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Please help, I'm a total mess after counselling

384 replies

CuppaCiggieBiccieBliss · 14/08/2012 12:40

My second counselling session was this morning and it has totally floored me. I am shaking like mad, can't think straight and have spent the last hour vomiting.
I hate talking about what happened, actually that's a lie, I CAN'T talk about it. I hate dragging it all to the front of my mind and ending up like this. Does it get any easier? I don't think I can do this anymore. I want to curl up in a ball and never wake up.

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NaturalNature · 16/08/2012 21:25

It does get easier but you have to work through it.

BUT you also need to take care of yourself, self care is really important, recognising it wasn't your fault at all is important and allowing yourself to be "in recovery" is important.

The anger is showing you are healing, it's good to get angry, I got a punch bag and boxing gloves to release that anger when I couldn't get to the gym.

CuppaCiggieBiccieBliss · 16/08/2012 21:28

NaturalNature, I am so sorry you have felt like this too x

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CuppaCiggieBiccieBliss · 16/08/2012 21:34

Caring for myself just seems impossible at the moment. I don't deserve it, a lot of it is my fault. If I had have ran after the first time then fair enough, but I didn't, I stayed, like a complete fool.

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CuppaCiggieBiccieBliss · 16/08/2012 21:34

Caring for myself just seems impossible at the moment. I don't deserve it, a lot of it is my fault. If I had have ran after the first time then fair enough, but I didn't, I stayed, like a complete fool.

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NaturalNature · 16/08/2012 21:45

First thing, don't talk negatively, understand that the negative thoughts are the depression, not the reality. Every victim finds a way to blame themselves, you did what you did to survive, you HAVE survived.

If you had run something worse could have happened, you did what you had to do to survive.

That is over now.

You are an amazingly strong, wonderful person to have faced something so horrific and come out the other side.

You will get through this, if I can YOU can.

CuppaCiggieBiccieBliss · 16/08/2012 21:55

I truly do hope that you are right. I need some help, I have well and truly sunk.

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CuppaCiggieBiccieBliss · 16/08/2012 21:55

I truly do hope that you are right. I need some help, I have well and truly sunk.

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AuntAda · 16/08/2012 22:02

Blaming yourself is normal too. But that doesn't make it true. I was much younger than you, and clearly didn't have the option to say no. Did that make it my fault? Rationally obviously not, but it sometimes still feels that way.

Bear in mind that one of the reasons children blame themselves is, weirdly, to preserve hope. If the child convinces themselves it's their fault then, logically, they can do something to stop it happening again. That is a false belief, and very cruel and damaging to the adult they become, but perhaps easier for a child or teenager than facing up to the fact that she was in fact completely powerless and no adult was prepared to help.

These are hard, hard, life-changing realisations to come to terms with, and you need (and have a right to) the proper kind of support. Lots of HCPs don't have experience in this field (GPs have to do paediatrics and obs & Gynae rotations as part of their training, but there's no requirement for them to have psychiatric experience, despite the fact that more than 50% of GP consultations have some kind of psychiatric component). Hmm Don't start blaming yourself for the fact that your GP is inexperienced or insensitive. The fact that you (probably) find it difficult to express clearly how hard things are is also not your fault - it's part of the coping mechanism that has got you this far. But it's starting to be counterproductive as a life strategy - there is no shame at all in admitting you need help, even in making a bit of noise and fuss to get it. The reason you need to be assertive and persistent about asking is not because you don't deserve it or because people don't want to help, but because most HCPs aren't experienced enough with trauma to know how to help you best. There are people out there who can and will help, you just need to keep asking and make sure that people understand how bad things really are for you.

Your counsellor may be perfectly nice and all that, but she has clearly pushed you beyond your coping limits, which suggests lack of experience or expertise. You deserve someone who can help you pick up the pieces and help you hold it together while you do this very difficult work. You will get there - you are already protecting your dd and doing your best for her. Try and be as kind to yourself as you would want someone to be to your dd.

NaturalNature · 16/08/2012 22:17

AuntAda talks sense.

Rape Crisis should be able to help with appropriate support/councelling.

It is ok to sink but don't drown, change your gp, keep pestering.

Do you want to talk about what has made you feel like you've sunk?

CuppaCiggieBiccieBliss · 16/08/2012 22:26

Thankyou x what you are saying makes perfect sense, it really does.
I have definitely been pushed too far, but I suppose I could have said no. Oh I don't know. Everything I think, I doubt myself, every problem, I blame myself.

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CuppaCiggieBiccieBliss · 16/08/2012 22:36

I just can't get the thoughts out of my mind at all, since the counselling. That has made it worse. I'm supposed to write things down, when I panic, get scared, won't go out, why do I feel like that, what do I think will happen. Well I genuinely can't do that, so I feel like I've failed.
I just hate myself for being like this. I hate the fact that I want to die and leave my dd.
I think I've just sunk as I can't see a way out and I can't carry on like this.

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NaturalNature · 16/08/2012 22:38

Those thoughts are known as intrusive thoughts and you need to stop them when you get them. It is difficult but sanity saving. It's a sign of depression.

Can you get to the gp and ask them to help with sleep deprivation, you can say you have nightmares. Or contact rape crisis to see if they can help.

NaturalNature · 16/08/2012 22:40

Xpost, you haven't failed.

CuppaCiggieBiccieBliss · 16/08/2012 22:45

The gp has given me sleeping pills once before but they were a nightmare (excuse the pun) I was so drowsy that I couldn't wake myself up properly from the nightmares and spent a night trapped in them. Perhaps I'm just beyond help. I can only hope that these pills give me some sort of a rest.

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NaturalNature · 16/08/2012 22:49

I couldn't write all that down so don't beat yourself up about it.

Dealing with the suicidal thoughts might be worthwhile. My way was to use the elastic band method, every negative thought I had I pinged the band often repeatedly until it passed.

With flashbacks I'd wrap myself in a blanket, drink a sugary tea for the shock and put some naice music on.

I also had meds for anxiety and depression. These numbed me enough to get through. Do ask for yours to be increased if you need to.

CuppaCiggieBiccieBliss · 16/08/2012 22:56

Thankyou x well I've took the first tablet and I don't know if it's general exhaustion or the medication but I feel quite spaced out and dizzy so going to try and get a little bit of rest. Thankyou all so much for helping me through this Thanks I really do appreciate it x

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wanttomakeadifference · 16/08/2012 23:10

I hope you gave a restful night cuppa.

There has been some very wise advice on this thread this evening, every single person had said you are not to blame for anything. Please believe them.

uberalice · 16/08/2012 23:51

I've not posted much today Cuppa, but I've been checking through the day to see how things were going, and I can see lots of really good advice on this thread. Hope tomorrow is a bit easier for you.

wanttomakeadifference · 17/08/2012 10:01

Morning Cuppa. I will be thinking of you today. I hope that your GP offers more suitable support.

We are here if you want to talk.

CuppaCiggieBiccieBliss · 17/08/2012 10:36

Morning. Well there are no appointments at all, the advice given was to go to a walk in centre. Well that's fabulous, it's £12 each way in a taxi and I can't afford it.
Ah well, I suppose I will just have to make it through to monday.

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AuntAda · 17/08/2012 10:52

Can you ask for a GP to phone you back? going to a walk-in centre is not the best idea for MH issues anyway, cos you don't have the continuity of care (though admittedly your GP has been a bit of a wet lettuce so that might not be too much of a loss).

If you can make it through the weekend safely, then waiting till Monday to have another go is a sensible strategy. Otherwise there's A&E. Have a look at your local MH Trust's website and see what other provision there is - some crisis teams and CMHTs accept self-referrals, some don't.

EldritchCleavage · 17/08/2012 10:57

It is ok and perfectly understandable to be angry, but please try not to be so angry with yourself.

One thing I was encouraged to do which helped me is think about the person I was when my trauma happened, and imagine what I would say to her-how I would reassure, forgive and understand her. Write her a letter.

achillea · 17/08/2012 10:58

You need to tell them it is an emergency and if they tell you to call NHS direct or go to hospital then do it. This is an important time for you.

CuppaCiggieBiccieBliss · 17/08/2012 11:06

I'm hoping I can get through to monday. Today is the hardest as dd is at her dads until 10 tomorrow so there is nothing else to concentrate on. I am going to attempt to do some housework to pass the time. The ironing pile is out of control Blush
I managed about two hours sleep last night so not too bad.

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achillea · 17/08/2012 11:18

You really shouldn't wait until Monday, what if it happens again then?