Why Do People Need Therapy?

[kris]

ok so I understand that therapy helps, but WHY? What does it do for you? I have only been to a therapist one time, but what help does it do to make someone talk about there trauma. All talking about my ptsd was make things worse, my antidepressant isn't working anymore, I am having thoughts of suicide, very depressed, can't sleep, all that kind of stuff. So how does making someone feel so bad help? I havent been abused in many years, and hadn't had the flashbacks and stuff like that for many years, but now after going to a psychologist all those symptoms are back, so what good does it do to talk about being molested (in my case) if it brings out all these negative thoughts and emotions.

 

[kers]

Therapy has helped me in two ways: to accept what I am stuck with, and to change what I can.

I think you have to decide that therapy is right for you at a certain time. It does, generally, make things worse at first, and "at first" can be a period that lasts days, weeks, or months. I think of it as cleaning out a sealed, infected wound. It hurts initially as you clean it out...then it heals, and you have to reopen the wound and clean it again...and so on.

A good question for you to ask yourself is, "What do I want to change about the way I am and the life I live right now?" If everything feels very good, then maybe therapy isn't the best idea. If there are things you want to go differently, well, maybe therapy is part of the picture for changing.

 

[Lionheart]

I agree with kers, therapy can make things worse at first, but then they do get better. I didn't believe I would get better, but I kept going anyway because I knew I had been slowly killing myself trying to self-manage the PTSD/Traumas without any guidance. I am happy that I did go to therapy. I have learned a lot about myself and a lot about human nature. I am aware of my strengths and weaknesses . I am a stronger man, I no longer have a death wish, I don't self-medicate or put myself into dangerous situations.

I have dealt with addiction, multiple traumas and I have better control over my symptoms. The intensity of the PTSD symptoms have lessened a great deal and although I have had to spend a lot of time in therapy, it has been worth every minute of it. I will admit, once again, that I didn't think it could really help me and I thought it was a bunch of hogwash for awhile, but eventually I began to see real results. Going to therapy is one of the best things I have ever done for myself.

 

[Grama-Herc]

After giving my answer to this question a lot of thought, I realized that I could not find a better answer than the one given by Lionheart.

My issues are still there, but through therapy I have learned to handle them, respond appropriately to others and I became more aware of WHY I did such stupid and dangerous stuff.

Therapy helped me put my "self" back together. The more you talk about your issues and face them the weaker the power they have over your life.

 

[Auburngirl]

If I had my doubts about therapy and psychiatry before all of this, I'm a convert now. At the very least therapy is a place where a) it's okay to talk about yourself, b) you can talk about the scary stuff that you worry will freak other people out, c) you can talk about all of this and not have to deal with this person in any other aspect of your life. It gave me a place, to put all the crazy, incomprehensible stuff that was happening to me when I first got sick.

At first it was a relief, then it was really difficult and would take me several days to recover each time. Gradually, it became a place that helped me feel better. I grew to trust my doctor, and he helped me in a holistic way, takingly seriously my concerns - ranging from irrational daydreams of throwing myself from heights, to trouble sleeping, to too much sleep, to exagerated startle reflexes, to fears of physical intimacy (my trauma- sexual assault related). I feel like we worked together to find ways for me to better recover and deal with the life that I wanted to live.

I had a lot of physical symptoms, so for me therapy was often about sorting out how different parts of my body felt, and trying to understand why I started shaking, or sweating, or dissociating, or crying, or was cold, or the lights were really bright, or all of sudden the air vents were really noisy.

For me going to therapy was like, and was, going to the doctor. I went because I was sick. When I went I told him what was wrong, and tried to address that using everything from breathing techniques, to exercise, to talking about support networks, to medication, etc.

If I had a knee injury like so many of my friends, I'd go to the doctor when I first injured myself and we'd talk about a treatment plan. At first it might be in a cast, then I'd go back and do physiotherapy and build up the muscles, and gradually, slowly relearn how to do different things. I'd need to be careful not to try too many things too fast, sometimes it would be easier than other days. I'd maybe always need to be careful on steep stairs, but over time with medical help, and effort on my part, it would get better, maybe never as good as new, but improved.

I feel I'm in the same boat as above, except that I injured my brain. I went to the doctor, for the same reason, and metaphorically we've done the same thing. I need to hold onto the handrail on steep stairs, and stop for a rest every so often, but I am walking again, and that is thanks to therapy.

 

[Deleted member 541]

Why do we need therapy???????

We need therapy, so that all of those wonderful coping skills that we tend to use, such as denial, avoidance, stuffing, drinking, drugs, cutting(to name a few) are pointed out to us....Denial is used a lot in PTSD, when we don't want to face things....

When a person has been through a trauma, and they don't receive the help that they need right away, then the only other thing that they can do is to develop coping skills to deal with the aftermath. All of these coping skills are usually bad coping skills, that are only effective for a time....Then you crash & burn, and PTSD bites you in the ass once again.....

Therapy is designed to teach you better coping skills. A good therapist will also teach you grounding techniques to deal with the more stubborn issues such as flashbacks and anxiety. They are even good just in stressful situations. Therapy will teach you how to pull yourself back from disassociation periods that you may have also.....You will also learn ways to fend off depression, and with a good therapist he/she will know when you are not dealing well and will suggest that hospitalization may be necessary...

When I was diagnosed with PTSD, the shrink recommended that I do therapy and a rape survivor group. I told him I really didn't want to. He asked me if my life was working well for me, the way the things were???? I joined the group and eventually went into therapy......

It wasn't easy, and it was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but I am grateful for all of it. Off and on for the last 15 years, I return to therapy for tune ups. I am in a refresher course, doing a tune up now......

 

[somerandomguy]

It's a very good question. I guess therapy is a way that I can get my shot of sanity before going back to my real life. I haven't seen any real long-terms gains from it - it's been kind of like putting a band-aid on a broken arm - but I've gotten some short-term advice that's made the situations I've been a little smoother.

Sometimes you need someone who isn't in the thick of your life to give you an objective viewpoint.

 

[CCurry]

Hi Kris,

It's my bf that has ptsd and getting him to acknowledge that he needed therapy was one of the biggest struggles I had. He did not want to face what he needed to face as I'm sure many of you can relate. He still struggles to go (he's in the early stages of therapy - 10 sessions) but his dissociatons have not been as severe as before the therapy and while he's not stable yet, he is stabilizing.

As our military support leader told me, with therapy there is hope without him going to therapy the outcome is not a good one.

I guess you'll have to decide what's right for you. Even though the beginning stages of therapy are bumpy overall from all the answers you've received it still seems worth the initial pain. Either way I do hope you have a strong support system in your life.

 

[Jasmine]

I've tried therapy off and on for a few years and always ended it when things got "rough". My life hasn't changed much, so I guess I have to agree with what everyone else wrote. There is a reason we must go through the therapy and deal with the "rough" stuff, to get through it and over it. I have heard there is a better life for us on the other side. That is what keeps me going :)

 

[loqu]

I've thought about this too. From what I've read, there's no clinical proof demonstrating the effectiveness of psychotherapy. I do believe it works though, and there seems to be a professional consensus that it does work in some way. Here's an interesting snippet from Wikipedia:

In 2001 Bruce Wampold of the University of Wisconsin published "The Great Psychotherapy Debate"[19]. In it Wampold, a former statistician who went on to train as a counseling psychologist, reported that

psychotherapy is indeed effective,
the type of treatment is not a factor,
the theoretical bases of the techniques used as well as the strictness of adherence to those techniques are both not factors,
the therapist's strength of belief in the efficacy of the technique is a factor,
the therapist as a person is a large factor,
the alliance between the patience and the therapist (meaning affectionate and trusting feelings toward the therapist, motivation and collaboration of the client, and empathic response of the therapist) is a key factor.

Wampold therefore concludes that "we do not know why psychotherapy works".

I found this interesting also:

Critics of psychotherapy are skeptical of the healing power of a psychotherapeutic relationship.[22] Since any intervention takes time, critics note that the passage of time alone, without therapeutic intervention, often results in psycho-social healing.[23] Social contact with others is universally seen as beneficial for all humans and regularly scheduled visits with anyone would be likely to diminish both mild and severe emotional difficulty.

 

[kris]

So I know I need help for my ptsd, but I don't like the idea of talking to someone about what happened. In therapy (I have only been there once) I guess you are suppose to talk about yourself and your trauma and feelings and all that stuff. Well I don't like talking about my feelings or thoughts, I have family that support me and everything, and I don't even talk to them really about my thoughts and feelings. I am very close to my family and I guess it is just the way I was raised, to not talk or show your true feelings.
As I said I know I need help for my ptsd, but I don't know that I could do the counseling the first time I went I didn't say much I just answered yes or no to his questions and talked about my medical history/family history. He asked about the abuse, and I couldn't bring myself to form the words to even begin to describe anything. I know what happened wasn't my fault and all that stuff, but I also know that I am a quiet shy person and feel ashamed/embarrased to even talk about what happened.
So if I can even bring myself to go back to counseling I feel almost like it would be a waste of time and money because when he asks me "what happened" or to describe one of the events I just can't. I literally have blocked the memories out of my mind, and don't have a lot of recollection of the events, well they do come about once in awhile and if I actually really stop and try to remember events I can but I guess I DONT WANT TO remember anything. As I said also I feel so embarrased to talk about it, and although my psychologist is a man, I truly don't think having a woman therapist would help any.

 

[Deleted member 541]

So Kris, If you don't want to go to therapy, and you have blocked out the memories, you don't want to remember or talk about them...Then, what do you want?????

Seriously, I would like to know what you expect to get help with, if you don't want to discuss your trauma, or can't remember it?????