Boyfriend Considering Emdr, Anyone Familiar With This?

[Pebbles5280]

My boyfriend's therapist told him about a treatment, EMDR, that she feels would be very beneficial for him. She likened his brain to a fragmented disk and this treatment would essentially try to defrag him. She said it would improve his quality of life but obviously can't tell him to what degree. We've tried to research this but haven't been able to find anyone who has experienced the procedure. Needless to say, he's terrified. He has trust issues and said this is "lab rat" stuff. I know this is his decision but this has given me a glimmer of hope that I haven't had before. His quality of life is not good and this may very well improve it.

Does anyone have any experience with EMDR/EMR?

 

[joeylittle]

I'm curious - is your boyfriend interested in looking into this also, or has he shut down (for now) the possibility?

You'll find lots on EMDR all over this site - its not right for everybody, but it has proven to be effective for many. There are other trauma therapies too. I'm giving a comment you didn't really ask for, but it's important that he feel engaged in and in charge of his own treatment progression - it doesn't mean you shouldn't be right there beside him, but I'm wondering why you are posting this question, not him? (I hope that doesn't sound like an attack, I truly don't mean it that way).

And search the therapy sub-forum for EMDR, you will find many, many, many threads.
Also: https://www.myptsd.com/threads/eye-movement-desensitization-and-reprocessing-emdr.86472/

 

[Pebbles5280]

Thank you for the reply Joeylittle. I'm posting for my own information and education. He is considering it and will make the decision in his own time. It has to be his decision alone, I haven't even given an opinion, nor will I unless I'm asked.

He isn't a member of the site but I will suggest that he check it out. I've found it to be very helpful to me as a supporter and I think it would be helpful for him as a sufferer as well. I know he feels like he's all alone and no one can relate or understand what he's going/gone through.

Thank you for the EMDR link, I'll definitely be checking it out.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

What kind of trauma does he have?

 

[Pebbles5280]

He's a Combat Vet

 

[Writer Friend]

Hi

I've used EMDR, started recently. I self-use it as I understand my C-PTSD quite well. It's unblocking the traumas contained within the body. They're released. You moved your eyes sideways, left and right. While you do this you focus on the trauma memory. Then the process of working through the trauma happens, quite powerful. But he might want to see a therapist but I do it myself so working. There is some good websites about it.

 

[deer_in_headlights]

I find it to be extraordinarily helpful. I went to the best, most highly-qualified EMDR specialist I could find.
She made certain to do preliminary safety work, and the results were stunning and surprising.
I'm amazed with how things emerge to be creatively addressed and dealt with.

This T moved out of state, but we have continued to work together as she helps me tremendously.

Good luck to you both, and I hope he joins this site, too, for support and encouragement.

 

[AngelPaws14]

EMDR as well as PTSD is still a bit hard for me to understand but that is also part of my issues I have, I had a benign brain tumor as well as other traumas in my past. I was recently diagnosed this last winter and started trying EMDR a couple months ago. What I do like about it is how much i get to be in control of when and how long we do the sessions. If I get too overwhelmed on a topic we will leave it be and go to other topics till I am ready again. This has helped me greatly once I found my voice more to say it was too much and I noticed I was not ready. My biggest challenge is being in control as my two biggest traumas resulted in not have much control over my life. Since 2009 I have been struggling with control over my health and body. When you spend a lot of time in ER's and at the doctors or hospital you start to feel more and more disassociated from your body. I got so used to disassociating after having to pay so much attention to my pain and endless dr appointments and major pain that it's harder since I found the brain tumor. Heck I almost didn't get checked out for the head aches I was having and only learning of a new job I would start a few weeks later I finally went to dr. For years though I had always felt like something was wrong with my head and I both wanted to be just over reacting and proven wrong but too afraid I might have been right. I think I just worked hard to shut things out.

Anyway long story short is that EMDR is a good way to go so you can be in control and if you need a break then say so or have a loved one express it for you. It can be hard to know if your doing it right but there actually is no wrong answers and if you don't know if things are working out right ask lots of questions, It's good to take it slow and take breaks if needed!

Hope this helps and sorry if I rambled on or went off topic a bit. It's can be hard for me to stay on one subject or find my way back when adding in different things. kinda like trying a short cut but not looking up to know the road back to where you turned off.

 

[Nate24]

EMDR is a very useful technique. It helped me early on. I would not suggest doing it yourself, I actually didn't even know that was possible but I'm def no expert! Anyway, my recommendation would be to give it a shot-I did and I'm glad I did

 

[Truthful_Whispers]

I went through EMDR treatment about 3 years ago. Treatment for me lasted about 2 weeks, almost daily. The treatment simulates REM sleep, as you watch a blip on a screen bounce back and forth, kinda like the old video game PONG. While you are watching the blip, sounds go from left to right in headphones, back and forth to match the moving dot. During all of that, the therapist uses speech to guide you to reprocess the memories or feelings in a different way. It was somewhat effective, and I actually felt a little better afterward, for a couple of months. Some, people, like myself, need to come back for periodic sessions to be "recharged". I wasn't able to do so, though, because I traveled to Detroit for the EMDR treatment, and had to come back to Oklahoma. The only drawback I had with it was that EMDR relies on memories to reconfigure your brain to process them in a more painless way. And, several years of my childhood are repressed, so I couldn't access the memories or even isolate the feelings from that time period. Youtube has some self EMDR guided videos that may help. Try
EMDR Therapy (Official EMDR) Paperboats Guided EMDR Meditation