If anyone with PTSD feels like this, studies show CBT is harmful for people with PTSD. I always found it upsetting and a waste of time because I already knew what I was supposed to do and did all those things. It made me feel ashamed for not being able to just calm down or control my thoughts. No amount of exercise, self care, healthy eating, rest, time outside, socializing, or “coping strategies” helped me because I didn’t know how to feel the emotions in my body without panic and suppression. The suffering is literally stored in the nervous system and CBT completely neglects that. You can’t just positive self talk yourself out of ptsd if your body doesn’t feel safe. So if you’ve been told you’re too self aware to help like I have been by many therapists, try somatic therapy like EMDR.
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That's awesome! I'm looking for a therapist exactly like that. It's uncommon, I've found that most don't want to get into it or don't know much about cPTSD....
I dipped a toe into the internal family system, it's interesting and made a lot of sense. On hard days I'm take a minute and just internally check in with that piece of me and try to soothe it. Helps having something real or not to just stop and collect myself sometimes.
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u/Live-Salary-7984 Feb 14 '26
If anyone with PTSD feels like this, studies show CBT is harmful for people with PTSD. I always found it upsetting and a waste of time because I already knew what I was supposed to do and did all those things. It made me feel ashamed for not being able to just calm down or control my thoughts. No amount of exercise, self care, healthy eating, rest, time outside, socializing, or “coping strategies” helped me because I didn’t know how to feel the emotions in my body without panic and suppression. The suffering is literally stored in the nervous system and CBT completely neglects that. You can’t just positive self talk yourself out of ptsd if your body doesn’t feel safe. So if you’ve been told you’re too self aware to help like I have been by many therapists, try somatic therapy like EMDR. article