Mom

I used to get a job and rent a room to avoid going home. Work was hideous, hard to come by and boring, but I was determined not to go home.

The problem isn't that I couldn't find someplace to stay. The problem is that my parents won't continue to pay for my school unless I pretend to be "part of the family". I'm working on becoming independent as fast as I can and I've gotten a lot of work this week already.

Growli - I care about you and I am greatly concerned. I was abused and I am still trying to learn how to deal with it today.

My only advice is keep putting one foot in front of the other, try to take good care of yourself, try to avoid self-defeating coping skills.

Someone earlier in this thread (sorry, the name escapes me) offered to help you find a t or pdoc, maybe take them up on that offer...

And don't worry about the ob/gyn thing...doctors are not in the habit of forcing preventative care on people. That can wait until you are up to it.

Right now, you're primary focus should be on getting the help/support you need and making healthy choices.

Stay strong Growli....I believe in you!

you are an adult, no doctor can force you to do anything unless you are in direct harm of hurting yourself/others. i didn't get an obgyn appt (which my primary doc does) until i was like 24 or 25 b/c i was scared (adn i have no trauma). my doctor suggested it gently to me, but never forced the issue.

Why would you need to go to an ob/gyn? And how could they possibly force you?

Because I'm 21 and haven't ever gone and doctors always tell me to go.

I'm 37 and I've never been to the OBGYN. Nobody can force you to do what you don't want.

Good. I don't ever want to go.

I told my doctor to stop asking me. It's noted in my medical records that when I'm ready, I will make an appointment, and until then, they are to stop asking me.

I love her though. She is great. Li love boys why bblack or dark brown hair. Why don't you guys like me? I try. But I am am asshole and I am disagreeable

I way my parents to die

But you hits are great

I think I have a problem. I will make an appointment with pdoc for tomorrow and get a new school t

That is good news. Maybe a pdoc can help you find a trauma T?

I've been wondering, what is the difference between a trauma T and a regular T?
I've seen T's a looooooooooong time and I don't think any of them specialized in trauma but were fully equipped to deal with mine anyways.

Any chance that you could open up your search by not requiring a trauma specialty?

A trauma specialty is normally a good way to go if you have trauma. Is it absolutely required? No. But if you're dealing with trauma, they're normally much more trained and experienced in it.

In terms of training, what is the difference? I always thought that all , at least psychodynamic T's, were well versed in treating trauma?

Just want to see if anyone knows?

PS I ask because if anywhere outside of NYC is flush with shrinks, Growlithing's city is pretty up there in terms of T population density. If she is having a hard time finding a TT, maybe it is because most T's don't make a distinction?

They often have quite a bit of training on trauma-specific symptoms, and complications. And they also have more experience working with trauma patients. They will know the role that dissociation plays in trauma, and how to best spot it when it happens in session (this is the biggest thing, IMO, because unless you're specifically trained in dissociation, it is really hard to recognize). They will also be much more knowledgeable in the most modern treatments for trauma, such as EMDR and DBT.

I appreciate your response. I can see how a Trauma T may have EMDR training while an "old school" psychodynamic T may not. However, trauma and dissociation would seem part of the core training for a T?

Next time I talk to my psychodynamic T, I'd be interested to see what he says too.

In my efforts to self educate on Trauma therapy I came across these links

What Trauma Therapy Should Look Like (How many tools are in your toolbox?)

Psychological therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder

Psychotherapy Treatment for PTSD | Psych Central

So there is EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, TF-CBT, CPT, and so on.

I second this. I don't have a history of trauma per se, but I do dissociate emotionally when I'm overwhelmed. Previous T did not seem to notice. She never knew when to back off and it was very painful and disorienting for me.
Her specialty was more in the line of grief and life-threatening or terminal illnesses.

From my understanding psychodynamic theory is all about Trauma. Freud treated people who were severely traumatized. The idea of transference is at its core about Trauma. You bring unresolved issues from the past into the future, and behave as though those things are going in the immediate present, meaning that the memories of the past are unprocessed, and hence traumatic. (I know transference has come to have a host of other meanings, but from my understanding this is what it means at its core).

Also psychoanalytic theory has been the go to theory to analyze trauma in literature in the humanities, and remains a prominent aspect of theoretical thinking in trauma studies. Personally I would expect that if one went to an analyst that they could have a pretty reasonable expectation that the T would have a pretty deep understanding of Trauma. Of course you should ask, and the thing that matters most is if the person finds the approach right for them.

Thanks for this! Now I have to go look up what Kohut has to "say" on trauma. My main T is a Self-Psychology kind of guy and occasionally references Kohut's work directly.

I will have to look him up too, I'm not familiar.

I'm literally getting turned away because they aren't equipped to handle trauma. I haven't shared anything of what happened. Just that I need someone comfortable handling it. Perhaps they just don't want a challenging client.