EMDR therapy

[Guest guest]

has anyone had this kind of therapy to process trauma PTSD memories? What

happened, did it work? any other feedback?

I have got to the stage of trying to find a therapist but in my area there is

NO-ONE doing DBT, there are only 2 who have evr worked with a BPD patient, but

none who have worked with a KO...

One of the CBT practices uses EMDR but I don't really understand it...appreciate

any help from you guys!

[Guest guest]

Great question! My T uses EMDR. I've only done it once. Every time I go we

really just talk, well I talk and she has given me a lot of ah-ha moments and

insite to why I do / think/ feel things which has been very helpful. I don't

really like EMDR, but I'm going to try it again. She uses lights and sounds to

stimulate the brain while " processing " memories. It sounds silly to me, but she

says the research shows its works. I feel like an idiot wearing the headphone

and staring at the light board she uses. I told her I am actually quit

distracted with that stuff, enough where I dont fully relax into the session.

What's DBT? I'll have to google that. I never actually asked my T is she's

worked with KOs. But I've been going to her for several years and she's great.

>

> has anyone had this kind of therapy to process trauma PTSD memories? What

happened, did it work? any other feedback?

>

> I have got to the stage of trying to find a therapist but in my area there is

NO-ONE doing DBT, there are only 2 who have evr worked with a BPD patient, but

none who have worked with a KO...

>

> One of the CBT practices uses EMDR but I don't really understand

it...appreciate any help from you guys!

>

>

[Guest guest]

I tried EMDR therapy once for PTSD nightmares...it worked for about a week. She

told me I would only need one treatment and I would never have the nightmares

again but like I said it only lasted a week for me. It was a GREAT week! But I'm

thinking more than one session is required. I think it's worth trying though...

> >

> > has anyone had this kind of therapy to process trauma PTSD memories? What

happened, did it work? any other feedback?

> >

> > I have got to the stage of trying to find a therapist but in my area there

is NO-ONE doing DBT, there are only 2 who have evr worked with a BPD patient,

but none who have worked with a KO...

> >

> > One of the CBT practices uses EMDR but I don't really understand

it...appreciate any help from you guys!

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

thanks for that feedback - i am too scared to try it at the moment as I can't

find out much info about it and I would hate to have a re-traumatising session

of remembrance....

it sounds like you have to have a really safe and trusting relationship with a

very experienced therapist to make it work.

[Guest guest]

EMDR needs to be done in a long series of appointments. I used to work for an

EMDR therapist, who is qualified to practice this, and beleive me, its a long

process, but it works very very effectively for the traumas that we have been

through.

The therapy works exactly like the name describes.

>

>

> thanks for that feedback - i am too scared to try it at the moment as I can't

find out much info about it and I would hate to have a re-traumatising session

of remembrance....

>

> it sounds like you have to have a really safe and trusting relationship with a

very experienced therapist to make it work.

>

[Guest guest]

I have done EMDR therapy and continue to do it. It is an ongoing process. It

hasn't uncovered new things, so much as, you zone in on something that is

traumatizing and slowly change how your brain processes things that trigger that

trauma. My T doesn't use any lights, but hand movements that I follow with my

eyes.

For me, I had felt like my talk therapy sessions hadn't been going anywhere for

a while, and felt frustrated. But my T pointed out this was me getting strong

enough for the very difficult process of going behind my inner walls and

witnessing first hand what I was keeping behind there, through EMDR.

For me it has been a very profound experience, while difficult. But I think it

will help me resolve things that for me cannot be talked through, because they

are programmed into my brain neurologically. I'd recommend it, if you feel like

you're in a strong enough place for some serious internal witnessing of the

things you most want to avoid. I for example had to take a break after my second

session with it in order to recover and recenter for a while.

Sandy

[Guest guest]

This thread has been very helpful. I'm still apprehensive about EMDR, but I

also very much want to move past the PTSD. I just have so many emotional

reactions that I don't really understand...until I realize it triggered a

very faint snippet of a memory, and thus, my reaction.

My poor husband--he gets bewildered sometimes. It doesn't help when I'm

PMSing, at the same time too, lol.

Holly

>

>

> I have done EMDR therapy and continue to do it. It is an ongoing process.

> It hasn't uncovered new things, so much as, you zone in on something that is

> traumatizing and slowly change how your brain processes things that trigger

> that trauma. My T doesn't use any lights, but hand movements that I follow

> with my eyes.

>

> For me, I had felt like my talk therapy sessions hadn't been going anywhere

> for a while, and felt frustrated. But my T pointed out this was me getting

> strong enough for the very difficult process of going behind my inner walls

> and witnessing first hand what I was keeping behind there, through EMDR.

>

> For me it has been a very profound experience, while difficult. But I think

> it will help me resolve things that for me cannot be talked through, because

> they are programmed into my brain neurologically. I'd recommend it, if you

> feel like you're in a strong enough place for some serious internal

> witnessing of the things you most want to avoid. I for example had to take a

> break after my second session with it in order to recover and recenter for a

> while.

>

> Sandy

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I have never tried this, but it does seem that one would have to reach a point

of some solid recovery and emotional strength and have a long-established trust

relationship with one's therapist in order to try this therapy.

I could be wrong, but what it seems to be is a method of inducing a " flashback "

experience; in other words one is re-experiencing a traumatic event as though it

is actually happening in the present, again. That seems potentially dangerous

to me and could perhaps even be re-traumatizing to the patient unless the

therapist is very confident about the patient's suitability and very skilled and

experienced with conducting the therapy.

(I experienced an involuntary flashback once and found it frightening and badly

upsetting, myself. So perhaps I would not be a suitable candidate for this

particular therapy. I'm guessing that like most things, the efficacy and value

of a particular therapy will vary from person to person.)

-Annie

>

> I have done EMDR therapy and continue to do it. It is an ongoing process. It

hasn't uncovered new things, so much as, you zone in on something that is

traumatizing and slowly change how your brain processes things that trigger that

trauma. My T doesn't use any lights, but hand movements that I follow with my

eyes.

>

> For me, I had felt like my talk therapy sessions hadn't been going anywhere

for a while, and felt frustrated. But my T pointed out this was me getting

strong enough for the very difficult process of going behind my inner walls and

witnessing first hand what I was keeping behind there, through EMDR.

>

> For me it has been a very profound experience, while difficult. But I think it

will help me resolve things that for me cannot be talked through, because they

are programmed into my brain neurologically. I'd recommend it, if you feel like

you're in a strong enough place for some serious internal witnessing of the

things you most want to avoid. I for example had to take a break after my second

session with it in order to recover and recenter for a while.

>

> Sandy

>

[Guest guest]

I guess it works for some of us when we need to confront the hidden memories

in order to move on, if we continually feel like it's haunting us. I know I

want to try it, because I keep havoing nagging feelings of memories hidden

in my brain, and I want to recover and reconcile the feelings that I had to

suppress at the times of abuse so I can make it part of my past instead of

my present.

But I do wonder about the consequences of reliving the memories. Worst case

ill have to take sick days if I'm too affected to work.

Sent from my droid

> I have never tried this, but it does seem that one would have to reach a

point of some solid recovery and emotional strength and have a

long-established trust relationship with one's therapist in order to try

this therapy.

>

> I could be wrong, but what it seems to be is a method of inducing a

" flashback " experience; in other words one is re-experiencing a traumatic

event as though it is actually happening in the present, again. That seems

potentially dangerous to me and could perhaps even be re-traumatizing to the

patient unless the therapist is very confident about the patient's

suitability and very skilled and experienced with conducting the therapy.

>

> (I experienced an involuntary flashback once and found it frightening and

badly upsetting, myself. So perhaps I would not be a suitable candidate for

this particular therapy. I'm guessing that like most things, the efficacy

and value of a particular therapy will vary from person to person.)

>

> -Annie

>

>

>

>

>

>

>>

>> I have done EMDR therapy and continue to do it. It is an ongoing process.

It hasn't uncovered new things, so much as, you zone in on something that is

traumatizing and slowly change how your brain processes things that trigger

that trauma. My T doesn't use any lights, but hand movements that I follow

with my eyes.

>>

>> For me, I had felt like my talk therapy sessions hadn't been going

anywhere for a while, and felt frustrated. But my T pointed out this was me

getting strong enough for the very difficult process of going behind my

inner walls and witnessing first hand what I was keeping behind there,

through EMDR.

>>

>> For me it has been a very profound experience, while difficult. But I

think it will help me resolve things that for me cannot be talked through,

because they are programmed into my brain neurologically. I'd recommend it,

if you feel like you're in a strong enough place for some serious internal

witnessing of the things you most want to avoid. I for example had to take a

break after my second session with it in order to recover and recenter for a

while.

>>

>> Sandy

>>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi RG, I have attempted EMDR twice with two different therapists and had pretty

mixed results. I think the method itself has incredible potential, but the

therapist who does it really matters. The alternating stimulation that's used

while you focus on the trauma " opens " it up so that the memory becomes active in

your consciousness and can be released or reframed. It's like it got stored

with the full emotional trauma frozen in your psyche and EMDR gets it out,

unfreezes it, and done right releases it so all you are left with is the factual

memory but the rest is gone.

You need a therapist who will:

1) Start with small, not severe traumatic events, later in life for the first

few sessions at least. If they want to start with your worst memory they are

not following the EMDR protocol. It's best to start with adult memories, not

early childhood.

2) They must have a protocol in place for what to do if you are overwhelmed with

the trauma emotion. How do they bring you back to a peaceful space? What is

their protocol if you are triggered 5 minutes before the session is over and

your time is up and another client is waiting?

3) Define very clearly what you will cover while the alternating stimulus is

operating. For example, don't have it going and then talk casually or talk as

if it is a normal session. This can lead to unpredictable triggering.

So basically EMDR is really friggin powerful but despite my negative experiences

I do believe in the right hands it can be healing.

>

> has anyone had this kind of therapy to process trauma PTSD memories? What

happened, did it work? any other feedback?

>

> I have got to the stage of trying to find a therapist but in my area there is

NO-ONE doing DBT, there are only 2 who have evr worked with a BPD patient, but

none who have worked with a KO...

>

> One of the CBT practices uses EMDR but I don't really understand

it...appreciate any help from you guys!

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

thank you for your input about EMDR. I finally did the intake interview last

night with the help of my husband, and the counselor who did the intake (she

was my previous counselor before I dropped off the bandwagon) still thinks

EMDR will help me. I will keep those three points in mind when I discuss

EMDR during my first counseling appointment. I probably won't get to it

right away, obviously, but I do like knowing what's coming up.

Holly

On Mon, Apr 25, 2011 at 6:51 PM, climberkayak wrote:

>

>

> Hi RG, I have attempted EMDR twice with two different therapists and had

> pretty mixed results. I think the method itself has incredible potential,

> but the therapist who does it really matters. The alternating stimulation

> that's used while you focus on the trauma " opens " it up so that the memory

> becomes active in your consciousness and can be released or reframed. It's

> like it got stored with the full emotional trauma frozen in your psyche and

> EMDR gets it out, unfreezes it, and done right releases it so all you are

> left with is the factual memory but the rest is gone.

>

> You need a therapist who will:

> 1) Start with small, not severe traumatic events, later in life for the

> first few sessions at least. If they want to start with your worst memory

> they are not following the EMDR protocol. It's best to start with adult

> memories, not early childhood.

> 2) They must have a protocol in place for what to do if you are overwhelmed

> with the trauma emotion. How do they bring you back to a peaceful space?

> What is their protocol if you are triggered 5 minutes before the session is

> over and your time is up and another client is waiting?

> 3) Define very clearly what you will cover while the alternating stimulus

> is operating. For example, don't have it going and then talk casually or

> talk as if it is a normal session. This can lead to unpredictable

> triggering.

>

> So basically EMDR is really friggin powerful but despite my negative

> experiences I do believe in the right hands it can be healing.

>

>

>

>

> >

> > has anyone had this kind of therapy to process trauma PTSD memories? What

> happened, did it work? any other feedback?

> >

> > I have got to the stage of trying to find a therapist but in my area

> there is NO-ONE doing DBT, there are only 2 who have evr worked with a BPD

> patient, but none who have worked with a KO...

> >

> > One of the CBT practices uses EMDR but I don't really understand

> it...appreciate any help from you guys!

> >

> >

>

>

>