Alternative Healing for Trauma/PTSD???

[Lionheart]

Has anyone tried any type of holistic alternative treatment along with talk therapy? I am thinking of having some Reiki healing work done, to help me get past some of my blockages, etc. Although it is a type of "Laying on of hands", it seems to have helped some people and I just wondered if you have tried an alternative treatment??? Of any kind....( doesn't have to be reiki).

 

[internal]

when i was doing physical therapy in the hospital i had a number of holistic treatments tried on me that were useless and painful. chiropracty. electricity. acupuncture. acupressure. emotional freedom technique. there is no scientific evidence to support any of it. and in my opinion anyone demanding money in their persuit is predatory.

 

[somerandomguy]

I know of people using reiki who report that it brings them relief. However, they rely solely on reiki and talk therapy, specifically avoiding trauma therapy, and they seem to me to not have improved very much in the years I've known them.

Alternative therapies might bring short term relief, but I don't think anything can substitute for actual trauma therapy in the long term.

 

[Friday]

I’m not big on alternative treatment.

I am totally Godzilla meets King Kong BIG on complimentary treatment.

I just don’t understand the western concept of either/or when it comes to good medicine. Fortunately, neither do any of my doctors or specialists/practitioners.

 

[whiteraven]

I was going through a seriously dangerous depression a couple of months ago, and I had 3 sessions of Pranic Healing that completely changed things for me for about a month. My intent was not to treat the depression; I was helping out a friend who was working toward her certification. But the benefit? Better than anything I've experienced to date.

I do Healing Touch for Animals (an energy therapy) and I have seen energy work have a significant effect on both animals and people.

 

[Eagle3]

Here's my take on "alternative" therapies. I use them for a very specific purpose, and that's to access and calm down the instinctive parts of my brain that can't be accessed by cognitive gyrations alone. I seem to be especially sensitive to healing/therapeutic touch so I find ways to make that happen and am willing to pay for it. When I have access to healthy touch my physiological symptoms improve and I have better access to the cognitive parts of my brain to process things in therapy. It's a complimentary, but no less necessary, adjunct to trauma therapy. I agree with the poster above who stated its not an "either/or" thing. I need both Eastern and Western approaches to get the most bang for my buck. Can't do without either approach. I recognize that's just me and my needs, and YMMV, but just because I benefit where "most" others may not doesn't mean these therapies shouldn't be available to me. I'm an outlier and in no way less-deserving of therapies that work for me. There is no such thing as "one size fits all" in mental health treatments.

Try it! If it doesn't work, at least you know, and if it helps, then YAY!

 

[Sues]

I will be trying Equine (horse) Therapy later this month. I've been curious about it for a couple of years. I found a program where there's no riding involved. The person doing this is a long time trauma trained therapist and is trained in multiple trauma modalities, including EMDR. She is a "Somatic Experiencing Practitioner". I've been trying to find something that incorporates the mind-body healing, so this seems like a good direction to go. I have my own local trauma therapist who is wonderful, so I am merely going for the Equine therapy. Healing happens in a relationship, and the horses are supposed to meet you with empathy, attune to your nervous system, and support your growth and healing.

If you'd like, I can check back here aferward in a few weeks and let you know how it went.

 

[whiteraven]

If you'd like, I can check back here aferward in a few weeks and let you know how it went.

I, personally, would love to know how it goes!

 

[Sues]

I, personally, would love to know how it goes!

I'll definitely let you all know!

I'm really hoping it helps me with my current therapy. I'm having a hard time facing the really bad stuff in EMDR, and I've of course saved all the really bad stuff for last, and that's where we are at right now.

 

[Lionheart]

I had reiki performed on my leg when I had a bad spider bite on both inside ankles. The lady never once touched my body but I could physically feel her pulling venom out of my legs, down and out through my feet. It was truly mind-boggling. The spider bite was believed to be an allergic reaction to that of a wolf spider. But I thought perhaps if I could find another genuine Reiki practitioner... who knows I have had many years of therapy, and I think I may give it a go.

 

[barefoot]

I had a reiki session a couple of years ago, just to see what it was like. I think, more than anything, I hoped it might feel relaxing.

it was actually pretty intense, emotionally. Felt waves of intense grief and burst into tears! Not very relaxing… :)

I thought at the time that I’d go for another session sometime but she’s quite a distance away and then there was Covid…

Also tried acupuncture recently, though that was for physical illness (long Covid symptoms) I had 4 sessions but, even though I really tried to be open to it and hoped that it would help, I just really didn’t like it. The last session in particular was incredibly painful. But, pain aside, I just don’t think an invasive treatment is for me.

Will be really interested to hear how you get on if you decide to give reiki a go for this.

 

[Mach123]

When I was first telling someone. I forgot this, we had a midwife who delivered our youngest and she was all holistic and naturopathic. She did cranial sacral with me once and it was quite emotional and I was unprepared for my reaction. That was about 25 years ago. Sadly insurance won’t cover most of these types of things but I’m more than ready to try them because I think I might have done most of what can be done with talk therapy. Good luck at any rate, I hope you have a good outcome .