Hi all
I've posted on here a couple of times but a lot of the time I've found it quite daunting. About a year ago I was feeling like I was getting better and could possibly even be some support to others and then it all seemed to go down again.
Currently I'm doing pretty ok but I'm really very cautious.
I've had so many different types of therapy but what seems to be working is a combination of lots of things making little dents in this thing.
As well as being on an antidepressant and an antipsychotic medication, I have EMDR, neurofeedback, I do TRE, I have a grounding mat, I think my acupuncture mat helps me, sometimes I can cope with breathing (sometimes but so much!).
Anyway, I'm trying to be careful with my energy and time but if anyone wants to share anything I have some space to listen right now.
At many points in coping with this I've found myself jealous of my friend who is a recovering alcoholic simply because of the support structures that are in place. Wherever he is in the world it seems there's a group he can go to and gosh I would have loved a sponsor at many points! I'm aware that being jealous of someone battling with alcoholism is slightly on the crazy side but what I'm jealous of is the support that exists out in the open for addiction I guess.
Maybe we need CPTSD sponsors! It's easy to feel alone
Love to everyone wherever you're at x
Hi Sarals.
Yeah you are very right both about the ups and downs and ups and downs, and the general lack of understanding and support.
We're here though. Use us to get support. A recovery journal is a good place to start. As you feel strong enough you can support others but it's not a requirement. We give what we can. We share what we can.
Sarals I have found, through a member here, about the program for Adult a children of Alcoholics and other Dysfunctional families. Whilst not having an alcoholic family member now, although I did have a bf years ago, and I went to Al-Anon, I certainly have a dysfunctional FOO, no wonder I relate to so much adult children of alcoholics say, it is a similar experience.
If you look online for their Laundry List of traits and see if it sounds familiar it may be the support structure you seek. There are meetings online that you can join, just listen to.
G
This is a late reply but I'd love to see this discussion started up again. I LOVE your idea of CPTSD sponsors. Like you, I've had many different types of therapy and therapists. Some have been helpful, some not, and one life-saving. But all of them were baffled when I told them it would be helpful to have some type of group setting with an experienced trauma-informed therapist guiding the interactions so we could know how things are supposed to go in a healthy relationship, healthy dialogue. Those of us with CPTSD often have no background at all in this. We were trained from birth in toxic dynamics, gaslit before we could construct a coherent sentence. We need external guidance and coaching, just as much as those recovering from addiction.
https://www.cptsd.org/forum/index.php?topic=15329.msg132743#msg132743
Have you seen the Zoom group idea? See link above. We don't have therapists on board but I am a member of the first group we trialled for a few weeks. Every single member has stayed in the group and opted to make it an ongoing meeting. I have been really surprised by just how helpful it has been, even if we are all just feeling our way along as fellow survivors.
So maybe you'd be interested in trying one out if there is sufficient interest to start a second one? We have eight in our group, which is a good maximum size.
I also love the idea of CPTSD sponsors and maybe as the condition becomes more widely known this could become a thing.
Thank you NK! I replied to Kizzie in the posted thread. This is a wonderful idea.
Hi Sarals,
this is the first time for me to interact here..
not much to add except that I for one am living somewhere CPTSD isn't even heard of yet by the majority of therapists let alone society. I can't exactly afford a therapist to begin with if there were any suitable ones either.
there aren't any known support groups to go to.. and it goes without saying, I have no friends ???
hence, this forum is my only source of support and I'm greatly appreciative
what I'm trying to say is,,, you've got this ,, things will eventually work out
I feel much better now amongst you all knowing I'm able to express my feelings
Hi Healing Me. I'm in the same boat as you: no support groups; limited therapy and none for groups, especially with a CPTSD basis; and no friends. I saw two groups on MeetUp that claimed to be about supporting trauma survivors but both were thinly-veiled fronts to sell people drugs... We need online groups like this to feel less isolated.