I'm so glad you found the help you needed and embarked on therapy, Jacqui.
You've described so vividly the impact of therapy after trauma. I'm reminded me of the grief counselling I eventually paid for privately a few years after my son, Otto, was stillborn in 2000. I'd bottled up so much that I realised it was affecting me and the rest of my family. I was worried that if I started to talk about it I'd completely melt down. Actually, it was the best thing I could have done. I offloaded so much in a rush, that first session, and then bit by bit. I went once a week for a few months until it felt like the experience was integrated. I was no longer afraid of talking about it.
Thank you so much for sharing your story about Otto, Wendy. It made me want so much to send you a big hug. And I'm glad that therapy helped you. I can appreciate that I was incredibly fortunate to have had the right insurance from work to be treated so quickly - I'm sure that it made a difference. I'm a master at bottling things up and not telling anyone how I really feel. There will indeed be another chapter about the mental aspects of my recovery, though it will be a lot more challenging to read than this one. I most definitely wasn't done with therapy after those initial few months even though I thought I was... And on a lighter note - have a lovely time with your guests next week! You'll be missed as always.
I can’t even imagine this Jacqui. So glad you got the help and support you needed! You’re right it should be automatic support after a traumatic event. I know it’s not the same but after I completed my jury service at the old Bailey for a murder trial , we were just left to go at the end !! No support !! I didn’t realise how much it had impacted on me until much later. I’ve always said they need to put therapists in court for the jurors and likewise for you !
I've been completely gripped by your posts, but interestingly this is the first one that has made me cry. Something about the relief of you getting the right help. Our son had NF as a baby and we ended up in Swansea in Wales for 3 weeks so he could stay at a plastic surgery specialist hospital. We knew no one and were sleeping by his bed or in a chalet in the car park. When he was released we just all drove back to London in shock. We had no help or support except our GP. It took years to recover.
Oh wow, that must have been hard being so far from home. There's nothing like your own bed when things are bad. Three years on I can't claim that mentally I'm entirely recovered, but I am 100% sure that I'm much further forward than I would have been without the psychological support. NF is such a difficult disease as it just don't come with an established multi-disciplinary team as standard like some other diseases.
Also I was desperate to find out why it had happened, and eventually my GP told me I had to stop looking for answers as it wasn't doing me any good, and it was impossible to know. Which did help.
I get it! I battled with the 'why' for a long time. In the end you just have to accept it happened and stop trying to rationalise it. But it take a long time.
I'm so glad you found the help you needed and embarked on therapy, Jacqui.
You've described so vividly the impact of therapy after trauma. I'm reminded me of the grief counselling I eventually paid for privately a few years after my son, Otto, was stillborn in 2000. I'd bottled up so much that I realised it was affecting me and the rest of my family. I was worried that if I started to talk about it I'd completely melt down. Actually, it was the best thing I could have done. I offloaded so much in a rush, that first session, and then bit by bit. I went once a week for a few months until it felt like the experience was integrated. I was no longer afraid of talking about it.
Interested to read what came next for you.
Thank you so much for sharing your story about Otto, Wendy. It made me want so much to send you a big hug. And I'm glad that therapy helped you. I can appreciate that I was incredibly fortunate to have had the right insurance from work to be treated so quickly - I'm sure that it made a difference. I'm a master at bottling things up and not telling anyone how I really feel. There will indeed be another chapter about the mental aspects of my recovery, though it will be a lot more challenging to read than this one. I most definitely wasn't done with therapy after those initial few months even though I thought I was... And on a lighter note - have a lovely time with your guests next week! You'll be missed as always.
Thank you, Jacqui. Sending a big hug back to you, too. x
I can’t even imagine this Jacqui. So glad you got the help and support you needed! You’re right it should be automatic support after a traumatic event. I know it’s not the same but after I completed my jury service at the old Bailey for a murder trial , we were just left to go at the end !! No support !! I didn’t realise how much it had impacted on me until much later. I’ve always said they need to put therapists in court for the jurors and likewise for you !
I couldn't agree more! We focus so much on physical injury and ignore the mental aspect. It should be as standard for jury's as for patients. 🤗
I've been completely gripped by your posts, but interestingly this is the first one that has made me cry. Something about the relief of you getting the right help. Our son had NF as a baby and we ended up in Swansea in Wales for 3 weeks so he could stay at a plastic surgery specialist hospital. We knew no one and were sleeping by his bed or in a chalet in the car park. When he was released we just all drove back to London in shock. We had no help or support except our GP. It took years to recover.
Oh wow, that must have been hard being so far from home. There's nothing like your own bed when things are bad. Three years on I can't claim that mentally I'm entirely recovered, but I am 100% sure that I'm much further forward than I would have been without the psychological support. NF is such a difficult disease as it just don't come with an established multi-disciplinary team as standard like some other diseases.
Also I was desperate to find out why it had happened, and eventually my GP told me I had to stop looking for answers as it wasn't doing me any good, and it was impossible to know. Which did help.
I get it! I battled with the 'why' for a long time. In the end you just have to accept it happened and stop trying to rationalise it. But it take a long time.