Comments on: Sexual Assault Treatment Fail

By: Sexual Assault Treatment Fail, Continued

Sexual Assault Treatment Fail, Continued — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 22:43:51 +0000

[...] the sexual assault treatment center that refused to see me because I used alcohol called to “follow up” with me. The counselor asked me if I was [...]

By: Garnet Joyce

Garnet Joyce — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 01:44:00 +0000

Yeah that’s all kinds of fucked up. Are there any LGBT centers around that offer therapy? They tend to usually be a bit more open minded and sliding scale.

By: alana

alana — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 21:15:15 +0000

This is horrible.

And it doesn’t even make sense to me (though Kittie’s comment sounds valid). Even if you did drink to deal with the trauma (though I’m not saying do) wouldn’t dealing with the trauma be the way to stop the drinking instead of the other way around?

By: MaryBullstonecraft

MaryBullstonecraft — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 15:36:49 +0000

Britni, I am so sorry this happened; this is absolutely inexcusable and terrible. I can’t imagine treating anyone this way, let alone someone who is a sexual assault survivor. I know this is not really a consolation, but at least you know now that you won’t be getting ‘treatment’ from a place utterly incompetent to offer it.

By: Sophie Delancey

Sophie Delancey — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 14:42:53 +0000

Seriously? SERIOUSLY? I don’t know what passes for treatment there, but every place I know in Montreal is dedicated to staffing people who understand and respect the nuances of survivors, not those who are indifferent to TRIGGERING people there for ONE MAIN REASON and then ignoring what is very obviously either a pre-existing controlled thing or, I don’t know, maybe a COPING strategy! Fuck the world, how do those people not get berated on a daily basis for their obscene lack of understanding of the field they are in? That sounds like an unbearable experience, but hopefully you’ll be able to find someone better.

By: Sa

Sa — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 05:41:09 +0000

So…trying to cope with sexual assault is judged? I mean, maybe it would make sense to these people that victims (sorry if you dislike the word) who already have to go through the ordeal of talking about their assault shouldn’t be judged for drinking or using? How many people are totally sober???? Do they specialise in teetotal patients?

Are you going to talk about them?

By: Nell Gwynne

Nell Gwynne — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 01:43:35 +0000

So. Much. Rage. Here.

First, it should be a given that that TV should never be playing anything triggering in the reception office at an office that provides therapy to sexual assault survivors.

Secondly, WHAT THE HELL?

Their response to your openly admitting that you drank makes no sense, for all of the reasons you included. It seems like such a cop out. I hope you finally find the help that you need. Plus, that seems so incredibly condescending, seeing that you are a therapist yourself.

*hug

By: Catherine

Catherine — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 01:06:42 +0000

That is absolutely ridiculous. Honestly, if the Jerry Springer in the waiting area is indicative of how sterile their “open-heart surgery” facilities are, you’re better off elsewhere (okay, that metaphor may have been a bit of a stretch). You deserve better! I hope that you find the help you’re looking for.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:18:45 +0000

That is just such bullshit. Who do these people think they are? It’s so wrong in so many ways- How dare they pass judgement on what is actually very light alcohol use (I’d argue some prim diva refusing to touch a glass of wine with friends with hysterical pronouncements it is ‘using’ is in way more need of therapy than someone who behaves in a perfectly normal, social way): how dare they make someone who is already feeling fragile feel worse: and the insanity of ending someone to one sort of therapy before they can start another leaves me completely speechless- what are they planning to do in the therapy? tell people to shut up as they are bringing the ‘wrong issues’? Bizarre. They are insensitive, inconsiderate, ill-educated and inhuman- there have to be better places to go. I could tell you where to find them in London, which I know is no use to you at all, but if we have them in the old world, I’m sure you have them there! Good luck

By: Kittie

Kittie — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:06:07 +0000

When I did my internship at a psychiatric ward, we had people there for benzodiazepine withdrawal so they could be reassigned to inpatient trauma therapy. But then, those people were constantly under the influence of benzos, not taking some when they went out with their friends and being sober the next day. They did use the drugs to help them cope with symptoms, not as a recreational activity. I understand the need to be off sedating drugs when in trauma therapy, but you are not under the influence during therapy, obviously. -.-
The point being that trauma therapy might exacerbate substance use if the substance use is a way to cope (bad) and that sedating drugs affect the brains ability to process therapy and might render it useless (even worse). But somebody who uses substances for coping is no outpatient candidate anyway.
What are they fucking thinking? Those people, as soon as withdrawal was complete, went straight from one inpatient unit to another, no everyday coping inbetween, so it was all sorts of different.

How they got the idea that outpatient trauma therapy is not suitable for social(!) drinkers is beyond me. You seem not to drink to manage your symptoms (you’ve probably even used alcohol the same way before the rape incident..?). This is annoying me to no end.

Also, what the fucking hell is wrong with that fucking douchebag receptionist??