The one good thing I got out of therapy (Stef)

[freddie2431.livejournal.com]

I did get one good thing out of therapy....or, partly it was therapy.
I do think that I would have been better off, having gotten the information out of books. But I don't know, that's water under the bridge. Everyone who knows me, knows I feel therapy did me a great deal of harm.

But anyway. The one thing it did give me, was the notion that *just maybe* my memories were of things that had really happened, and not just a lot of evil sinfulness that I was making up because the devil had ahold of me....and yadda yadda, I'm sure you've heard the rest of *that* evangelical bullsh******t.

Later, when my stepdad was elderly and diabetic and in my mom's care, I saw some things re-enacted, and I knew for absolutely sure that no, I hadn't made it up or exaggerated it.

Meanwhile, though, I do think that the thought of 'maybe I'm not lying', kept me from suicide long enough to get to that point.

I know this sounds rather along the 'disordered' rather than 'empowered' line of thought....and what I would say to that, is that I think trauma-multis have every bit as much right to empower ourselves, as....well, anyone else. I would compare it to losing one's hearing in adulthood, and joining the deaf community as a fully empowered and whole person. (And I do know there are some rifts in the deaf community, just like there are in the multiple community. I'm just sayin', I feel like those rifts are pretty useless.)

Comments

Trauma (Stef)

[freddie2431.livejournal.com]

I think you really nailed it, with traumatized multis having the same issues as traumatized singlets.
Those issues are called PTSD - formerly known as shellshock.

It's great you got a good therapist, and I wish there were more of those. I'd like to see the day come when therapy is actually therapeutic; multis and singlets alike have the choice to take it, leave it, or take or leave part or all of it; and it's absolutely all done with informed consent. No 'therapeutic thechniques' that are not understood and agreed to ahead of time; no jargon that says one thing and means another.

In other words, we're all treated like people, and if we need to process trauma then we can get help in doing that, without somebody trying to reach inside our brain and change who we are.

(Please pardon soap box rant there, but that really is a dream of mine. Maybe one day.)

Re: Trauma (Stef)

[tigerweave.livejournal.com]

lol, I don't mind the soapbox rant! I totally agree :-) And well said.

Re: Trauma (Stef)

[the-hockey-team.livejournal.com]

You're standing on my soap box. (Actually our's say Weed and Gabriel.) I agree with you so much. I personally have an amazing therapist but that is not enough to trust her with being multiple. The over all mental health culture has not changed enough on that and as the primary fronter we do not want to compromise my care because that hurts everybody. It is also true that finding a good therapist who is good fit is hard wether you are singlet or multi.

We would put Nicky in therapy if we could and hurts all of us that we can't.