Desensitization

[Surfergal]

What are peoples thoughts on the use of desensitization in therapy? I am being triggered A LOT in my therapy sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly by what my T does or doesn't say/do. When I have brought things to my Ts attention she has always been very understanding and has even acknowledged that whatever it was triggering for me. I have never asked her outright if she is exposing me to certain situations on purpose. Once or twice I have asked if she did something intentionally and she has always said no which I've trusted as the things that have occurred almost seem accidental. I have been reading a lot lately and see this is a technique used by many Ts though. I have also been reading a lot about how it is not necessary (e.g Pete Walker, Bessel Van Der Kolk). I'm hoping she isn't doing it on purpose as it is just happening as the therapy relationship progresses. Has anyone has success with making progress with healing from PTSD without this.

 

[shimmerz]

So sorry, can you clarify for me please? Do you think she is doing desensitization on purpose without your knowledge? Or do you just trigger over ever verb and noun known to mankind like I used to?

I do use desensitization myself but I know there are many times that I am just not up for it. It is one of those go low and slooooowwww things. Otherwise it puts my system in chaos.

 

[Surfergal]

I might need to do some more reading to be honest as I'm not totally clued up on what Desensitization really involves. I guess the question comes down to me wondering if therapists trigger clients intentionally without telling them they are doing so in the hopes of helping them to manage their emotions better? My triggers aren't debilitating triggers so don't send me over the edge but do cause me a lot of feelings of hurt, rejection and pain. The whole set up of therapy and the therapeutic relationship seems to at times be triggering me SO much so it has me wondering if that is the whole point??

 

[shimmerz]

but do cause me a lot of feelings of hurt, rejection and pain.

Right. So my current T wouldn't trigger me on purpose if her life depended on it. My previous T did at times because he was trying to figure out my window of tolerance and we really had no idea what the root cause of my trauma was, so I think he checked quite a few times to see how large my window of tolerance was.

Are you new to therapy? New to PTSD?

 

[Surfergal]

Could it be used as a way of increasing my window of tolerance perhaps? I have been in therapy for over a year. The PTSD is from stuff that happened a long time ago.

 

[shimmerz]

I think desensitization can be used as a tool to increase our window of tolerance yes. I have used it purposely on myself to try to gain myself more freedom from triggers. So I guess the question still remains in your mind though right? Is your therapist bringing things up to help you desensitize? Have you asked her?

 

[Friday]

Exposure therapy, to the best of my knowledge and experience, only works if you’re the one driving. Other people can help, but you’re the one in control. Other people, by design or accident, doing things without your consent or participation, tend to just create harder associations / retraumatization. So I very much doubt this is something she’s attempting on the sly.

Conversely, it’s completely natural to be delving deeper, for longer, and in greater detail as you work with someone. That’s not exposure therapy, per se... although it can start to work that way, the same way just being here on the site does.

Reading Forum Increases Symptoms!

Vs

Link Removed

 

[Surfergal]

I think desensitization can be used as a tool to increase our window of tolerance yes. I have used it...

I have not asked about desensitization explicitly but I asked if certain things she has said or done that triggered me (and in hindsight, it would have been quite obvious that they would have done so) were on purpose. She has always said no.

Exposure therapy, to the best of my knowledge and experience, only works if you’re the one driving. Ot...

Yes so is there a difference between exposure therapy and someone trying to get you to touch on certain feelings by saying or doing something in particular? I get that by being in therapy for a long period of time it would start to happen naturally from time to time it just seems to happen quite a lot which is why I am wondering. I do plan to ask her outright over the next few sessions when the time is right.

Exposure therapy, to the best of my knowledge and experience, only works if you’re the one driving. Ot...

Also thanks for the link to the articles very interesting reads!

 

[Friday]

and in hindsight, it would have been quite obvious that they would have done so)

You might be surprised... most of the things that seem obvious to US? Aren’t actually obvious to others. Especially for people who work in trauma. Because they see how 99% of what might be a trigger or stressor, simply isn’t, whilst seemingly random things often are.

Yes so is there a difference between exposure therapy and someone trying to get you to touch on certain feelings by saying or doing something in particular?

Very much so.

 

[Stephernovas]

Mine tries to be sneaky and include exposure/desensitization in sessions whenever she can. 1) to see how I react (which helps guide my treatment), and 2) because if she openly disclosed we were doing exposure, I straight up refuse. I will sit there in silence. One time I was severely triggered by something else, and she tried to talk to me but it turned out to be a session of me being silent until I started crying and telling her to leave me alone. It was great.