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SoL, I'm sure you've thought of this of course, but for what it's worth, if you've found a trauma processing model/framework that has worked for you, such as that which you undertook during your residential programme(s), perhaps it would be useful to try to find a therapist trained and...

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences Muse, that was very impactful to me and is yet more proof of the fact that everyone's journey to processing and to "healing" - whatever constitutes that for the individual - is so very unique and personal. Reading your account reminded me of something...

This very disturbing tendency for articulate speech to be presumed to equal emotional/mental stability, is alive and well in my part of the world too, from what I have heard and experienced. While I obviously believe that an inability to do this is probably indicative of some mental...

I think that the length of therapy is a very very individual issue that can't be predicted or determined by anyone other than you and your therapist in tandem. I shudder when I hear of standardised, pre-determined therapy lifespans, though I do understand that this is often dictated by issues...

Wow, a really interesting and compelling issue, which I know is a very real dilemma for you right now Abstract, but which is also something that is going to be increasingly relevant for many people as the cyber age marches on and more and more things become online that once would only have...

I always think it's hard, and risky, and possibly misleading, for anyone to "advise" what to do in situations like this. The dynamics of a therapeutic relationship are so complicated and unique and we all bring our own challenges, weaknesses, vulnerabilities, preferences and sensitivities to...

Gosh, I struggle with this terribly, both in terms of what I want/expect from others and what I want to be/offer in myself. I truly have no mental template for this - just realising that has been one of my greatest and most confronting revelations in the past couple of years. Human...

Lots of mixed feelings for you from this session I can imagine Maggiemay... I think that putting into words your experiences is a very very key marker of progress, the first step towards being able to tackle this problem. It seems counterintuitive, but once you can communicate your challenges...

Thanks so much Abstract, you always "get it", that means a lot to me. I'm not sure why I have such a terrible fear of eating throughout the day. Aside from the underlying stuff, which applies to eating in general, I think part of my fear is that if I eat during the day, it will just mean I'll...

Also very much struggling with the devastated sense that all this time and all this therapy later, I'm still not getting anywhere, so it's timely for me to reflect on this thread and its meaning too. Even having sat here and nutted it out and come up with all sorts of definitions and...

Yeah, been thinking about this too lately... and just this morning, in the midst of a discussion about shame, my therapist was reading from a book which stated that it is impossible to process trauma until the shame has been processed. We didn't linger over that comment, and I didn't have a...

Really glad you're through the worst of the gastro thing Abstract... totally understand that such things are more than just physically unpleasant when they tap into so much of the mental warfare... I'm also lucky in that regard I suppose, am not prone to stomach upsets, food sensitivities or...

I agree with Ayesha as to her likely intent here. It's also possible that she's anticipating having to provide a report to your employer in relation to your therapy, and she may be wanting to discuss its possible contents with you so that you are fully-informed and the processes are transparent...

What a positive experience Maggiemay. There are good, nonjudgmental people out there, and doesn't it make a difference when we stumble upon them! There should be more like him in the medical industry. Really hope you're feeling better soon. Maddog

I think Luke is spot on here Maggiemay and gives some great insights. I think we need to remember that while therapy is familiar and routine for those of us who regularly attend, it's a big deal and a foreign concept for many others, and one which is full of all sorts of silly stigmas and...

Thinking of you Maggiemay, I know you're doing it tough right now. I've also been temporarily suspended from EMDR due to lack of stability. It hurt, but I know it was the right thing. Safety always has to come first and any responsible therapist will always prioritise our needs in that way...

In my experience, psychiatrists have next to no interest in psychometric tests and I am actually not at all surprised that she was so disinterested in it. I have always marvelled at the divide between psychiatry and psychology in the mental health field, and this would seem to be a classic...

Zaniara, I think I know what you're asking, and it is most definitely possible to have a flashback to childhood trauma during an adult trauma. It's not at all surprising that this would happen, as the stress and overwhelm of the new trauma is highly likely to induce a flashback, particularly if...

Wow, this is a very very powerful thread for me right now. I have always experienced a somewhat confusing mix of painfully vivid memories and complete blanks or black holes from my past. My pattern has always tended to be to remember the beginning and early stages of a traumatic event and...

We're never, ever too old to grieve Leah. As long as there is unspent grief, there will be a time and a place for it. I'm really glad your T has responded so supportively and with such validation of your needs right now. I hope this will help you to be able to reach out to her with honesty in...

Leah, what you say makes so much sense to me, so so much sense! Yes, part of therapy is about being courageous and doing the hard work, but part oftherapy, or of coming to terms with the horrors of the past, is about grief. And grief, contrary to what some people think or wish, isn't just a...

One of the very many problems I am having accessing this forum thesedays is the fact that I am unable to post new threads of my own. So I very much hope this won't be perceived as hijacking this thread, as my issues are related. I have been noticing a few people referring to outbursts of...

I know these feelings all too well Maggiemay, you do an uncanny job of describing what I have often found almost impossible to describe. Whatever you call it, and in the end I don't think it matters, it's an awful, lonely, sometimes debilitating feeling, which is definitely complicated by the...

Oh no, you didn't fail, not at all, you just took a smaller step forward than you'd intended, and that's totally ok. Making a couple, or as many as necessary, attempts to test the waters is really very normal and does no harm to the overall value of telling him. I know it's hard when you...

Agreed, Kas_Can_Fly wrote an amazing post, I "like"it a hundred times. There aren't many things I feel sure about when it comes to therapy or healing, but one of them is that pace and intensity and what is required are totally unique and different for each person. A good therapeutic...