Can anyone recommend a mental health retreat? I have PTSD

[Anonymous]

I've been in denial about this for a while now bc I did not go to war and wasn't attacked or anything, but a combination of getting cancer, layoffs (myself, my husband), kid diagnosis and I've realized that I have undeniable PTSD. As in, things trigger it and then my body and brain feel as if I am in danger of dying - i spiral and can't focus. About to start a new job and i MUST deal with this so it doesn't impact that or my poor kids. Any tips? Retreats to recommend?

[Anonymous]

A therapist can help you process trauma and recover from ptsd. I developed it after my son was injured in our home. I had anxiety, depression, flashbacks, I kept reliving it when I passed the place it happened, I had nightmares, I blamed myself, etc, etc. I tried to "get over it" on my own and suffered for 2 years before seeking help. In 3 months of trauma therapy, I was able to calm my nervous system and process the accident and trauma. I can talk about it now and not have an emotional reaction. A retreat wouldn't have helped me and I don't think it will help you...unless they offer intensive therapy for trauma.

[Anonymous]

second to seeing a therapist. You need something more individualized than a retreat, so someone can work with you on your particular triggers.

Therapy was life changing for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been in denial about this for a while now bc I did not go to war and wasn't attacked or anything, but a combination of getting cancer, layoffs (myself, my husband), kid diagnosis and I've realized that I have undeniable PTSD. As in, things trigger it and then my body and brain feel as if I am in danger of dying - i spiral and can't focus. About to start a new job and i MUST deal with this so it doesn't impact that or my poor kids. Any tips? Retreats to recommend?

No treatment suggestions, but I just want to affirm that it is a very common myth that only people veterans and people who were attacked physically get PTSD. Cancer, getting laid off and having a kid diagnosed with something significant are the kinds of things that make you question the foundation and stability of your life, and multiple traumas add up - when you might’ve managed 1 without help, more may tip you into unmanageable. Be kind to yourself. It’s great that you are willing to get help with a therapist. Sometimes talk therapy (CBT) can be enough. Sometimes people do EMDR therapy, which does have some evidence of success. Some people take medication. OFC different people need or find success with different things.

A good book (considering key in the field of trauma) is “the body keeps score” by Bessel van der Kolk.

[Anonymous]

I also recommend an individual therapist. I had some coworkers do mental health retreats after Covid (we worked a Covid unit with a high death rate) and most had negative experiences. There were a lot of people doing the pain Olympics and belittling others experiences.

[Anonymous]

As someone who has been living with PTSD since late teens (now in my late 40s) there is no retreat that could effectively treat PTSD in such a short amount of time. You need intensive weekly therapy and probably meds. It will likely take 6 months to a year before you can effectively deal with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As someone who has been living with PTSD since late teens (now in my late 40s) there is no retreat that could effectively treat PTSD in such a short amount of time. You need intensive weekly therapy and probably meds. It will likely take 6 months to a year before you can effectively deal with it.

Off topic/dp. I have also dealt with ptsd/cptsd for decades. I think of it in recovery/relapse terms because it helps me understand it. Cptsd isn't in the DSM and I haven't met a therapist who believes in it. Ptsd is typically associated with a one time event, whereas cptsd is from chronic, continuous and/or multiple traumas. I recently heard of traumatic grief, which isn't about the loss of a loved one but, rather, what we lost when we were abused or harmed. The idea is to treat longstanding ptsd as grief and approach it from that angle. Just thought I'd toss that out. I may attempt narrative therapy/grief processing because I hate living in pain.

[Anonymous]

A therapist specializing in trauma and EMDR are great starting points. You likely would also benefit from traditional medication management. If you are open to ketamine-the research is plentiful on PTSD and its efficacy.

[Anonymous]

Yes, recommend a medication consult along with trauma focused therapy. You may need short acting antianxiety meds while longer term meds take time to work. PE, CPT and EMDR have the best outcomes. All of them focus on safely working through the memories of the trauma and retraining the mind in how we remember. Your examples are clearly PTSD. I will also note that not everyone experiences PTSD, and in part it seems to be related to the circumstances you were in around the trauma (eg, were you distressed beforehand, did you get told afterwards that it wasn't a big deal).

I recommend VA resources, as they have the best, most accessible sources of information. Not a veteran myself but was assaulted as a young adult and found power in knowledge.

https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/txessentials/overview_therapy.asp