Cbt For Trauma?

[Reruns+runways]

Hi all,

After months of increasing symptoms I broke and told my care coordinator that I needed trauma help because my life is not a life and not something I can survive through.

And so now, without giving me choice, I'm being given Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

I've had this for anorexia and anxiety and perfectionism in the past and each time ended early because it was obvious I was already doing these steps but without great success - don't get me wrong, they took some if the edge off, but didn't improve things, just stop the spiral.

Has anyone had CBT for trauma? I'm trying to go with an open mind but I haven't heard anything promising yet and I'm really nervous that this is the only help I'm being offered minus a week of sleeping pills.

 

[Sideways]

I go to a trauma therapy group, and we cover a range of different areas and therapy modes, but I'd say that cbt forms the basis of a lot of the work that we do. The way that cbt isolates thoughts from action, and offers a way to act in a healthy, healing way in spite of what we're thinking, and to gradually challenge some of those underlying thoughts, is key to a lot of the work that we do.

Having said that, cbt is part of the base, and there's a whole lotta trauma-informed therapy that gets built on that base, so it's not so much "cbt or bust", just that cbt is a critical part of what we do. Certainly with complex trauma or comorbid mental illnesses, I can understand your frustration that 'cbt alone' may not cut the mustard.

One of the difficulties in finding the right therapy is that for a lot of mental health professionals, cbt is the main, or only therapy approach that they may have training to provide. Certainly here in Australia, your average practicing psychologist is also only allowed to practice cbt. That's okay for probably the majority of people needing mental health intervention- straight depression and anxiety are shown to typically respond really well to cbt, which is why that tends to be the core approach used.

So it may be a case of looking a bit more broadly for someone who specialises in trauma so that you get therapy that specifically targets your issues.

 

[Deleted member 37474]

My therapist talks about healing the spirit in addition to the mind and body. (The mind/body stuff is mostly cbt). The cbt that I did for 10 weeks didn't fix my problems from trauma, just helped me cope. I have only had 2 days of therapy so I doubt I really know what works for trauma, all I know is that therapy is really hard work right now. She considers our spirit, our emotions and connections to what we believe (whether it be God or some other thing). That is what we are focused on healing.

 

[NoWhereKnowWhere]

I did trauma focused CBT on the NHS. It was focused into trauma and using CBT skills help with symptoms. It also seemed to go into exposure therapy a little bit. For example it started with putting myself in some situations I was anxious in (busy shopping centre) and I learned how to cope with that. then progressed into thinking about the traumatic event for set amount of time each day and writing about it eventually. After the CBT I was offered EMDR but wasn't in the right place at that time. So maybe it'll lead into more trauma related therapy.

 

[Panda Bear]

CBT was a piece of my trauma work, but it was emotionally focused-CBT.

I wouldn't have succeeded solely CBT. It took a variety of modularities to make me better.

 

[Reruns+runways]

I go to a trauma therapy group, and we cover a range of different areas and therapy modes, but I...

Unfortunately in the UK you have very little choice over who you see - my last appointment I was told I had to choose between treatment for ptsd or anorexia, and they would put the paperwork in. My health trust is notoriously under staffed so the option of looking for someone more suited isn't there. But this was reassuring in that it does help and perhaps I might be able to frame it within my own attempts at wellness. Thanks.

 

[Reruns+runways]

I did trauma focused CBT on the NHS. It was focused into trauma and using CBT skills help wit...

My cmht doesn't offer emdr at all sadly, although I've been assured that potentially this therapist has trained in trauma and emotion focused CBT. But hearing about how it's helped in exposure is helpful. My issue is I have more emotional flashbacks than anything and it's hard to tackle anything when I'm in that zone but I'll give it a try, you've given me some stuff to give me hope for it

 

[NoWhereKnowWhere]

Unfortunately in the UK you have very little choice over who you see

Yeah and it's a total post code lottery it's really frustrating. I still think CBT is a good starting point for a lot of people, well it was for me. It's good foundation for possible future work as well. I've found the NHS mental health care to be lacking (to put it mildly) I was on a waiting list for 2 years :confused:.

I've found a lot of help from mental health charities. I think because the NHS is lacking there are a lot of charity organisations. Maybe there might be something in your area that can offer additional support? My last therapist was through a charity and I think I did the best work I've ever done with her. Could be worth a look.

 

[kilted]

Try the CBT..... much depends on whether you get a therapist who only does CBT, and does it by numbers, or whether you get one who calls themselves a CBT therapist because they work in the NHS, but then does what suits the person in front of them.

There's a lot of research that indicates the type of therapy is not the biggest factor in the success of therapy..... the relationship with the therapist and the individuals support system are better predictors of outcome.

In the UK people often think that the NHS is the only option... however there are lots of low cost/free charitable mental health organisations out there, as well as private specialists. Up here in Scotland many GP's will signpost towards the third sector providers, though they don't "refer" in the same way.... it's up to the individual to contact the service direct.