Deemed "untreatable."

[Animalliberator]

As I noted in a previous post, I have been through nearly 50 therapists. A few have told me I'm "untreatable" since I don't respond to meds and various forms of therapy. Others have actually terminated my therapy because they said I was "too difficult."

I'm now seeing a Somatic Experiencing therapist but after three sessions that seems like it is heading for failure too. I can tell the therapist is frustrated that I haven't responded. She is already saying things like, "Well, Somatic Experiencing doesn't work for everyone. Perhaps you will need to try another SE therapist."

This has been a very common occurrence in my therapy. Therapists begin to - not so subtly - hint that this isn't work and they pawn me off to yet another therapist.

I feel like no one can help me.

 

[ms spock]

That must be very painful and upsetting. Well I imagine it would be hard to deal with.

I am pretty stuck in the one place and have been for some time but I didn't really understand that I was stuck. I knew there was stuff I wasn't getting but I didn't even know how to ask about that.

I wish you well. It would be hard to deal with what you are dealing with.

I seem to not be so good at helping myself but I am moving in that direction.

There is a thread for working without a therapist. That might be of some help to you.

 

[Animalliberator]

Thanks for you response, Ms Spock. I've tried to go it alone without a therapist. I often end up in the hospital. There the doctors force meds on me. But I've never responded well to meds.

I have been told by many therapists that I am the most difficult case they've ever had. They honestly don't know what to do with me. I read in these forums how others have benefited from EMDR, SE, CBT, talk therapy, etc. None has helped me.

 

[ms spock]

You were the case that they didn't have the skills to work at a true, deeper level and so they dumped on you and said you were the problem.

I am so tired I can barely type. But I do feel for your.

 

[maryiscontrary]

Sounds like a lot of invalidating, lazy professionals to me. I have had very poor responses with my mental health professionals, until this one I have now. But I did most of the healing on my own through mindfullness and insight meditation. I was one of those hopeless cases.

Also, when my emotions and thoughts spun out of control, I would put on a secular dharma talk, it can give you links if you want, and would listen to as many as needed until I calmed down. Needless to say, I have listen to thousands. Helps with reparenting and emotional regulation.

You are likely too smart to buy into bullshit mantras of the mental "health" system, that is what I would bet.

 

[ill]

What makes it seem like it's heading for failure?

I don't think I noticed any substantial difference with therapy until after I'd been attending for a year to a year and a half. It's only in retrospect that I can look back and take stock of the drastic difference between where I was when I first started therapy compared to a year later, two years later, etc. I still struggle regularly with feeling like I'm not making any progress, but more often than not, I'm simply unaware of the progress that's being made until months down the road, in part because I've got a lot of work to do and I'm still not where I want to be. When I compare my therapy to where I want to be, yeah, no progress. When I compare my therapy to where I was, HUGE progress. I'm not saying this is necessarily the case for you, but it may be something to consider.

What's the longest time you've stuck with one kind of therapy/therapist?

I've tried to go it alone without a therapist. I often end up in the hospital.

I know you said that no therapy has been helpful to you, but this quote, to me, suggests that maybe therapy has been more helpful than you realized, at least insofar as it helped you to maintain a sense of stability.

 

[Abstract]

This sounds terribly painful. It is hard to believe that things can get better when the professionals give up.

If you had to list the things that sabotage therapy for you then what would they be? Is there anything you can do differently? Where all of these trauma therapists and did you have a diagnoses?

Have you ever done a DBT skills group long term? They normally run for a year and people who are particularly resistant to treatment seem to need a second round. Often the problem stems from the person not being able to use coping skills of their own and not having the basics of emotion regulation.

I have met (online) a good few people who were told they would never recover and were untreatable and who now have full lives or are at least making great progress in therapy so hang in there.

 

[Lucycat]

Do you want to be 'untreatable'?

 

[Animalliberator]

Do you want to be 'untreatable'?

Ah, no.

 

[Rumors]

Sorry Animalliberator, however it is hard for me to find sympathy when on the other forum you posted that you didn't buy into the "hippy-dippy" theories like Somatic therapy. You protest to want an answer but are unwilling to listen because it doesnt fit into the mold of what you accept as reasonable. It is time to step outside of your comfort zone! I think you have deemed yourself 'untreatable' therefore you will never go any further in your healing process. It may sound harsh, but I don't believe in mincing words.

Did you come here to really brainstorm ideas or to garner sympathy? I mean a guy who has had 50 types of therapy and has deemed a therapy that others here have found to be helpful to be 'hippy-dippy' surely has done his homework.

Sorry, my radar goes up and I think you should sit down and have an honest conversation with yourself about what it is you are trying to accomplish. I think there are people who find a false sense of identity in their own illness. It is like one doesn't have an identity without having a diagnosis to label themselves with nor do they ever want to find the answers because then who are they?

I am sure that you will think I am the devil, but I assure you that I am only saying this to give you another perspective. You did in fact come here and ask for opinion, so there is mine. I can only imagine that what you go through must be very complex and scary. However, there is a time where we all must face who and what we are in order to proceed forward. It sounds like this is your time...do or die and I truly hope you chose to DO! Be authentic and real with, at least, yourself.

Best wishes for finding the truth in your questions.

 

[Hashi]

How many sessions do you have before you or the therapist decides it isn't working?

 

[Animalliberator]

How many sessions do you have before you or the therapist decides it isn't working?

It varies. I saw one therapist for a year before she abruptly terminated therapy with me. She informed me about the termination in a letter. I believe she ended my sessions because I opened up about my thoughts and feelings. Apparently, that frightened her. Odd, really, since I've never been violent. Never.