Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Support Group

i give my just-finished CBT an F.

i listened to a tape of myself reciting events from 9/11 for a half hour each day.

The result? Two weeks of nearly catatonic reaction.

Now my doc wants to try EMDR.

I'm not so sure. Any advice would be appreciated.

I did EMDR. It is very intense. I had to be very kind to myself while I was with an
EMDR practitioner. But I found some relief with it. The important thing is to find a trained practitioner. There are some people who offer EMDR as a treatment, but they are not certified to use it. Find a competent EMDR practitioner. The only reason I stopped EMDR was that my practitioner moved out of the area and I live in the middle of nowhere so there are no others.

Hang in there.

Meow

well havent tryed it but it was recommendated to me. i live in county neighboring cleveland and there is not a whole lot of help out here even though im like oh 15 min from the city

I wasted years in CBT counseling. It's too lightweight for the problem of trauma, I think. I had a counselor make me read this 'Learn to be Happy' workbook. Like, as though it was something I could just change my mind about and then see that result in my life. So Ive been doing EMDR for maybe 6 months, with a really good specialist, and it's helped a lot. It can be very intense, and so for sure you have to be really kind to yourself and expect to be a little raw sometimes. Because the brain continues reprocessing those memories after each session. It does seem to accelerate the healing process, though. In my experience anyway.

CBT is not very helpful for me...I need to process my trauma...not get behavioral techniques to deal with all of this. Though, some techniques are good, and can be incorporated, but I want to talk and process it...

From a former therapist that did CBT...his daily motto he said in therapy a zillion times...
'Think to Feel'

That seems to be the basis of CBT...Think to Feel. If you can change the way you think, it will impact how you feel about it.

First, I can't 'FEEL' a darn thing...I am so emotionally numbed.

He made it sound like it was something to forget about, the trauma, and get on with life.

Sad thing, is my Aunt is seeing this same therapist...and he is leading her the WRONG WAY...she was abused physically/emotionally/verbally by her current hubby, and he even threatened to kill her...ALL When he was DRINKING.
NOW, he is telling her since he is sober, she cannot blame him anymore...and she is having PTSD symptoms. WTF is HE doing?? I am trying to clue her into the reality and get a new therapist, but he hones how he is the greatest thing on earth...WELL, I left his therapy, b/c he was WRONG, WRONG, WRONG about trauma/PTSD treatment.

Recommend Processing Therapy.

I have been in Cognitive Process Therapy. It has worked wonders for me. I have PTSD from an abusive marraige, and have completely shut down emotionally - unable to feel or express any feelings. I have been in pretty intense CPT for the last year, and in the past month had some significant breakthroughs. The most helpful is that my therapist gives me homeowrk - like writing a letter - to someone (most times that I don't mail) and then we process what was said in the letter. She is gifted in being able to pick out emotions that I can express but not feel. I have discovered that I have buried over 10 years of anger, and realizing and understanding that has allowed me to now be able to feel and express feelings that I forgot existed. It has been a very freeing experience.

is CBT similar to DBT? ...

I find it helpful for me becuase i have been abused and brainwashed for so long i do not know what is the 'right' way to live or think, i do and live as i have for all my abusive life.
So i am learning how to live day to day.

I can't explain it.

I am not sure about DBT?? I'd have to look that one up.

I know there are some members here that have done it...can ya'll chime in??