Deemed "untreatable."

[Abstract]

Although I did not know it when I first commented Animalliberator is diagnosed Borderline personality disorder. It seems to me it is these issues that are standing in the way. Until we can stop black and white thinking and many other interpersonal problems then we can't gain from treatment.

That's why I asked about DBT but I haven't been answered and it entails a lot of homework so is sure not to appeal.

 

[Lost Pup]

If someone could explain - in PLAIN English - how feeling water on one's body while taking a shower helps heal trauma, I'm all ears

Sure. It's an extremely simple mindfulness exercise that uses the senses to help someone genuinely experience their body and self in the present moment, thereby making it possible to establish a benchmark for differentiating between past and the present which then sets up a working schema for understanding the traumatic experience has ended and recognizing what it feels like when it returns.

 

[Hopeful85]

I'm sorry you are having a rough time. I have a couple of questions. Why do you keep going to therapy if nothing works? What are you getting out of it? How do you cope with PTSD now? And lastly, what are some of the other reasons for therapist firing you (besides the scary thoughts)

 

[zaniara]

I'm not going to answer you in this thread since I've answered you in your other thread(where you contradicted your self in a interesting way, interesting in the sense that it might point to what be part of what make therapy fail for you, besides therapists giving up or being bad therapists I mean..) : https://www.myptsd.com/threads/help...r-cbt-somatic-experiencing.39254/#post-637605

 

[Animalliberator]

Animalliberator, may I ask, what do you define 'working' as regards to in therapy? (That is, what do you mean by a therapy that 'works', what are you defining as 'effective'?) Is it symptom management, for example? If you can define your goals it will be easier to plan how to get there.

Junebug, "working" in therapy to me is a two-way street. And the most important step in the process is having the therapist provide a safe environment. Part of safety for me is employing a therapy that I can understand; that makes sense to me; that is tangible. I gave EMDR a try because some aspects of it made sense from the outset. Same with talk therapy. And with both I worked HARD. I went to 15 EMDR sessions. Had horrible seizures, flooded with horrific images. Yet, nothing resulted from the sessions. No calmness, no peace, no better understanding. Nadda. As for talk therapy - as I mentioned above I shared my deepest, darkest secrets, told therapists about violent thoughts I had (again, emphasizing that I have never acted violently and live a very compassionate, gentle life). Several therapists then terminated my therapy because they found the thoughts I shared "too disturbing."

Therapy that works, that is effective, in my opinion, is therapy that, quite simply, provides relief to a patient and allows that individual to live a more complete, serene, and emotionally bountiful life.

I have defined my goals. I made them very clear to my SE therapist. She proceeded to ask me to feel my feet on the floor and then push my hands against my legs. I failed to see how such silly exercises would remotely help me obtain my goals.

 

[Abstract]

Have you ever done a DBT skills group long term? They normally run for a year and people who are particularly resistant to treatment seem to need a second round.

Do you accept that treatment almost always makes us feel much worse and more symptomatic and for a long time?

do you accept grounding as a concept? What grounding do you do?

 

[Animalliberator]

You still have not answered my questions Animalliberator.

I thought I had answered your questions, Abstract.

 

[Abstract]

I must commend you on something Animalliberator. The responses are challenging and yet you have kept your cool. That is a good skill.

 

[Animalliberator]

Somatic therapy does not work on me for PTSD... so I think both sides of the equation are valid. I've tried a few, and most didn't work because they lacked common sense when relating to me. Acupuncture has helped with me post-surgery, but not relaxation. Massage doesn't relax me either... a couple of beers, good atmosphere, some good conversation, will relax me. Are you a veteran by any chance?

Anthony, I agree. SE doesn't work for me either because, like you, it lacks common sense relating to me. Relaxation techniques, such as mindfulness tapes, have proven disastrous for me. My body goes into convulsions when I try to do deep breathing and body awareness exercises. Even my SE therapist told me to stop trying relaxation techniques.

No, I am not a veteran.

 

[Lost Pup]

I must commend you on something Animalliberator. The responses are challenging and yet you have kept your cool. That is a good skill.

Seconded.

 

[Animalliberator]

This seem to be going nowhere. Maybe we should just agree that he truly is untreatable because this seems to be what he wants to hear as any suggestion otherwise (except those by Anthony) seem to be met with resistance. I'd rather comment on threads where people really do want help.

Again, Solara, you don't know me. I would request that you stop with the mind reading of me. I do want help as I have stated many times. So far I have not received help through therapy. As I noted, I recently tried SE. Had it shown some benefit I would be praising it to the hills. In fact, I have another SE appointment next week. But I made it very clear to my therapist that I want to see results and that I don't want to waste my time thinking about how my back feels against a chair or how water feels on my back when I'm in the shower. That is nonsense. Help doesn't come from nonsense techniques. It comes from common sense approaches.

 

[Hopeful85]

Can you answer my questions I stated earlier? It will give me some better insight to offer some suggestions