Emdr After Effects?

[Hashi]

pattijane, I'm afraid I can't read something as long and dense as what you've written here. It's beyond my concentration level. (I'm a sufferer.)

Therefore, I'm not sure how much of what you've written is in response to the quote from my post and how much is relevant to SarahD's posts. At any rate, at least some of it is in response to what I said. I think that's taking this particular thread a little too off topic. I began that by my response to ashdawn, so I take full responsibility and I apologise, SarahD.

pattijane, do you want to start a new thread in this section about this issue? You might want to quote straight from the Wiki article itself, or from my post here. It's possible to copy and paste over to a new thread.

I'd be interested in a discussion about this, especially anthony's comments as the author of the article, if he wanted to respond. I'm not sure how quickly I'd respond myself as I have a lot going on right now, but I would if I felt in a position to.

If you wanted to start a new thread, I wonder if you'd consider shortening the text and using more line breaks to make it easier to read?

Best wishes,

Hashi

 

[therapybankrupt]

I agree with PattiJane. What I have learned and experienced in EMDR is different than the wiki. I almost did not do the therapy because of what is in the wiki. I'm glad I researched more before making a decision with the go ahead. Hashi you are wise in getting Anthony in on the information with the wiki. He may want to consider revising it if he get updated proven information.

tb

 

[Snakedoc702]

I have suffered with PTSD since I was around 4 years old. I dealt with several types of abuse as a young child, from 3 different people. I learned to block out the experiences very quickly, but only from my conscious mind. I knew they happened but would not let myself remember specifics.

I was very angry growing up and would take it out on everyone I loved. I grew up and enlisted in the marine corps and then went on to law enforcement. I dealt with the same situations that I was in as a child. Being exposed to these over and over caused me some serious anxiety problems.

Finally on a SWAT call out, I also had to defend myself and a team mate utilizing lethal force. Myself and my team mate were cleared by the department and the grand jury. This experience had a huge impact on my life though. I stayed in law enforcement for another 6 months and then the stress became too much. I left my career and have been unemployed for the last 3 years. I went through a second divorce as a result of my symptoms.

I recently started seeing a counselor who is trained in EMDR. I did not notice a big difference or any real change in anything after the first session. However, after my second session which was yesterday, I have been a bit drained emotionally and have been processing and have noticed that I am finally able to cry and have noticed different things about my experiences.

I have a complicated case in the fact that I have PTSD from many issues that I have dealt with over my life. It's like peeling back the layers of an onion. I have a long way to go still but I can see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm excited about this journey. The emdr is a very effective tool and everyone's stories here are inspiring.

Dennis, your story has been especially helpful. It gives me hope in my situation. I don't know if you are still on the job or not, but best of luck and stay safe. Thank you all for sharing and good luck to you all.

 

[Natalie768]

I recently over the last few months starting going to counseling for relationship issues. I had trauma in my past my father pasted away when I was seven and my counselor suggested emdr to release feelings surrounding his death. I did go to therapy as a teenager and dealt with some of my feelings surrounding my feelings over my fathers death but never did emdr and never heard of it till now. Well I have done one session and before this I rarely had trouble sleeping and NEVER had an anxiety attack.

I do not feel like myself after this and I wish I never did emdr. The fist day she did emdr session I felt relaxed but two days later is when the numbness, panic attacks, loss of appetite, nausea, sleeplessness, and sadness. Its started out very strong where I couldn't calm down and even met with my therapists, she didn't know what to tell me as she never seen anyone process it like me before.

I went to emdr website and called to see what qualifications she had apparently passed part one but not two.I did do my research before hand and thought it sounded perfectly safe but now I am not sure.Its been three weeks since my one emdr session and at times I still feel these surges of sadness and still am not sleeping well at night. I am still also getting a feeling like I am not here like I am walking around in a dream,having trouble concentrating, sufficating feeling like pain that won't come out.I am trying hard to get past all this and moments I start to feel a little better but then its like I am hit with a wave of emotions and it starts again....

 

[Aimeeemma8]

Hi had my first session nearly two weeks ago like yourself have felt anxious no concentration feeling tense suffocating feeling pain in my chest going to therapy tomorrow hopefully will resolve the matter .

Otherwise may have to go sick as find it difficult at worK in all aspects I'm a nurse and need to focus which I find difficult at present .has your treatment become easier do you feel any better?

 

[Littlemissbrit]

I have had my second EMDR sessions today, my first session was at the beginning of December and we worked on my most recent sexual assault but in doing so it brought out memories of another sexual assault and grooming I suffered when much younger. We have been talking about those and today did EMDR again. I forgot how I felt in December. I think today's session was more intense my therapist said I dissociated completely multiple times during the process and afterwards I felt sick to my stomach and my legs were like jelly. I think I was in shock, I just wanted to kind of sit and zone out staring at the wall. When I got home I cried. I didn't cry in the session I was more in shock at the things and feelings I recalled. I am exhausted I have done absolutely nothing all day. Except lie down and eat and eat absolute crap at that. I am trying to diet but as an emotional eater Thursday's never really allow me to stick to it. I know I need to be kind to myself but I hate breaking my diet and spending a day doing nothing when there is so much to do. The one thing I would say is EMDR works. I have only had two sessions but in each session my thought processes about myself and my attacks have changed. I have remembered feelings I had completely forgotten feeling. I just wish there wasn't this time needed for recovery afterwards. I feel like people don't really understand how sitting in a chair moving your eyes can be so exhausting and traumatising, but it is. Someone said above EMDR is like surgery and I agree after a session I need to convalesce and so nothing. I want to cocoon myself in a blanket in my safe place and not see anyone. From experience I know I will be ok in a couple of days but right now it's completely overwhelming and not in a good way.

 

[Christiaan]

Just started EMDR

Im being treated for PTSD after a bad relapse from anxiety/panic as result of some childhood trauma.

The past 9 years have been anxiety/panic free till out of the blue it came back. So my therapist decided to try EMDR. He failed to inform me that I should go home after the session and take it easy. I went out for dinner with a friend and had to leave the restaurant mid meal due to Vivid flashbacks of previous panic attacks etc

I left the restaurant with a panic attack hot on my heels. I manage to divert it thanks to my deep breathing, but I called my psychologist straight away asking him what the hell he did. The next morning I was still quite panicy but it went away. The evening 2 days later I was quite jumpy again. But it went away after that.

After the session I felt quite "strange" and had a bad headache plus I was exhausted. Not on any medication either. Just valium incase it gets really bad but I haven't had any in a while

 

[JoBird]

Did real EMDR today for the first time with the hand held vibrations. I have been to many therapists and done mostly CBT for panic and generalized anxiety. I felt exhausted afterward mentally and was already physically tired from not enough sleep the night before. I have felt anxious the rest of the day and took a weird semi-sleeping nap. I have no motivation for school work or thinking in general really, and I usually enjoy school work. I take two anti-depressants and also clonazepam as needed, and I am still feeling uneasy, so those of you who do this without meds - you are saints.

I think this anxiety is normal and I already have pretty solid coping skills like gym and journaling and such, so I think I will be okay, but MAN we only processed my less intense memories and I am surprised at my mind and body reaction. I am also fearing that there may be trauma now that I am not remembering. It may just be me being anxious, but Im really starting to wonder if other things have happened to me that I am not remembering. Glad I am doing this - good luck to everyone. I think we are all very brave for even working toward healing.

 

[Bookoffee]

ashdawn, I suggest you read the forum Wiki article on EMDR as part of thinking about this - the section on...

Thank you. Very helpful.

 

[Christal Champagne]

Yesterday, my therapist and I did our first EMDR session. It went well, though I was exhausted after. S...

Hi, I have been through emdr but i was also wondering could i ask you a few questions about your experience. What happened to you during the process. I would like to put this information in my senior project. Plz get back to me

 

[Rex]

Hi,
My very first memory is of the trauma happening and it being interrupted by a parent who let it continue.
My second memory is being shaken and screamed at by the same parent.
As a boy I was haunted by flashbacks or snippets of memories that I felt in my body as well as picture in my mind.
Through the years neglect, emotional abuse, and physical abuse continued. As a young man I self medicated. 10 years ago I entered therapy CBT, and got sober.
About 3 years ago I entered intense therapy on the advice of friends, that therapist recommended EMDR. Half a year ago I began EMDR but it took 6 months with therapist to try to stabilize me.
I have lived my entire life in and out of the PTSD flashback.Cptsd to be more specific.
The first real EMDR session started this past Monday. I too can report feeling exhausted, what I did not expect was severe and very sudden panic attacks. Panic attacks are not my norm its extreme depression, sadness and a few other things. I have other memories that I mistakenly believed I could push aside and maybe just let go or let them be as it were, however, I now realize that was foolish of me. I am beginning to have real fears that there's a bit of memory I have yet to recover and that is scary beyond scary to me at the moment.

 

[My82]

So the Wiki article is incorrect: EMDR does NOT attempt to FORCE the brain at all. While there are som...

I just quit EMDR after a year. My therapist said we still had open issues and I should work on closing them. She said that we did not finish any NC nor get to any PC.

After a year, why had we not worked on any positive? Why is it of concern to quit when issues are open?