EMDR, just started therapy

[Penguin79]

Hi! I am new here and wanted to reach out as i have just started EMDR therapy. Had first processing session a couple of days ago to process one of the relatively small traumas. Anyway today i woke up feeling like i was not sure of who i am anymore and felt really disconnected frol myself. Has anyone else had this experience?

 

[ImjustasnailSNAIL]

It’s pretty normal to have an, “it gets worse before it gets better,” experience with EMDR. It’s like opening an old would to pull out a bullet, cutting out infected tissue, cauterizing it so the bleeding slows/stops, then sewing it back up. You’ll feel a bit raw afterward. There’s nothing wrong with you. If you find it gets too intense, talk to your therapist about it. EMDR should be patient-led, therapist-guided. Slow down if you need. Remember that you’re dealing with memories that have shaped you and reprocessing them may cause a bit of an identity crisis. You are still you. Just, in flux toward a healthier brain.

 

[Wendell_R]

Reading posts here, you will find that responses to EMDR are all over the map. It seems like just about any response you could imagine, someone has had. I have exhaustion, sometimes "floaty" dissociation feelings. Most have stronger reactions than I do. The most important thing is to know your "window of tolerance"--whatever EMDR induces during or after the session should be within your coping capabilities.

 

[Penguin79]

It’s pretty normal to have an, “it gets worse before it gets better,” experience with EMDR. It’s like opening an old would to pull out a bullet, cutting out infected tissue, cauterizing it so the bleeding slows/stops, then sewing it back up. You’ll feel a bit raw afterward. There’s nothing wrong with you. If you find it gets too intense, talk to your therapist about it. EMDR should be patient-led, therapist-guided. Slow down if you need. Remember that you’re dealing with memories that have shaped you and reprocessing them may cause a bit of an identity crisis. You are still you. Just, in flux toward a healthier brain.

Thanks loads for the response. Has made me feel a bit better. :-)

Reading posts here, you will find that responses to EMDR are all over the map. It seems like just about any response you could imagine, someone has had. I have exhaustion, sometimes "floaty" dissociation feelings. Most have stronger reactions than I do. The most important thing is to know your "window of tolerance"--whatever EMDR induces during or after the session should be within your coping capabilities.

Thanks, yeah it seems pretty powerful stuff and that is only after one session and starting on a more recent smaller trauma than some i need to process. Am a feeling a bit anxious about next week but will talk to my therapist about it.

 

[Freida]

EMDR is great -- but it's also exhausting. I really like @ImjustasnailSNAIL description - that's pretty much dead on. I usually have to take at least 24 hours to recover and depending on how bad the session goes I can get some suicidal thoughts going on coping skills are really important. Remember that you are in charge -- if it gets to be to much you can stop. That's one of the good things about the process.

Right about the time you are sure you can't do it One More Time you will probably have a success and that is an amazing feeling. Suddenly all the horrible feelings are just ....gone. It feels kinda odd actually :laugh: