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Hi all,

Just wanted to share how helpful acupuncture and trauma informed massage therapy has been for cptsd. 

"Listen to your body and get out off your head"  this is what my therapist told me...and it's been so helpful. 

I've posted here before about lost time and memories but I've come to understand that the body remembers what the mind suppresses.  Read Gabor Mate and Bessel van der Kolk.

Zabava,

   Thank you for sharing.  I believe that the body remembers or keeps score.

   "The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma" by Bessel van der Kolk

    I found a video for the other Dr. Gabor Mate with Bessel van der Kolk at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e14L97WsiAs.

    Do you have other resources?

I've read that Reiki has helped many with anxiety and stress, that works on pressure points, isn't that how acupuncture works Zabava ? Thanks for sharing you success.

I'm ticklish and hate needles so haven't tried either of those. But found meditation, yoga and positive affirmations helped. Interestingly, all these techniques come from South East Asia.

Happy Chappy,

   I have found that a TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) machine works pretty well, if not better than acupuncture/acupressure, and they are fairly inexpensive on Amazon. 

   You put electrodes on your skin, you control the device, it causes your muscles to contract in a pleasant way, I have used it on acupuncture points with good effect.

   It is part of my self-care regimen, as needed.

   Take care with self-care.

SD

Thanks for the tip SaltyDawg. I trust it's not a home Electric Shock Treament kit.  lol. I'm surfing Amazone as we speak.

TENS uses electrical impulses, and if used incorrectly, it can feel like 'shocks' - make sure the pads are properly lubricated (I use spit, others use a drop or two of water, therapists use a special gel), if the electrodes are too dry it will feel like shocks.

Also, avoid using if you have implants (pace-maker or other electrical device), avoid non-muscle areas and near major nerve bundles, like the front of the neck, lower back of the neck is okay, not on the spine.  Use diagrams on where to place the pads for specific ailments.

Some like the sensation, others don't.  I find the best setting is after dialing it up to a near painful level, dial it back about two levels, and I find that to be a good setting for me.

Did your acupuncturist have to tell you where the exact pressure points are?

Somatic Experiencing Therapy (https://traumahealing.org/se-research-and-articles/?gclid=CjwKCAiA1MCrBhAoEiwAC2d64UFBn-MuYDtK36IKNAh9L7s5ohi2qVkua6wO5KbkwpAXKwgc9EV_SBoC2PwQAvD_BwE) helped me. It's based on Dr. Peter Levine's work (mentioned in Bessel van der Kolk's book).

Some people find EMDR works well for them but when I began exploring it, a therapist directed me to somatic experiencing therapy because she said EMDR can unlock a lot of sensation quickly, in bursts, which can re-traumatize some people. S.E.T., in her words, was easier to move more carefully and slowly with patients who struggled to release trauma.

In my first session I was more than willing to work, especially after years of therapy. I was noticing how my body would exhibit often overwhelming physical sensations that were confusing, and wanted to understand better what was going on. After years in an abusive relationship, and then a protracted high-conflict divorce, I was in a loving, safe relationship, and yet I had these physical sensations and sometimes spasms in response to trigger.

After the first session, it took me 30 + minutes to pull myself together enough I could drive safely. For the second session, my T took that information and we went more slowly and it felt both impactful and safe.

I don't think meditation had as much of an impact on me until after those sessions because I had been so chronically hypervigilant. I could only really relax after a lot of exercise.

The device came with its own chart (in Chinese and English), you can also find them on the Internet (Google).