Sunday, November 18, 2012

Response to My Readers: A Thanksgiving Post

Sunday, November 18th, 2012

Each day I check the stats for this blog, and recently I've been blown away by the sudden rise in my readership.  Wow!  That's all I can say!  

One area that I check carefully is the list of search terms you, my readers, use when you access this blog.  So far, most of the search terms you use include the words "complex," "PTSD," and "healing."  This tells me that you want information on healing Complex PTSD.  

Now that I know what you want, I will do my best to give you more information on my healing process.  I can't tell you about other people's healing, but I can tell you about my own.  I asked my therapist the other day if my experience is "generalizable," suitable to present to you as a "typical" healing experience.  She assured me that it is.  She has been helping people heal their C-PTSD for thirty years, so I consider her an authority on the matter.

A few days ago, somebody used "shadow people" as a search term.  Now, that term is interesting!  You may have read my article called "Shadow Girl."  I will give you more information on this topic, also, in future posts.  Please keep in mind, though, that the only experience I can relate is my own.  I can't tell you about anyone else's experience.  My shadows are going to be different from other people's shadows.  Each of us is unique, and our experiences are unique, but common threads run through all our experiences.

Thank you for following my blog.  My intent is to provide information based upon my own experience so that you can follow my healing process and so that you can know that C-PTSD is treatable and can be healed, often without the use of medication.  I have never taken any medication as I've worked on healing my C-PTSD, although for some people medication may be helpful.  Anti-anxiety medication, in particular, may be helpful for some people.  If I suffered from disabling panic attacks, I would consider taking medication, but I can usually work through distressing times by writing or by dialoging with myself--using my left brain to help my right brain.

Healing C-PTSD can be a long, difficult process.  Engaging in the process requires dedication on the parts of both client and therapist. If you can possibly find the time and have good mental health insurance coverage, I urge you to get help from a therapist who is skilled and experienced in helping people heal their C-PTSD.  Even if your insurance coverage is not good or is nonexistent, you may be able to find a competent therapist who takes payment on a sliding scale.  

If you are a victim of domestic violence or rape, and if you have pressed charges against the perpetrator, you may be entitled to compensation from a victims' fund in your state, or the court may require the perpetrator to pay for your therapy.   If you truly want the help, chances are that you will get it.  But you must be willing to go after it!  No perpetrator, in my experience, is going to want to pay for a victim's therapy, but perpetrators can be legally required to do that.  Paying for a victim's therapy is part of repairing damage done by abusive behavior.

Now, my friends, I am going to take a break for a few days and celebrate Thanksgiving with my children and their families--and their dogs.  Should be an interesting day!  I wish you a blessed Thanksgiving, and I send you my heartfelt wishes for healing and peace.  

"We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances." -- Victor Frankl

 

 

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