Anyone with PTSD actually managed to recover?

[Trying2Heal]

I've been diagnosed with Complex PTSD and "Dissociative Disorder" by my local Community Health Team, but all they seem willing to do is prescribe me medication and medication is actually making my anxiety 100 x worse.
The psychiatrist seems really nice and he wants to refer me to some Talking Therapies place but he said they'll be unlikely to accept a patient who is so dissociative or traumatised.
Anyone managed to get help with PTSD on the NHS and actually make positive changes?

@Trying2Heal He's based in Cheshire but I'm sure he said he's been doing sessions via Zoom throughout Covid so it may be that he could offer that. Here's his website: positivemindshypnotherapy.co.uk/ If not, I'm sure there will be other hypnotherapists in London that you could try? It's completely changed my life - while it can't erase the past, hypnotherapy can help to neutralise the trauma so it doesn't keep affecting your present and future. Sounds really fluffy I know, but it's worked for me 100%.

@Buntyjones. Thank you

Therapy is definitely the route to go down, your psychiatrist should be referring you to the local psychology service who can provide numerous types of therapy. EMDR and DBT sound like they could be helpful for you. I work in MH and I have certainly seen massive improvements in service users with CPTSD, you can have a better quality of life.

@greysome. not sure which part of the country you live in but there are no "numerous types of therapy" on offer here in central London!

I was first diagnosed with CPTSD and Dissociative Disorder in 2008. Guess how much therapy I've been offered since then, despite asking repeatedly? NONE.

There's nothing for cptsd where i live either. My GP said because I'm functioning (I'm not imo) she's not sure I'd even meet criteria to see NHS psych. So I've paid to see private psych to review anti depressants i was put on years ago, and am seeing private trauma therapist.

There's a lot of evidence thst somatic therapies can help heal trauma. If you havent already, read "The body keeps the score"
blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Body-Keeps-the-Score-by-Bessel-A-Van-der-Kolk-author/9780141978611

highly recommend.

medium.com/@ocpsychotherapycentre/how-somatic-experiencing-improves-health-and-healing-outcomes-bc44c4658a6b

Good summary of one type of somatic therapy

@colouringindoors

I totally relate. Any time I manage to get referred to the Community Mental Health Team they quickly seem to think I am "high functioning" and want to discharge me back to my GP. I've read The Body Keeps The Score and think it's brilliant. I also really like the work of Peter Levine.

Yes, it seems Somatic Experiencing is the way forward in terms of therapy. I'm trying to get myself into a better financial position so that I can afford it. At present I am paying for psychotherapy privately and the therapist is great and very knowledgeable about complex trauma, but I find talk therapy is not enough.

@colouringindoors

If you don't mind me asking, what anti-depressants did they put you on and do you find the meds are helping at all?

The NHS psych put me on Buspirone which is an anti-anxiety med and it makes my anxiety significantly worse actually.

I'm in Wales. Under our health board, CMHT can refer in to a second tier 'integrated psychological therapies service' who offer CBT, DBT, EMDR and Schema therapy, sessions for up to a year. There is then a Psychology service, who again offer a selection of different therapies for more complex or longer term treatment. Admittedly both services have long waiting lists but they exist.

I wonder if it's that these services don't exist in your area or if you are being failed by the practitioners working with you, because they are not referring you?

&Trying2 I'm now on Sertraline which is listed as a medication for ptsd, but you may already have tried it.... Have only just started on it but fingers crossed.

My ds also has ptsd which has led to functional symptoms (leg paralysis) and everything I've read says sonatic work but GP, school and social services think I'm bonkers Anyhow have just started him with cranial osteopath so fingers crossed... Osteo recomnended he treat me too. Fortunately Ive found a great private psychotherapist with 29+ years exoerience and she builds some somatic approaches into her work and can do EMDR (nowhere near that though). But its all £££ which is appalling... My ds currently gets highest rate DLA which is funding both of us...

Greysome here it's that they dont exist. I was offered group mentalisation based therapy as that was all they had. And totally not what I need.

Unfortunately I think the NHS support varies a lot by area. Where I used to live I was treated appallingly, but when I moved here I had years of support from the CMHT- occupational therapy, EMDR from a psychologist, check ins with a psychiatrist, mental health nurse.

I didn’t get to complete my EMDR as I fell pregnant but even half done, it made an enormous difference to my hyper vigilance, nightmares, dissociation, etc. I wouldn’t say I’m “recovered” now as I think of it as more of a life long condition that I have to constantly manage, but I am in a really good place at the moment.

Yes, people do recover. Once you've got the diagnosis (which can take a while) there are different treatment options. I only have experience of EMDR (someone I know) which worked. You have a psychiatrist which is positive, obviously you have complex diagnosis but it could be worth discussing EMDR ( non pharmacological ) treatment. I wish you well and send you a big hug.

@colouringindoors

A psychiatric nurse I saw mentioned this Mentalisation thing actually. What he said was that maybe I could be referred for it but that there's a 14 month waiting list. Great.

That's awesome at @riotlady

Is your current borough in London?

@ColdOopNorth

They diagnosed me with CPTSD and dissociative issues back in 2008. In all that time they've never offered or provided any form of therapy whatsoever. During that period of time I've lived in two of London's impoverished boroughs, so maybe they are severely under-funded and simply don't offer people therapy. They always seemed desperate to discharge me ASAP and kept noting that I have "good self care" and "good eye contact" in their assessments, as if that means all is well and I'm not in need of support.

Tryng2
14 months
I'm not sure about mentalisation based therapy. I dont know a lot about it tbh. But i do know that it is recommended for women with a personality disorder diagnosis. In my, and many other's opinion, women with such a diagnosis are sufferers of cptsd and/or seen as "difficult" by health professionals.... but that's a whole other thread...

@colouringindoors I've definitely heard of them diagnosing people with a personality disorder when in reality they have CPTSD.
I'm grateful that at least they've always correctly diagnosed me and never tried to insist I have a personality disorder.
Right off the bat they picked up on CTPSD and Dissociative Disorder NOS, and then I've been rediagnosed by different doctors over the years who've always come to the same conclusion

All that is missing is getting some actual help!

@colouringindoors
I'm sorry to hear your son's PTSD has led to physical symptoms.
I am in the same boat.
Much of the abuse from which I got the CPTSD was sexual violence/rape while still a very small child (had not even reached primary school age when this all started). Back then my medical notes show that I developed a strange physical illness whereby I was in excruciating physical pain in the pelvic area to the point where I couldn't walk at times and was screaming in pain. They didn't find any real physical injuries to explain it.
Fast forward to a few years ago and I ended up in a relationship with a man who turned out to be the most abusive individual imaginable. Much of the abuse he perpetrated was sexual violence. And that EXACT same crippling pelvic pain from early childhood came back. Again, nothing physically wrong. My pelvic floor muscles go into this weird involuntarily & excruciatingly painful spasm as if my body is literally defending itself against further sexual violence. It's so painful that when having to kneel down or pee the pain causes me to actually scream. My neighbours must sometimes think somebody is trying to murder me, from the screaming.

My GP has done sod all apart from give me some sort of muscle relaxant medication for the bladder

TRE can work. Www.traumaprevention.com and you don't need to go over the narrative of the events. I'd suggest finding an experienced provider to work with, can recommend a few and many doing zoom sessions

Perhaps look at books by Gabor Mate 'when the body says no' and Bessel van der Kolk 'The body keeps the score'.

Also Peter Levine on how trauma is stored in the body, you'll find some videos on YouTube.

I would say EMDR, it has been a blessing for me.

I'm a trainee therapist I did quite a bit of research on trauma and CPTSD, knowledge helped enormously, understanding what was happening and why provided a lot of answers and helped with healing.

@Trying2Heal

That's awesome at *@riotlady*

Is your current borough in London?

No, Northumberland (CNTW trust), I’m afraid.

I was never diagnosed with anything, but scored enough for possible PTSD and had CPTSD symptoms.

Experienced trauma in childhood and later in life, including toxic relationships.

Yes, it is possible to recover. It is possible to heal. It takes a lot of time, patience and resilience. And a good therapist

Hope it helps

Have you tried contacting PALS at all about the lack of therapy/support offered etc? It sucks but it’s usually the person who shouts the loudest who gets the most support.

This thread is helping me too. Thanks for the help
I have a dissociation disorder and I'm not getting help specifically for that but I need it. I've only just realised that I have it and I'm looking into EMDR.
Although not specific to dissociation disorders, Marisa Peer, Tara Brach and Brene Brown are very good to find peace and gentleness with oneself and challenging the cruel inner dialogue we have learnt.
The Maudesley youtube channel also has a video about depersonalisation disorder which I strongly suspect I have. They talk about a print out that you can show your GP for referral to them although might not be possible in covid times.
I hope we all get what we need and want xxxx