It doesn’t happen every day, but the Wall Street Journal has published a column by psychiatrist Dr. Samantha Boardman that is sane, sound and sensible. It repeats some of the arguments that Boardman offered in a previous article, one that I reported in a post entitled: “
I have spent a lifetime living with the effects of severe childhood trauma. I am also a family systems therapist, a choice a made because I found the systems approach provided another way besides talk therapy ("insight therapy"). I have recovered greatly from the severe PTSD symptoms I developed along the way and I assure you, talk therapy was not helpful. Indeed, "talk" never helped stop the "itch" and I agree that it only mucks up the water more.
What helped? Finding ways to develop relationships despite the fear involved, "deep" massage, gritting my teeth, and EMDR. EMDR is a way to enter the trance of the trauma and resolve it (not through talk).
I am a retired psychiatric social worker. I thought EMDR was voodoo when it came out but have come to believe that this method, or methods like it, are the best we have to offer at present. I say this with caution, as I believe it is mostly physical traumas that are helped. Scott Alexander at ACX has been marvelous on the topic. I have been less marvelous, but have posts on the topic, especially https://assistantvillageidiot.blogspot.com/2022/08/odysseus-ptsd.html (Last third, mostly) Huberman believes that EMDR mimics literal "walking away" from family or combat trauma, a brain hack for the trial-and-error best solution for trauma we developed over 100K years or even more.
Oh, and congratulations for sticking with finding what would work to make you whole again.
My trauma was abuse, rape, etc., and not "physical", as in falling out of a tree. My experiences were extreme, my PTSD was extreme, and my healing experience through EMDR were extreme. This is not a modality for everyone. I found it to include a "re-experiencing" of the events themselves rather than a "recovery of memories" per se. Very hard, very rewarding, glad to be done that round.
I have spent a lifetime living with the effects of severe childhood trauma. I am also a family systems therapist, a choice a made because I found the systems approach provided another way besides talk therapy ("insight therapy"). I have recovered greatly from the severe PTSD symptoms I developed along the way and I assure you, talk therapy was not helpful. Indeed, "talk" never helped stop the "itch" and I agree that it only mucks up the water more.
What helped? Finding ways to develop relationships despite the fear involved, "deep" massage, gritting my teeth, and EMDR. EMDR is a way to enter the trance of the trauma and resolve it (not through talk).
I am a retired psychiatric social worker. I thought EMDR was voodoo when it came out but have come to believe that this method, or methods like it, are the best we have to offer at present. I say this with caution, as I believe it is mostly physical traumas that are helped. Scott Alexander at ACX has been marvelous on the topic. I have been less marvelous, but have posts on the topic, especially https://assistantvillageidiot.blogspot.com/2022/08/odysseus-ptsd.html (Last third, mostly) Huberman believes that EMDR mimics literal "walking away" from family or combat trauma, a brain hack for the trial-and-error best solution for trauma we developed over 100K years or even more.
Oh, and congratulations for sticking with finding what would work to make you whole again.
My trauma was abuse, rape, etc., and not "physical", as in falling out of a tree. My experiences were extreme, my PTSD was extreme, and my healing experience through EMDR were extreme. This is not a modality for everyone. I found it to include a "re-experiencing" of the events themselves rather than a "recovery of memories" per se. Very hard, very rewarding, glad to be done that round.
Good piece, Stuart and one I totally agree with
Prince Harry who unfortunately defines himself as 'Spare' comes to mind.