Therapy

I woke up this morning after having had a very interesting dream. I've always thought that Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung's work on Dream Theory was rubbish, given that most of my dreams are silly, but this last one was profound in its realism, and makes me think that they were not just onto something, they were geniuses.

So it's only dreams related to real life (present or past) that matter - not just any random dream. (Flying on the back of a magical hippo in your underpants doesn't count, there's nothing to learn there!). It's got to relate to an incident that you have experienced or are experiencing. A recreation of the event.

A random example: You're at home, in the company of someone you know well. You get into an argument, and it gets vicious, possibly violent. For whatever reason, let's assume that person is no longer in your real life (moved on, deceased, whatever reason applies), so you can't ask them about the incident in reality, therefore pay attention to the dream. It will reveal an extension of their personality, and you may learn a few things about them that you hadn't realised before. It will likely be unpleasant, though very cathartic - because it will give you some understanding and insight on the issue.

Freud and Jung were not the first to come up with Dream Theory, they just made it a proper science. A key example of this was in Ancient Greece: they did their own version of Dream Theory in a place called Epidaurus. There was a temple to the god Asclepius (god of medicine), son of the god Apollo (god of healing in general.) People who required healing went there and slept upon the ground of the temple overnight. Asclepius would 'inspire' them through revelatory dreams, then the priests would help interpret them in the morning. (Oh, and harmless snakes were in the temple as well, because they were symbolic of Asclepius and believed to help promote the dreams. They freely moved around as you slept, including over you.)

Back to the dream. In it, you likely experience it from the perspective of 'first person' (as yourself, seeing through your own eyes) and/or 'third person' (from a distance, watching yourself. 'Second person' is never you.) Either way, you get to experience the incident safely. No matter what happens in the dream, it's not happening in reality, because you are asleep. Because of this, you can witness the incident without being 100% involved in it. If you get injured in the dream, no pain will be felt, for instance. You will likely feel the emotions, but nothing physical. No broken bones, no nothing. You are safe.

When you wake up, you will likely still feel emotions related to the dream: anger, sadness, fear, whatever. During this time, write down as much of the dream as you can remember, while it still lingers. Most dreams we don't remember for more than a few seconds/minutes, but ones like these tend to linger for a little while, because we had so much psychological investment in them. Make sure you write down the parts that are revelatory - that you didn't notice in reality.

Next step. When your emotions are gone and your head is clear (say, the next day or so), go back to your notes and reflect upon them.

🔸️ Some questions to reflect upon:

📍 What did the dream reveal that you didn't experience during the real incident?
📍 What did the dream tell you about how you coped with the incident?
📍 What did the dream tell you about how the other person coped with the incident?
📍 What feelings did the dream evoke while you were asleep?
📍 What feelings did the dream evoke while you were awake? (After the dream happens, there's always a secondary emotion(s) you feel while awake as your brain tries to sort out what to make of it.)
📍 If you witness that you are the one at 'fault' in the dream, can you acknowledge this to yourself? Can you try to understand why it happened, and seek to forgive yourself?
📍 It you witness that it was not you at 'fault', can forgive the other person? (It's okay if you can't, but try to see their motivation: did they react the way they did because of anger? Fear? Guilt/shame? What else?)
📍 It's possible that you are both equally at 'fault'. If that is the case, then perhaps you are looking at a core difference between you, irreconcilable or otherwise. Seeing this, can you forgive your part in it? Can you move on from the situation, with your new knowledge?
📍 Are there any changes you would make to your real life? (This is working under the assumption that you cannot reach the other person, so any changes must be about yourself, not them.)
📍 If you feel you need to change something about yourself personally in reality, do you have any supports who can help you? (Family? Friends? A therapist? A psychiatrist?)

After going through all of that, it's important to acknowledge the hard work you've put into the reflection. (It's not an easy thing to do, and may churn up possible guilt/shame, especially if you feel you are the one at 'fault'.) It is something that will require some self-care. But it is also something worth treating with respect: Celebrate it, if you can, you've earned it.

#Dream #Dreaming #PTSD #Trauma #Therapy #MentalHealth #Journaling #analysis #freud #jung #Grief #Shame #Selfcare #Recovery

I have now had four sessions with my new therapist and the last two of those have been utilising EMDR. As a guy I always like to understand how things work. For that reason I find EMDR somewhat frustrating. I have no definitive answer as to how it works but I can say unequivocally, it works and it works incredibly well.

As I recall traumatic experiences from the last four years the ones we have processed no longer bring fear, pain and a sense of dread. They are not just matter of fact memories.

Now I am aware EMDR won’t work for everyone. It needs to be administered and managed by professionals in that are.

For me I am so grateful for the breakthroughs I am experiencing.

I pray you get the breakthrough you need too.

Full Disclosure - am a MH Consumer & Advocate writing on my own accord, with no affiliation whatsoever to media, government or activist groups and am a private citizen employed as a Truck Driver who wants to empower our Mental Health #treatment community so they can continue saving lives and lifting up society.

When it comes to #mentalwellness , Forced Therapy can be Compassionate Therapy. Heard this in an Audiobook yesterday by DJ Jaffe, put another way, something along the lines of "We may much rather have forced treatment than forced criminal incarcerations" - because many people in prison, may never have been diagnosed yet. People living with Severe Mental Illness are 20-1 times more likely to end up in prison than in a hospital. In order to protect both our vulnerable Mental Health #patients and our vulnerable Public, we must adopt Mental Wellness focused legislation similar to, the H.R.3717 Helping Families in Mental Health #Crisis Act of 2013, and go yet the further, empowering our Mental Wellness Professionals individually to have legal authority, for self certifying Need Of #Therapy Orders, including and not limited to, IVC & AOT.

Many people discover incremental improvements in their Mental Wellness Journey before being fully recovered, which is when some often suddenly begin refusing treatment, ghosting their dedicated Mental Health Team. As if the diagnosis was some misunderstanding or maybe they've been cured. This recede and withdraw phase, remains not some new phenomenon or an independent decision, rather it is part of the process, we must continue working through towards healing. The unfortunate reality is however, when we prioritize Patient Rights over Patient Health, we end up losing both; with many of these Patients falling into the same downward spiral - that recurring and worsening of their Mental #suffering ; leading them to Unaliving themselves, Drug Addictions, Public Outbursts, Unemployment & Rising Crime, which become a burden to Family Members, Themselves and to Society.

Organizations like APA, MHA, MHLG, NASW, NAMI, NABH, NCMW, NIMH, SAMHSA, TAC, THE MIGHTY and others, can help our Civilization with structured healing only when we let them. Otherwise, we continue to actively accept rising Drug Addictions, spreading Crime Rates, climbing national Unaliving Statistics and out of control Growing Poverty, into our very own neighborhoods and schools.

At some point, many Mental Health Consumers can enter an expected phase, where they become counterproductive, even asserting rights, to refuse continuing safe and effective Treatment, unless they are deemed a threat to themselves or others in a scheduled Court Hearing. Sadly, Hearings remain very time consuming when there are only minutes available, rather than weeks. When a Psychotherapist finally finds out a Patient is going through a combative withdrawal phase, planning an Attack or Unaliving themselves, it’s often already too late for scheduling Court Hearings to obtain an IVC or AOT order.

So we end up with hurt or worse, Victims, many of whom come to us for help. All it takes, to become a threat to injuring oneself or others; is that single Event, a Personal Crisis or Manic Episode, maybe some observed Social Media Post, an Intrusive Thought or even a Snap Impulse.

Short of the Federal or Municipal Government putting forward a much needed program of regularly introducing the continuous supply of SSRi and/or an Antipsychotic solution into our Water Treatment Facilities across the nation to benefit public health, our growing Crime Rates and our random Violence are becoming the new normal. While our Mental Health Professionals are handcuffed, in literal red tape, under "Patient Rights" - they still somehow carry this very heavy onus; or Crystal Ball, to be the ones who ring alarm before a grenade suddenly rolls across the busy office floor.

Reasonably, we don't allow intoxicated people to make decisions behind the wheel of a vehicle. So when does it make sense to have Mental Health Patients, who are naturally unaware of therapeutic benefits in Psychology and Psychiatry; making decisions to refuse, cancel or even ghost, their needed Mental Health Therapy?

It cannot be guaranteed that the Patient is even remotely aware what incidents may occur for themselves or others nearby, or even what is going on at the time, when doing so.
"Comprehension of important Medical Information'' and the "ability to keep a Safe Environment" - currently, stipulate whether your next possible Serial Outburst, gets treatment or not. They may lack the capacity to make responsible decisions hours after an interview, during a depressive or manic episode, where their brain chemicals do not function in the predicted way, causing them to suddenly snap. We don't have to continue inviting this.

Enabling our Mental Health Professionals to help and empower our Mental Wellness and SMI Consumers, is a two way street. We must remove bureaucratic red tape and allow our Mental Health Professionals to exercise their own Professional Judgment, having Discretionary Authority, without needing time consuming Court Orders, when providing on ground responsive Emergency Care, for Clients during their next sudden Crisis Event - as it happens - not after. This is how we streamline Mental Wellness. Only then, can we begin to curb random Public Outbursts, Terrorism, Road Rage, Domestic Disputes and more. Another positive, would be having too, Migrants, who may be silently suffering with Mental Illness, #PTSD , et cetera - finally being treated, who otherwise would go homeless, unaccounted, undocumented and untreated, left roaming neighborhoods.

And so it remains with great urgency that our Elected Representatives Draft then Pass Legislation, streamlining our Mental Wellness Professionals, with legal power to self certify IVC & AOT orders. This way, we will finally be lowering criminal activities; random violence, daily road rage and even, serial outbursts.

We owe this to both our Public and our Patients, who are actively seeking to improve their #MentalHealth .

Most Sincerely, Patient & Mental Health Treatment Advocate,

Frankie

Sources; Look Up Your State - Treatment Advocacy Center

When it comes time to sit with yourself and think through whatever is on your mind — both the good and bad — it can be helpful to find a place that helps you center yourself and process your thoughts.

Whether it’s your bedroom, a walk (or roll!) in a nearby park, your local cafe, or a therapist’s office, where do you go when you need a moment to pause and reflect?

#52SmallThings #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #MentalHealth #Anxiety #Depression #Therapy #RareDisease #Grief #Disability #Caregiving #Cancer #Autism #CheckInWithMe

I believe this... Actually, it would probably help us express how we feel a lot better! :)#MentalHealth #Therapy #Memes #inkblots

If you are looking for a therapist, it's not always as simple as it seems to find good, seasoned, trained, and experienced therapists. The therapy field unfortunately in more recent years has become saturated with people who wish to be therapists, but who don't often wish to go through the training or time it takes to become a good therapist. It is unfortunate, because it is very hard for the general public to be able to discern between a well-trained experienced therapist, and someone who doesn't have the necessary training to appropriately do the work of providing therapy.

Here are some situations to be careful of:

Corporate "Therapy" -- Do your best to avoid the big corporations who advertise therapeutic conversation, no matter how little they charge. You'll recognize these by their plentiful social media ads and sometimes using known actors or athletes to advertise their corporation of online therapists. Articles have been published regarding these massive corporate groups of therapists, exposing the lack of ethics, sharing of client information, and not actually providing therapy at all in many cases. They provide someone to talk to, and the corporations want the "therapists" to respond according to their corporate business model -- NOT what makes the most sense for a healthy therapy model. If what you want is therapy, you most likely will not receive it in these settings, even if someone is assigned to communicate with you. (Search the internet for articles on these issues).

No Post-Graduate Credentials -- Believe it or not, graduate schools do not teach people how to be therapists/psychotherapists. Graduate schools teach the knowledge to start into the field of psychology, social work, school counseling, mental health counseling, etc. When I received my masters in social work, I thought that I must know enough to provide therapy, based on the field placements I had been doing in therapy and counseling at the time. However, I quickly realized that if I wanted to actually provide real therapy and offer effective interventions to treat complex emotional and psychological processes, post-graduate training wasn't just a good idea, it was really going to be essential. Being empathic, caring, and an attuned listener are necessary foundations for providing therapy -- however, these qualities don't make up for a lack of true education on practicing therapy. There is nothing in a graduate school curriculum that provides this type of education. Therefore, when searching for a therapist, if you want someone trained and experienced, ask them where they did their post-graduate psychotherapy training. For many, this will be at analytic institutes and will take several years of training. This is generally not something that can be accomplished in a weekend seminar or something of this variety. A word of caution that many, many therapists do not seek post-graduate training. This would undoubtedly impact the quality and potential of your therapy.

Group Practices -- While group practices in and of themselves aren't problematic, it's important if you want a seasoned and trained therapist that you verify who you're paired with in a group practice. Often, people will be referred to a group practice for either one of the therapists, or just because the referring source knows of the group. However, group practices often employ masters level therapists who have not completed their clinical licensing hours. Meaning, they are working under supervision of a clinical therapist, but don't yet have their own experience hours for their clinical licenses. If it is important to you to have a clinically licensed therapist (which is the level required for any therapist to be in private practice), then be sure you request this or verify this if you're going to see someone in a group practice.

"Life Coaches" (who don't also have therapy training) -- Life coaching for a number of reasons has always been a complicated field to understand, mainly because it is not regulated by anything. Anyone can call themselves a life coach, for any reason. You don't need a certificate or a degree for it. This has allowed a large number of people to attempt to mimic the work of therapy without having any background in therapy, or even in a related field to therapy. While many trained therapists will also offer life coaching in various areas of struggle (since this is related to work they are actually trained in), it is very different for a person with no training in therapy to try to offer counseling services or therapy-adjacent services. Always be sure to verify credentials. 

#MentalHealth #Psychotherapy #psychotherapist #Therapy #Therapist

My therapist has made these faces before when I talk about my dad tbh. How is #Therapy going for you?