I had quite a chat with my therapist this week on the subject of how long I may need to attend sessions. Instead of the "how long is a piece of string" answer I was expecting, my therapist said this:
"You have your individual characteristics, like motivation to understand, heal and get in control of symptoms.You also have to think of it as a proportional thing. For example, the standard treatment for your basic car crash (no serious injuries, just very scary and car damage), is 12 sessions".
Then came the thing that had me stunned:
"For you, we have to thing in terms of a car crash about once a week for 20 years. It will take time. Not forever, but not soon either".
My molehill just became a mountain.
I have changed my goal to something I hope is more realistic. I hope to get my ptsd under control so that I can live before I die. Survival is all I can do right now, but I'm damn good at it, so there is hope!
"You have your individual characteristics, like motivation to understand, heal and get in control of symptoms.You also have to think of it as a proportional thing. For example, the standard treatment for your basic car crash (no serious injuries, just very scary and car damage), is 12 sessions".
Then came the thing that had me stunned:
"For you, we have to thing in terms of a car crash about once a week for 20 years. It will take time. Not forever, but not soon either".
My molehill just became a mountain.
I have changed my goal to something I hope is more realistic. I hope to get my ptsd under control so that I can live before I die. Survival is all I can do right now, but I'm damn good at it, so there is hope!