Hello everyone,

DH went to his first session with a psychologist today. I can't tell you how happy I am about that, and how proud I am of him. :claps: I've been trying to get him to do this since we met in 2001!

I have to say that I was also glad that I went into the session with him. Listening to him catalogue his various traumas from childhood over the hour and watching the psychologists' reactions resensitised me to his story. It was a little like hearing it for the first time again.

It was intense and hard for DH but by the end of it I think he had a glimmer of a new and better perspective too. OMG I have hope! :tongue:

I know things will probably get worse before they get better but now I know I'm not alone in trying to help him and that there is a purpose to the suffering. There is light in the tunnel.

Since the shootings at Virginia Tech on Monday I thought everybody could do with hearing something a little positive on the PTSD subject.

Annette

Oh well done Annette!

I'm so glad to hear this! It's wonderfully positive news! (keep in mind that it will go up and down in severity while he heals, there is no straight line for healing!)

I'm very happy for you both! It's a great step.

bec

Thanks for the encouragement bec. I'm aware that the going will get harder before it will get better. I had to do a lot of self-healing from some shocks in my own life some years ago and I've really only just come out of that recently. I see it as a spiral. You have some good days but then you think you've gone back to the same bad place (in your mind/emotions) but while it has all the same feelings they are just a little bit less aweful than last time.

Does that make sense?

But the psychologist also thinks that Heath has something really aweful repressed and while that works it's way out I think my situation as his carer is going to get harder. It certainly seems to be hard on him at the moment as he's sad all time and drinking more. On the bright side though, we are communicating a lot better now and he really does see that this is all about wanting the best for him. There was a part of him that was very cynical about it all for a very long time. It's nice to finally be really believed.

Great stuff Annette, a big well done for you both. Obviously your working on him to progress to counselling has paid off, and hopefully will continue to do so. Just make sure he knows that he will get ill in counselling, no doubt, but its for a good cause, being the longevity of his life and your relationship.

Thank you Anthony. I'm trying to get him to come to these pages but I don't know if he has or not. I doubt it. Anyway now we need to get it together with the appropriate payments with Centrelink. I've asked about a carer's allowance and I have the forms but with all my uni work I haven't had time to fill them in yet.