NHS Treatment | Looking for Advice **TW**

[samantha19]

I am wondering if anyone is receiving help on the NHS for complex PTSD and would be able to help me understand something.

I was mistakenly referred to a domestic violence group for counsellings by the NHS a while back and it turned out they couldn't help me. I shared that I related to the diagnosis of Complex PTSD and the woman told me that I wouldn't have that, that the people diagnosed with that were the women who turned up to A&E after being severely physically assaulted by their husbands. She said sometimes people will look for places to fit on the Internet, implying this was what I had done.

TW

Thing is, the NHS website states that Complex PTSD can be caused by prolonged periods of abuse, neglect or violence. So that says to me that even neglect alone can be a cause so she was wrong to dismiss me like that. I was physically abused as a child repeatedly, but never bruised as far as I can remember. I did genuinely fear for my life at least one however, was chased upstairs and had my door battered down so it came off the hinges one time when I locked myself in my room out of fear. I also have a memory which involves a large shelving unit being thrown down as my dad trashed my room. There's a memory of me having a very small cut on my foot from this. My memories are hard to put together though so I'm not 100% sure, but I think that the cut happened. I'm just confused as to why I didn't show my mum if that happened, because my other memories involve me not telling anyone because of no physical evidence. My memories are really hard to piece together and put in a time line. I was pretty young and I'm now 21. They were always hard to relay though, I think I dissociated a bit during some of them.
I was also neglected, sometimes not eating breakfast or lunch and having to walk to the supermarket to feed myself because there was no food in the house, etc. My asking for food to be bought in was seen as me moaning and complaining, a bother. I was verbally and emotionally abused, called thick (meaning stupid) a lot in rages, told off for pretending to be a nice girl at school after parents evening, it was implied I was crazy and I was laughed at / scorned for taking a panic attack over being terrified of my dad, I was sneered at for my social anxiety, I was told I couldn't trust my own memory, I was threatened with being strangled and things, threatened with homelessness, etc, etc, etc.

I feel I am traumatized. I have a lot of the signs and symptoms. I have never felt more understood than when I read Pete Walkers book , From Surviving to Thriving.

I brought up this dismissal to a psychology worker in the NHS afterwards, anyway, and she agreed with the woman who dismissed me. I felt this was wrong because she hadn't even asked much about my life experience or my symptoms, she had only just met me that hour. I think she just automatically agreed the professional woman was probably right because you'd think she'd know better. Idk.

Anyway, I feel I am traumatized and I want the relevant treatment.

I am wondering if my abusive experience is bad enough to be considered a cause for C-PTSD on the NHS? Or is it not?

I haven't even shared everything that happened. There was also threats of abandonment, control that tried to stop my friendship with my best friend (lying I wasn't home when she phoned, not allowing me to stay at hers because "her parents are alcoholics", etc.), my dad also once smashed this friends laptop into pieces in front of us when we were 13, because he was angry and thought it was my laptop. Fun times. Probably loads more too.

When I've done tests online I score for PTSD. I don't get visual flashbacks but I do regularly experience the symptoms of emotional flashbacks. Also hear "get off of me" sometimes in my head, but I am wary I may have created that more recently. It's not so intrusive, just a thought that sometimes accompanies all the other things when triggered.

I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced help with the NHS for trauma based on this level of abuse, or if I need to have been physically abused more to qualify? Also, do I need to have visual flashbacks? I'm worried of asking for help and being dismissed in a similar way again, because it really did feel horrible and I don't want to feel that again.

[Dee]

Samantha,

I don't have much time this morning to expand much, but I want to validate what you wrote.

What you describe is clearly abuse and can definitely lead to CPTSD.  Don't minimize your experience.  Your experience was significant.  Also, uneducated people clearly offer opinions they have no expertise in.

I'll come back later, I'm on my way out the door right now.

Dee

[Three Roses]

There is still a great deal of misunderstanding about CPTSD, even among health care professionals. I had to explain to my own most recent therapist that "complex" didn't mean more complicated, it means multiple or cumulative traumatic experiences. IMO this person you've encountered doesn't know what she's talking about.

Here's some links to help define CPTSD, and some links to printable material for you and your health care team.

What it is: http://outofthefog.website/toolbox-1/2015/11/17/complex-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-c-ptsd

Printouts: http://www.outofthestorm.website/downloads/

Keep us posted, we care.

[Eyessoblue]

Hi there, ok first of all I've been with the nhs for the last year and a half helping me deal with ptsd because cptsd isn't yet recognised on the dsm5 in the uk so they can't treat for it, that's what I was told a year and a half ago maybe different now but I'm not sure, the nhs has been really helpful for me but know of others on here who it hasn't been, think it depends on where you live, I'm in the south of England, I had 8 weeks of counselling with my dr's surgery, a mental health assessment where ptsd was diagnosed although I know it's cptsd frustrating as it can't officially be diagnosed, then an appointment with a psychiatrist to talk about medication then 8 weeks of Cbt a complete waste of time then on going psychotherapy and EMDR therapy, you can have ideally 12 sessions, I've had 16 so been extra lucky then you have to be discharged as part of the nhs procedure totally ridiculous as my psychologist agrees then you can go back after 4 weeks and have another 12 weeks which can then be re organised again after the 12 week period if needed! I'm now in a position where my psychologist is now on sick leave indefinitely which leaves me with absolutely nothing but an onward struggle on my own, so hard just as I'd built up that trust and started opening up properly I'm now put on the back burner and got to wait for her to come back!! That is bloody hard but I just have to try and keep strong for the sake of myself and my family. As far as ptsd goes it can be something as simple as witnessing an accident to being part of major abuse it depends on how you react etc what you experience as an after thought etc, it sounds like ptsd to me, but obviously I'm not an expert in this field just a person who's lived with this for years. Please feel free to ask anything else.

[AphoticAtramentous]

She said sometimes people will look for places to fit on the Internet, implying this was what I had done.

Geez, this frustrates me so much to hear. She says it like it's a bad thing to 'look for places to fit'. But if I hadn't done any internet research, any searching, I wouldn't be here, and I wouldn't be seeing a therapist for CPTSD.

But my two cents, what you experienced was indeed trauma. A lot of what you wrote I find very familiar with my own FOO in fact.
But I think what really defines you having CPTSD or not is the symptoms/how you feel about your trauma. If you feel like it seriously affects you, emotional flashbacks, scoring high on PTSD tests, then I'm sure you can most definitely say you have CPTSD. You don't even have to have ALL the classified symptoms, most people don't. It all just boils down to how you've responded to trauma. And if you say you're suffering, you're suffering, end of story. There is no ifs or buts, no "but your trauma wasn't 'bad' enough". That's a load of bs. (In my opinion, haha, don't take me 100% seriously, I'm incompetent)
And with CPTSD, it's not recognised in a lot of places, isn't even in the DSM-5 for some reason. So it's not surprising you get a lot of people 'dismissing' you like that.

[Sceal]

I know it's still a few months off. But ICD-11 should be including CPTSD, and according to wikipedia, the UK uses the ICD system, maybe that's hopeful?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICD-10

[LittleBird]

Hi Samantha19

I'm sorry to hear about your experiences.

It is plain wrong to be dismissed when reporting your symptoms.

You might want to consider private therapy/counselling?

[Rainagain]

Hi Samantha

Getting the right diagnosis and treatment is very hard on the NHS.

You need the support of your gp to be referred for appropriate treatment.

I would go visit your gp, explain that the domestic violence group weren't appropriate and see what else is on offer.

Maybe make a list of symptoms and take that along?

I've been given the brush off by a counsellor in the past who didn't think I had PTSD because I only had every single symptom except visual reexperiencing/flashbacks. Turns out with cptsd there are multiple events so they don't tend to give flashbacks like a single traumatic event does.

I would take every opinion with a pinch of salt unless you manage to speak to a psychiatrist, and even then their opinions can differ.

I have 2 psychiatric reports, one says cptsd and dysthymia, the other says PTSD and recurrent depressive disorder. If I went for a third it would probably be different again...
.

Its not like arithmetic where there is only 1 right answer, psychiatry is still changing and evolving.

The NHS tries to provide treatment without seeking a diagnosis, they have a limited offering so in some ways it doesn't matter what the problem is, you will get CBT and anti depressants, maybe emdr if you are lucky.

Take what you can get and keep going back for more, you deserve more than the NHS can provide but at least it is some help.

[Erebor]

(Sorry for super long post!)
First off, that domestic violence support lady is WAY out of line, to be invalidating someone who has very reasonably been referred there for support. I feel angry, you shouldn't have been treated that way.  If Pete Walker's book resonated with you, then I think that's a massive confirmation that CPTSD is what you're dealing with. Trust yourself in this, you know you better than that lady does. In my experience there are people with biases and attitudes that can feel intimidated/angry if they hear someone talking about dealing with childhood abuse, and some people are really against anything that isn't a 'professional' diagnosis, even though the so-called professional diagnosis are frequently questionable. I don't want a diagnosis myself because I'd hate to get lumped with Borderline PD instead of CPTSD.

Many people who end up in abusive relationships as adults start out in life with abusive/neglectful caregivers, so trauma from childhood is something that lady ought to at least have some awareness of IMO. I am currently supported by a group that works to help women who have experienced domestic abuse, and at exactly no point have they undermined my understanding of myself or what I've gone through, even though they weren't already aware of CPTSD and I'm not their usual type of client. They're actually really keen to learn more about it. It seems that they've really tried to educate themselves about abusive behavior and tactics which is amazing (I didn't have to explain gaslighting to someone! ).

So the group you've found is in no way a good example of what a domestic abuse support place should be like, imo. Perhaps looking for somewhere else that supports survivors of domestic abuse, instead of domestic violence, would be helpful? DV and DA are sometimes used to mean the same thing, encompassing all types of abuse, but perhaps for some people they take the phrase 'domestic violence' and refuse to think of anything else - I've come across some people like that, I think.

The psychologist lady from the NHS isn't right, either- she should have got to know you before casting a judgement like that, but unfortunately a lot of people seem to do that.  You know you, try not to take it to heart.

The NHS tries to provide treatment without seeking a diagnosis, they have a limited offering so in some ways it doesn't matter what the problem is, you will get CBT and anti depressants, maybe emdr if you are lucky.

This fits with my experience - it seemed to be about getting 'results' (like temporarily making the symptoms stop, not actually healing me), or more-so doing something just to be able to put a tick in the box and say they'd treated me. Didn't seem to matter greatly how appropriate the treatment was, or what I was actually suffering with. Someone I know with CPTSD was referred to a T from the NHS, but the T was very unhelpful and actually rather unprofessional, but there must also be helpful Ts on the NHS.

The NHS is an option for getting support, particularly when you can't/aren't aware of anywhere else, so if you can get something from them that you feel is supportive and helpful, that's great! I found they were good for helping me find out about other support options, like the charity I mentioned. However, personally I've not had much luck with them otherwise, nor has the friend I mentioned. For me, finding a therapist who understands CPTSD/childhood trauma or who is willing to learn about it is more important than getting a diagnosis, because a T would actively be helping me to recover, whereas getting a diagnosis seems to be an even more fraught road.  Am also not keen on EMDR/CBT, so there's not much the NHS can offer me other than a talking therapist perhaps. Not sure how helpful this post is, but wishing you the best. <3 Dealing with support people can be very stressful and invalidating at times.

[Gromit]

Hi Samantha,

Really interested in this as I am in the UK too. I have been on and off anti-depressants for 10 years. Once a GP said I could refer myself to IAPT but, all they offered me was a group at the local college which was like some kind of mass seminar on CBT, I went home in tears & did not attend any of the following meetings.

As the last GP I was seeing is on maternity leave I have been trying the others, so far only mentioning CPTSD to 1. I have even less to interest them than you, my mother was mentally ill & I was bullied throughout school, & beyond. The GP clearly assumed PTSD & asked about flashbacks to events.

Away from the NHS I have been funding my own private counselling, 3 years with the latest and I am feeling better, although, circumstances have also changed, I have less exposure to triggers, although I don't know all triggers, obviously. My T isn't specifically for CPTSD, I have only just discovered that in the last year, I have also had to explain 'gas lighting' to her, but she is willing & open, unlike other Ts I have met.

Whilst I have only discovered the terms CPTSD & EF they do describe so well what I experience so, whether or not, anyone gives me that diagnosis does not matter.
G