Exposure Therapy Questions

[8888]

I've been to various therapists for PTSD but I don't think I've ever done exposure therapy. I keep reading about it here. I'm a sexual abuse survivor. Does this mean an exposure therapist would start talking about sexual abuse and expect me to eventually be okay with it? Because sexual abuse isn't exactly something that comes up in dinner conversations so I'm not sure what the benefit of that would really be. Would they want me to accept sexual abuse as normal? Because sexual abuse is not normal. Or would they just work with my other triggers, such as crosses (I'm a clergy abuse survivor.)? Any answers are appreciated.

 

[Bloomy]

Good thread - no answers from me, but I wonder some of the same. Will follow.

 

[RavenGirl]

They tend to work with things in every day life that are triggers for you, such as you said Crosses. No one who's normal thinks sexual abuse is a normal act. I too am a survivor of that horrible act and would probably strangle anyone who would dare to try and tell me it was normal.:tup: Usually when we have PTSD we have other things in our lives that have become triggers due to our traumas. I would ask your T right out, what triggers they plan on using the exposure therapy on before they start. And remember, they work for you so you get to decide what, when, and how fast things go in therapy. :hug:'s if you'll accept. Raven

 

[8888]

Thank you Raven!

 

[Justmehere]

I have done prolonged exposure therapy with triggers that were connected to sexual assault and dint resolve through other means of therapy.

The goal wasn't to be able to talk about sexual assault at the dinner table and it absolutely does not change beliefs about if it was right or wrong. That's not a thing exposure therapy does. At all.

The goal is to able to be around reminders of it without having severe symptoms.

Think about it like someone who has a fear of driving after being in a car crash who now can't even watch TV because the image of a car might come on TV, let alone drive in a car again. The goal is not to think car crashes are great, but to be able to safety drive again.

It would start off small, perhaps by imagining holding car keys. Then symptoms would come and go without doing anything at all, and eventually imagining car keys would not be triggering and eventually the exposure would be increased.

How it would work for you and your therapist and triggers would be highly individualistic and I'd suggest exploring it in more detail with them too.

 

[8888]

Thank you Just, that makes more sense.

 

[Justmehere]

This site can be self directed exposure therapy in a way.

By reading other posts about sexual assault, for many people it increases symptoms.

Then over time, as long as symptoms don't become too severe or retraimatizing, it won't be so stirring or triggering to read about sexual assault.

This post explains it better: MyPTSD - Reading Forum Increases Symptoms!

 

[8888]

I've actually been reading about sexual assault other places regularly for about 3 years. I still find it triggering and feel as if all fragments of the other people's stories I've been reading have been getting mixed up with my story and now I don't even know what happened to me anymore. I've also gotten other people's experiences involved in my own psychotic episodes. It's just messed with my head and I think it may have been more hurtful than helpful. That being said, I'm not even sure if I should be here. I've been mostly hanging in the social section here since I've joined.

 

[Gs172003]

I've been to various therapists for PTSD but I don't think I've ever done exposure therapy. I keep readin...

No for me my therapist was trying to expose me to triggers and help me to open up about whatever I could often enough that it would no longer be an issue. We didn't get very far yet.

 

[Gs172003]

This site can be self directed exposure therapy in a way.

By reading other posts about sexual assa...

This
Though it has helped me to not react to reading things about other people I still can't delve into mine. Maybe one day, maybe not.

 

[RavenGirl]

@Zoogal, @8888 everyone goes through therapy at their own pace and there's no right or wrong way to do it. When I finally made an appointment with a T and decided I trusted her, I spilled my guts about my past (not everything but that I was abused by my brothers as a teen) the first day!

One thing I used to do that might help you if you have trouble opening up is to write things down between sessions. Then when you go in the next time, read to your T what you wrote down. That way I didn't beat around the bush wasting my session time and I didn't sit there anxious and freaking outabout what I wanted to say.

@8888 if you feel ready, you could start your own trauma diary to write your story down. That way you won't get confused about whether the story is yours or someone else's. There's a trauma diary section here, but if you aren't ready for that you can just write one for you that you don't share, one that's just for you. It might help you to remember "which story is yours." When I wrote my story down it was actually quite cleansing for me. Just an idea, and obviously you know what's best for you. I wish you the best in your journey. :hug:
;) ❤

 

[Gs172003]

B

@Zoogal, @8888 everyone goes through therapy at their own pace...

Baby thank you. I can't write it anywhere. Not here not there. I don't know why. It wasn't as bad as so many people here I don't know why I have such a hard time with it and I feel like a damn fool. Maybe that's what the problem is. I feel like an idiot. Embarrassed even.

I left the man and went straight to my now husband thinking I was OK and being "rescued". I wasn't. I didn't know what was wrong with me until now and that was 14 years ago. It's funny how dealing with kid and husband issues can mask so much. Kids are grown now and I have nobody left to deal with but me. It pisses me off that I thought it was over but it never has been.