Prolonged Exposure Therapy

[JarHed]

Hey All

I'm going to be starting a new form of therapy shortly and wanted to get some feedback from ya'll about it. It's called Prolonged Exposure Therapy. It's main premise is that PTSD is maintained by avoiding the things that trigger the effects of the condition; anger, depression, anxiety, ect.

It would focus on one or two main events from my combat experiences which are generally difficult for me to deal with. Over time I would become less triggered by that and other events that occur in my life. It would be a 4 month time frame with sessions every week with my current therapist.

I'd like to know if anyone has done this type of therapy or knows more about it. The other question I have is would something like this affect the final rating for unworkability due to PTSD which I'm working on at the present time. Any input would be appreciated. Or if you could point me to any info about it that you might know of. Thanks.

Jar

 

[Jimmy1]

Hey Jar,

What a coincidence. I just went to my therapist yesterday and we are going to start the exact same thing.

This is how he basically explained it to me...........

He said that as we have been 'Conditioned', the only effects we feel now are Depression, Anxiety, Anger, and Stress.
I should clarify that, the only effects we display. Yes we feel joy and can laugh at a joke, but you won't find us in a smiling cheerful mood all day. Yes we can feel sad, but its as we have been conditioned 'Get Over It'. Love, well we want to show it, so its either meaningless 'Tomcatting', or the sex drive has gone.
So the main things we are left with are Anger, Stress, Anxiety (which are all ok in the military) which also causes depression (does that make sense)....

So basically everything in life now returns one of those feelings..

And because there are a multitude of combat experiences, he explained them as all revolving around the few major emotions, sort of like a weeping infected wound, the only way to fix it is to go to the source (the emotions).

What a load of waffle. It is 4 am here.

I will keep you posted about it too, but anything is worth a shot.

 

[JarHed]

Hey Jimmy

That's interesting, that we're both going to do the same type of therapy. I like the premise of it as well. It's kind of a pilot program for the VA and I think the people going into to it now are the 'test' group. Which is OK, 'cause anything which can help is a good thing in my book.

Even though they haven't had a lot of people having gone through it yet, the results are promising. More than 80% noted a marked improvement in their lives and how they relate to PTSD. It's certainly worth a shot, I agree.

I'm glad they're finally starting to do something for us with this problem. It's also worth the work that will be required, and I'm more than willing to give it a shot to have a better lifestyle than I do at the present time. Gives me a bit of hope for the future.

Good Luck and I'll let you know how I fair with it as well.

Jar

 

[nomedic1]

Good luck guys hope it helps

 

[JarHed]

So, I've started with my new therapy. Today was mostly info gathering and all to establish some baseline stuff. So, right now my PTSD is in the moderate range, which for me is good. I'm sure once I start thinking and talking about my actual experiences in VietNam, that will probably go up some.

I've had more than 40 years to bury alot of stuff. Time to dust it all off and look it in the eye, so to speak. Hey Jimmy, hope you're doing OK with it as well. I'll let ya'll know what I encounter as I go along. Got a great therapist, so that's a big plus in working to improve my lot in life.

I just know that PTSD has profoundly shaped my life since my 20's; now's the time to take some of it back.

Jar

 

[EOD96]

Rootin' for ya Jar! Maybe we can compare notes, since I start EMDR tomorrow, woohoo.

 

[JarHed]

Rootin' for ya Jar! Maybe we can compare notes, since I start EMDR tomorrow, woohoo.

Thanks Scott.

Good Luck to you as well. :)

Jar

 

[Lee C]

Good luck to you all starting your new therapies and here's hoping something clicks for ya.....

Lee

 

[Ned]

Yes we feel joy and can laugh at a joke, but you won't find us in a smiling cheerful mood all day. Yes we can feel sad, but its as we have been conditioned 'Get Over It'. Love, well we want to show it, so its either meaningless 'Tomcatting', or the sex drive has gone.
So the main things we are left with are Anger, Stress, Anxiety (which are all ok in the military) which also causes depression (does that make sense)....

Bloody good observation. I never thought about that subconscious filter but you are absolutely right. I have the most gorgeous girl but something always stops me reacting like I should and would've in a more innocent time.
Thank you mate that is an insight that can make things better.
Back to which wolf I feed.

 

[gibrokedown]

Good luck to you all starting your new therapies and here's hoping something clicks for ya.....

Lee

welcome lee :) maybe we will find a therapy that works one day too.

 

[gibrokedown]

you know i was seeing a psych from the civvie realm he didn't know much about ptsd but dammit he did say something that hit home with me. he said " the more you keep to yourself the worse your world is going to get. you MUST socialize it's imperative to your health. you can escape your mind through social escapes" the more i get out the less i eat my own brain. maybe the old coot had some old wisdom in him that we can use.

 

[Jimmy1]

I had a sit down with my therapist yesterday and we discussed what they call Prolonged Exposure Therapy. He said realistically its just 'Exposure Therapy'. Some people just make up names.
The idea behind 'Exposure Therapy' is to cover a trauma, or an emotion, or something else that gets up your shirt over and over and over until it does not bother you and raise the level in your bucket anymore. Sometimes it only takes a few sessions, others can take weeks and weeks.

Anyway, getting down to my therapy.

Basically he has picked out something important. He said that yes I have PTSD (Glad about that) but one of the main things that gets me angry is 'Respect'. I don't know whether you have worked that out on here yet.
He thinks its because I was not finished in my career.
I was a newly made up Warrant Officer who came home unwell. So they shipped me off to a reserve unit, and then kicked me out. No farewell from the old unit, No farewell from the seniors mess, No farewell at all. Total disrespect for my 20 plus years.

I did not get to farewell my father due to surgery and I had the greatest respect for him. Now the family disrespect my mother. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Then there is my ex screwing around and having a child to someone else. No respect.

So now, everything related to 'No Respect' Triggers enormous anger all because PTSD caused them to kick me out and I was not ready to go.

So........................................................................................................................................

When a teenager talks down to me, 'No Respect', I boil over.
My siblings don't talk to my mother, 'No Respect', I boil over.
When someone has no respect for another road user......................................
When someone pushes in at the shopping mall............................................
When children are yelling and screaming for no reason................................

Everything I see as no respect, which in tern reverts back to military conditioning and PTSD.

Hope I am making some sort of sense here.

So, with the Prolonged Exposure Therapy, I have to write down everything to do with respect that has pissed me off, from school until now. It will take a while. I also have to do this ensuring my "Cup' does not go over the '7' level. When it pisses me off I have to stop, go chill and relax, then come back.
When I am finished I have to fold it up and put it in an envelope. The next time I revisit it will be with the therapist. Then over a period of weeks we will address it and address it until it no longer gets me too pissed off.

Thats the first emotion or feeling.....