A wish for a slightly different approach

[NyxBean]

This might come out a bit garbled. Really knocked out today, maybe due to meds. Keep passing out. 

Bit of background necessary for question

• I'm in Scotland and seeing an NHS psychologist;
• I have an appointment with her soon but that's just to check up because...
• We can't really start on anything seemingly until I've had my autism spectrum assessment;
• I don't know how that will affect her plans;
• Having shifted psychologists three times now due to reasons, I've only been able to get background out;
• Current said, before possibility of Aspergers, that it should be CBT I do;
• Not knocking CBT, but I hear that the NHS version is not up-to-scratch.
• I don't know how probably being diagnosed with Aspergers will change the plan but I know some form of CBT will be necessary in that regard.

Questions

• Is CBT really enough or should there be a supplementary therapy for C-PTSD?
• If I want another therapy with CBT along with it, how do I ask the psychologist?
• I want to come to terms with what happened, not just live for today and all I've heard of CBT is not for that. How can I achieve this with the psychologist?
• How do I explain the above desire to her?
• There's so much of my memory which is blank and it is beginning to annoy me as there's currently information which would be useful for the assessment: are there no sure ways of coaxing back memories or is it generally believed to be a good idea to leave them alone?
• Does anybody have experience with Scottish NHS's standard CBT? I'm getting mixed responses from friends.
• Though I'm willing to try and see good in certain techniques, I'm still sceptical about it for myself: how badly will this affect the progress and is there any thing I can read which will help?
• After I get however many weeks of CBT from her, in terms of C-PTSD as I don't know about Aspergers, what happens then?
• How much has CBT on its own helped you and what's your opinion of how it is practiced?

[SadieMist]

Hi NyxBean,

I am in in the United States, in Texas, so I really don't know much about the services that are available in Scotland.  That said, I do have some thoughts to share based upon my own experience.  I have found CBT as well as DBT and EMDR helpful in addressing my complex PTSD.  It seems to me, however, that person is different so every road to recovery is different too.  What works for some doesn't work for others.  The important thing is to get started, which you are obviously are doing.

Re: question #2.  I am a speech therapist by profession.  I essentially think about different treatment techniques that I have learned as "tools" that I can use to help my patients achieve their goals.  My guess is that a psychologist should be happy to inform you about what treatment techniques he/ she has to help you achieve your goals.  Here in TX, I see a therapist that is well versed in all the treatment techniques I just mentioned. 

Re:The whole memory thing, I can only speak to my personal experience.  I have an entire year missing from my life.  I have tried to remember but I haven't been able to.  I really sure that I want to gain memory of that year.  I have chosen not to worry about it because I can't control how much I remember. 

I wish I knew how to answer you questions about Aspergers but, like I said, I don't know enough about Scottlands healthcare system to understand the whole evaluation process. 

Hope this is  helpful to you.

[Kizzie]

Hi NyxBean:  Sorry I'm not from Scotland, but can offer some info regarding therapy in general.  if you have a look at Pete Walker's site you'll see that he recommends relational therapy (this is in addition to CBT which he talks about in his book).  See http://www.pete-walker.com/pdf/relationalHealingComplexPTSD.pdf.