Trauma Therapy
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 6,666
Trauma Therapy
Ok, I have six sessions of this coming up in September. I'm apprehensive to say the least.
I've had good counselling from my therapist already re: love, life, psychopathology etc…
But as I said to him I know that this isn't the trauma therapy work. What should I expect?
I've had good counselling from my therapist already re: love, life, psychopathology etc…
But as I said to him I know that this isn't the trauma therapy work. What should I expect?
Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 4
Hey Spacegoat,
As someone who has implemented trauma therapy before, I have a little insight on what may happen. First of all, there are many different forms of trauma therapy and different interventions so it depends what approach this therapist takes. When I did trauma therapy with individuals who had experienced torture during war, I used Narrative Processing Therapy, which has been shown to be highly effective. Hopefully what you're therapist will do will be to teach you new ways of coping with symptoms of PTSD and anxiety. Once you have these skills down, he/she may help you process your trauma by actually reliving it...describing it over and over again. I know this sounds terrible and it is very hard, but the more your brain processes the trauma and you learn to respond to the uncomfortableness of remembering using the new tools you have learned, your symptoms will decrease exponentially or even go away! You do have to really throw yourself into it to see the positive effects, and the bad feelings will probably get worse, for only a short period of time. Don't be afraid, you will feel so much better after. I hope this helps!
As someone who has implemented trauma therapy before, I have a little insight on what may happen. First of all, there are many different forms of trauma therapy and different interventions so it depends what approach this therapist takes. When I did trauma therapy with individuals who had experienced torture during war, I used Narrative Processing Therapy, which has been shown to be highly effective. Hopefully what you're therapist will do will be to teach you new ways of coping with symptoms of PTSD and anxiety. Once you have these skills down, he/she may help you process your trauma by actually reliving it...describing it over and over again. I know this sounds terrible and it is very hard, but the more your brain processes the trauma and you learn to respond to the uncomfortableness of remembering using the new tools you have learned, your symptoms will decrease exponentially or even go away! You do have to really throw yourself into it to see the positive effects, and the bad feelings will probably get worse, for only a short period of time. Don't be afraid, you will feel so much better after. I hope this helps!
Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 4
There's also EMDR which is very effective, the therapist will ask you to remember the trauma and process it verbally while he uses hand signals to trigger parts of your brain to process the trauma more quickly. Since your only having 6 sessions he/she may be an EMDR therapist. Either way, don't be hesitant, trauma therapy works! I hope you have a good experience.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Watford
Posts: 83
I'll tell you a story that will hopefully encourage you in your trauma therapy.
I have a good friend named Jan, he was a medic with the UN Peace Keeping Force in Sarajevo. Saw some pretty terrible things, left him with PTSD. Due to this he was pensioned off at the age of 41. Decided to move to Thailand and start a new life. Moved in to a house next door to mine.
Then he started drinking. He got so bad, we would have to deliver food to his house, he was both physically and mentally wrecked, couldn't go out, couldn't start the day without getting drunk as quick as possible.
Anyway, fast forward, we talked him in to getting some private trauma therapy. He was dead against it, but went anyway. A year later, he just stopped drinking one day. Turned out the alcohol was self medicating his PTSD problem. The therapy had done a lot to resolve it. That was 7 years ago, he hasn't touched a drink since. Even though he sits in our local bar with the rest of us getting roaring drunk around him. An inspiration for me in many ways.
So I give trauma therapy a big thumbs up. I've seen it work a miracle.
I have a good friend named Jan, he was a medic with the UN Peace Keeping Force in Sarajevo. Saw some pretty terrible things, left him with PTSD. Due to this he was pensioned off at the age of 41. Decided to move to Thailand and start a new life. Moved in to a house next door to mine.
Then he started drinking. He got so bad, we would have to deliver food to his house, he was both physically and mentally wrecked, couldn't go out, couldn't start the day without getting drunk as quick as possible.
Anyway, fast forward, we talked him in to getting some private trauma therapy. He was dead against it, but went anyway. A year later, he just stopped drinking one day. Turned out the alcohol was self medicating his PTSD problem. The therapy had done a lot to resolve it. That was 7 years ago, he hasn't touched a drink since. Even though he sits in our local bar with the rest of us getting roaring drunk around him. An inspiration for me in many ways.
So I give trauma therapy a big thumbs up. I've seen it work a miracle.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
