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sitko
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05 Mar 2021, 4:16 pm

I'm pretty new to Autism and C-PTSD, both of which I have. I'm still learning, but am curious, if you've ever suffered and recovered (even slightly) from trauma, please share what worked best for you. I'm trying to find a good psychologist, that may be able to assist with that. My current therapist doesn't do trauma.

And if you can get specific, with which therapies worked well for you, which ones didn't.

Thanks.



ImeldaJace
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10 Mar 2021, 6:15 pm

I have autism and C-PTSD too. I'm definitely not recovered from my trauma and I don't know if I ever will fully because of how much it has affected how I interact with the world and myself. Some of my traumas occurred so young that I literally can't imagine my life without c-ptsd. I have improved, though improvement is not a straight forward thing and there are times when things get bad again usually when I have a big stressor in my life.

What's helped me the most is working with a trauma specialist. He diagnosed me the very first appointment and helped me realize just how early my trauma began. Even just having a name for what was going on helped me because I could identify things for what they really were, like emotional flashbacks not just being meltdowns. But the biggest difference has been with doing EMDR. It's exhausting and I joke that it's like having surgery on my memories, but it's really powerful and helpful. Though the bulk of what I've done with my trauma therapist has been talk therapy, that can be really helpful too.

I think it's really really important to work with a trauma specialist. Other therapists have tried to work on my trauma with me and sometimes they've accidentally just made things worse. There are so many nuances to trauma, especially complex trauma, that most therapists just don't know about or know how to pick up on. Other therapists have misidentified the root of symptoms or thought patterns and/or have just tried to work on the surface of things which doesn't really help especially with long-term improvement. I have done some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy but I've mostly found that helpful with some day to day anxieties, but it doesn't help with more deep seated trauma issues.


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11 Mar 2021, 8:21 pm

I am also OSDD, but not the system kind though i was a system at one point but that was only for a short period the brain is to solid to have that develop aftera certain age. The amount of peopel with ptsd and cptsd is quite high int he autism community for wahtever eason. [/color]


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IsabellaLinton
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25 Mar 2021, 10:49 pm

I just saw your post. I am diagnosed C-PTSD and Autism Level 2. I suffer from emotional flashbacks and I also have what I call temporal flashbacks. Certain days of the calendar, entire months or seasons, and even types of weather or temperatures can trigger me. Days of the week and times on the clock can do it too. April is the worst for me in terms of temporal memories.

I was inpatient following my trauma. That's where I met my saviour who was my trauma psychologist from 2009-2019, but he developed dementia and I've been adjusting to a new therapist since last summer. It was very difficult for me to transition and to trust someone new but I think I've been fairly successful.

EMDR was a disaster for me, leading to a stroke. I couldn't handle whatever my brain was processing. I think it was too much, too fast, or else the practitioner wasn't an expert. I will never try it again though. CBT doesn't help me at all. In fact it makes me feel like a failure, because I can't outsmart my thinking patterns or temper my thoughts and emotions at will.

I work with a PTSD Occupational Therapist and a Trauma Psychologist as well as my Neuropsych for ADHD. Together we seem to be forging ahead but I agree that C-PTSD cannot be cured. It's important to celebrate the good days, and be kind to yourself as much as possible in this journey through hell.

Thanks for sharing and reaching out.



kitesandtrainsandcats
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25 Mar 2021, 10:56 pm

sitko wrote:
And if you can get specific, with which therapies worked well for you, which ones didn't.

Thanks to ME/CFS today is not a day for getting specific with original content from my own brain but I can say that yes I was diagnosed with cPTSD, about 20 years ago.


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sitko
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31 Mar 2021, 3:21 pm

I've been struggling to find a psycologist who has experience with Autistic sufferers of C-PTSD, I've been looking for 4 months now, and haven't found one, anywhere, but especially in my area (Tennessee, USA).

If anyone knows a good psychologist who specializes in Autism and C-PTSD recover, and who would be comfortable dong all the sessions by tele-medicine, could you recommend names/numbers/contact info?

Even better if they are also in the "Zelis: First Health" network, as that's the network my insurance covers.

Thanks,
Sitko42.



chaosmos
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14 Sep 2021, 10:15 pm

ImeldaJace wrote:
I have autism and C-PTSD too. I'm definitely not recovered from my trauma and I don't know if I ever will fully because of how much it has affected how I interact with the world and myself. Some of my traumas occurred so young that I literally can't imagine my life without c-ptsd. I have improved, though improvement is not a straight forward thing and there are times when things get bad again usually when I have a big stressor in my life.

What's helped me the most is working with a trauma specialist. He diagnosed me the very first appointment and helped me realize just how early my trauma began. Even just having a name for what was going on helped me because I could identify things for what they really were, like emotional flashbacks not just being meltdowns. But the biggest difference has been with doing EMDR. It's exhausting and I joke that it's like having surgery on my memories, but it's really powerful and helpful. Though the bulk of what I've done with my trauma therapist has been talk therapy, that can be really helpful too.

I think it's really really important to work with a trauma specialist. Other therapists have tried to work on my trauma with me and sometimes they've accidentally just made things worse. There are so many nuances to trauma, especially complex trauma, that most therapists just don't know about or know how to pick up on. Other therapists have misidentified the root of symptoms or thought patterns and/or have just tried to work on the surface of things which doesn't really help especially with long-term improvement. I have done some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy but I've mostly found that helpful with some day to day anxieties, but it doesn't help with more deep seated trauma issues.


Everything you say resonates with me. My number one help was working with a trauma specialist and having a clear understanding of what C-PTSD is. I haven’t done EMDR therapy as I feel a bit scared of what I might uncover…



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25 Sep 2021, 11:34 pm

Hello Sitko42,

I had pretty severe C-PTSD. It will always impact us to some extent, but I comsider myself healed from the largest and most impactful wounds. No more flashbacks, night terrors, freezing up, etc etc, so have hope you can and will heal from this and life will improve. It is 100% possible.

Therapies which were amazing in helping my nervous system, body and mind reconnect and heal:
Somatic therapy (done via zoom with an amazing therapist, if you want details pm me)

Biofeedback therapy: really helped me recognize how to feel safe and balanced again ( I had been traumatized from an infant, I had no frame of reference of what a more balanced system felt like, may not apply for you?)

Rolfing, Bowenwork and Craniosacral therapy- amazingly helpful!!

Life skills therapy:

I found a therapist in my area specializing in trauma and autism after 8 years of searching. Super helpful and supportive therapy, and best in all 9 years of intense therapy. Not talking about trauma, but focusing on living in the now, building capacity to grow and heal.

I read stacks of self help books: Everything by Peter Levine for example. If you're a reader or audiobook lover, and learn this way, it is a great support, especially on a budget. I had a year with no income or ability to afford therapy. The library and books were my best partners in healing at this time.

Journaling- super useful to externalize feelings and to begin to unravel things, as well as process events in a safe space.


Therapies which did not work:

Traditional talk therapy- re-traumatizing and awful. Research does not support this for trauma anyway.

EMDR- Worst ever experience!! My brain wiring absolutely cannot handle EMDR, messes me up big time. I had a very skilled therapist too, one of the original researchers for the method. She said after 3 sessions it was all wrong for me and agreed it was a bad choice.

Meditation- like EMDR, can't meditate without severe, and negative side effects.

Wim Hoff method- not good for my traumatized system, overstimulating, pushed me into a burnout cycle

I sincerely hope you find what works for you. I know we are all different, and we need to find our own ways to heal, but I do believe healing can and does happen.



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26 Sep 2021, 12:17 am

May i ask what these are :( Rolfing, Bowenwork and Craniosacral therapy- amazingly helpful!!) ?
they sound interesting ... And yes am A cPTSD sufferer .. probably abit on the severe side .
As my Psyche Docs and therapists that i have had, Have been less than helpful i feel. But they did serve to confuse me alot. Until i came here , i had no idea about Psyche people specializing in any feild , whatsoever.


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Shellbelle
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26 Sep 2021, 12:39 am

@Jakki

Rofling is a type of bodywork. It works with the body's fascia and muscle. Research is showing we hold stress responses in our bodies and don't release them like animals are able to do. A glitch in our physiology so to speak. The therapist will do specific moves with the muscle and fascia which helps the body to learn it is safe again, and free to release the stress response, or in this case trauma.

Bowenwork is only a fascia-based therapy, it is gentler, softer and less instense than Rolfing since muscle is not manipulated, only accupressure points and the fascia itself. This serves a similar purpose as Rolfing does, in that it helps the body balance the nervous system and come into a calmer state. It is said, where the body goes the mind follows, so once the nervous system calms down, fight and flight calms down. The limbic system is then able to relax and the frontal cortex can be more in charge. This helps the brain go from past, fear- based experiences to the present time, which one hopes is safe and supportive of the healing process for the person.

Cranialsacral therapy is based on the nervous system, and uses acupressure points to calm the fight or flight response.

I have gone to all three kinds of therapies, and they each had their own purpose at the time and did work well for me. Some may consider these to be alternative therapies though, and often they aren't covered by insurance depending on your location. I have had to save and wait to do them sometimes, but I found the improvement in my quality of living to be well worth the investment for me.

I do hope you find a therapy which works best for you. Maybe look these things up online and see how you feel about them? If they sound like a good fit for you, they may be worth a try. I am so sorry you have C -PTSD too. It is an awful, awful experience.



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26 Sep 2021, 9:51 am

Yes I have cptsd and dissociative disorder of some discrimination. Not long since been diagnosed for it and awaiting treatment.


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Jakki
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26 Sep 2021, 11:32 am

Thank you very much for that information Shellebelle . :D Rolfing was once reccomended to me
by a chiropractor . long ago , but not having any reference for it and his explaination was very brief .
And my out of pocket budget at the time was not that good , did not seek out any practitioners.
the little you wrote, gave much more understanding of it than anyone in the past 30 years.
Thank you


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Shellbelle
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26 Sep 2021, 11:39 am

@Jakki,
You made me smile today- you are very welcome :)



sitko
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07 Oct 2021, 9:12 pm

Shellbelle wrote:
@Jakki

Rofling is a type of bodywork. It works with the body's fascia and muscle. Research is showing we hold stress responses in our bodies and don't release them like animals are able to do. A glitch in our physiology so to speak. The therapist will do specific moves with the muscle and fascia which helps the body to learn it is safe again, and free to release the stress response, or in this case trauma.

Bowenwork is only a fascia-based therapy, it is gentler, softer and less instense than Rolfing since muscle is not manipulated, only accupressure points and the fascia itself. This serves a similar purpose as Rolfing does, in that it helps the body balance the nervous system and come into a calmer state. It is said, where the body goes the mind follows, so once the nervous system calms down, fight and flight calms down. The limbic system is then able to relax and the frontal cortex can be more in charge. This helps the brain go from past, fear- based experiences to the present time, which one hopes is safe and supportive of the healing process for the person.


Shellbelle, Thank you for your verbose responses. These two quoted above, are they similiar to doing yoga? I know a lot of yoga deals with stretching muscles and fascia, and enjoy it pretty much. If so, are certain kinds better than other? I like doing Yin Yoga, Gentle Yoga and Deep Stretch.



Jakki
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07 Oct 2021, 9:57 pm

verboust equals detailed ! ty Shellebelle


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Shellbelle
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07 Oct 2021, 11:10 pm

Hello Sitko,
Yoga can work with fascia, yes, and the type you are describing are good choices for fascia work.

I know we are all different, and some people I have met had great results only doing yoga to target and heal from trauma. I needed a more therapeutic approach, but I did begin my healing journey with yoga and it is very supportive.


@Jakki- thank you Jakki. I appreciate you! :heart: