Sensorimotor Therapy/somatic Experiencing

[MummaKitten]

I have only just been able to reap benefits from CBT. I think perhaps the difference here is with dev...

That does seem to be something that is quite understood with these therapies. I'm unable to control my anxiety most days- except for at work (why, that is beyond me). So, I'm going to give this a go, since they specialize in trauma specificially.

I do know homosexuality used to be treated as a mental illness. My teachers were at least old enough to give us insight on that particular topic. Horrible things were done during those times.

I might also add that they used the term bottom-up. Which means they're focusing on the somatics and then will work toward the cognitive. It definitely will help in combination, but not everyone can rehash their stories over and over. I've done this multiple times and while I can rehash it, I often get several days of out of control flashbacks afterwards. That's simply not healthy.

I've done medications and CBT. I'm working on trying to get better because I have two young ones I need to be there for and right now, I'm unable to be a mother to them. Dad has stepped up in the childcare role for that reason.

 

[Crow]

I've done SE for five years now. My life is completely different/better. It's hard, slow work sometimes but totally worth the effort. I was deemed treatment resistant by most other therapies. Every day I say a tiny thank you for peter Levine.

 

[Crow]

I truly recommend reading waking the tiger by Peter Levine. It'll give you an insight on why you're being asked to do stupid stuff in session. My T had me read it before we dove into the true SE and it helped big time. Good luck

 

[shimmerz]

I truly recommend reading waking the tiger by Peter Levine

Be careful of when and where you read it though. I was doing a cross the USA trek when I read it and my responses to it were wild. I ended up bolting out of a restaurant and having to find my hotel while shaking, shivering, funky breathing and completely dissociated. That was closer to the beginning of my healing journey. I didn't realize that just reading something would draw responses out of me.

 

[heyheyhey]

I actually find that Somatic Experiencing enables me to be able to rationalise and work through things, as my nervous system isn't super triggered. Normally with CBT, it's like I have to keep telling myself something or trying to rationalise something, but all my emotions are screaming something else; it's like trying to jam one of those squishy kids toys into a tiny box, and it just keeps popping back out!

Whereas after a Somatic Experiencing session, I find I spend the evening, or the following day, actually being able to calmly apply the rationalisations of CBT so that they actually have an effect.

Aside from how it combines with CBT, this alone is putting me in touch with a strength and aliveness, that I lost many, many years ago. It is really pretty awesome. It helps me feel so much calmer, it's gentle and slow and sometimes you can forget the progress you have made, but it really is so helpful. It also gives you techniques to manage your anxiety in the here and the now, so you feel more in control. It's empowering, energising and calming all at the same time, I feel like it taps into a well of internal resources that you lose contact with when you are traumatised. It's far more effective for me than person-cantered counselling. I think it is awesome. It's also led me to feel so much more 'myself', so much for spontaneous, joyful, engaged than anything else has in years - I have felt permanently stuck but this helps me to reach out, express myself and get in touch with spontaneity. It is a wonderful therapy, and I highly recommend it.

Looking back, when I first entered into SE therapy, my anxiety was through the roof. it was horrible, I was panicked and had horrible mood swings. Now it's so much better, I'm pretty perfectionistic and wish it was all gone, but actually I forget that it's so, so, so much better than it was.

 

[Crow]

Exactly what @heyheyhey said!