Ok, I'll start typing and get back to ya ! LOL

I hope you huys are all well!

Holly

Holly,

Still writing? Wow, its been two hours already. You must really have a lot to say. Bring it on, girl!

If sticking with therapy through thick and thin means you suck, then I suck BIG TIME!

catgirl

LMAO

I'm glad to hear that you suck too!!! LOL

Have a good one!

Holly

Wow, Holly.

I am hoping that my words did not create distress in your therapy situation. Many, many apologies if I caused you any grief.


Itshardtosay.

Hi Karie... I'm sorry you are suffering so these past days. I have enjoyed our exchanges and I find your story very inspirational. You are very strong and please don't give up. I do agree at times being responsible sucks. It would be nice to just allow someone to take care of me for a change but I can't seem to let anyone do that... even my T. I'm always fighting the urges to take care of him. My T and I just had a conversation about my dx...I suggested changing it from GAD to complex PTSD which is slightly different from straight PTSD...unfortunately they did not include complex PTSD or DESNOS in the DSM IV. I've been reading a lot about complex trauma lately and I can see where it would apply to my situation. The book you are reading sounds quite interesting. I may check it out.

So please hang in there... life transitions are never easy and are fraught with fear of the unknown. But you can handle it with your P's help. I hope things improve real soon for you.

TN

Hey Karie

Not to worry about anything there Chickie! It had nothing to do with the information you had shared or with the things that we talked about. It was ALL me !!

Be cool!

Holly

Hi,

TN, thanks for your reply. I thought maybe I should move some of my post last night to a new thread so did that.

Yeah, life is not easy right now....but I think this is how you grow?

I wish too, that the DSM IV could maybe be put in the trash. The new one isn't due until 2012 and who knows if they will have completed enough and big enough studies to feel they can agree on the 'hard evidence' to include more accurate diagnostic criteria and labels. I believe that Complex PTSD is quite different from PTSD. The complex type includes traumas (emotional(psychological)/physical/sexual/spiritual) that happen repeatedly over years....and attachment injury also can be described as a trauma....whereas PTSD can result from just one traumatic experience. The difference between C-PTSD and PTSD leads to treatment and recovery issues. It is harder and takes longer for someone with C-PTSD to get better due to the complexity and layers of it all. There are a lot of different labels to choose from at the present time that a C-PTSD person might end up with, rather than a more accurate diagnosis.

I had a client assessed by a P who specializes in trauma...her report came back stating she fit into 6 different diagnoses that = C-PTSD (GAD was one of them). I thought it was pretty enlightened of this P to document it that way. And sending out a report written like that helps teach other less informed professionals about trauma and C-PTSD. But this whole thing with the DSM is going to take time. My P wrote PTSD because since this episode began with my client's suicide, the insurance co. would be able to understand and accept it better.

Hey, TN, if you get the book Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman MD, you'll find a chapter in there called "A New Diagnosis".....she coined the term Complex PTSD and explains why it needs its own category. It's a landmark book. I would love to hear this lady speak sometime.

Thanks for your support TN.

Holly, OK....cool.

Karie

Hi Karie... thanks for responding. It's not that I really care what my dx is on paper as per the DSM codes is more that I need my T to understand what it is. I have so many of the other issues they describe under the C-PTSD umbrella that I know it would be easier for him to know how to treat me if he had a better understanding of the full picture. He was great when I proposed this new dx to him. He pulled out his DSM IV book to check that it was not there and we read the current PTSD description and discussed it. He also made notes as to what I told him and he said he needs to do research on this. I love that he is so willing to consider what I bring to him. He tells me that I make him a better psychologist because I am willing to collaborate. He is currently reading my book "Attachment and Psychotherapy" by David Wallin. And yes, attachment injury is a part of C-PTSD. And personally, I think my T just uses a dx to make the insurance co happy.

I was looking at Herman's book thinking about buying it. Is there just only one chapter on C-PTSD or is that the general theme of the book? Just curious.

Yeah, growing and changing in painful and scary. I think you are very brave. This all takes a long time and we need to be patient with ourselves. We deserve good things. Gotta run.

TN

Hi again TN,

I love your reln' with your T!
That is awesome...I'm happy for you that he listens and gives you credit for your half of the reln'.

Here is a breakdown of Herman's book....

PART 1: TRAUMATIC DISORDERS

Chp 1. A Forgotten History
Chp 2. Terror
Chp 3. Disconnection
Chp 4. Captivity
Chp 5. Child Abuse
Chp 6. A New Diagnosis

PART II: STAGES OF RECOVERY

Chp 7. A Healing Relationship
Chp 8. Safety
Chp 9. Remembrance and Mourning
Chp 10. Reconnection
Chp 11. Commonality

Yes, this book has added to my understanding of the healing process for C-PTSD.

Karie