Do I Have To Get Emdr?

[Cally]

To cure my ptsd is it mandatory to emdr-? I don't able to pay for private therapy so I just get cbt. Is that useless for ptsd? Thank you.

 

[Friday]

There is no cure for PTSD. It's a lifelong disorder.

PTSD can be both treated and managed, just not cured. There are many, many different treatments for PTSD. EMDR is just one of them. EMDR is one of the most effective treatments. CBT is another of the most effective treatments.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Like @FridayJones said, EMDR is just one therapy; a good one but just one nonetheless.

I have a great PTSD sourcebook I got off amazon if you want the link, if goes over all the good therapies; but otherwise Id just google PTSD therapies and also, unsure if you have a therapist, if not I recommend one, if so, Id recommend talking to them about the different therapies.

CBT is good and within CBT is DBT which Im finding great.

Lots of great stuff out there. I hope you find one that helps! PTSD has no cure but can be managed (or so I hear). ;)

 

[crazytrain]

I agree with both replies wholeheartedly! No cure, but lots of different strategies and ways to help manage and cope...I have been through CBT and found that it worked well for me and for how my wee little brain thinks, but it may not be for everyone. We are all wired a bit differently and therefore things that work for one don't necessarily work for anyone else! :)

Definitely recommend a Therapist, though, and if you don't "click" with the first one, by all means try someone else. There are tons of them out there!

Best of luck in your journey!

 

[sun seeker]

My goodness, no! Nothing is mandatory, and there are dozens of choices. Nothing works for everybody, but you can always try something else. CBT wouldn't work for me, but some swear by it. EMDR is too triggering for a lot of people. I haven't tried it so can't say one way or another (tried something kind of like it once, and it didn't do much one way or the other).

Personally, I like the body-focused therapies and would recommend looking for someone trained in somatic therapy. But it's totally up to you.

 

[Panda Bear]

EMDR is required to treat PTSD. Some of us have tried it and found it to be more harmful than helpful, so it's not the foolproof way to treat PTSD.

CBT does take longer when compared to EMDR, my T would like is to work through EMDR 2x month because it does help to process memories faster.

But it's not required, it won't cure me. It will help me work faster....but I will likely always require some sort of intervention though my whole life. Maybe not weekly, but ill always need T to keep let going when needed.

 

[Kintsugi]

Not only is EMDR not required to help sufferers manage their PTSD, it can be a really bad option for some trauma types. It's also a method that requires the practitioner to be very well-versed in the method, and when it's practiced badly, it can have damaging outcomes.

My T does something called interpersonal process and CBT along with some other methods mixed in. CBT and its cousin, DBT, are known to be very effective PTSD treatments. So is prolonged exposure therapy for some trauma types.

Good luck! Remember that the therapist can sometimes be as important as the methodology employed.

 

[Sideways]

Plain old "talk" with a supportive T is always a good place to start with ptsd, and I've found it really helpful throughout the recovery process. And not just talking about the trauma, but all the other issues that come up as well.

I also did "re-scripting" with a psychologist that was really helpful for some of my tougher flashbacks, and isn't nearly as intense as emdr. So there's lots of options available when it comes to healing:)

 

[Cally]

Thank you all I am glad I don't have to do emdr

 

[Cally]

I have two more questions

What is somatic experienceing?

And what is rescripting?

Thank you

 

[Sideways]

Kinda hoping you weren't gonna ask, because when I explain it, it's gonna sound totally bogus.

Rescripting is where you select a flashback that's giving you grief, and you work with your T to write a new ending. Some people imagine being saved by knight in shjning armour, growing wings and flying away, beating the crap out of their abuser. I'm a pretty literal sort of person, so mine had to be believable- so I imagined someone cottoning on to what was going on, calling the cops, and the police charge in and my abuser gets hauled away.

Once you've come up with the script, the hard part starts. Every time you start having that flashback from that point, you force your brain to run through the rescripted version, instead of what actually happened. It only works if you make sure you do it every single time for that flashback - if they start slipping through the net, it doesn't work.

The basic psychology around it is you're teaching your brain that this is a memory that you don't have to be frightened of any more.

Like I said, sounds bogus, and it's a lot harder to commit to than it sounds. Your brain actually has a lot invested in sticking with the old abuse circuit that it keeps running.

That said, I was a non-believer at first, but flashbacks are actually nothing like the problem that they used to be for me.

It's one of a tonne of different strategies that T's have up their sleeve, so if your T suggests something that sounds that bogus, keep an open mind;)

 

[Deleted member 20280]

EMDR can have criticall consequences if not managed properly. I know it nearly killed me!