Mindfulness made everything worse...

[Becca19962014]

... I can't find anything anywhere that isn't mindfulness to help with what I'm going through e.g. Anxiety attacks p/c-PTSD that lead to collapse/hallucinations/severe depression.

All that's happened since doing it is everything has even more of a grip on me combined with a major recent bereavement (mid March). I can't have meds (medical issues and mh team refuse to engage with other clinicians) I've no money for private therapy.

Mental health team will only offer mindfulness courses for anything mental health related and as I can't have meds refuse to see me. I can't even access emergency help as that too is the mindfulness leaflets.

I know it helps others but obviously not for me, wondering if there are others in same position? What if anything helped them?

I hate mindfulness, all that stillness and silentness was appalling for my cptsd (especially having to lie on my back with my eyes shut in a room full of other people! )

EMDR is supposed to be available on the NHS, can you try asking for that?

I had long term private psychotherapy for CPTSD but it sounds as though that itsn't an option but I'd definitely push for EMDR.

Literally all there is is mindfulness. I was told there's nothing else except that as that is all I need, I did speak to an on call GP and he said that's all they'll offer here now and insist it works 100% of the time when people want it to. I said that couldn't be true and he said, look that's all theyll offer you end of story.

Even if there was EMDR The specialist I had years ago looked into it but I have a rare form of epilepsy which is triggered by eye movements and light so was told not to even attempt it.

Is there a personality disorders service in your area?

If you're able to say which mental health Trust you're under we might be able to see what services are available.

As far as I'm aware trauma focussed CBT and EMDR are the NICE recommended interventions the NHS use for PTSD. I've never heard of mindfulness being a NICE recommended intervention and I can't see how it would be helpful in addressing it. Can you try another GP?

"Is there a personality disorders service in your area?"

CPTD is not a personality disorder. Whilst borderline personality disorder is often caused by complex trauma the OP has said nothing that indicates she has a personality disorder.

CPTSD, typo sorry.

TRE / TRE yoga classes?

CPTD is not a personality disorder.

I did not say it was. In many areas it does come under the personality disorders service remit though.

"I did not say it was. In many areas it does come under the personality disorders service remit though."

No it doesn't and it's not helpful to conflate the two, they are two totally distinct mental health conditions.

have you got any mind charity funded stuff near you? might be worth a look...I thought the IAPT access to therapy was supposed to be national?

Mindfulness is not always helpful, especially for those with trauma. Asking people with trauma to sit with what comes up can make things worse, not better. The trauma often needs to be resolved before mindfulness can be helpful.

I agree that EMDR would be better. Also some hypnotherapy interventions, but ONLY with a properly-trained hypno-psychotherapist (i.e. somebody UKCP registered).

I appreciate all this is expensive to access privately. Have you approached any voluntary organisations for help? Organisations such as MIND may be able to help, and there are others, e.g. in London there are organisations such as the Westminster Pastoral Foundation, who offer low-cost therapy. I'm not sure if you have similar where you are? You shouldn't have to fall back on this, but NHS provision is lamentable.

I'm not to do EMDR and I've tried psychohypnotherapy before - again didn't help, worsened it.

I'm in, very, rural Wales. The nearest psychotherapist which is registered with the professional body is over an hour away and I cannot travel anymore due to physical disability (another reason for my mental health worsening is feeling so vulnerable as a result of that - for example last week I posted on a thread about a woman on the spectrum who is harassing me in her workplace as well as on the street), plus they want £70 per session and have a six month wait, if they accepted me and for reasons it's not really appropriate for me to go into here they wouldn't accept me.

IAPT is an NHS England initiative not uk wide.

I was given diagnosis of borderline after I I had issues with staff and was given a questionnaire to complete. I was told I couldn't have anything else as I self harmed/had made attempts on my life. However, I was assessed by a specialist in London (as part of diagnosing rare medical condition to make completely certain the condition wasn't psychogenic as I had been also told) who said that i was wrongly
Diagnosed - they assessed as inpatient over several days not just a two hour appointment after doing questionnaire. The local mh dr also said I had nothing physically wrong as I had borderline diagnosis, again disputed so I chose to go with specialist diagnoses.

All that's on offer here on NHS is mindfulness. There's nothing else for any mental health condition. They use it for everything. I've seen various GPs they've all said the same as have CPNs.

Constantly hearing it works if you want it too has really hurt. Like I'm doing it delibrately or something.

No CBT? I’m sorry it’s really crap.

They said I must complete the mindfulness first and be stabilised by that before doing anything else. However, having been there and asked others it appears there is nothing else.

I do feel a lot better having made this thread though as I felt like I was the only one mindfulness didn't help!

I should say they definitely don't offer EMDR. I know someone from church who asked for it and was told they'd need to be referred to another county after completing mindfulness course.

That's so rubbish, I;m so sorry. I thought IAPT in England was crap but this is worse!

I know IAPT first tried to refer me to a group anxiety course which I declined and I was then offered CBT (which I declined and went the private route).

I had to attend an Mindfulness Stress Based Reduction Course as part of a wider professional training course and was excused from it because it made my PTSD worse. It's ridiculous that it would be offered as a treatment for PTSD. For SOME it might offer assistance in managing symptoms but it will do nothing to assist with integrating traumatic memories.

Sorry this is so awful for you

That's truly shit. I'm guessing they are offering only mindfulness as it is really cheap when you can have several people in one class - far cheaper than therapy.

Not sure where you can go from here. Complaint to PALS?

Btw, it is absolutely outrageous that they tried to blame you for it not working, and making you feel like that is your fault. That is probably worth a complaint alone.

Could you look for a Skype therapist who might be able to see you on a reduced rate? I had very very effective therapy by Skype for complex trauma, some therapists will do it.

I'd look for a UKCP registered therapist with a specialism in trauma then see if they offer online sessions and would consider a reduced rate for you,.

No PALs here, I've spoken to the equivilent and the response was mindfulness is key and extremely well recognised as treatment. I was sent an article about how much it helps people like me - was completely biased as it was written by the person running the mindfulness program for the health board!!

I hope others who have also not found it of help will find my thread and find comfort in it. It's been horrible hearing how I'm the only one it's not helped. Seriously I wonder if actually that's true or people just say what they know they want to hear... I know from experience lying in therapy/about mh just makes things ten times worse so don't.

I echo what Tolleshunt said about blaming you and if you really wanted it to work it would. FFS PTSD is hell, no one chooses to be stuck with it.

"I hope others who have also not found it of help will find my thread and find comfort in it. It's been horrible hearing how I'm the only one it's not helped."

They are lying, it's awful for some people. No therapy is one size fits all My oldest friend is also doing really well in psychotherapy for cptsd and cannot tolerate mindfulness in any way, shape or form either.

I have BPD but no past trauma. I am on escitalopram for anxiety. I have had so many counsellors that i gave up.

What has helped for me was group therapy. I am doing a course called "understanding emotions" there is an element of mindfulness to it but most of us just roll our eyes at those bits. However the course is helping me.

Could you see if there is something like that in your local area?

Can't do online. Internet connection not strong enough for anything like that, even using MN is becoming a problem because of all the moving ads crashing my equipment and being logged out.

Group therapy is a disaster for me. I cannot cope with it. Tried several times. I ended up traumatised by others experiences. There were groups like you mention but I was so terrified of being in a room with men I couldn't cope.