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I think there is this idea, perpetuated by the media and entertainment, that when folks have a near-death experience they bounce back with a sort of hyper, "oh my god, I'm so grateful to be alive" attitude. And I think that puts a huge burden on those folks. My own experience was not terribly...

Good lord. I stand in the shower and wonder if I can get that last bit of shampoo out of the bottle. :)

I don't think you come across as a spoiled brat. I think most people (PTSD or not) experience moments of existential angst. I think, with trauma in the background, this can feel overwhelming at times. But I think you nailed it when you recognize that you have to mourn your losses. Last year...

Maladaptive coping mechanisms that I brought from childhood into adulthood included dissociation, "maladaptive" daydreaming, depression, alexithymia, and an eating disorder. As I transitioned into adulthood, I added binge drinking and drugging.

I hope you give yourself a pat on the back (and maybe a trophy as well) for the skillful way you were able to talk to your older son about his different feelings.

@Justmehere, your post eloquently says what I've been thinking but lately I've not been terribly articulate. But this, the betrayal of trust, this is what is such a double hit in this situation. There's been a news story very recently where three women stopped a potential rape after this man...

My apologies - there have been a number of "I got PTSD after I was cheated on" threads; I didn't go back and read this one fully. I think you're absolutely on track with examining why a 3 year old thread started by a Guest bothers you so much. And I really can empathize with much of what...

I also think there are mental health workers who diagnose PTSD without fully understanding the criteria (I think they may be mistaking PTS and associated symptoms for PTSD). Some folks (and I think the OP in the thread cited by @lostforgottensoul is one of these) may actually have a diagnosis of...

This was very much the case with me; although, in truth, I was diagnosed with PTSD several times by several different doctors but never believed or accepted the diagnosis. Once I was able to absorb the diagnosis, it was a relief as well. All of my "symptoms" made sense within this framework...

I appreciate your apology @mary1979 - your statement touched a nerve. For me, learning self-compassion has been critical in moving forward with my healing. That includes understanding that my inability to be successful at treating my symptoms at various times throughout my life is not an...

I completed two full cycles (the recommended course of treatment) of DBT a year ago and I truly believe it saved my life. It took about 18 months. That said, I strongly disagree with this: Linehan herself has said that the patient can not fail at DBT - if the patient is not improving (and...

I am a very firm believer in "no therapy is better than bad therapy". Unfortunately, by the time a lot of folks make it into therapy, they are extremely desperate and very vulnerable and may not recognize bad therapy until after they've been retraumatized or otherwise harmed. I've had a...

This bears repeating: Like @ghotiff, I started trauma work when I was definitely not stable and it almost killed me. You did say that your "trauma symptoms" are causing you the most pain right now. Stabilization - learning mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance skills - can...

I don't really post or log in much anymore - but I do come here to read the threads and get support vicariously....and I have to say, I find your posts some of the most helpful on this forum. Blunt? Usually. Do I agree with them all? Not necessarily. Do they (and you) add value to the...

I agree with @Rumors - from what you've written, it sounds like this therapist is a DBT therapist and was planning on pretty standard DBT therapy (which includes a DBT group)...which would make it a misunderstanding for both of you on what the intended treatment was. I do find it a little...

I like your therapy analogies @Anarchy :). It's not an "either-or". As @Anarchy said, DBT is about learning skills and applying them in the present time. The skills you learn will help you navigate through the trauma work later, if you chose to do that. In the DBT model, like a lot of...

Congratulations @CrowFeather! I hope you have a wonderful last group - and that you give yourself some sort of reward! I completed my DBT skills group earlier this summer. It took a little over two years to go through the modules twice (my group leaders liked to take their time). The length...

I was raised UU and am currently an active member of my UU fellowship. I identify as both a UU and a Buddhist - and I am a non-theist, but consider myself very spiritual. I have found a spiritual home and a loving community in my church. When I was seriously depressed, I forced myself to go to...

I don't think there is a "crying stage" in therapy. With my last therapist (and the first...and so far only one I trusted, I never cried in therapy until the day I showed up for therapy (after 2 years of seeing him) and got a distressing text from my boss....so I'm sitting in the waiting room...

I can really relate to what you've written. Freezing is my go-to defense. My first thought is, if you want to keep this therapist and you truly believe she is competent working with trauma, maybe you need to try a different approach. If you are freezing up because of your inner child is...

To be clear - I agree with you about DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) advertising. I have been in the pharmaceutical industry for decades (Research and Development) and remember when pharmaceutical companies were allowed to begin this type of advertising. Stopping advertising to doctors? Well, I'm...

Is there a DSM code for EWS? It is interesting that her book will solve all of the EW's problems (or at least pinpoint where they need to get additional help). I'm always a little suspicious of articles (and books) that start off with "10 Ways to..." BTW - re: the daughter's shoe. There is...

I will concede that, if her clientele consists of individuals looking to use therapy in order to manipulate the courts or their families, her advice may be appropriate. Looking at her website(s), however, it would appear that she probably does not deal with this population - and if she does...

I would love to see your chart. I struggled (and still do occasionally) with fearing that I'm Borderline. I had a psychiatrist "dismiss" me after a 15 minute interview (in which he also took a 5 minute phone call) as Borderline - told me there was no hope, no cure - and prescribed me a...

Yeah, I found it a little...disheartening. A counselor I know told me she knew of another therapist who she couldn't be around because she was constantly mocking and belittling her own clients. You would think her clients would sense this...