How Do I Tell My Therapist About My #CPTSD Response?
l've got pretty bad #CPTSD as
well as #bipolar2 .I recently
started seeing a new #Therapist
I don't believe that she, like most
therapists, are truly #Trauma
informed. I don't believe she
understands the depth of it.
When we started, I explained to
her very thoroughly that I've had
so many difficulties finding
therapists who can handle my"stuff" my trauma, because it'sjust so big and so much.I don't #Trust anyone, really. The Monday before last Monday was my last time seeing her. I texted to ask if we'd made anappointment for the followingweek, and we hadn't. She told me she'd text me times and dates. I didn't hear from her that day orthe next day. Or the next or the next. The next day still nothing.
This went on for over 7 days. Q
Nothing. Then she texted me this
morning saying she and her
family caught covid and she
thanked me for "gracefully
accepting" her late message. Also
I'd told her before that
communication is important and
asked her to return my texts in
general because she didn't reply
to a couple of texts in the past.
This is not okay. At all. I've been feeling shakey about our
therapeutic relationship and
stingy with my trust, now it's
certain she is not the right fit.
But how do I explain to her why
going all that time with no
communication was not okay?
She's going to say "Well I was
taking care of my family who had
covid" She already did, actually.
Which generally shuts that
conversation down, because
what kind of horrible person are you for not understanding when
someone has covid? I believe this:
If you chose to go into a certain
career where people deeply
depend on you- a heart surgeon,
a therapist- it is your
responsibility to set up
precautions in case something
like this happens. Have someone
else in place just in case, have
someone call your clients. And of
course, "sometimes things
happen that can't be helped" This was over 7 days
. What if I went in for open heart
surgery, was on the table opened
up & ready to go, but no one
could find the doctor, then he
calls 7 hours later to say he has
covid. He has no backup surgeon
to call. And you're just left laying
there on the operating table..
nobody knows what to do.
How do I explain what having a
THERAPIST ghost you for a week
is so damaging, esp with CPTSD going to all kinds of emotional
#flashback of the #neglect you
suffered? I get the impression
that she's not aware of what she
got herself into. I wonder how
many #suicides could have been
prevented if the therapist had
not waited a week to return the
client's call. I'm not #suicidal
right now, but I certainly have
been in the past. I've told her I
need therapy once a week
. My therapist not calling me was not deadly for me- not like the Cardiac surgeon scenario. But it very well could have been. How do I explain to her that what she did is a big deal???
*I posted this earlier and got some "Just tell her," responses, which is an awful lot like "Why don't you just leave?" Only real and or helpful opinions/responses please!