Emdr

[crazyhorse69]

Has anyone tried this type of therapy? If so have you experienced any relief or improvement?

Thanks, David

 

[Klo]

Has anyone tried this type of therapy? If so have you experienced any relief or improvement?

Thank...

My one experience with it was absolutely horrible. However, the therapist who used it with me was irresponsible about it (I found out in retrospect while researching it). We never went over grounding techniques. She had no idea what sort of pandora's box she was trying to pry open because she didn't bother to even really get to know me first or anything. And after she succeeded in giving me a massive rage/panic attack, the session was over and she sent me out the door.

I assume that if done with a really good therapist when the client feels ready, the results would probably be quite different, at least as far as it not being a re-traumatizing train wreck. Because while that therapist handled it very poorly, the exercise did provoke an extremely strong reaction from me, it went right down into my subconscious mind with frightening ease. So that says to me that it is effective, but needs to be handled with care by someone who knows what the hell they are doing.

 

[crazyhorse69]

Ok, so one negative experience, thus far, will see who else has tried it

 

[Klo]

Ok, so one negative experience, thus far, will see who else has tried it

Well, just keep in mind, it was negative because the therapist handled it very poorly all around. But I can vouch for the technique itself in being effective at unearthing and drawing out things that normally remain locked up. My impression is that it's a way to draw out trauma in a controlled manner, where the client has as much control as possible and feels as safe as possible, and has as much support as possible, and is as prepared as they could possibly be. It's like going into battle armored, armed and trained, instead of getting randomly attacked.

 

[crazyhorse69]

I've just heard alot of vets, being freed from alot of old memories and alot of stuff from their past, seems to be their able to find freedom from it, I've had many flash backs and they feel as if I'm going to be die literally, full of terror and a sense of overwhelming, reliving old life experiences going through and coming out on the other side feeling relief, but then begin behaving as a emotional reservoir.

 

[Klo]

I've just heard alot of vets, being freed from alot of old memories and alot of stuff from their pa...

I've read a lot of positive things about it, too. My post wasn't meant to discourage or scare you, but rather to emphasize the importance of having a reeeally good therapist who knows what they are doing for it. Otherwise IME it can be re-traumatizing. But handled properly it seems like it has a lot of potential.

 

[Biz]

@crazyhorse69 , I did it. Sometimes it felt helpful, sometimes it felt like it didn't do much. Overall, I think my psych at the time was right and it primed me to be able to be more trusting/open in relationships. I would suggest you check it out; as you'll see if you get more responses (and also look up old threads there have been like 3-5 of these in the past 6 months), people seem to have very individual experiences to EMDR.

 

[Crow]

EMDR was very effective getting me through some trauma. The key for me was establishing a good relationship with my therapist and building solid safety resources. Worked through a rape and mva quite quickly.

EMDR was not great for working through early trauma but my current T uses it in conjunction with somatic experiencing therapy. It's been helpful as a grounding technique.

 

[crazyhorse69]

Thanks guys for the feed back, over the years, reliving childhood traumas has been the only way my mind and body have seemed to be able to resort to, in order to get emotional unloading or relief, but after I relive or have the flashbacks, there's relief, but gradually the fear, and shame start creeping back in

 

[Snowflake]

I have been doing emdr weekly. I see my therapist, a trauma psychologist, on Mondays for emdr she calls me Tuesday's to check in and we talk/process on Thursdays. Every few weeks we take a week or two off and just talk. Personally, I wouldn't have ever gotten through the trauma/memories if it wasn't for emdr. I hate it, but it's the best thing for me.

 

[makibrd]

Has anyone tried this type of therapy? If so have you experienced any relief or improvement?

Thank...

I first be

EMDR was very effective getting me through some trauma. The key for me was establishing a good relat...

I'm interested in your comment about the EMDR not working with early trauma. I am attempting EMDR for the second time (first time was 10 years ago) and I don't know if It's working or not. My issues are rejection and abandonment and I'm desperate to get better but I feel awkward when I have to use EMDR because I get embarrassed and feel extreme fear about releasing any angry feelings that I have. Can I Ask why it didn't work for you?

 

[Crow]

@makibrd you can search the forums. I've seen a dozen threads on early childhood trauma & emdr. My personal belief is emdr works with lost memories, or memories in general. The part of the brain that retains memories doesn't develop until almost age 4. Therefore there are very few memories to be worked through emdr. Somatic Experiencing has worked for early abandonment and abuse because we focus on physical body sensations.

None of this have I seen written. I'm just threading reading of neurologists and psychologists and behavioral scientists. But I think you'll see the same ideas in other threads.