Poll Poll: Have You Gotten Better, Worse, Or The Same With Therapy?

[BuckarooBanzai]

Much better after therapy. But it took time. I had to find the right therapist, one I could relate to who also had the right skill set.

All therapists are not created equal! And that applies to trauma therapists, too.

Once I got the right therapist, I made dramatic progress. It took a few years, but I am doing much much better now. I am no longer in therapy or on medication at all. And I am back in graduate school.

 

[shimmerz]

All of the above. At different times, for different reasons.

 

[Richie]

I've gotten worse with one therapist @C j nhs one too. And better with anot...

what differences did you see between them?

 

[theshadowoftheliving]

With my first three therapists years ago? Worse. But with the really good one? Better.

Half a lifetime later, round two of therapy. First two? Worse. Way worse. Third one? More aware, which feels worse but maybe isn't. Latest one? Too early to tell.

So, it depends on the therapist. And, to date, I've had more than my fair share.

 

[PTSDfree]

Therapy did not help me at all.

 

[Sherry]

Definitely worse initially, as therapy was just awful, and very triggering.
But after about 6 months of Exposure Therapy the intensity of symptoms started to improve.
This year after 3 months of weekly then fortnightly EMDR, I feel that the emotional reaction is also starting to improve.
But I still have some really lousy days, and triggers still happen unexpectedly.
However I am now much better equiped to deal with the consequences and it takes me less time to recover now.

 

[Deleted member 33052]

I'm doing so much better, but it's a combination of therapy and this forum. EMDR has allowed me to reconcile a lot of my trauma, and (possibly coincidentally), I stopped having nightmares. Also, my therapist is helping me to discover the person who got lost inside the trauma forever ago.

 

[NoWhereKnowWhere]

@Richie well the first therapist was really pushy to have me "tell my story" which was too much too fast. The second one is much more experienced with trauma. She lets me be in control of what I feel I can say. She pushes me but not too much and I always feel in control.

 

[Richie]

@Richie well the first therapist was really pushy to have me "tell my story...

thank you for sharing that with me. I asked because I want to learn from experiences so I dont make those mistakes. I have a mate who has PTSD from military service and his therapist seemed to go through a checklist starting with his childhood. He walked out of the session (understandably) and when the time comes, I do not want to make people feel uncomfortable with me. In my opinion it would be extremely unprofessional and counter-productive to create that situation. People need to be comfortable and in control before they will open up to someone

 

[PaintedTurtle]

I swear by my EMDR treatments.

 

[Deleted member 8714]

I got worse initially and better as I found more competent therapists.

It took me a long time to remember exactly what happened to me, 25 plus years. Being believed helped tremendously since I doubted myself often enough. My last therapist told me it wasn't his job to prove something happened to me. Here was there to listen when I was ready to tell him. His reactions to my disclosures helped me believe it really happened to me. It was so far outside the everyday normal experience of life.

 

[SnowyLeopard]

It's gotten much better. Without therapy I tried to delude myself that everything was okay and avoided addressing my issues, thinking that I didn't 'deserve' to get help. My therapist thankfully clicked with me, and it's been nice to have direction in helping improve my well being and be happier in life.