EMDR

[ammiemum]

i am getting into a bit of a state worrying about what happens when you go to have this treatment. i am due to have this some time this summer and just want to know what is actually done - so any of you who have been..? i know what it is supposed to achiev e just not exactly how. i am not good at coping when i dont know, i will do my best to go to it as i cant continue to be the way i am, but as it gets nearer i just get scared. any guidance please? :scared15: :weep:

[annette1]

Hi ammiemum

Your fears surrounding EMDR are perfectly normal. Are you having for trauma focused therapy for PTSD? If so reading 'Waking the Tiger' by Peter Levine will be a great help to you.

EMDR has been a great help to me. Please dont think at the first appointment you have with your therapist you will be thrown into it. Your therapist shouldn't start it until you have developed a trusting relationship with them.

During my initial appointments with my psych she just listened (without too much comment) to what was troubling me, she told me I didn't have to talk specifically about my trauma until I felt able to trust her & then we would be able to do it in a controlled way. In the end I wrote it down & emailed her then we discussed it at my next appointment.

Then she spent some weeks making sure I had grounding techniques to use both during & after the sessions, especially deep breathing. She also recommended I take anxiety meds, at the time it was off the scale to start emdr so reluctantly I gave in & took them. Something to be aware of is that therapy will intensify your symptoms for a while & during this time you will need to spend more time relaxing & using your grounding techniques.

Each session focuses on a thought or image which is causing you distress. You will be asked how much distress it causes you & then to rate it 1-9, (9 being the most distress) you then think of an emotion to go with that distress & how you would prefer to be feeling. After this you will be asked to observe your image while watching your therapist fingers (mine uses a pen) move backwards & forwards, some therapists use a light bar or sound. Then your therapist will stop & ask you to tell her if the image or your thoughts have changed. For me this is when I start talking & let out so much of my feelings. You will then be asked if you want to carry on, each session is different but it usually around 6 - 12 rounds.

EMDR is very much under your control, if you feel unhappy about the session at any time you will be encouraged to ask your therapist to stop. I have done this on several occasions & we've just talked instead.

We don't use EMDR every appointment, my psych feels that is not enough time for me to find benefit in our sessions so we use it when I get 'stuck' & cant see my way around a thought or something I'm worrying about. I have Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder & find it very hard to express my emotions EMDR has been a great help with this, almost giving me a voice to say how I feel without feeling embarrassed about it.

In between emdr sessions we use a number of talk therapies inc focusing which is useful to do at home. We have also touched on some CBT to help me move on & think about the future.

I hope I've written that clear enough & haven't rattled on too much, EMDR is nothing to be worried about & there is no right way for you to react during the session, we are all individuals who react in our own way.

I feel EMDR has been a lifeline for me. When I started seeing my psych I was in a mess, I'd been off work for a year & my trauma was totally overwhelming with panic attacks & other symptoms. Now I'm back at work teaching almost full time & my ptsd symptoms are manageable.

Good luck with your therapy, as scary as it may seem, although very hard work it is very rewarding.

Please feel free to pm me if you need some extra support during therapy.

Take care
Annette

[ammiemum]

thankyou so much annette

[annette1]

You're very welcome, Ammiemum.

I wish I'd been brave enough to ask questions before I started emdr, then I wouldn't have been so worried about it.

Take care x