Any real treatments for PTSD?

[KuriGohan&Kamehameha]

I have had horrible experiences with both psychiatrists and psychologists, most of these people are incredibly ignorant about PTSD especially if it is complex and brought about by multiple traumatic events.

I find most types of therapy were useless if not damaging to my already fragile state of existence. Especially CBT and Applied Behavioral Analysis. I have taken pretty much every class of psychiatric medication except MAOIs, including things like propranolol and buspar, and I have also used LSD and Mushrooms in an attempt to combat ptsd.

Also, I read The Body Keeps The Score, but it was not very useful to me because once again it was touting talk therapy. I found out the author is an abuser himself who treated his staff horribly, so his work does not have as much credibility in my mind now as it once did.

I am looking for real, physical treatments that can help with ptsd symptoms. My ptsd has completely destroyed my sexuality because all I can think about is the medical staff who abused me, it is all I can envision during intimacy and the worst part is my body physically seems to like this and I cannot enjoy anything else. I really need to get rid of this symtom specifically because I feel disgusting and gross. What would help me with that? I have considered MDMA but it is hard to find.

 

[Frauw]

Nothing has really helped my Ptsd either sadly

 

[Life_and_Death]

I have cptsd and ptsd. There are some things that can help but I'm just waking up and going to work so I'll get back to you after work about it.

 

[Weary Soul]

The only med I found that helped were benzos.

Despite their efficacy, my doctor pulled them out from underneath me after he had prescribed them for 9 years at a dose of 3 mg/day. It is funny but a lot of people consider that a high dose, and I suppose it is, but it never made me tired or gave me a sense of euphoria - I just felt normal for the first time in years.

He withdrew them way to rapidly, and I almost died from the withdrawal symptoms. No one would listen to me and it totally ruined my ability to function, I am not sure, but suspect that the receptors in my brain are now permanently damaged because of this.

Even knowing what I now know about the dangers of long-term use of benzos - I would go back on them in a heartbeat, because they actually worked and I could live normally.

However, this time around, I would refuse Xanax and request a benzo that has a longer half life (thinking Klonopin or Valium here). Xanax has a quick onset of action, which really helps to alleviate PTSD quickly, but it also has a rapid elimination rate that can cause mental highs and lows very rapidly (at least IME).

Barbiturates might help; however, these are likely to be very difficult to get given their potential for abuse/suicide.

There is a newer medication that is supposed to help with PTSD or cPTSD that cause night terrors - it is called prozasin. I am curious if daytime use of this med would also help PTSD - but have not heard anything to this effect.

I am so sorry you are going through this. PTSD is horrific. I hope this helps in some small way.

<3

 

[Ender]

I have cPTSD. And I don't think it can be cured. The best thing I can do is try to at least distract myself.

 

[Miss_Takes]

I have had horrible experiences with both psychiatrists and psychologists, most of these people are incredibly ignorant about PTSD especially if it is complex and brought about by multiple traumatic events.

I find most types of therapy were useless if not damaging to my already fragile state of existence. Especially CBT and Applied Behavioral Analysis. I have taken pretty much every class of psychiatric medication except MAOIs, including things like propranolol and buspar, and I have also used LSD and Mushrooms in an attempt to combat ptsd.

Also, I read The Body Keeps The Score, but it was not very useful to me because once again it was touting talk therapy. I found out the author is an abuser himself who treated his staff horribly, so his work does not have as much credibility in my mind now as it once did.

I am looking for real, physical treatments that can help with ptsd symptoms. My ptsd has completely destroyed my sexuality because all I can think about is the medical staff who abused me, it is all I can envision during intimacy and the worst part is my body physically seems to like this and I cannot enjoy anything else. I really need to get rid of this symtom specifically because I feel disgusting and gross. What would help me with that? I have considered MDMA but it is hard to find.

Have you considered specialised sex therapy ?

 

[Isadeth]

Apparently, emdr has helped many with PTSD and other various types of trauma. But you have to find a doctor that specifically specializes in it, otherwise it's a waste of money. I've heard great things about combining ketamine with emdr. I personally haven't tried it, but I plan to.

 

[Kramer]

Emdr therapy. You can do it yourself.

You watch a show. I don't remember if it has to be comedy. I think it has to be something that grabs your attention and is positive. As you're watching, think of a certain thing (a troubling memory, a pervasive feeling like loneliness, etc) and tap your thighs with your palms facing down in a rhythmic fashion. Don't touch your thighs at the same time. Then randomly blink really quickly for a few seconds. Do this throughout the episode. Then move onto other memories if there's more than one.

 

[LittleBabyNothing]

c-ptsd and bpd for me. 33 now, meds and therapy of all sorts since 13. Feel I've exhasuted everything to try and make my existence better.
Have read about and know people who have used emdr. My last therapist specialised in it for trauma but I never got to doing it.
Would love to hear anyone's personal experience of it?

 

[Nymph]

I don't think it can be cured, just managed with meds/therapy and stuff like that.

 

[signifying nothing]

You might try looking into body psychotherapy which has helped me a lot with my cPTSD.

 

[Defenestration]

sertraline?
propanolol+therapy
emdr?

 

[Sherri]

Viorxetine works good for PTSD. Maybe give it a try if your doctor is ok with it? Hugs

 

[TooMuchToBear]

Have you heard about the TRE Method? If find it very interesting, especially because you don't need to talk.

 

[fent_dnm27]

psychoplastogens (LSD, DMT, Ketamine, psylocibin, etc.) are a new buzz word describing a class of substances that can potentially heal the structural damage in our brains from PTSD. PubMed has more (free) info for folks to look up.

Also, I read The Body Keeps The Score, but it was not very useful to me because once again it was touting talk therapy.

Did we read the same book? It's literally called the "Body Keeps The Score", not "The Mouth Keeps The Score" lol.

He spends the whole book talking about somatic re-experiencing, not talk therapy....

I found out the author is an abuser himself who treated his staff horribly, so his work does not have as much credibility in my mind now as it once did.

the author has plenty of peers whose research points to the same conclusion: somatic re-experiencing is an accessible and viable treatment for PTSD symptoms.

 

[KuriGohan&Kamehameha]

psychoplastogens (LSD, DMT, Ketamine, psylocibin, etc.) are a new buzz word describing a class of substances that can potentially heal the structural damage in our brains from PTSD. PubMed has more (free) info for folks to look up.


Did we read the same book? It's literally called the "Body Keeps The Score", not "The Mouth Keeps The Score" lol.

He spends the whole book talking about somatic re-experiencing, not talk therapy....



the author has plenty of peers whose research points to the same conclusion: somatic re-experiencing is an accessible and viable treatment for PTSD symptoms.

Somatic reexperiencing is still talk therapy though. You are talking to a therapist in detail about the trauma in an attempt to release the physical tension associated with the trauma and the bodily experiences, is my understanding. That did not help me. I have tried it, that therapy has not been helpful for me at all, I would like some physical, tangible pharmaceutical treatment to manage symptoms since therapy has not been beneficial for me personally.

I have practiced all the breathing techniques and I am well aware of how my body responds to flashbacks and traumatic memories, but just talking to a therapist about the physical symptoms didn't help me with conquering them. I am glad that it helped some other people.

However, I am looking for alternatives to therapy as it made me feel worse and humiliated, because now I was having panic attacks in front of a stranger who could honestly care less about whether or not I was in great distress from the memories.

The only med I found that helped were benzos.

Despite their efficacy, my doctor pulled them out from underneath me after he had prescribed them for 9 years at a dose of 3 mg/day. It is funny but a lot of people consider that a high dose, and I suppose it is, but it never made me tired or gave me a sense of euphoria - I just felt normal for the first time in years.

He withdrew them way to rapidly, and I almost died from the withdrawal symptoms. No one would listen to me and it totally ruined my ability to function, I am not sure, but suspect that the receptors in my brain are now permanently damaged because of this.

Even knowing what I now know about the dangers of long-term use of benzos - I would go back on them in a heartbeat, because they actually worked and I could live normally.

However, this time around, I would refuse Xanax and request a benzo that has a longer half life (thinking Klonopin or Valium here). Xanax has a quick onset of action, which really helps to alleviate PTSD quickly, but it also has a rapid elimination rate that can cause mental highs and lows very rapidly (at least IME).

Barbiturates might help; however, these are likely to be very difficult to get given their potential for abuse/suicide.

There is a newer medication that is supposed to help with PTSD or cPTSD that cause night terrors - it is called prozasin. I am curious if daytime use of this med would also help PTSD - but have not heard anything to this effect.

I am so sorry you are going through this. PTSD is horrific. I hope this helps in some small way.

<3

I did take Prazosin. I had some bad side effects with it, and no improvements, but i have heard it helps some people with night terrors. I took it in the afternoons and it made me feel a bit light headed.

 

[Livingvsdying25]

Somatic reexperiencing is still talk therapy though. You are talking to a therapist in detail about the trauma in an attempt to release the physical tension associated with the trauma and the bodily experiences, is my understanding. That did not help me. I have tried it, that therapy has not been helpful for me at all, I would like some physical, tangible pharmaceutical treatment to manage symptoms since therapy has not been beneficial for me personally.

I have practiced all the breathing techniques and I am well aware of how my body responds to flashbacks and traumatic memories, but just talking to a therapist about the physical symptoms didn't help me with conquering them. I am glad that it helped some other people.

However, I am looking for alternatives to therapy as it made me feel worse and humiliated, because now I was having panic attacks in front of a stranger who could honestly care less about whether or not I was in great distress from the memories.

I did take Prazosin. I had some bad side effects with it, and no improvements, but i have heard it helps some people with night terrors. I took it in the afternoons and it made me feel a bit light headed.

I've been reading this thread a bit as a I have CPTSD myself and I jus eanna say I really relate to what ur saying.

Especially the wanting physical, tangible pharmaceutical treatment.

(And now just adding my own thoughts in the thread.)

I really feel that. I feel like I've been wanting/needing something of that caliber.

Personally I am anti depressants and the like. Im looking into the alternatives. (Shrooms/mdma/ketamine) I have found a lot of releif in those but it is hard to do it in a therapeutic long term basis bc of them.not being legal or just readily available with doctors.

I've also taken Prasozin myself and while it helped a lottle there was a quite a bit of negative side effects. Had to stop taking it a month or so ago.