Can't focus on work

[dominikaeli]

I am a copywriter. I really loved it. I am in therapy and recently started EMDR therapy. And ever since I started my journey, I can't focus on work. I don't know what to do. Should I take some time off? If you have similar experience, let me know. Thank you.

 

[Movingforward10]

I haven't done EDMR and it seems quite different. But I found, and sometimes still do find, it really hard to concentrate at work

Initially, I scheduled a 'no meeting day' the day after therapy. I still had meetings but people put less in my diary which helped. I just accepted the following day I would be less productive. And then it was the weekend (I had therapy late on Thursday) and I would be in a better place by Monday.
It gets easier. The ability to recover becomes easier and the time needed to recover from the session is shorter.

Have you explained this to your T? It might help.

Have you noticed a pattern of whe ln it's harder and how it gets easier? Or is it all hard at the moment?

Taking time off work is ok.

 

[dominikaeli]

I haven't done EDMR and it seems quite different. But I found, and sometimes still do find, it really hard to concentrate at work

Initially, I scheduled a 'no meeting day' the day after therapy. I still had meetings but people put less in my diary which helped. I just accepted the following day I would be less productive. And then it was the weekend (I had therapy late on Thursday) and I would be in a better place by Monday.
It gets easier. The ability to recover becomes easier and the time needed to recover from the session is shorter.

Have you explained this to your T? It might help.

Have you noticed a pattern of whe ln it's harder and how it gets easier? Or is it all hard at the moment?

Taking time off work is ok.

No, my therapist doesn't know about this yet. I think it happens mostly before and after sessions but also in between. And I think another reason why I can't focus is that I still live in toxic household and with my father who caused my traumas.
It is a little frustrating because I feel like I can't write good articles.

 

[Sideways]

I think it happens mostly before and after sessions but also in between.

Therapy hangover (struggling after a therapy session) is very common. I schedule my therapy sessions to maximise the time before I need to go back to work.

 

[arfie]

like @Movingforward10, i haven't done emdr, but this particular problem has been the plague of my life, especially during the years i worked computer graphics, both as a symptom of psychosis and a symptom of therapy. walks, stretching exercises and journaling have been my most effective tools to manage the symptom. gentle physical exercise releases tensions. getting some of the intrusive thoughts into writing helps to stabilize my thought process.

for what it's worth
the isolation of working remotely intensifies the problem for me. breaking that isolation helps mightily. a daily lunch walk to and from a nearby lunch spot was a quick and easy isolation breaker.

 

[anthony]

PTSD, concentration issues, therapy, fallout from therapy, all very normal. These are the issues, but the solutions are available, you just have to trial and error them to see what works for you. Be super honest with your therapist, that is the easiest way to get your therapist working for you. Have them give you ideas to try, and if they work, yeh! If not, more solutions to try.

 

[Movingforward10]

No, my therapist doesn't know about this yet. I think it happens mostly before and after sessions but also in between. And I think another reason why I can't focus is that I still live in toxic household and with my father who caused my traumas.
It is a little frustrating because I feel like I can't write good articles.

It's good you've started to notice a pattern. I understand the frustration, but if you can work on accepting the pattern as it is right now (and it will change and get better), and not push yourself too hard to write good articles during those pattern moments , it might help.
It must be very difficult living with an abuser as you navigate this healing journey. So that is another layer to manage.

Do tell your therapist. It's good feedback for them. And also it might help you to manage.