Sufferer C-PTSD, in Australia, neurospicy

[bizness]

Hi folks,

New here (obviously, ha). And honestly here because I'm desperate for help. I'm a 36yo happily married mum with crippling PTSD. Am also AuADHD.
Am based in country Australia, so finding good, trauma-informed health providers is tough.

My trauma is a lovely mix of CPTSD from childhood neglect/emotional abuse + a rape in my 20s. I've been managing it with various levels of success for about 14 years, with two different therapists. My main therapist gave me fantastic skills with CBT and acceptance theory but it's just not been enough.

Have just been referred to a new psychologist who offers EDMR and am so scared. But I need to try something. I've just quit my job as I'm in burnout again, and trying to come to terms with not being able to work a normal job again. This is so debilitating and I feel so alone.

-B

 

[Riley Jones]

Hi folks,

New here (obviously, ha). And honestly here because I'm desperate for help. I'm a 36yo happily married mum with crippling PTSD. Am also AuADHD.
Am based in country Australia, so finding good, trauma-informed health providers is tough.

My trauma is a lovely mix of CPTSD from childhood neglect/emotional abuse + a rape in my 20s. I've been managing it with various levels of success for about 14 years, with two different therapists. My main therapist gave me fantastic skills with CBT and acceptance theory but it's just not been enough.

Have just been referred to a new psychologist who offers EDMR and am so scared. But I need to try something. I've just quit my job as I'm in burnout again, and trying to come to terms with not being able to work a normal job again. This is so debilitating and I feel so alone.

-B

Hi there,

Welcome to the myptsd.com community! I'm so glad you found us, and I truly understand how desperate you must be feeling for help. I want you to know that you are not alone in this struggle. We are all here to support you.

It sounds like you have already been on a difficult journey, and I commend you for seeking therapy and trying different approaches. It's so important to find what works best for you. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can be a powerful tool in trauma therapy. While it is normal to feel scared about trying something new, it's great that you are open to giving it a chance. Many people have found EMDR to be transformative in their healing process.

I'm sorry to hear that finding trauma-informed health providers in your area has been challenging. It can be especially difficult in rural areas. However, please don't lose hope. In addition to professional help, connecting with others who understand what you're going through can be incredibly beneficial. The myptsd.com community is here to provide you with that support.

Within our forums, you will find specific sections dedicated to different topics related to PTSD and CPTSD, such as trauma therapy, relationships, self-help, and much more. I encourage you to explore these sections and share your experiences. Sometimes, just being able to talk openly with others who truly understand can be a great source of comfort and validation.

While our community is incredibly supportive, it's important to remember that we are not a replacement for professional help. If you ever feel overwhelmed or in need of immediate assistance, please reach out to a mental health professional or a crisis hotline in your area.

Again, welcome to myptsd.com. We are all here to walk this journey with you. Take your time, explore the forums, and know that you are not alone in this struggle.

Warm regards,

Riley Jones

 

[Sideways]

Welcome to the forum!

If you’ve got an experienced emdr therapist lined up, give it a go! They’re hard to come by here in Aus.

Hopefully this place compliments your recovery and you get back to meaningful employment sooner than you think:)

 

[PlainJane]

Welcome @bizness

 

[bizness]

Welcome to the forum!

If you’ve got an experienced emdr therapist lined up, give it a go! They’re hard to come by here in Aus.

Hopefully this place compliments your recovery and you get back to meaningful employment sooner than you think:)

Fingers crossed! I’m sh*tting myself to be honest. I’ve got really limited autobiographical memory so big chunks of my trauma experiences are just gone so who knows how effective it will be. But I know people who have those same issues have had success so yeah. Hopeful.

 

[arfie]

hello from north america, bizness. welcome to the forum. sorry for what brings you here, but glad you are here.

neurospicy? ? ? it's the first i've heard the term but i am loving it. when i looked it up, ADHD seemed to be the dominant reference, but ? ? ? may i use it to refer to any of the conditions on my psychosmorgasbord? in my own half a century of recovering from child sex trafficking, i've grown so weary of the rapid cycling name changes that i've reverted to the dx of my childhood, JPC (just plain crazy). neurospicy is funner to say. ? ? ?NS? ? ?

anyhoo. . .

within that half a century of recovery, peer support has been my greatest stabilizer. the pros have valuable (albeit rapid cycling) theories and information, but it is my therapy peers who help me make sense out of those theories and high-fluting words outside the progrounds.

welcome aboard. i hope you find stabilizing companionship here. you are not alone.

 

[Freddyt]

Welcome @bizness !!

Have just been referred to a new psychologist who offers EDMR and am so scared

Not much to be scared of really. It is difficult dealing with PTSD stuff but it doesn't go away if you ignore it either. If there was one single thing I needed (besides this place and communicating with others who just get PTSD) it would be the articles section of the forum.

In specific the PTSD cup article was a humongous help. Being better prepared when we found trauma wwould have been really nice.......

The ptsd cup explanation

Nearly a decade ago (2006) I wrote The PTSD Cup Explanation, a simple view of how PTSD causes symptoms in day-to-day life. This article is an update to that original piece. Regardless of the type of trauma endured, the PTSD Cup does not change, deviate or apply differently to your circumstance...

www.myptsd.com

 

[Friday]

<grin> Neurospicy is a good one!

PTSD & ADHD-c, here.

 

[Teasel]

Hi from a fellow audhder, welcome.

 

[bizness]

hello from north america, bizness. welcome to the forum. sorry for what brings you here, but glad you are here.

neurospicy? ? ? it's the first i've heard the term but i am loving it. when i looked it up, ADHD seemed to be the dominant reference, but ? ? ? may i use it to refer to any of the conditions on my psychosmorgasbord? in my own half a century of recovering from child sex trafficking, i've grown so weary of the rapid cycling name changes that i've reverted to the dx of my childhood, JPC (just plain crazy). neurospicy is funner to say. ? ? ?NS? ? ?

anyhoo. . .

within that half a century of recovery, peer support has been my greatest stabilizer. the pros have valuable (albeit rapid cycling) theories and information, but it is my therapy peers who help me make sense out of those theories and high-fluting words outside the progrounds.

welcome aboard. i hope you find stabilizing companionship here. you are not alone.

Yes! I think the term was used first regarding autism but it’s now sort of been co-opted to describe neurodivergence in general.

I like the term because I have a whole variety of brain stuff going on and it also means I can reference my family members who are neurodivergent but have different flavours without having to go into details (my husband for example has bipolar 2 which is not so widely accepted).

Thanks for the welcome and please use neurospicy - it’s definitely a fun and inclusive descriptor I think anyway.

It’s so, so lovely to actually see people here who get it. I feel like I’m always having to apologise for/sugar coat the horror show that is my brain for most of my people. So I really appreciate the community already. Thanks for the welcome

Welcome @bizness !!


Not much to be scared of really. It is difficult dealing with PTSD stuff but it doesn't go away if you ignore it either. If there was one single thing I needed (besides this place and communicating with others who just get PTSD) it would be the articles section of the forum.

In specific the PTSD cup article was a humongous help. Being better prepared when we found trauma wwould have been really nice.......

The ptsd cup explanation

Nearly a decade ago (2006) I wrote The PTSD Cup Explanation, a simple view of how PTSD causes symptoms in day-to-day life. This article is an update to that original piece. Regardless of the type of trauma endured, the PTSD Cup does not change, deviate or apply differently to your circumstance...

www.myptsd.com

Thank you! I’ll take a look at it tonight.

 

[arfie]

I feel like I’m always having to apologise for/sugar coat the horror show that is my brain for most of my people.

i know that feeling, all too well, but am not quite house-broken enough to lie for the sake of fitting in. i've learned the value of apologizing for what is beyond my control, but works are still in progress on practicing the lessons. the truth will set you free of the masked pretenders with often amusing speed and efficiency. i'm a child sex-trafficking survivor. wanna make something of it? bring it on, cupcake. increase your social distance, please.

but "neurospicy" describes the psychosmorgasbord of symptoms experienced by the survivors of this worldwide practice far better than any of the other psycho labels i've read yet. two thumbs up from the southern great plains of north america.

 

[bizness]

i know that feeling, all too well, but am not quite house-broken enough to lie for the sake of fitting in. i've learned the value of apologizing for what is beyond my control, but works are still in progress on practicing the lessons. the truth will set you free of the masked pretenders with often amusing speed and efficiency. i'm a child sex-trafficking survivor. wanna make something of it? bring it on, cupcake. increase your social distance, please.

but "neurospicy" describes the psychosmorgasbord of symptoms experienced by the survivors of this worldwide practice far better than any of the other psycho labels i've read yet. two thumbs up from the southern great plains of north america.

Honestly I think it’s more about layers of masking/fawn response for me. So hard to unpeel the huge amount of work I put in to all my responses.

I once went to this psychologist because I’ve got a lot of autistic traits (probably enough to be diagnosed but that is so expensive and also I think they are actually trauma related). Anyway we were talking about masking and how I rehearse a lot of interactions with people and he was like “yeah… people don’t often put in this amount of work communicating with others”. And I was like “that’s what I have to do to be safe.”

It’s hard when you realise that core things you think you know to be true are basically trauma related coping mechanisms.

I’d rather be like you at this point - being apologetically yourself sounds amazing. All part of the process I guess.

Not house-broken sounds like breaking the shackles of “nice” which is absolutely one of my goals. I just want to be myself, and be free and not live with this constant gnawing need to control every aspect of how people view/treat me.

Anyway those are my thoughts of the day. I love your vibe and I’m glad to be here.