Therapist don't know CPTSD

[Cookido]

Met a therapist a week ago and talked about CPTSD-related problems for the first time. The therapist did not know what CPTSD was. He said he doesn't use diagnoses in his treatment. Then proceeds to give me several questionairs about depression and different anxiety disorders that I fill in. Afterwards he says he thinks I have general anxiety disorder (so much for not using diagnoses) and wants to treat me accordingly. The whole thing didn't feel hopeful at all. He barely asked me questions and seemed to assume everything about me. 

So to why I wrote the post, is it possible to treat CPTSD without knowing about it, or should I look for another therapist?

Sidenote: So happy the site is up and running again. Been a tough week without it, especially after meeting a therapist and not being able to talk about it to anyone. Didn't understand how much OOTS means to me until the website crash. Thank you all for a great community ♡

[Blueberry]

is it possible to treat CPTSD without knowing about it, or should I look for another therapist?

I cannot imagine how you could treat CPTSD without knowing about it. I can imagine that a T would make a lot of mistakes in that situation. There might be that 1 in a 1000 who's so brilliant and empathetic and...and...and... who manages to treat without harming you. 1 in a 1000? Make that 1 in 100 000.

I'm sure glad you appreciate OOTS! It is a great site - I thought that from day one long before I became a Mod - and I really missed it too when it was down.

[Cookido]

Blueberry, thank you for the reply! I know that having a therapist I feel comfortable with is important, and the therapist I met with, well, he was far from brilliant...

I'll fight for meeting someone who knows more about CPTSD. Thank you for giving me a push about the right direction to take here. It's gonna be hard to wait for the right one (where I live the waiting times are truly terrible), but better wait than risk taking damage from a "bad" therapist.

[sanmagic7]

cookido, if you don't feel comfortable from the get-go with this t, then it's probably best to find another.  if he can help you with anxiety while you're looking for someone else, it may be a helpful temporary situation that you can take advantage of.  the t i had for 6 weeks said she knew about c-ptsd, knew about alexithymia, but was useless as i ended up basically telling her what i needed from her, which was therapy.  even that concept took her by surprise.  i terminated her.

i suggest you do what's most helpful to you, what feels best for you.  this therapist thing can be so frustrating.  and, yeah, how does he not get hung up on diagnoses, yet he diagnosed you almost immediately?   if you do terminate, we'll be happy to help in any way we can - without a diagnosis of any kind!   sorry you ran into one more t who contradicts himself.  good for you for being able to recognize it so quickly.  big hug to you.

[ah]

Hi Cookido,

I think I would try to find a therapist who's more familiar with cptsd, too. Or at least more open to not knowing something, to learning something new and/or having a client who may know more about something than he does.

Also, if he's convinced you have something else (even if I ignore his "no diagnoses" contradictory statement...), he may misunderstand things you tell him, or even push you to see them his way... not your way, which in itself can be a setback in your recovery, and he may not even be aware of it. He may have no clue what to watch out for, or what to aim for with cptsd.
As well as getting frustrated with you when you don't respond the way he'd expect if you had something else.

I think I'd feel the same as you if I had met him... 

[Eyessoblue]

Hi I agree with the others, I'm on my 3rd therapist now and this is the only one who has actually understood what trauma is and is specifically trained in this area, the difference now in my therapy is huge by someone who actually understands what I'm talking about.

[Blueberry]

Or at least more open to not knowing something, to learning something new and/or having a client who may know more about something than he does.

This is a good point too. For a good long while I was doing occupational therapy with a therapist who had no actual experience or training in trauma T, but she was willing to learn both from me and from a private trauma T whose retreats I used to go on. She actually took the time to phone him and discuss and learn. I needed the occupational therapy approach - working with my hands - while I talked myself through the Inner Child stuff that came up. It wouldn't have worked with a T who didn't accept my diagnosis of CPTSD and who wasn't willing to validate me and my processes. If a T doesn't accept this diagnosis, she's not validating me.

[bogan]

I have had several T's who diagnosed me with depression, anxiety etc, all tried their therapies with little to no success, now I have a T who has given me a formal diagnosis, of Cptsd and its hard but I see improvement, the depression and anxiety are symptoms of my cptsd so they couldnt improve without dealing with the cause. I can only speak for me but it was like trying to fill a sink with no plug in it, until they replaced the plug I got no where.hope that makes sense.

[Cookido]

I agree with everything you are all saying. It also gives me hope that I can find a better T. It's sad that professionals forget that the person experiencing the issues are the expert about themselves.

tasman, it makes sense to me. Few years ago I got help for depression, when I didn't know about cptsd. The depression did get easier, my anxiety got less, but there were still so many symptoms that stayed and eventually it got worse again. With both the previous T and the current, I thanked them and said it felt comfortable. I lie to them about my feelings so they won't get hurt. I feel so much guilt and shame whenever I criticise someone. I think this can be a difficult obstacle to overcome.

[Gromit]

Yes, the forum is back!
Cookido I am not quite in the same place. I have been with my T for 3 years, but only discovered C-PTSD in the last year or so. I have been exploring triggers with her but, now my GP has given me a number for a NHS service so I am having a telephone assessment with them tomorrow.

What I really want is some kind of diagnosis of C-PTSD, but GPs have never heard of it, and are not qualified to diagnose it. My T, when pushed thinks I have an attachment disorder, but, I am not sure that fits. She has only looked into PTSD not CPTSD.

I don't particularly want to change treatment but I do want to get better.

I am like you in that I go through phases of depression, which get better, but the other symptoms never go away and they eventually take me back into depression. I don't think the anxiety ever entirely goes. A bit like Tasman too, depression and anxiety are symptoms not the problem. They are there to reveal or disguise the really issue, depending on your outlook.

Maybe I will have a better answer tomorrow.

[sanmagic7]

cookido, can i give you some perspective from a therapist's point of view?

i worked at putting myself out of business, and i believe that's the job of a therapist.  when i heard from a client that they didn't need me anymore because they felt confident that they could make it on their own, that was the best news i could get.  your job, as a client, is to be you, as real of a you as possible.  that's the fastest way to getting your needs met in therapy.

it is a big obstacle to overcome, but i believe it's do-able,  hope you find the right t for you, and soon.    big hug, and my very best to you with this.

[Cookido]

Went back to this thread because I rememberd I got a lot of helpful answers. Reading through them again gave me hope and strengh, but also a reminder that I will meet obstacles.

Today I faced one of thouse obstacles and maybe any of you have some tips for me? The doctor I met today also didn't know about CPTSD, but he was open for it and asked me to bring information about the diagnosis and tell what symptoms I could recognize. What I found more difficult was when he asked me to give examples of treatment. That's the whole reason I turn to therapy, because I don't know how to cope with the trauma? I told him, but he said treatment also depends on what I feel comfortable with, which I can agree on.

What I thought about mentioning are things I've read on this forum, as in this thread. Like having someone who knows about the diagnosis. Someone I can trust. Treatment to deal with emotions like guilt and to be able to recognize my own needs before others, in order to build an identity. Coping strategies for EFs and dissociation.

I don't know any treatment methods for trauma though, not sure if what I'm describing is too unspecific for it to lead to any treatment? I've been looking around on the page but got lost in everything and couldn't find anything about specific treatments, maybe there aren't any?

[Three Roses]

 
Check out this page and see if there's something helpful - http://www.outofthestorm.website/downloads/

if nothing there fits, ill look to see if I can find something closer to what you're thinking of.

[sanmagic7]

this is just my opinion and thoughts.  treating trauma needs to be a slow process in order that you don't get re-traumatized.  it needs to go at your pace of comfort, needs to include a safe, trusting relationship with your t, and you need guidance, being listened to, respect, suggestions, flexibility of the therapist, patience, and a willingness on your t's part to learn, to be creative, and to see you as more than your symptoms.

your t must get some history and allow you to go with that at your comfort level, not pushing you too much before you're ready.  your t must discuss with you what goals you want to accomplish, what your strengths and resources are (both inner and outer), and a plan you both agree on as a working outline for reaching your goals.

ideally, your t will know actual trauma techniques (rather than just talk or cbt therapy) for changing those 'charged' memories into something less distressing (some of these are emdr and progressive counting, but there may be others).  ultimately, therapy will be a process, difficult, even scary at times, wherein you feel supported and acknowledged by your therapist, and begin feeling better about yourself as a person, gathering coping skills, gaining self-confidence and self-esteem. 

since we are all individuals battling this c-ptsd beast, we deserve to be treated as individuals.  i don't think there is any cookie-cutter treatment method for treating traumatization.  it's not like removing a splinter. 

others may have more to add, or examples of what worked for them.   i haven't personally had luck with any t - this is coming from my own experience as a therapist, and how i would have liked to have been treated.

best to you with this, cookido.  i do hope you find a t that suits you and helps you.  big hug.

[Cookido]

Three Roses: thank you!! That makes searching a lot easier, I'll check it out.

sanmagic7: what you described sounds like a very good therapist.. and I think I'll borrow your description to tell the doctor, if you don't mind haha. ♡