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Hi @Abstract I was trying to think of a way to describe my situation without revealing too much on the public forum, but would you be willing to have a side conversation to help me through some of this? It's hard for me to ask for help and my situation is quite confusing, but you seem very...

I've been experiencing both dissociation and emotional flashbacks frequently throughout the last couple weeks. I've tried grounding myself, deep breathing, hugging a loved one, etc, and can't seem to reconnect. I feel tired constantly, even thought I get enough sleep, having trouble focusing...

@Zoogal I get the same feeling with my dissociation. It's so confusing and hard to explain that it makes me feel crazy. You're certainly not alone. One thought about emotional flashbacks I've noticed is the same way I used to feel in my fight/flight/freeze experiences. Often I'll feel frozen, my...

hey, thanks for the questions. Sorry for taking so long to respond. Unfortunately I've been pretty dissociative lately and having trouble with thinking clearly. EMDR can definitely be useful for other phobias and trauma memories. I like to say, "Everything comes from somewhere." When I think...

Thank you for the question. I agree with what you said about everything looking like a nail. Although I do have other alternatives I use, your question encouraged me to think about telling new clients this, so they know they aren't stuck with EMDR if it isn't working. While EMDR is certainly the...

Thanks for the encouragement, and I'm sorry for taking so long to respond. Unfortunately I've been experiencing quite a bit of dissociation lately and it's really getting in the way. The rewind technique is something that can be helpful, as long as there are sufficient grounding and regulation...

I'm sorry for my delayed response. Unfortunately I've been pretty dissociative and haven't had the capacity to come on here. It looks like you got great suggestions from others, especially about using alternative methods such as sound or the light-bar. If there were any unanswered questions...

It seems like you're feeling uncomfortable with the way that your T is recommending this. As a T myself, it upset me to hear how pressured you feel. Whether it is intentional or not, the T should first respect what you feel, and talk it over with you. There are certain circumstances where I...

Hi Muse, It sounds like you've gone through a lot, and worked on a lot of it. Some trauma will make us wonder how we ever survived it. I hope it helps you realize how resilient you are! EMDR can help to fully process something like this, because even if nothing is triggering it besides the time...

I've really enjoyed this thread, and am open to continue responding to any questions about EMDR or therapy in general, but wanted to let everyone know I'll be out of town without internet from Oct 2-10, so I won't be able to respond. Wanted to make sure nobody felt ignored when I didn't respond...

A lot of these questions I've asked myself over and over. The hardest part for me was seeing the responsibility clearly. I tried to find out what I did to deserve the things that happened, but as an adult I can see that no child deserved what either of us experienced. The others involved are...

What a great reframe of your experience! It's amazing how just changing the way we think about something can make such a huge difference. It really does sound like you put so much work and strength into protecting your son, and because of that he's going to have a much better life. You...

I'm glad you found some help from EMDR, but it sounds like there's something specific in your experience that is trying to protect you from fully letting go. Trauma gives us such protective reactions in the hope that we can avoid vulnerability and being hurt again. This is one place where EMDR...

I'm so sorry to hear about your bad experience. It certainly looks like the T had understanding of the condition but didn't properly know how to use EMDR. I'm glad you have someone now who is helpful to you. With extensive trauma like you described, it may take longer to work through, but the...

Hi Rumors. Your hesitance is understandable with how scary that is. Many people with PTSD who receive EMDR therapy experience remission or lack of flashbacks. By reprocessing the trauma in a safe environment with a person who can bring you dual-awareness (meaning being present here and now...

Hi loui50. Something I personally do with clients is give the option to leave a "venting voicemail" at any time. This might mean having a very upsetting day, feeling overwhelmed, or significant distress, and needing to have a safe place to share it and know the T will listen and bring it up at...

Katz, good question. The word extreme was my own, and not really a clinical definition. What I mean by it is when dissociation is the go-to coping strategy and puts too many barriers in front of healing the trauma. We have an assessment we use called the DES-II, it's not "diagnostic" but more a...

I don't have a ton of time to write the longer response I'd like to, but wanted to write to you nonetheless. The struggle you're experiencing makes so much sense in that you deeply need to feel safe and to avoid abuse. When that is the main priority, everything else becomes secondary, and...

Thank you for your feedback! I truly appreciate the encouragement and suggestions of setting safety in the therapy relationship. I will keep those things in mind with the precious people I work with. Thank you for taking the time to write!

Hi katz. It's understandable that you would be hesitant based on what you've heard. Since I don't know your specific experiences, I can't say whether it would be likely helpful for you or not, but the tendency to avoid EMDR is usually when there is extreme dissociation. It doesn't necessarily...

Thanks for the follow-up, and I agree with what you said about someone who has certification. It definitely does indicate that the person has completed additional steps and is likely a sign that someone is qualified to be successful (and perhaps more competent) at EMDR. The disadvantage is...

Ann, thanks for your questions! I saw them yesterday but wanted to wait to respond until I could spend the time to answer them more thoroughly. I'll answer to the best of my ability, however I am not an expert on this. Also, I am Level 2 trained. The therapist needs to be at least Level 1...

Great question. In CA, Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) is training to work with all types of clients and issues, plus training in marital and child therapy. I do see couples, children, and families, but most of my clients are individuals. I don't know of any training programs in my area that...

Your letter really touched me. Brought tears to my eyes. The little kid inside me felt desperate to continue once I started reading. Thank you for the vulnerability and bravery to share this on here.

It's wonderful to hear the level of safety you have with your therapist, being able to ask and tell them anything you need to. That's the most important part. Thanks for sharing your experience!