Thread by @RachelintheOC

Many times, especially as childhood survivors of sexual abuse, therapy wasn't an option for many of us for various reasons. For me, it was the mid-70s and therapy was frowned upon. As I write in my books, only people like my 'crazy Aunt Barbara' went to therapy #SexAbuseChat

because she'd tried to end her life several times. Or it was what 'hippies' did - going to transcendental meditation or EST. Therapy wasn't for abused kids - besides, 'she's FINE' my mom told everyone. It was swept under the rug.

#SexAbuseChat

It wasn't until I gave birth to my first child and experienced PPD (postpartum depression) that I sought therapy, and my shrink (wonderful guy) diagnosed me with anxiety, depression, and PTSD - living w/ all that for over 25 years! Imagine that.

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My story is fairly common, though. I've spoken with thousands of survivors since I shared my story publicly with BROKEN PIECES (my first book) in 2013. Many of us simply don't know we need help because that's our normal. We're so used to minimizing and dissociating #SexAbuseChat

that it's not unusual to respond to situations and triggers the way we do.

Example: migraines. I've had them since my teens. Not one doc asked me about sexual abuse or trauma, yet they're frequent with PTSD and trauma #SexAbuseChat

Some people are concerned that starting therapy means entering into a lifelong contract. That isn’t usually the case. While there is no timeline for recovering from sexual assault or abuse, you may be able to work with a therapist for a defined amount of time #SexAbuseChat

to help you find ways to heal from the experience.

Therapeutic treatments are designed to give you tools to structure your life and interact with your environment in a healthy way that works for you. Some patients are ready to leave therapy after a few months. #SexAbuseChat

Other patients find a therapeutic relationship to be beneficial and want to continue counseling for a longer period of time. You can, and should, talk about timelines with your therapist.

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A flexible timeline can help you set goals for recovery and make it easier to track your progress.

(via @RAINN)

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@RAINN When you’re ready to leave therapy, remember that the door doesn’t have to remain closed. You can always schedule a check-in appointment at a later time or resume therapy if you need it.

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Changing therapists

You may decide at a certain point that your relationship with your therapist isn’t working out. Maybe you aren’t seeing the progress you had hoped, or maybe you feel that you just don’t “click.”

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I did this. While I really loved my shrink, he was more generalized. I wanted to work with a trauma-trained therapist who focused more specifically on working with survivors. It's made an enormous difference in my recovery and healing.

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For the sake of your own health and progress, do not abruptly stop attending sessions. Consider the following tips to help you through process of transitioning to new support.

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* Write out your concerns. Then set them aside for a little while. Review this list later when you’ve had some time to think about it. It can be helpful to bring this list into a session with your current therapist to guide a conversation about your concerns.

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* Communicate with your therapist. Ask to reserve time at the end of the appointment to discuss your concerns. It can seem intimidating to tell a therapist you wish to leave. Remember that they are professionals.

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Most therapists will be able to give you a referral for another professional that might be better suited for your particular situation.

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* Get a second opinion. If you’re not sure that this current treatment is working out for you, you can seek the opinion of another professional. They may confirm your concerns or they could reaffirm that you are on the right track.

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* Be prepared to retell your story. A new therapist won’t know your personal history. You may have to retell parts of your life that you haven’t addressed explicitly in a while.

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You are entitled to ask for a copy of your records to share with your new therapist, but it’s likely that they will want to do their own assessment.

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To speak with someone who is trained to help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) or chat online at online.rainn.org.

(via @RAINN)

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@RAINN If you're not ready for therapy, you can try this:

In Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, there’s an emotional regulation skill called PLEASE, which stands for:

Physical Illness

Balance Eating

Avoid Mood Altering Drugs

Balance Sleep Exercise

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Give the PLEASE skills a try because doing all these things — meeting our basic physical needs — actually reduces emotional vulnerabilities. It’s a great way to keep yourself on track physically and emotionally.

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More information here from @talkspace 7 Self-Care Tips for Sexual Assault Survivors | Talkspace buff.ly/2tEH2b6

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@talkspace I'll open it up to you all now if you want to share - was there a specific moment when you KNEW you needed therapy? Or was it more of a gradual thing?

Or are you still hesitating? (and if you are, that's okay, too!)

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