Thanks guys appreciate the feedback. Florian..well that is true & it's also not true. I put the same question to the 2 therapists who, in the end, where pivotal to getting me over the line. I chased them up..it had been awhile..& I asked, "So if I no longer have ptsd, then why is the mainstream take on the subject, one that it can't be done? Bearing in mind that this thinking is not just coming from sufferers, but they are being told this from qualified therapists?"
I had a couple of interesting conversations & the common theme between the two was this: the answers to overcoming ptsd do exist, however, while anyone can & is able to overcome it, probably not everyone will. One of them also said that personally he believed that for some therapists it is easier to believe that it can't be done, mostly because they just feel so helpless to help their clients. Personally I had experienced more than a few of them before I met these guys.
But here's what else they said. They do not like to use the term 'cure' in the industry, because you can't, nor should you, 'cure' a person's flight, fright & freeze responses, as with all the other sensory & self regulators that get effected through trauma. Their essential to every day living for every human being. But getting them back to 'normal' or 'proportionate' responses & mechanisms, you bet you can. But it's not easy. Bear in mind that not everyone who experiences what your have, or even worse, develops ptsd. That there should be enough to realise that of course it's possible to put the genie back in the bottle.
I strongly suggest that if you are working with a therapist that does not have access to or is not practicing according to research studies that include success rates, then maybe it could be time to start the search for one that does & trying to figure out how to access them (& preferably before you leave your current one ;)). The first of these guys for me was in Sydney while I live in Victoria (& free) & used online & phone (it was a research centre for ptsd) & the second was a 5hr round trip in the car (& way more expensive than I could afford) for face to face. I would also suggest nothing less than a Clinical Psychologist, the extra years of schooling definitely make a difference. But go with whatever you can, as something is better than nothing & this journey, in my opinion, is not one to be taken alone.
From my own experience I believe there a some 'internal' doors you're going to have to go through, in order to get to the other side, that could go either way for you. There is no guarantee. And in my experience & regardless of them having the answers, neither of these therapists were prepared to or did show me these doors or take me to them. And I believe this is the best practice & safety for the client that they do it this way. They did however equip me with the tools I needed & helped guide me onto a path that gave me the opportunity to come across them, in my own time & if I wanted to. I believe that when you are ready, you will see them & when you are prepared & willing to take the risk, you will go through them of your own accord.
I hope that helps. :tup:
