Have i been in therapy too long?

[Dddddd]

I have been seeing a psych for 6 years pretty much weekly or fortnightly. Is that strange?
I have CPTSD from being sexually abused by a paedophile ring throughout all of my teenage years 12-18. My memory was really bad when I started and it was still happening so for a couple years there I wasn't really fully disclosing everything. I've recently found I was brainwashed with some systematic techniques they used and have mostly kicked that thought pattern and then left the place I was living. I'm due to go back there soon and don't know if i should still see a psych.
I do all the grounding, I have a wristband that nudges me to stay present pretty much every hour and do my best with everything I've been told to do. I understand what's going on in my body and brain and why. I have heaps of coping mechanisms and I can function but the flashbacks, dissociation, nightmares, seeing and hearing things, anxiety, guilt and self hatred are still really bad and distressing.
Has anyone else been in therapy as long and as often as I have?
It seems like others with severe CPTSD and PTSD don't take this long, what is wrong with me?
Are these symptoms just something others live with forever and I'm just not accepting that like maybe everyone else does?
Do you think there's a stage where my psych would think I should move on?
Do I just deal with it?
Seriously is this normal, should I be better by now?

 

[The Albatross]

I think I'd resist the thought that suggests "It seems like others with severe CPTSD and PTSD don't take this long, what is wrong with me?" as it is a broad spectrum and varying degrees of damage or functionality. If you're still experiencing symptoms I'd say recently finding out you were brainwashed or/and are due to relocate... you may want to consider electing to continue therapeutic treatment.

 

[UnicornSightings]

I have been seeing a psych for 6 years pretty much weekly or fortnightly. Is that strange?
I have CPTSD...

Your journey is about YOU. How long it takes other people is none of your business (I don't mean that in a rude way). If therapy is helping you then stay the course. Or if you're stalled, try someone else or take a break. But do NOT compare your unique life and the way you heal to anyone's else's.

 

[Freida]

It seems like others with severe CPTSD and PTSD don't take this long, what is wrong with me?

Yep - I'm gonna jump on this bandwagon too! Do you actually know these people or is it a guess you are making based on what they DONT say? My Ts are forever telling me - it will take as long as it takes. But if it helps, I'm going on year 5 and no end in sight and I have a couple friends who are in year 8 and 10.

 

[Crow]

17 years with the same therapist. 10 years prior to that with crappy therapists. I have about another year and half of trauma work. It took me a long time to be able to work the core trauma. Probably will be in maintenance therapy forever. I did take a couple of years breaks during the 17 years for cptsd....it hasn't been continuous. Got to stages I couldn't handle the therapy so I'd leave.

 

[Deleted member 44579]

Hi @ddddd I think we are all different...so I agree with everything that has been said so far. It takes time.... And therapy is a must to help you.

I wish there was a quick fix... But alas no no no.... Typical!!!

Im sorry you went through all that hell.... But I'm glad you have found this forum. I can honestly say these are good people... Take care

 

[Friday]

It took me 5 years to get myself in hand the first time things went bad.
I'm on year 6 this second time around.

Are there things I could have done to speed things up? Absolutely. Some I knew about and chose not to, for various reasons. Some I was clueless about until later. Just as there are things which have happened which have slowed me down. Some completely out of my control, others that I brought on myself. Again, for various reasons. Some of them entirely legitimate.

So, on the one hand this business can take some serious time... On the other there are -in my experience- often outside things which speed up / slow down getting good with myself.

I think questioning whether there might be a better therapy choice out there? Is a good thing to look at. Amongst many other things. There may not be. You may be moving exactly as fast as you are able, though the perfect therapy paradigm for you. Or there may be some better choices/option for you. At the very least, I'd say discussing this with your therapist, sounds like a good idea.

 

[Dddddd]

Thanks guys, I guess I'll just keep at it. It's nice to know I'm not the only one that is taking a while. I really don't expect to be better by now because I get more and more memories back to deal with all the time and things have happened to retraumatize me and send me backwards in the last year, I just worry that my psychs and my family think I should be better. I just don't want to be that person that is still going on you know if they think I shouldn't be. But I am far from a healthy brained person so yeah

 

[Deleted member 44517]

Appreciating this thread. I'm new-ish to therapy. Just wrapping up my first year and we've barely started really digging into the trauma. I was feeling like maybe I was failing at it. Or, that I too was just not accepting my symptoms.

 

[Victory]

I have been seeing a psych for 6 years pretty much weekly or fortnightly. Is that strange?
I have CPTSD...

I've been in for 10 years now and I have no intentions of quitting until I've conquered this. Nor will I apologize for the amount of time it's taking me to meet my goal. My attitude is that until someone "can walk a mile in my shoes," I will not allow anyone, including myself, to compare myself to anyone else in this matter, no more than I would compare one man's heart medication to another's. Therapy is part of what it takes manage PTSD just like Lipitor is used to manage cholesterol.

 

[Scarlet13]

I would say you have made a lot of progress. You have been unraveling the brain washing, no small feat!
It sounds like you have two concerns. Is the length of time to be in therapy normal and what if you are stuck just spinning your wheels and not getting any better?
I have read that with abuse it can take longer to be in therapy. There are trust issues and these are deep traumas that need slow, steady and subtle work.
I would say use your wise mind for this. Your body and mind have a deep, natural intelligence for healing. Are you where you should be? Are you progressing when you use your gut instinct to think about it?
Never mind what your friends and family think. They are not you and did not experience what you did.
Thinking that most other people with CPTSD do better or heal faster is a cognitive distortion called generalizing.
It helps to lable this thought pattern because this keeps you from buying into the message of the thought.
Yes, you may have some symptoms for the rest of your life, but you can heal a great deal.
Remember, there are many healing opportunities outside of therapy such as going into nature, contributing, or doing art. These things are actually powerful healing methods to go along with therapy.
I think being in therapy is such a gift.