Treating PTSD: Are you, um, being honest?

So let’s just say you’re doing what it takes to engage in your healing process. You show up for the sessions, you talk the talk, you walk the walk. You research, educate yourself and try new things. Good for you. What I’m wondering now is how close to the truth you allow yourself to get.

I have a confession to make. As I’ve written before, I went through a load of therapy saying to every one of the doctors and practitioners I worked with, “Heal me!” But deep down inside, I didn’t really want to be healed. I was really invested in my survivor identity. I didn’t want to give it up and I didn’t want to talk about how much I had come to rely on, want, love and desire it.

I could not honestly tell anyone a lot of things about what I felt about PTSD or my trauma. I was embarassed, ashamed and bewildered by many of my thoughts and emotions. I got very good at skimming the surface of therapy and/or not exactly talking about the real issues when the issues got too close to some great fear.

Today’s BTG Big Question: Are you doing what it takes to be honest in your healing?

Needless to say, I lost a lot of time not truthfully addressing what needed to be addressed. It’s tough to be honest. It’s hard and grueling and like baring your naked and shivering self to the world being honest sometimes just feels plain wrong.

No, being honest is not easy. Yes, it is really, really necessary.

If  you don’t approach therapy and healing with a determination to be honest in what you’re thinking, feeling, experiencing, hoping, wishing and fearing then you do a disservice to yourself. You cheapen your efforts by not giving yourself the value you deserve.

How honest are you being with yourself and those people trying to help you?

BRIDGE THE GAP Exercise

Think about how you approach healing. Does the idea of healing fill you with the desire to truthfully tell all? 

Or do you immediately begin thinking about what and how to hide?

Today, muse about your healing approach and … you know… be HONEST! Are you committed to revealing the truth or hiding the facts?

In what way can you make more of an effort to be honest?

(Photo: eyecaramba)

Tags: Doing Whatever It Takes To Heal, healing, process, ptsd, trauma