Therapy ending (prolonged exposure) experience s?

[Ptsdgirl]

Hi!
I have almost completed a treatment for ptsd using prolonged exposure therapy (PE). Its a manual based therapy with a set lenght and my T is now talking about ending therapy. I feel so scared.

I was hit by a car 20 years ago as a pedastrian and spent a long time in hospital care, I have many hot spots to work through and not just one isolated trauma. I have known for many years that I have ptsd but didn't know there were ways to treat it until I met my T (I originally seeked help to be able to drive a car). Last two sessions it feels as if he is preparing me for the therapy to end and I feel a little dumped. I only have two more sessions booked. It feels as thou I havent finished telling my story yet/memories that dont cause symptoms that severe but are still painful and im thinking about asking to continue a session or two to "be done with" even that part.

I wonder if any of u have any experience of what the end phase is like? Lol ive been tempted to read the manual they use but it's probably not a good idea...I recieve no support of my T inbetween sessions so at times ive felt so alone, angry and scared during this treatment althou it has made me feel more accomplished to not have to rely on his support at all times. I have gotten so much better and I pretty much have no flashbacks or disassociate episodes anymore. I feel so scared to belive it has actually worked, is it really over?? I will miss my T terribly and scared of relapse when it ends. Have any of you whos done the treatment relapsed or havr you stayed "cured"?

English is not my first language so pardon my spelling errors:)

 

[barefoot]

I'm mainly replying to bump this message up a bit in the hope that someone else may be able to respond to address your question better than I can.

I haven't ended therapy yet so cannot advise on that at all. But I do a think I understand how you feel dumped and scared if the ending of therapy now seems to be happening abruptly and before you feel ready.

Is continuing on with this therapist a possibility? Or starting with a different therapist in order for you to finish telling your story and working through things that you feel haven't yet been fully addressed?

 

[UnicornSightings]

If you feel there's more to tell and there's more work to be done that you want done in therapy then I'd say definitely stick with it!! There are a lot of therapists out there if your current one won't continue with you. And if you try another and decide you actually ARE done, then cool! Then you know. Or you could also take some time to see how you're doing but I really understand the importance of talking about everything you have to say! My t is dumping me as well. Well, it's more like she's taking a long sabbatical and our time is coming to a close but I don't feel ready. I feel scared and hurt and angry and not ready. Did I say that already? I'm not ready! But yet, at least for me, I kinda am. I just don't really want to admit that. For me it has been really nice to have someone that I could just be myself with and say whatever I wanted to say. But there's are more ways to move forward without a t's support. For me, I'm diving into the realm of peer support, which has been an ongoing and scary endeavor and I'm taking it to a new level. All of my story to say, whether you leave and you're ready or you leave and you're not, there's still gonna be fear. But there's a part of you that knows the answer to this. That knows if you'll be ok or not. And it's ok if you want help still. To get to that point where your feathers are a little longer and you fly more easily.