because I did not want to "pretend" not to see the severe child neglect this trainer was doing with his children. No, the other women that stayed with him and chose to ignore it, even when I pointed it out were the ones who were narcissists including this trainer who did not care about "anyone" but himself, he didn't even care about the welfare of the horses, he broke them all just for some damn blue ribbon, no ribbon is ever worth that ever. Narcissists don't care about anyone but themselves, if anything everyone who knows me tells me I care too much and not enough about myself.

Well, I got pretty long winded here, but I just wanted to express that just because someone is supposed to be a "professional" doesn't mean they
are right when they diagnose. It is "OK" to question medications, and do research and get other opinions from other professionals. For a while the trend was "mediations are the answer", however, they are pulling back from that more and realizing that often "good therapy" is what helps the most.

A person can have a long history of abuse or living with an alcoholic or have challenges that stress them constantly and they struggle to sleep, or compensate in ways that has nothing to do with Bipolar disorder, or even
another disorder. PTSD can develop from a lot of different situations that
cause a great deal of stress in a person. IMHO, it is very important to
get an accurate history before giving a "quick" diagnoses. Struggling to articulate, or appearing to have fragmented thinking can be due to abuse or some other issues in ones past, and has nothing to do with Bipolar. Women get diagnosed with Bipolar much more then men do, but women are abused or neglected more than men are too. Women are also more emotionally complex then men are and often more sensitive and it really is important for any professional treatment provider to really take the time to "listen" to the history, be patient if the patient struggles to articulate because that may be due to a complicated history or a very stressful environment.

I don't want to come off like I am telling everyone they are misdiagnosed
either. My point is that it "can" happen, especially when someone struggles with PTSD. If one takes time to read all the symptoms PTSD presents, yes, some of these symptoms presented in an individual can
mimic other disorders. And, while different treatment providers know about PTSD, they often don't know "enough" about it to really be able to identify or understand the symptoms. It is something that a treatment provider has to see a lot too so they can see how PTSD patients behave, get emotional, struggle, can be short tempered and frustrated and how they act when triggered too.

OE

[doglover1979]

You were diagnosed NPD on sight like that? That's wrong.

I was diagnosed BPD only after it became very apparent. I was reffered to the DBT program by my old Pdoc. When I had the PTSD breakdown my BPD symptoms all came to the forefront, too. Now that I know what BPD is, I can see why the diagnosis was made and I believe it to be completely true.

I think back to all the stuff I was saying and doing back then and it screams BPD. In the hospital program I attended I was always talking about my damaged, fractured sense of self. I was absolutely paranoid that everyone was going to give up on me because I fell apart. There is more, but it's not worth getting into here.

At the same time, I was clearly suffering a PTSD response. I was hypervigilant ,touch sensitive, agoraphobic, dissociated and having flashbacks.

My startle response was bad, too. I practically collapsed in my Pdocs waiting room because there was a strange woman talking too loudly. At one point my boyfriend slapped the table while telling me a story and I screamed and fell into a heap.

I should have been in the hospital, but because my Pdoc saw the BPD she discouraged it. My T at the time was all for me going inpatient because of an episode that led to taking a bunch of ativan and cutting. It was really confusing.

Still, I wasn't officially diagnosed BPD until I met my current T, who is a specialist. And it wasn't until taking a complete history, reviewing all my treatment notes, a self test ( I had no idea what I was being tested for at the time), and 5 sessions of evaluation.

The bipolar dx is something I had to push for, my old Pdoc had been treating me for mood disorder NOS and it wasn't working. I knew I had it, I have a family history of it (mom, two uncles, two cousins) , still she resisted diagnosing me and gave me the wrong dosages of my meds. Nothing got better for me at all until my AD was switched to a SNRI, the dosage of Lamictal was doubled and an AP was added.

So that is my experience, sorry for writing a book!

[Open Eyes]

doglover, don't apologize for writing a book, honestly, that is worth putting out there, people will learn from it and might relate to it and reach out for the right help, possibly speak up so they "do" get help. I think it is important to realize that professionals can make mistakes, they can diagnose too soon and it is important for a patient to keep trying to communicate until they finally get the right help.

Yes, you are right about the NPD diagnoses, it was totally wrong to diagnose without spending more time with a patient. My T explained to me that that psychiatrist failed to see the red flags of a trauma patient and misunderstood the anger and frustration and self absorption. Unfortunately, I have found out that this psychiatrist has done this with others as well and my T told me that more training needs to take place so a person in trauma crisis is not subjected to feeling even more "unsafe" and "frightened".

I am glad to hear you finally got the right help and are more stabilized now so you can work on slowly understanding and overcoming and healing now. I feel it is so important to consider a person's history before coming to conclusions and diagnoses. Putting the wrong things down in a person's medical records is totally unfair to a patient and can send any further professionals down the wrong road in how they treat a patient that can do more harm than good, which has been the case with me.

(((Hugs)))
OE

[ThisWayOut]

As stated above, meds can help in some situations. My personal case is similar to the other ones of misdiagnosis and the uselessness of meds (they actaully make me much, much worse so I only take anti-anxiety meds when I absolutely have to. I have pretty intense reactions to meds for days after even just one dose). I went through nearly 60 hospitalizations before going to a specialty trauma center. The work I started there helped so much more than any meds I could take (unfortuneately, a combination of lack of local services and changing insurance coverage had slowed progress). I have tried DBT seven times with life-threatening consequences each time, yet I keep having it suggested. It is very triggering for me, and I never seem to be able to handle those triggers regardless of my level of prowess with the skills. It is just too close in presentaiton to the way I was raised which is very much intertwined with my trauma.
Sometimes professionals are stumped. They use the resources they know of, and rarely look beyond the most "simple" solution. Unfortunately PTSD and mental health in general is anythign but simple. We focus too much on treating the symptoms without treating the underlying issues.
But I digress. I personally have found exposure-type therapy and intense supportive therapy to help me more than behavioral therapies. I have found that I tend to need a safety-net when addressing most of my trauma (I would prefer to do this at a specialized center because I tend to need a ton of support both day and night. It's easier for me to reach out for support when I know someone has to be there and available in the middle of the night. I worry about being a burden or annoying, so I often don't reach out until I am way too far into a crash if I don't have the "buffer" of 24/7 care when addressing the really tough stuff).

again, I'm sorry. I'm rambling. I am sorry to hear you are struggling. If you think meds can help you, you could try them. I would also urge you to find some type of therapy that works for you in dealing with the trauma. Art therapy can be helpful, day programs, specialized trauma programs, dbt, other behavioral therapies, talk therapies, more intensive therapies or less intensive therapies can all help. If you feel anything in particular is NOT helpful, I would urge you to take a stand and say so, even if "professionals" are trying to push the topic. I am a big proponent of people knowing what's best for them. If you disagree with something, say so and keep saying so. It's very difficult to do some times, but can be a life-saver.

[Open Eyes]

"again, I'm sorry. I'm rambling. I am sorry to hear you are struggling." quote ThisWayOut

Nothing to be sorry about, you are more than welcome to give your opinion and your experience, everything is welcome as everything is something to learn from.

I honestly can understand that even though one might take DBT, it might not change their "trigger" reaction to some kind of negative interaction or a reminder that brings them to a bad place. I agree that it is important to find the "wound" first and identify how it happened, be comforted when the reaction of having it aggravated takes place, until the patient can identify it and slowly understand it better.

I understand what you are describing, I have experienced some big triggers myself and I had to wait until they ran their course until my conscious mind could slowly figure them out. I have had challenges from other people in my family that hurt me, not because it was my fault, but because they were disordered somehow. Yes, using DBT doesn't always work when for example someone has compulsive ADHD and constantly talks over you, interrupts you, and cuts you off when you try to interact no matter what you say. That has been a "big" challenge for me, much more than I had realized too.

So, don't apologize, your input is important.

((Hugs))
OE

[Alishia88]

Originally Posted by Open Eyes

"again, I'm sorry. I'm rambling. I am sorry to hear you are struggling." quote ThisWayOut

Nothing to be sorry about, you are more than welcome to give your opinion and your experience, everything is welcome as everything is something to learn from.

I honestly can understand that even though one might take DBT, it might not change their "trigger" reaction to some kind of negative interaction or a reminder that brings them to a bad place. I agree that it is important to find the "wound" first and identify how it happened, be comforted when the reaction of having it aggravated takes place, until the patient can identify it and slowly understand it better.

I understand what you are describing, I have experienced some big triggers myself and I had to wait until they ran their course until my conscious mind could slowly figure them out. I have had challenges from other people in my family that hurt me, not because it was my fault, but because they were disordered somehow. Yes, using DBT doesn't always work when for example someone has compulsive ADHD and constantly talks over you, interrupts you, and cuts you off when you try to interact no matter what you say. That has been a "big" challenge for me, much more than I had realized too.

So, don't apologize, your input is important.

((Hugs))
OE

Hm, I think the real difficulty with mental illnesses is, unlike with physical illness you cannot as easily take a blood test or do an Xray and see what´s wrong. The mind is just so complicated!

Also, unfortunately I feel that psychologists still haven´t figured out what always helps best and there´s a lot of controversy, it´s just a very difficult matter, the human mind.

I think too, that unfortunately a lot of therapists do "quick diagnosises" before really finding out about the history of their patient.

I experienced this a lot. Before I ever started to look for a therapist, I was pretty confident that pretty much all of them were good, able to diagnose and treat pretty much the same way. Because all had the same training (university degree etc)

Well, the uncertainty of therapists occured to me when I went to about 17 different, for try out, and every one of them was so different and had a different idea on what was "wrong" with me and how to treat it.

It´s what I meant with unfortunately it´s not always easy to just "know" because the mind is so complicated.

I read books by Yalom and he said he was against diagnosises in general, because he said, even though it may seem clear at first, the longer you spend time with the patient, the more you´ll find out about him and see it differently, because you find new keypoints...

I think probably both your therapists are right: people who have previously been challenged and did not receive proper nurtering as a child, are depressed or anxious or anything are more prone to develop PTSD, but it´s also often misdiagnosed...

I guess research just needs to learn a lot more about mental illness...

But yes, in the controversy between your 2 therapists, you can see how much therapists, trained and good therapists, still disagree about diagnosises and treatment.

I wish it was easier, too...

"I am a big proponent of people knowing what's best for them."

I like this. I guess you´ll just have to listen to your gut!

Yes, it´s difficult. I experienced also some challenges when I was in an psychosmatic clinic and I felt some of the stuff wasn´t good for me at all, but anytime a patient disagreed with anything going on in the clinic, it was always the "patients illness" talking, not any mistakes of the clinic.

Well, unfortunately we cannot know for sure what will be best. But the good thing I guess that there is such wide range of therapies out there you can try...

I wish I could just leave the responsibility with my current therapist but I have to say that I have done a lot of things by myself that have helped me a great deal that I think someone else that didn´t have the same ideas as me still should be made aware of (