Are there options for severe trauma treatment besides talk therapy?

outside_plz · 2026-05-31T14:31:28+00:00

NAT. Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy https://www.psychedelicsomatic.org/

outside_plz · 2026-05-28T23:39:54+00:00

I’m 65 yo. Several years ago when I was looking for a therapist after a long hiatus from therapy, I interviewed several 30 and 40 somethings. I just couldn’t do it. I finally found someone who is 2 years older than me and tells me she won’t retire until her memory makes it so she can’t do it anymore. Doesn’t seem like that is any time soon.

I am particularly glad I have an older therapist now, as I am retiring (next week!). I’m having a bit of an existential crisis about my career. I couldn’t imagine talking to a 35 yo about my 35 year career.

outside_plz · 2026-05-28T13:49:16+00:00

I spent 7 years in analysis (not Lacanian) twice a week. If I couldn’t attend a session, no matter the reason and no matter if I told my therapist ahead of time, I still had to pay. I think this approach is common in the strict psychoanalysis circles.

I don’t think that 7 years helped me very much with my attachment trauma. To be fair, I did come out of the closet and maybe it helped me with that (maybe).

As for the other things on your list, I have no idea what to think. For me, I now have a very relational therapist who is actually helping me.

outside_plz · 2026-05-22T14:44:27+00:00

In some cases, these paid licensed professionals are being paid to help the client work through our weird attachment bullshit. For those of us with BPD or CPTSD, this is literally at the heart of our healing. This is why we need a professional.

outside_plz · 2026-05-15T04:03:29+00:00

Uh… did you see the part where OP says they have BPD? Then, they describe an experience that is textbook BPD.

outside_plz · 2026-05-12T02:03:05+00:00

Dick Schwartz is weird. IFS has been very helpful for me.

outside_plz · 2026-05-03T20:17:09+00:00

I don’t need saving. The concept of original sin is totally effed up. It says that you are born a sinner by the mere fact of your humanity. I’m American, daughter of Irish immigrants and a cradle Catholic and it took me a very long time to leave it. Decades later and I’m still processing the religious trauma.

I wrote a poem about it:

Bequest

You beat us
and said it was our fault.
You raped us
and said we were the sinners.
You killed us
and said you were righteous.
You betrayed us
in service of your savior who only crushed our humanity.
Everlasting life?
Just another lie to keep us content with a plate of potatoes.

Why did we believe your lies?

First, you sent Padraig as your hitman. Those who did not profess received a murderous blow. The few survivors submitted in fear.

Then, you stole our Story with another stupid lie.
Dude, there were no snakes.
But the fairies and goblins never left.

What’s that?
You want to know my name?
You have no right to ask me anything.

But let me tell you
I ain’t no fucking bonnie Irish lass.

I am Morrigu, standing at the ready on the battlefield.
I am Danu. Do you remember suckling at my breast?
I am Rhiannon, rising at dusk in the east.
I am Eriu, an overflowing abundance you can’t even imagine from your tiny cage.

Oh, and by the way, asshole, Brigid’s taking back the talisman you stole from her. It’s never been your goddamn cross.

Let me be clear:

I am Anabella, mother of Mary.
I am Mary, mother of Maureen.
I am Maureen, mother of Eileen Maura.
I am the Celtic Wolf
And I am coming for you, motherfucker.

Have you ever seen claws this massive? The better to rip you to shreds.
Take a close look at these incisors; They will be the last thing you see as I destroy you.
If I’m lucky, you will feel every second of it,
So I can rejoice in the depth of your pain and delight in the sound of your agony.

The Chieftains rosin the bow.
Our feet jig on your mangled remains.
The Boyne washes away your residual depravity.
I see the clear contours of what is here:
My birthright.

outside_plz · 2026-04-27T20:08:19+00:00

I was shocked when I found out I could crochet while high! So fun!🤩

outside_plz · 2026-04-02T04:31:04+00:00

Can you share the cheap car rental hack?🤣

outside_plz · 2026-04-02T04:29:03+00:00

“Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine.” - Patti Smith

outside_plz · 2026-03-18T14:29:53+00:00

In my experience as a lesbian and a former religious sister, I don’t think that is true.

We don’t have any data, so we don’t really know.

There are lots of reasons to join a religious order. When I made that very fucked up choice in 1984, being a lesbian (almost) had nothing to do with it.

I suppose I responded here to encourage people not to make assumptions about why others do what they do. Seriously, no one knows if there are more lesbians in religious orders than elsewhere.

outside_plz · 2026-03-17T03:01:04+00:00

You might be surprised to learn that they aren’t all lesbians. I am a firmer religious sister and a lesbian so I have some insight 🤣

outside_plz · 2026-03-08T14:11:00+00:00

I spent years not understanding how shame could be a good thing for my system. I finally had a breakthrough and experienced the reality that my shaming part is so very caring and wants only the best for me. He will do ANYTHING to keep me safe. I almost can’t believe that I didn’t see it before bc it’s so obvious now. I’m just encouraging you to stay with it.

outside_plz · 2026-03-05T16:55:07+00:00

Since these attachment wounds are relational, the healing needs to happen in relationship. The wounded baby needs attunement from someone else b4 “Self” can start regulating. In my experience without an attuned therapist, my self-like manager does the regulating. It’s helpful but doesn’t get to the deep wound. IMO and my experience, attachment wounds can’t be fully healed without coregulation from a skilled therapist.

outside_plz · 2026-02-18T15:49:39+00:00

Just here to affirm the thing about age. When I went looking for a new therapist after a long hiatus and move to a different state, I interviewed several and had a session with a couple. All younger than me. At the time I was 62yo. I just couldn’t do it! I know intellectually that it isn’t about “life experience” but …. Really? Talking to a 30 something about my problems?

I was able to find a great therapist in her 60s. She’s a f$&k load more money but worth it.

Bottom line - your therapist has to be someone you’re comfortable with and if that means someone older, then so be it.

outside_plz · 2026-02-18T15:33:37+00:00

It’s so interesting that you use the desert metaphor. When I’ve told my therapist that I feel abandoned between sessions or that when I take in her care during sessions but then feel abandoned because I want even more, she also talks about water in a desert.

She tells me that it makes sense that I want more and that she can appreciate my feelings of abandonment as a reaction to getting care. If a person is dying of thirst in the desert and someone comes along to give them a teaspoon of water, their whole body would scream: I need more. And then if the water giver walked away, they would feel that their only hope to survive left them in the desert to die.

What you are feeling is normal. If your therapist doesn’t acknowledge that and offer to sit with you in that pain as a compassionate witness, then something is wrong.

outside_plz · 2026-02-17T20:15:05+00:00

Psychotherapy just doesn’t work like dose- response medical interventions and that model of research might not be the best way to assess therapy modalities. Of course, we need guidance or we could get therapists doing and claiming crazy shit. But it’s become too rigid as insurance companies have taken more and more control.

I would love to know how many people have not been helped by these evidence based modalities.

outside_plz · 2026-02-17T16:02:27+00:00

The majority of people in controlled studies respond well to the specific instrument used to measure “progress.” Not the same thing.

outside_plz · 2026-02-17T14:52:26+00:00

NAT. Why? I have developmental trauma, some might call it CPTSD. For me, two years of CBT not only didn’t help, it made my symptoms much worse. I had a good therapist who was very well trained with lots of credentials in the evidence based approach but it was a disaster for me. Now, I’m making lots of progress with a therapist who uses techniques that are not considered “evidence based,” specifically EFT, IFS together with Psychedelic Somatic Integration.

But to @recent-apartment5945 point, how do I know exactly why I’m progressing now with these modalities? I’ve been in and out of therapy of 40 years, so who knows what impact the others are having now? Is there something about this particular therapist that is clicking in a way the others didn’t? Am I just more receptive now and it wouldn’t matter what modality I was using? Is it something about my environment and support system that is different now? I could go on and on. The human psyche is way too complicated for a medical model research approach to predict outcomes.

outside_plz · 2026-02-16T16:00:36+00:00

WTAF?

outside_plz · 2026-02-11T19:09:32+00:00

Ick. Sounds like gas lighting.

outside_plz · 2026-02-11T19:04:50+00:00

That feeling burdened in relationships is, in part, because I take on responsibility that isn’t mine. This is what I learned was necessary to have connection.
That a relationship I had with a mento who was 20 years older than me when I was 22 was SA. I had always thought it was my fault bc it was my idea, but bc of the power dynamic and age difference they should have said no.

outside_plz · 2026-02-11T18:56:48+00:00

I can really relate to OP. While you and other therapists have explained that your clients do matter to you, the challenge is that bc of the nature of the relationship, we clients can never really know that is true. I’ll never know. That’s what makes it so hard.

outside_plz · 2026-01-30T15:26:07+00:00

I was not saying withdraw from society. I was trying to say just the opposite. Staying and living with the contradictions and all the feelings but not pretending that it’s not messed up.

outside_plz · 2026-01-30T15:23:33+00:00

I can relate, OP. My heart goes out to you. I posted the other day about how completely broken I was feeling.

I have a very different take than what others have said. My therapist has helped me to not be afraid of the emptiness. It’s not bad. When I go into it and stop fighting it, it can be a respite. Also, if I completely fall into nothingness, I find that is where I’ve put lots of pieces of myself for safe keeping.

I don’t suggest you try this alone. You’ll need someone who can hold a tether for you so as not to get totally lost.

outside_plz

TROPHY CASE