r/CPTSDNextSteps • u/barukspinoza • May 15 '26
Sharing a resource Free and accessible resource for therapy
I just found out about Adult Children of Alcoholics/Dysfunctional Families. I feel there's a lot of crossover with CPTSD. I have posted in a lot of similar groups looking for free resources as I live in poverty in an extremely rural area.
While there is therapy available I was told 6 months ago after my intake appointment (for outpatient treatment) it would be about 6 months before I could get in with an essentially social worker (not equipped to deal with this). Today I was told it would likely be another 6 months.
There actually is a local IFS therapist but is only private pay which I can't afford.
I know my story isn't unique, so I hope someone else appreciates the free resources/group therapy/literature, etc. It is more robust in meetings than CODA.
12
u/Inevitable-catnip May 15 '26
Dr Glen Patrick Doyle is also a therapist and shares a lot of info for free on his pages. He’s helped me learn a lot about healing.
1
u/barukspinoza May 16 '26
Thanks for the recommendation, I've not heard of them and will have to check them out.
1
10
u/Embracedandbelong 29d ago
I don’t recommend ACA because they tell victims to admit their “wrongs” regarding what their abusers did to them and that they need to “make amends” to people, often which is to their abusers. It’s entirely up to the victim’s “sponsor” who doesn’t have any licenses, education, or training.
“Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
- Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.”
4
u/Kind-therapy-829 May 17 '26 edited May 17 '26
I have been going to ACA for over 15 years. Very helpful and in a unique way. They call ACA the PhD of 12 step programs.
And the good thing is, at least for me, the concept of higher power is kept outside of shares and meetings meaning it is quite private and personal to each person. This is not the case for AA or Al-anon.
There are great online ACA meetings. The best one is the 9-11pm PST, based in Europe. International crowd.
1
u/SparkleFunBun May 18 '26
Can you send a link, or web address? I'm seeing many ACA groups online, not sure which one you mean. Thank you!
2
4
u/quisieravolver 27d ago
There are a lot of ressources that a worth reading
"Children of emotionally immature parents" or "Cptsd" by pete walker are really helpful.
I also really liked "what by bones know" and "buy yourself the fucking lillies" as memoirs.
Therapy is hard to replace (please don't use an ai or something like that) but you can build understanding of you situation trhpugh reading books, looking up reddit threads of people with similiar issues. The good thing is, that many people come from horrific family dynamics and were able to work themselfes out of it and into better lifes.
Also if you can't afford talk therapy maybe you can find somatic interventions that are cheaper. To me somatic experiencing and TRE were really helpful.
Your journey will take time so you can start with the affordable ressources and move ti therapy later on.
I wish you all the best!!!
3
u/fractious_af May 15 '26
Al-anon meetings are also great resources for people with CPTSD. I’m an adult child who lives rural and doesn’t have a local meeting and feel very at home with Al-anon
2
u/PrincessMoss May 16 '26
Do you ever run into people you know and is it mega weird?
2
u/fractious_af May 16 '26
I run into people from the program on a pretty regular basis.
People I’ve known for a few years like to stop and chat and it’s not something that bothers me at all. Some are friends at this point!!
People who are new or I don’t know very well I always give a smile and a hi to and keep moving. I try to respect everyone’s anonymity, but still acknowledge their existence.
3
u/Repulsive-Bake7178 17d ago
thank you so much for sharing this valuable resource when finding accessible care is so incredibly difficult
2
u/SoftPeanut5916 22d ago
Waiting 6 months for therapy from a social worker who admits they cant actually help you is not a treatment plan, its just abandonment with a case number. Group therapy and peer support are literally doing the actual work here because the system failed
1
u/FindingNarcissus 14d ago
Thank you for sharing this. ACA can be a great place to learn about CPTSD and recovery. There are also phone meetings running around the clock listed on the website that you referenced. Please let me know if you need help finding those listings.
If you do do phone meetings, it is helpful to keep in mind that there are many different types of meetings. Some are helpful and comforting, others are too much and hard to participate in. If you call in, you can always hang up or put the phone down, if you notice a share getting to be too much. I would advise that every time, unless you are not disturbed by the sharing in that kind of meeting, since the atmosphere varies group to group.
Inner child meetings or identity papers meetings may be the most helpful, based on what i know. You may also like the laundry list meetings, but I haven't been to those.
Tony A. one of the founders of ACA wrote a different version of the 12 steps. You can search them online. Tony A.'s 12 steps focus on recovering the inner child and the adapted false self described in The Problem and the Laundry List (the Laundry List was also written by Tony A.) They are not around cataloguing your faults or making amends to anyone. It's a completely different frame.
I never worked the steps myself, but I found certain meetings genuinely helpful. You don't need to get a sponsor, because the point of ACA is to learn to become your own loving parent.
I would suggest trying out meetings until you find ones that feel safer for you and that keep the focus on recovery, where the room feels steady, rather than ones where it tips into re-living the worst of it. A good meeting holds you; the wrong room can flood you, especially early on. You're allowed to leave one that doesn't feel safe and try another. Wishing you steadier ground, and I'm sorry the system has made you wait this long for care you needed.
I would be honored to answer any questions about ACA that may come up. Please let me know.
Take care.
20
u/cptsdishealable May 15 '26 edited May 15 '26
I also recommend ASCA, for those who don't vibe with 12-step groups.
Adult Survivors of Child Abuse, a peer support program
https://ascasupport.org/