PTSD and abuse.

[Oceanbreeze]

hmmm. now i'm confused. when it comes to my ptsd my therapist has never taken me where i don't want to go. in fact, he told me that if i'm not ready to conduct one of his ptsd exercises, i don't have to. he mentioned doing an "empty chair" exercise which i refuse to do (although i haven't told him this) because of flashbacks i have related to doing the same exercise while i was hospitalized for depression in my early 20s.

Mine has done the same thing...I think it depends on how long you've been processing a memory or whatever. My therapist knows just how far to push me and when not to. I HAVE to be pushed sometimes to deal with things or I won't. It's me and he knows that. A good therapist WON'T push you beyond what you can handle, but they will encourage you to go to those places you need to. I have also been with my therapist for about 4 yrs now.

 

[dreama]

People who are malingering are more likely to talk about their symptoms and their experiences, but that doesn't really involve memories. They know they are making things up.

People with false memory syndrome, however, actually believe their false memories and are convinced that something happened that can be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt not to have happened. They don't talk about their false memories as readily, or in the same way, that a malingerer does.

Also, people with false memory syndrome can actually be very consistent in their reports, where malingerers will change their story or be inconsistent in their reports.

Thanks for explaining the distinction.

 

[jillio]

how is that possible to accomplish? it sounds like a contradiction.

Exactly. That is why it is so difficult.

 

[jillio]

Thanks for explaining the distinction.

You're welcome.

 

[Hear Again]

Mine has done the same thing...I think it depends on how long you've been processing a memory or whatever. My therapist knows just how far to push me and when not to. I HAVE to be pushed sometimes to deal with things or I won't. It's me and he knows that. A good therapist WON'T push you beyond what you can handle, but they will encourage you to go to those places you need to. I have also been with my therapist for about 4 yrs now.

i've only been with my therapist for a year and a half and it took me that long to share my traumas with him.

my therapist tends to push me harder when it comes to my bipolar because he knows i can handle it.

for instance, he doesn't mince words if i admit to deliberately staying up all night and will tell me straight out that i'm responsible for causing my own mania.

in terms of my ptsd, i've already told my therapist that i'm not ready to talk about the things that happened to me and prefer to write about them instead. for me, writing puts some distance between myself and the pain and allows me to express feelings that i would not otherwise have an opportunity to.

 

[jillio]

i understand the concept as it applies to ptsd (and my therapist does/says the same thing), but what i'm wondering is how it applies to false memory syndrome?

It works the same for any distortion in belief. It is just that false memories are very deeply imbeded and more difficult to dislodge. But, say for example, you actually believe that everyone hates you and is out to get you. The way to change that cognitive distortion is by pointing out to you the times that people have actually sought out your company,and you had fun with them. That shows you that what you believe to be true isn't necessarily true, and counteracts that all or nothing thought process. You have to be given a glimpse of reality, rather than relying on your distorted perception of reality. Every therapist operates from a theoretical base that will influence the technique they use to accomplish that, but the goal is the same.

 

[Hear Again]

It works the same for any distortion in belief. It is just that false memories are very deeply imbeded and more difficult to dislodge. But, say for example, you actually believe that everyone hates you and is out to get you. The way to change that cognitive distortion is by pointing out to you the times that people have actually sought out your company,and you had fun with them. That shows you that what you believe to be true isn't necessarily true, and counteracts that all or nothing thought process. You have to be given a glimpse of reality, rather than relying on your distorted perception of reality. Every therapist operates from a theoretical base that will influence the technique they use to accomplish that, but the goal is the same.

for the explanation. that makes sense and is exactly what my therapist does when helping me deal with my 7 different types of paranoia. it hasn't been easy and we're still working on that, but the more he gives me examples of how people aren't out to harm me, the more convinced i am that he's right. the only problem for me is the fact that i need alot of examples and repetition to convince me. at the same time, my therapist has told me that my paranoias will always be something i struggle with, but that i can learn how to minimize them so that they don't rule my life.

 

[Hear Again]

jillio,

are some people able to heal completely from ptsd (meaning that their symptoms disappear) while others do not?

 

[Oceanbreeze]

jillio,

are some people able to heal completely from ptsd (meaning that their symptoms disappear) while others do not?

That's a good question. I'd be curious to know that, too.

 

[SFShawn13]

jillio,

are some people able to heal completely from ptsd (meaning that their symptoms disappear) while others do not?

I know that unless I am around a trigger, I haven't experienced a PTSD related symptom in 4 monthes =)

 

[SFShawn13]

writing puts some distance between myself and the pain and allows me to express feelings that i would not otherwise have an opportunity to.

Thanks for sharing how you deal with your PTSD, I am always interested to find out how others do it and I know it's very personal.

I seem to have the opposite effect, I cry so easily and talk easily about what happened growing up.

 

[Hear Again]

Thanks for sharing how you deal with your PTSD, I am always interested to find out how others do it and I know it's very personal.

I seem to have the opposite effect, I cry so easily and talk easily about what happened growing up.

i can understand that. i guess that's what i'm afraid of -- experiencing flashbacks and being unable to stop crying. don't get me wrong. i cry when i write. in fact, when i wrote a 4 page letter to my father (as recommended by my therapist) about the things he did to me, i cried many, many tears.

 

[Hear Again]

I know that unless I am around a trigger, I haven't experienced a PTSD related symptom in 4 monthes =)

to be honest, i have too many triggers to be "cured" of my ptsd: touching, crying, yelling, screaming, criticism, foul language, discussions about sex -- even people with friendly sounding voices (the latter because this was a trait of the person who was responsible for threatening my life when i was 9 years old).

 

[Oceanbreeze]

to be honest, i have too many triggers to be "cured" of my ptsd: touching, crying, yelling, screaming, criticism, foul language, discussions about sex -- even people with friendly sounding voices (the latter because this was a trait of the person who was responsible for threatening my life when i was 9 years old).

Ditto. I also have some of these same triggers.

 

[jillio]

jillio,

are some people able to heal completely from ptsd (meaning that their symptoms disappear) while others do not?

Yes and yes.

 

[jillio]

Thanks for sharing how you deal with your PTSD, I am always interested to find out how others do it and I know it's very personal.

I seem to have the opposite effect, I cry so easily and talk easily about what happened growing up.

You simply have a different coping style.

 

[SFShawn13]

to be honest, i have too many triggers to be "cured" of my ptsd: touching, crying, yelling, screaming, criticism, foul language, discussions about sex -- even people with friendly sounding voices (the latter because this was a trait of the person who was responsible for threatening my life when i was 9 years old).

Ah, another good example of how two people can have PTSD but experience it differently. My only triggers thus far are men who yell/scream/etc and violence.

 

[Hear Again]

Ah, another good example of how two people can have PTSD but experience it differently. My only triggers thus far are men who yell/scream/etc and violence.

i forgot. you can also add violence to the list since i was physically abused. at any rate, yes, it is interesting. very interesting.

 

[Hear Again]

shawn,

out of curiosity, are you male or female?

 

[Hear Again]

Ditto. I also have some of these same triggers.

i hope i didn't trigger you by writing that, ocean. if i did, i'm sorry.