How long did it take before you started noticing improvement?

[Hopefulphoenix]

Thanks @SHIKI for posing this question. Even though I have been in various therapies for years I havent really been improving. I have finally found a dissociation/trauma specialised therapist and have worked with her for a couple of months.
Its good to know that longer time has gone by for others to gradually improve in daily fuctioning. I have been struggling alot with depression since I started ..thinking its not working yet. !!!
After 7 years of being stuck in the ptsd abyss I just want out of it now, even if just by one fingertip.
I cant imagine the gratitude one must feel experiencing that with help, there is a way out. I love what you said @ladee about a life never imagined. Thank you.

 

[EveHarrington]

I know i just need to be a bit more stable. My therapist doesn't wanna start treatment until im a little less suicidal lmao...

No, I mean any type of therapy dealing with this stuff, not just “processing” which may not come for years. Stabilization can be very de-stabilizing at times.

 

[Friday]

My first time in the PTSD Badlands it took me roughly 5 years to unf*ck myself. No, I didn’t do any kind of formalized therapy/treatment. Although a lot of the things I did -come to find- are tried and true treatment methods.

My second time through, it’s well past 5 years, and yes I’ve been doing therapy/treatment. Originally because I knew where this was going, and didn’t want things to get that bad, again. (They did anyway.) And because I was hoping to cut how long it took me to unf*ck myself down, since I wouldn’t be reinventing the wheel. (Hasn’t worked out that way.) Objectively, that’s mostly just bad luck & life stuff. There have been several times where things almost righted themselves, but shit went sideways instead.

 

[grit]

It depends what you have? I have cptsd from violent and sexual childhood issues with no comorbidity... That difference is huge because my issues are based external experience... So the steps I took are unique for me.

To realize it's depth took me 4 months of group therapy focus on trauma... Took me another year with two therapy and continues group therapy to go through severe depression and multiple dissociations. Add another 6 months and a new therapist to arrive a turning point of accepting myself in a very fundamental way.

That is 2 temp group therapy, one group therapy for full two years so far. Three single therapists and exactly 2 full years since I walked into therapy office.

Improvements came in the form of finding more joy, learning more about my development, changing career by going back to school extremely enjoying a new job I took since, learning new coping mechanisms and becoming aware of compensation for structural damages I have and relationship improvements in such I am not in enmeshment or avoidant... Healthy middle.
So why stay therapy.... I am loving the education and wisdom until I do not..

When you feel avoiding or waiting a future moment that is better than today.. That is a signal today is the day.