C-PTSD

Wow - I am blown away by your positive post, @Wanderer 🙂

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@Wanderer wrote:

Just learning to let go instead of trying to fix what is lost. Start again from scratch.

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This is so powerful!

I am so impressed.

X

I have experienced symptoms of cptsd for along as I can remember, my childhood is blacked out due to sexual abuse by my dad, as a result I have had many stressful circumstances make me dissociate. I'm a carer for 2 family members and really need the help to stop my brains copeing mechanism, which seem to be, to dissociate.

It isn't easy, especially since I'm also an empath that attracts narcassist.

Yup, aged 64 (so old, I know) it took me most of my years to get absolutely clear that C-PTSD is exactly what I have, despite having explained myself (and paid $ks) to countless medical and psych interactions, including gps, psychologists, counsellors, psychiatrists, neurologists.

Of course, everyone with C-PTSD has their own particular symptoms and traits, and probably because the whole field of complex trauma is still less-well understood, as well as the disconnection of our health system, etc, but its taken all my resilience, self-awareness, research, determination and luck to finally get clear and on track.

I've found an amazing GP to manage the medical side and now a trauma-informed psychologist to try EMDR 🤞.

Warning: While I found CBT useful up to a very limited point, signing up to way too much with a "reputable" service was completely retraumatising and really set me back. For complex trauma, I recommend contacting BlueKnot Foundation before getting sucked down the treatment rabbit hole/roundabout.

Happy to chat. Love and best wishes to all

PTSD diagnoses at 60 year old after decades of talking to different local doctors explaining what I go through and requesting to see specialist. On meds for few months now which are helping as have good days now but still crash and crash heavy. Appointment next month to see psychiatrist to discuss current meds and assessment of possible c-ptsd. Decades of trauma commencing with suicide of much loved uncle when I was 9 year old

Mid 40’s diagnosed with Adult Separation Anxiety and depression following having active SI thoughts.

I’ve recently moved to gated community for safety and social aspects. Everyone I’ve spoken to have greeted me and made me feel welcome. Trying to slowly get involved with activities, meeting new people is so nerve wracking. New house is home and feel safe but not comfortable to be away from home unless have my car to drive the 3 mins to meeting hall within the gated community. One of my self set targets is to go for walk couple days a week and gradually increase length of walks and be each second day

Hi @Wondersoft @Former-Member and welcome to the C-PTSD club 🌷

Same as you @Wondersoft , I too am 64yo and have a lifetime of trauma behind me.

I too went through CBT and also Exposure Therapy with my long time clinical psych. I found both to be highly traumatising experiences. But probably helpful in the end.

Good luck with the EMDR. I have done that too, and found it pretty good. It especially helped at an emotional level I found. And much less traumatising than the CBT or Exposure therapies. Although it could no doubt be argued that I had been desensitised to a large degree by the success of those former therapies.

@Former-Member Congrats on your new home and the progress you are making. Definitely not to be underestimated. I have only recently moved into a new home myself, 3 months ago already. Time flies. It can be a very difficult time though, so well done to you.

Anyway its nice to see you both here.

Emelia

Hey mate @Wondersoft

Currently going through CPTSD and gotten on to a psychologist. Checked to see if he is trained in the field. Been told only go with Psychologist who have been through CPTSD. To me that's gonna be hard to find.

I am full on reading and researching and looking at different treatment methods. Prefer not to be reinventing the wheel and focus in wrong directions.

How did Blueknot help you. Do you have name of psychologist. I am not after 1 or 2 epiphanies a month. I need treatment plan. If you have name of psychologist that knows his stuff will also be useful.

Any help will be much appreciated.

Regards

Jay

@Emelia8 @Jay784 @Wondersoft been trying to hide from everyone this last week due to emotionally crashing. Move has triggered memories which are haunting me at night and in tears during the day. Went to bed last night and woke this morning with strong SI thoughts.

feeling safe now following phone conversation with MH nurse at local prevention unit. Been triaged over the phone, been advised will receive phone call for initial appointment to attend the unit.

as discussed with MH nurse, I was referred to psychologist for CBT, have had 4 sessions and don’t feel like getting any help yet. Have initial appointment mid next month with psychiatrist.

Gday @Jay784

As well as providing excellent, trauma informed phone support, BlueKnot website has great resources and information, including list of psychologists who say they specialise in complex trauma. No guarantee of course, but this led me to a Sydney psychologist for initial zoom assessment - I live in regional SA.

Through her network she suggested a suitable Adelaide psych who I've now made appointment with. Besides the c-ptsd assessment, she recommended emdr, rather than more retraumatising rational thinking cbt. She also recommend juggling which I'm now practising and loving (leave you to discover why) 😉. She advised me to always ask any potential therapist if they specialise in complex trauma and dissociation, and not to go with anyone who only deals with straight ptsd.

I made my most recent painful mistake in putting myself through more extended cbt following assessment for (non-complex) ptsd by a highly reputable psych group. Despite explaining over and over that my trauma was complex/developmental/relational, and how the program wasn't working for me, the psych insisted it would and encouraged me to persist. Only after, through BlueKnot, did I find out how c-ptsd is similar and so different from ptsd. Unfortunately, once again, I had to learn the hard way.

After this I'd just about given up on any further psych therapy 'experiments' until I discovered BlueKnot and followed my now well-informed nose.

So keep on going Jay with your courage and determination to learn about yourself and heal with help from the right people.

A book I'd also recommend for complex trauma is Reclaim by Dr Ahona Gula, a forensic psych I heard speak at this year's Byron writers festival.

Best wishes