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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lynn1" data-source="post: 1468668">I have a question, after surviving a horrific dog attack, I was immediately sent for therapy for 3 months after attack, after 2 sessions, which mainly consisted of constant questions about childhood etc I explained to the therapist that my physical pain was stopping me from concentrating on the emotional aspect of the attack. 6 months later after finding myself in a situation that caused a massive anxiety attack I decided maybe I needed help processing it all. I found a therapist and the first session was explaining the trauma and then again a little family history, it went well, the therapist was sympathetic etc so we had a second meeting in which he repeated the stories from session one and then proceeded in explaining how he helped rape victims by making them spit over the balcony and evacuating the taste of sperm from their mouths, he then proceeded in telling me that on first impressions he thought me extremely intelligent but after hearing about my fear of dogs I came across ridiculous. There was not a 3rd meeting. Therapist 3. Because of a language barrier and being constantly asked to repeat myself I asked if I were being understood, (of course) was the response. She was also a specialist in emdr therapy, great so I’ll give her a try 9 sessions later with a total of 10 minutes emdr and two occasions in which she had a very hard time staying awake I decided that I wasn’t advancing, just being made to open up old wounds without any direction afterwards, there wasn’t any feedback, just questions, then lack of interest and see you again next week. I made the decision to put on hold therapy and try something else. Instead of spending so much time in my head, I invested in art materials and started to sketch, paint etc and really started feeling my old self, of course there were down days, but then I make myself do an art tutorial and back up. So after much contemplation I decided that either therapy or the therapist are not right for me. 6 months later I’m feeling ok, still have a fear of dogs, but that’s pretty normal in my situation. Then I have an evaluation by the insurance companies therapist, who decides that I have not been given adequate help as my diagnosis was PTSD and I needed to find a new therapist, even though I explained that the evaluation was 6 months prior, yes it did take that long from the interview with the specialist until official report was given….I explained that since then I had tried other methods than medication and was doing well. This was of no importance, so put in a position of no choice spend 2 months finding a suitable therapist. Yet again the first session went well, yet again repeat everything, why I’m there, trauma, trauma but this time was given a personality test to fill out and send back to him along with all records so our next meeting he would be better able to help me, this was looking promising, definitely more interested in helping, and yes a lot more professional, there was 10 days until our next meeting and I was eager to see what direction we would be taking, because though I’d found a release I knew I could probably still benefit from his knowledge and expertise for the future and to better understand my situation. So finally my question, today I arrive, he greats me as though we haven’t met, I sit and wait for some direction, he asks why I’m there today, I ask if he read my files, sent by email to the address he had given me the week before, sent along with the questionnaire. He replies he hasn’t checked his mail since, and replies how unprofessional it is and then just sits there waiting for me to say something. After the hour I left. And spent the next half hour on the drive home screaming, I was so angry, I really don’t know what to expect, but is this kind of attitude normal. I’m so sick of the get you in the door mentality and then the second visit, now the insurance is paying I don’t even need to remember who you are, I left feeling frustrated, angry, but now the choice is not mine, and I’ve already been told on paper it’s not looking good that I change therapists. Right now I’m feeling very disappointed, I really don’t know what I should be expecting, I just can’t carry on seeing someone I’m supposed to trust and open up to if they in the beginning show such bad professionalism. I would like to point out that I’m a foreigner in the country in which I’m living, which should have no bearing on this situation, but? Also after repeatingly expressing my wish to deal with my situation without medication, 10 minutes later, starts to talk to me about MEDICATION, is it not possible to combat PTSD without being medicated? Sorry for such a long winded text, but 1 life changing trauma, 3 subsequent medical complications because of trauma, 2 years 6 months of not being able to work, insurance companies, medical experts all fields, 2 years of physio therapy and osteo therapy, and 4 psychiatrists later I’m done, not crazy just mentally and physically exhausted, am I getting the right help?</blockquote>

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