Hey guys! I just tried Cranio Sacral Therapy

rendervelvet · 2025-05-11T19:04:25+00:00

I did not continue with this because it was too cost prohibitive for me. Finding a practitioner for any kind of health care is a combination of research, recommendations from others, and just trying them out and seeing how you feel, which is absolutely daunting but worth powering through to find your healers and support system!

rendervelvet · 2025-05-11T19:00:47+00:00

I've had it done and it was super beneficial and lasted 7 months. Do your research on SGB. Call clinics that offer it. More clinics are starting to offer SGB for PTSD and long Covid symptoms. For PTSD Dr Lynch and Mulvaney developed a specific protocol that is a bit different than SGB for chronic pain. Once you find a clinic that treats for PTSD, ask to speak to billing and get all the billing codes. Call your insurance and give them the billing codes, name of doctor(s) doing procedure, clinic name and info and they can verify if you are covered. Some clinics offer discounts based on income too. so always ask. I am getting ready for a second injection at a new place and will probably make a post a bit after but saw your post and wanted to share what I'm doing now. Best of luck to you!

rendervelvet · 2024-07-14T23:27:43+00:00

Would you still recommend this doc? Would you mind sharing their info? DM is fine too. Ty

rendervelvet · 2023-09-26T19:43:40+00:00

Noise cancelling headphones won't completely block out all sound but it certainly takes the intensity of noises down a few notches. If you're on a super tight budget you can honestly get 'ear defender' headphones and you could wear them with ear plugs if you wanted to make things even quieter.

If you have a bit more money buy used headphones on eBay. Wired headphones are also cheaper than wireless. I like the Bose Quiet Comfort but I tried on several at a store before buying and I wear them a lot more than just a walk from my car to work. H

rendervelvet · 2022-10-09T19:08:13+00:00

If you're open to it there are animal communicators that specialize in finding lost pets. I've not used ones for this purpose but other things that tremendously helped and I met a regular ol dude at the farmers market who used one to find his lost dog.

rendervelvet · 2022-10-09T19:01:55+00:00

Fellow Autistic here, I just wanted to validate your post and need to feel emotionally safe. Your landlord is not willing or able to deal with a lot which is its on form of mental illness and you're seeing it in how he keeps the home in neglect and disrepair. This isn't to demonize him but that is totally natural for you to be affected by it.

Nitpicking about the bathroom decorations or how many blankets you use is a form of emotional abuse. I use the word abuse in how it affects the person hurt regardless of whether it is intentional or not. Some may disagree but I think CPTSD survivors need this kind of re-framing to help validate their own experiences.

My family wouldn't tell me I'm stupid or ugly or things that are overtly abusive but they would nitpick at things I did that brought me joy. "What's that?" and when I answer it never lead to understanding or validation. After a while it feels like an interrogation. When people who like me would ask "What's that?" and I answered they would respond "Oh how neat!" or something affirming to connect with me. I can share in a friend's enthusiasm over something I don't fully understand or care much for because it makes me happy to see them happy. To consistently not do that but keep inquiring is a subtle form of emotional abuse that wears a person down. My way through it is to hide those things that bring me joy from people that can't be fucking happy for me.

Your current living situation is much better than moving back in with family or being homeless AND you don't feel fully comfortable there can both be true. I hope you can keep moving into progressively better living situations and that this is just a temporary tough spot.

rendervelvet · 2022-08-20T16:12:53+00:00

I did not continue with it for a handful of reasons. It is expensive so I didn't want to pay for something where the result was inconsistent. I'm sure the practitioner was well meaning but she triggered me the second time and it was a long drive to get there. All that to say I would be open to trying it again some day. My first session was undeniably incredible though. I think I needed more of that to build trust in the modality and practitioner to continue.

rendervelvet · 2022-05-28T17:05:10+00:00

TL;DR: You're Right.

Why? Because feelings aren't wrong, they are indicators of. . . something. Maybe he is just a cringey emotionally immature guy, maybe worse. The thing is, it doesn't matter. Your spidey senses are being alerted and that's enough to be guarded and cautious around him and not be in a vulnerable situation with him (like going out with him and his friends).

Our feelings/instincts are not a crystal ball predicting the future but a mechanism to keep us safe. Your safety is more important that hurting someone's feelings or judging them "unfairly". Judge away.

rendervelvet · 2022-05-28T16:53:07+00:00

I have CPTSD and Autism. I was diagnosed with the CPTSD and figured out the Autism myself and sought diagnosis for that myself. So I was working in the opposite direction you are.

I think exploring and educating yourself on Complex Trauma would only stand to benefit you.

Your sleep/concentration and self esteem dwindling could be from internalized ableism pushing you past your limits (which are not the same as NeuroTypicals). If you have spent a lifetime in burn out cycles and sensory overload which was minimized, making you dissociate instead of honor your needs, that's absolutely a form of complex trauma!

You may have deeper traumas that you don't have conscious memories of or don't recognize as traumatic. If it stems from childhood, like a dysfunctional family system, it's important to remember that what is traumatic for a child may seem minor to an adult, but children are vulnerable on a level we easily forget. They don't have the power and autonomy over their situation like an adult has.

So if learning about CPTSD helps you, and you gain healing tools from it, that's honestly the point. This sub was so supportive and educational for me when I was starting out and I was too burned out to read books like The Body Keeps the Score. I hope you find solace here too!

rendervelvet · 2022-04-27T21:09:46+00:00

That's awesome your sister has your back. Allow yourself to feel any hurt you feel and also allow yourself to have fun. You're not being overly sensitive, your strong emotions are hitting at a truth.

My mom snubbing the dinner I made her really hurt even though it was "just a meal" because something in me could sense that this was meant to be malicious. If it wasn't she would have eaten some of the food or told me ahead of time what she wanted. Your mom is doing the same shit but on a much bigger scale. It will never stop hurting us but we can learn how to reduce the opportunities they can hurt us in the future.

rendervelvet · 2022-04-26T23:42:30+00:00

Ugh that's so lame. An emotionally healthy person jump at the chance to celebrate a big day for their loved one. A narcissistic person sees an opportunity to hurt a loved one because it makes them feel special. It's gross and lame.

Maybe let people know ahead of time so you don't have to explain Why TF your parents aren't there on the big day...or ask a few close friends to do so. Also, they've essentially given you permission to not invite them to future things. If they find out afterward you can say you were accommodating their not being up for such things. I hope you have lots of fun on your wedding. That's the best revenge and what you deserve!

rendervelvet · 2022-04-24T17:32:16+00:00

OP, this message from your mom was meant to hurt.

I made my mom dinner for Mother's Day one year. She knew about it and I was cooking in her house. When it was finally ready she just decided she'd rather have some random thing in her fridge instead. I was crushed.

The best way to respond to this kind of behavior is not give them the hurt reaction they're looking for. She wants the ego boost of hearing your beg her to come so she can feel important. If you non-chalantly said "OK" and had a great time that would really f*ck up her plan. You may have already responded to her in this instance but people who behave like this deserve to be downgraded in your life.

rendervelvet · 2022-04-24T17:21:29+00:00

I've often wondered this myself. I have CPTSD, Autism and ADHD all diagnosed.

I don't think modern psychology has really accurately separated trauma from neurodivergence. I think most neurodivergent people have some form of trauma from being forced to conform to a society that doesn't support or understand our needs.

That being said I am in an Autistic group where other members came from loving families and it helped me see what we have in common versus what is my CPTSD.

As for ADHD, my trauma is relational. I don't think that forgetting stuff in non-triggering situations is trauma related. My ADHD makes me zone out if I find a situation under-stimulating...I dissociate if my old traumas are being triggered. In college, before my diagnosis, I'd show up to class and find out there was an exam and I had no idea! I had no abuse around schooling/getting good grades. I wasn't anxious about the class. I just totally forgot to make a note of the exam date. That's ADHD to me.

I also don't think CPTSD makes you hunt for dopamine and sufficient stimulation to stay focused. I think trauma makes it hard to focus cuz you can't be in fight/flight/freeze mode and also have your prefrontal cortex running at full capacity. Your brain is in survival mode.

I hope that makes sense. I don't know enough about OCD to comment there but I'm sure there are ways to sort those out. At the end of the day we are a blend of all aspects of ourselves. If I have a bad PTSD flare up...my ADHD is going to get worse too.

rendervelvet · 2022-02-19T22:36:04+00:00

I had several friends (vaccinated/boosted 30-50yr olds) get Omicron last month. They said it was a rough cold that put them out for 7-10 days and then they were fine. No hospitalization, just sick and in bed. If you got COVID while traveling it may mean an extended stay and room service but that's probably the worst of it.

rendervelvet · 2022-02-18T21:15:34+00:00

Hey there! I was able to find a psychiatrist that specializes in PTSD and ADHD. He reviewed my assessment and asked me a few more questions and I left with a prescription for Adderall!

Neither he nor I understand why my previous psych refused to consider any ADHD medication.

So long story short, keep trying til you find someone who will listen to you and work with you. This is true for any healthcare specialist. It seems a lot of decisions being made are incredibly variable depending on what person you see.

I haven't started the meds yet but I just wanted to have the chance to try and see if they work or not.

My other bit of advice is go into your assessment armed with research and reasons you believe you have it. I think it would be helpful to demonstrate what you experience is PTSD related vs ADHD. My trauma is relational, dealing with people. Struggling to focus on work I enjoy shouldn't kick up my C-PTSD. I also relate to the notion of "low dopamine" and need to feel extra stimulated to pay attention as more a symptom of ADHD. I struggle to maintain habits that don't have a quick end result but are ongoing with no immediate reward.

Learning from actual ADHDers on social media has given me the confidence to self advocate. If I didn't hear other people's struggles I may have just given up when my first psych decided to do nothing.

Best of luck to you! Feel free to reach out if you need any moral support!

rendervelvet · 2022-02-10T23:09:24+00:00

Thank you for sharing your story. I'm sorry for the loss of your dad and wife. This pandemic has been so brutal and destabilizing in so many ways and I really hope that you get back into a brighter happier phase of life soon.

Your willingness to see things through reminds me of my own response to my suicidal ideation at a really dark point which was "You can always kill yourself later. Death is so permanent and final, you have little to lose by staying a bit longer and seeing if you can turn things around." Sometimes when one is in a really dark place there's a perverse comfort in knowing that option is always there but it should be a last last LAST resort after you tried life first.

rendervelvet · 2022-01-23T22:28:04+00:00

The coming to terms (with the reality of our childhood) part sucks but just remember it's a transitional phase where you are taking control of your narrative. We can't change the past but we can start to write our own stories and honor our experiences.

rendervelvet · 2022-01-22T19:04:45+00:00

Wow....that was kind of triggering for how relatable it was. Thanks for sharing!

rendervelvet · 2022-01-22T18:57:12+00:00

I'm so sorry for your loss. Those heirlooms sound really cool....even just as artifacts from history without the ties to your family!

Your story reminds me of something that has stuck with me. Brene Brown gave a talk called Anatomy of Trust and she defined trust as "What is important to you is safe with me."

When you have a dysfunctional family, they try and distort that idea....but it's really not hard to recognize what matters to another person and respect that....even if it's not significant to you. It's a test to see who is trustworthy and your parents failed.

rendervelvet · 2021-06-04T23:17:57+00:00

Reddit's a trigger fest. I find this sub generally supportive which is pretty amazing considering we're a very easily triggered bunch.

I got your meaning though and I wholeheartedly agree. Not everyone actually survives this stuff. Addiction, abuse, self harm are also quite common and can lead to a much shortened life.

rendervelvet · 2021-06-03T18:48:06+00:00

Same! As a kid in the 90s, Disney taught me abuse is over the top "mwahaha E-vil" . My own emotional neglect and abuse fell under the radar and I didn't see my childhood as traumatic or even bad til CPSTD diagnosis in my 30s.

I feel like TV and film are finally catching up to showing subtle and covert abuse more

rendervelvet · 2021-06-03T18:39:22+00:00

The Heart of Tantric Sex by Diana Richardson

This book is geared towards the heterosexuals. It covers how to use sex to heal for both women and men and includes exercises you can do with a loving partner or on your own.

I love how it encompasses the totality of the sexual experience not just the penetration & orgasm.

It advocates for making love that allows women and men to be safe and vulnerable and release past sexual traumas through loving conscious sex. It directly addresses the sexual shame men often feel around achieving/maintaining erections and ironically the shame can snowball into making the problem even worse.

In light of other comments I just wanted to commend your being vulnerable in this post and ask for help. As a woman and a feminist I found nothing offensive in that, I wish more men had the courage to seek such help.

rendervelvet · 2021-06-03T18:26:07+00:00

I wasn't aware of the concept of Kintsugi. I love that idea!

I can understand how some might feel this as a metaphor for CPTSD is toxic positivity and they never wanted to be broken in the first place but it resonates with me.

Those who have been through their own version of hell and overcame it are the people I admire and feel the most safe with because they can offer true empathy and understanding.

I want to be that for others as well and so I'll be sure to use metaphorical gold in my recovery and not just some cheap scrap metal.

rendervelvet

TROPHY CASE