Does Emdr Leave You Exhausted?

[stuff]

I'm more exhausted by EMDR these days than usual. I know we are working on the deep, longer lasting traumas than we have previously. Maybe that's why? All I want to do is sleep and cry.

 

[Lucycat]

Yes - for sure. EMDR leaves me knackered - all the next day at least.

 

[BeatenMan]

If I really get something uncovered doing EMDR, I can pretty well bet on having 2-3 rough days afterwards, I get a headache later that day and have very vivid dreams for a few nights as well.

 

[stuff]

Yeah. The vivid dreams are definitely a part of it.

 

[Marf]

Yes, I get exhausted.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Please be kind to yourself and rest after a session. Processing is hard work! We need a recovery period afterward.

 

[AlamedaSunshine]

I am starting EMDR next week. I'm scared, nervous, and confused. does it really help?

 

[Seasounds]

Couldn't handle it, myself.

 

[KP the nut]

EMDR was one of the hardest things I have ever done and that includes having children. However, it is the best thing i could have done. Yes, it was hard and physically and emotionally tiring but it helped give me back my life.

I was lucky as I had a brilliant therapist. He wouldn't even start EMDR until at least a month. He made sure I knew some grounding techniques and had established a 'safe place'. He would finish the sessions at least 15 minutes early so that we could do some grounding work and I then had to wait at least 30 minutes before leaving his office.

He told me what to expect after sessions (I usually went home for a nap) and I could phone him if I needed to. Also, when I had other 'stuff' happening he wouldn't do EMDR so as not to overload me.

Like all therapies, there isn't a one type suits all, but for me it most definitely worked.

 

[macca]

It sounds like there's something happening though, if you are sleeping and crying lot. It's supposed to be processing stuff in our subconscious isn't it? If that's the case, then I'm thinking that it makes sense to have reactions like that, where it's not in our "thinking" part of our brain, but "deeper" in. Sounds exhausting all right, but hoping that it's positive change for you!

 

[stuff]

The EMDR is definitely worth it. It's hard, but it has helped so much.