PTSD

[kenneltech]

I am bipolar with severe PTSD, I am disabled because of it and was told I need EMDR treatments.  I REFUSE to go to my local city mental health agency because they just want to drug you up.  I have been this way since I was a child and am 55 now and I do take some medication, but I won't take all they want me to take.  I became addicted to drugs years ago because of this.  

My question is this:  my insurance does not pay for EMDR treatments, where can I go in CO to get these treatments at no cost or little cost?  Also, I have not slept without medication since I was 12 years old.  I am terrified to go to sleep and when I start to fall asleep, I jolt upright in sheer terror.  I'm tired of taking sleep meds and doctors telling me I don't have a sleep disorder.  I have been to 4 sleep disorder clinics, and have been told I'll be on sleep meds the rest of my life.  What else can cause this?   Or where else can I go to check on this?  I'M DESPERATE!!!!!!

[eeuuhija02]

Hi-I'm new so I'm just reading through some old posts that relate to some of my issues.

I have PTSD and severe sleep issues to (in addition to OCD and ADHD) and haven't slept more than 5 hours at a time even with meds as my nightmares seem to increase and I just feel like it is harder to wake up out of them.  Instead, I prefer to sleep in short bit and during the day to try to avoid the nightmares.

One thing that really helped me alot a year ago was Neurofeedback treatment.  I was actually in a much better mental state during and after and slept for most nights about 6-8 hours with few nightmares.

I received treatment from a specialist in exchange for helping watch her child while she studied for exams as she's about to get her psych degree.  Most treatments were very helpful and stabilizing and when there were times that she addressed a new area of my brain that caused more stress, anxiety, headaches, or nightmares, it was easy enough to "undo" the bad session by going back and doing a regular "good" session to get me back to before.  Unfortunately there are not alot of people doing this treatment yet-at least not where I live. And since she no longer needs the help, I can't afford it and my insurance doesn't cover it.

In case you haven't heard of neurofeedback there's a good website called eegspectrum.com which has alot of good info.  It's also good when other types of therapy may be too traumatic to experience because it involves having an eeg "read" your brainwaves and it retrain your brain to respond to positive stimuli to reconnect what may be misfiring.

I'm not sure I explained it too well, but it doesn't hurt-the side effects are minimal (headache, nightmare when "new" area explored touching on subconscious memory) but it starts slowly on the areas that are least affected and probable to cause negative reactions. (They do a brain map in the beginning to see what areas may be under/over stimulated, etc. and there are 19 different "hot spots" to attach the eeg wires to -with sticky gunk-nothing painful)

Anyway-you may want to look into it.  It was about the only thing that really helped me in the 14 years I've been dealing with stuff and I wish I could figure out how to get neuro treatments again without going broke doing so.

good luck-hope it helps

[amanda77rainbow]

It doesn't sound like you're 'ready' for EMDR. I've never done the therapy because I'm still pretty symptomatic with PTSD. If you're still having nightmares and sleep problems, you may not be stable enough to undergo eye movement therapy. EMDR requires you to remember trauma while being instructed in eye movements, and it can make your symptoms worsen.  

Who recommended it to you? I'm not sure what CO has to offer, but if you're near a city you may be able to sign up for a research study. Colorado has some sort of mental health parity law, which may require your insurance to pay for treatment if you're referred by your provider. See if you can research the law and check with your state's office of mental health to see if you're covered. Also, if you haven't already check out Sidran's website: www.sidran.org . They have lots of resources and if you contact them they may be able to direct you to an experienced EMDR practitioner.

Good luck.

[kenneltech]

Man, I feel your pain.  Everyone tells me to go to talk therapy, but I'm so talked out that I don't even know what to say anymore!!!  Besides, now days, it seems like they have a new treatment strategy where they don't ask you about your past, all they ask you today is "how have you been?  how do you feel? etc"  Well, like S---!!!

Have you tried ECT?  The first series of 6 worked wonders on me, but then it seemed to go away really fast!  Then I had another series and it didn't work at all.  But, I guess some people swear by it.  It's just really not that pleasant, even though they put you to sleep now.

If I were you, and your insurance pays for it, I'd check out this EMDR treatment.  Unfortunately, my insurance won't cover it, so that's why I'm asking these questions on this forum.  I want it, but don't know where to go.

Good luck to you, I hope you find peace somehow, it's hard.  Psychiatry is STILL not an exact science, and still very young.

kenneltech

[kenneltech]

I have talked to people that have had this treatment, and they have told me it works WONDERS!!  Mostly, it used to be used for veterans of war that were suffering from severe PTSD, but is becoming more widespread.  I hadn't heard of it either until just about a year ago.

I do know that they give you some sort of test to see if your "ready" to have it done.  If you are still in deep depression or still in the middle of your anxious thoughts, they won't do it.  They will put you in classes until you are ready, but I think it would be worth it, I've tried everything else.

[kenneltech]

Thank you for your response.  I have never heard of the treatment you are describing?  EMDR has something to do with eye movement.  It re-organizes your thought processess.  The reason I don't want to take all the medications they try to put me on is because I have bi-polar disorder (which it took them 35 years to diagnose!), severe PTSD, used to have severe dissociative disorder, and have borderline personality disorder.  I've been this way since I was a little kid, and I'm 55 now.  I;VE BEEN ON EVERYTING INCLUDING SHOCK THERAPY!!!  All I did was get addicted!!

I do take some medication, I'm not totally off all meds, I do want to get better, but I NEED THIS TREATMENT.

Sorry about your condition, it sucks, huh?  Keep in touch.

Kenneltech