Living In Michigan, No Therapist Please Help!

[sharky]

I live in Big Rapids, Michigan. A small-ish college town, and I've tried everywhere and cannot find a physician of any sort that specializes in PTSD and takes commercial priority health. I am willing to drive as far as almost an hour in any direction to get to the right therapist. I need to find a female, as I cannot communicate well with male doctors. My doctor will not help me, nor will the medical/mental health offices. They've all given me numbers that aren't in service anymore, and the only one that I got through to had only three physicians; two males and one female. And apparently the female is hardly ever available and doesn't take the insurance. PLEASE HELP! I think I'm spiraling out of control and nothing is working anymore to help me. I NEED to see someone that specializes in PTSD.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

Hi, for now I would get a therapist that is into cognitive behavior. This way you will be in therapy, while you are looking for a therapist that specializes in ptsd, you will be getting some help. It will not be a waste of your time. You can learn new ways to cope. I hope this helps some. Good luck. Wishing you the best.

 

[BloomInWinter]

I'm with Gizmo. CBT is essential to helping stabilize our lives & ensuring safety.

Trauma therapy, IMHO, shouldn't be undertaken at all until we've ejected unsafe people out of our lives, made our relationships with safe supporters healthier, and acquired and practiced new life skills to provide the healing framework necessary to navigate through the traumas.

The practicing of skills helps immensely with the most distressing symptoms.

 

[Spiderallis]

I don't know what's available around Big Rapids, but I'm from the Detroit area and found a very good therapist through a community health center. While she's not officially recognized as a trauma therapist, she has a good amount of experience helping people with it. Not sure about insurance, I haven't had any in quite some time... maybe check into whether there's a community health center in your area that offers mental health services? Statistically there's a higher incidence of trauma in lower income populations, so the clinics specializing in low-cost care seem to have a bit of experience in how to help.

 

[sharky]

Thank you all. I've called every place possible to see my options, and right now I'm kind of screwed. It's either see my old psychiatrist or settle for seeing a male therapist, which I'm just not willing to do. But I'm going to start calling nearby towns to see what my other options are. I'll make sure to start asking about people familiar with CBT, because that really does seem to be the right and obvious choice after just minimal research.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Why not contact your insurance company to find providers? In a way it seems as if you're going about it the long way, asking providers if they accept your insurance.

 

[sharky]

Haha, duh! Geez, why did I not think of that? Well... I feel a little bit ridiculous now... So... I'm gonna do that tomorrow and save myself a lot of wasted time. :oops:

 

[piratelady]

I don't know who your insurance is through - I have Blue Cross. I can search online. When I choose the "Advanced Search" it lets me pick from a list of problems (i.e. Depression, Anxiety, etc) and narrows the people down by that. I don't live in a big city, so it wasn't that useful, but it might be for you if your insurance company offers that.

 

[Eleanor]

The Blue cross site that I use kind of sucks. Actually it really really sucks. I got better results by calling and having the customer service rep SEND me a list of providers. Just in case...

Sharky, you might also try calling/searching at universities for someone who does trauma work in the psych department - Looks like Grand Rapids may be your best bet....

 

[BloomInWinter]

Sharky, you could contact your local domestic violence action agency. They have much experience with trauma and know what options you have.

You may qualify for free or greatly reduced costs.

 

[sharky]

Bloom - We do have a WISE center here (my boyfriend suggested this a while back too)... But there's something in me that knows if I picked up the phone and called them... I know I'd feel ashamed. I know our WISE center, it's in an alley across from a liquor store. It's a small piece of crap honestly. And the women that live there... Well... I know one who LIED about anything happening to her just so she could have a free place to live.

That place is so depressing to me. I just can't do it... But I'm really going to try calling my insurance company and see who they have to offer. If worse comes to worse, I'll be seeing this woman in Traverse City and paying 80 a session, and will probably have to greatly expand the sessions over time. She's the first therapist that I found so far that actually sounds like someone I would like to see.

I'd like to add, that although I have only seen one therapist in my town, I have heard a lot about almost all the others from friends. They all impose religion onto their patients, and I'm not comfortable with that. And I don't think they'll be comfortable with what I have to say about it when they start talking to me about their crap. So I'm assuming I'm going to have to find someone not in my town.

 

[BloomInWinter]

Sharky,

If fear of shame stops you from seeking what help is even available, you're letting allowing your fear hold you hostage to your symptoms.

...and honestly, as someone who has worked with many abused victims, I found that it's unfair to judge any of them. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, chooses that life unless they have had something traumatic happen to them.

Our interpretation of another person's 'motives' truly has nothing to do with us seeking help for ourselves, unless we're looking for a convenient excuse to not follow through...which I did a lot of in my 20's and 30's.

Now that I help with funding, grant writing, and donations, I understand that most of these are in bad neighborhoods because that is what their funding allows.

I've found most of the workers in these places to be wonderful caring human beings who put up with a lot of hatred & judgment from others and tolerate it because they want what is best for their clients. When I describe the hard work of other human beings with a word like 'crap' but I've not helped them, I'm being unkind and unfair.

Many of us good caring people work our butts off to get funding for people in need.

One of the light bulb moments that I discovered far too late was that just because my 'friends' or 'family' didn't care for a certain person, place...therapist...that doesn't mean that will be my experience, nor does it always accurately reflect what really went on.

At some point, I decided that I'd judge for myself and trust myself to make good decisions based upon whats inside me - NOT what someone else says. Because many people's opinions are different. I regret all the lost friendships & opportunities I missed out on just because I took another's words as 'fact' when it was just their opinion.

Do what's right for you, trust yourself...and free yourself from taking on other's opinions as YOUR facts. Because you just might find a life-changing opportunity right in your own neighborhood.