Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi All,
I have Complex PTSD and I'm looking into treatment options. Anyone else with C-PTSD here? I've tried medication (given to me for depression / anxiety) and it didn't really help. I've also tried talking therapies which have helped me to understand why I feel the way I do but it hasn't helped me to feel better. I'm now looking into EMDR. Has anyone tried EMDR? If so, how did you get on with it and is there anything that might be different for me as an autistic person, or any adaptions that the therapist might need to make? Are there any other treatment options that have helped you?
Thank you
Hi there, I also have autism and complex PTSD. It's a really difficult experience having both, I'm sorry you're going through this. I personally found Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) really helpful for managing overwhelming emotions and unhealthy thought patterns. I had it through the NHS and it was very intense and hard work I will say but definitely worth it. I tried EMDR but I don't think it really worked for me - as my therapist said at the time she didn't think my brain was properly letting me access and engage with my memories so I couldn't process them. For me the best part of trauma therapy was finally talking about things in a safe place and being validated. I have tried different antidepressants and some were awful and one was very helpful for my anxiety but I have stopped because of the side effects. I would recommend speaking to your doctor and discussing the option of DBT and then trauma therapy/EMDR. Doing DBT first was good for me because it helped me to know how to manage difficult emotions that came up in trauma therapy. It's a shame there are such long waiting lists but these therapies were what worked best for me personally. Sorry if this is a bit rambly, hope it makes sense, I'm currently in a burn out from work stress so not great at writing but I hope this can help somehow. Really wishing you well, I know how hard it is.
I would add that one thing that held me back a lot in trauma healing was that my autism made it impossible to understand or communicate what I was feeling, but DBT taught me how to recognise and label my emotions which helped me a lot in trauma therapy. Also I'm a woman and had a massive problem with masking in therapy and not being truthful, pretending I am getting better to make therapists happy. So with my last therapist (a trauma therapist) I warned her of this and asked her to help me to be more open. I'm so used to masking it's really hard for me to unmask in front of strangers but being myself was so key in therapy being effective for me so I would keep that in mind if you're anything like me
I'm glad I'm not the only one who masks in this way, I do exactly the same thing. I can see why it's unhelpful but unmasking and being honest when it might upset someone is really difficult. I think that's a really good idea telling your therapist about it, thank you for mentioning it, I will do that too.
I'm also in burnout (possibly from work but most likely from trying to deal with trauma counselling). Your replies read very well and you're definitely not rambling.
I haven't tried DBT before but assumed it was similar to CBT so I've avoided it because I hated CBT! I find I get really frustrated when anyone tries to challenge my thoughts or emotions because I feel like my thoughts and feelings are invalid and not understood. I also think that part of me is resistant to change because I don't know any different to how I am now and, in a way, I'd rather stick with what I'm familiar with or I might fall apart! Probably my own stubbornness holding me back to be honest.
Thanks for the information, it's really helpful and I hope things are a lot better for you now