EMDR Lashback - When EMDR Goes Wrong

[Deleted member 487]

I'm trying to imagine who, in their right mind, would lie to a therapist about traumas. It's like stabbing yourself in the leg with a knife because you can't run a mile. Totally defeats the purpose.

I know that counselors have also suggested I try medications. Funny thing is those that are licensed to prescribe medications say that meds won't help, and those that can't prescribe meds says the medication WILL help. Talk about stupid!

 

[Deleted member 93]

Anthony, how can CBT and EMDR be basically the same thing? I assumed, since I really do not know jack shit about EMDR, that you are not trained to consciously change your way of thinking and reacting. Or does EMDR do that? CBT I do know. EMDR my knowledge is lacking but heard enough and know even with as far as I have come I would still not want to attempt it. Besides the fact I have come a ways without it from sheer stubbornness.

CBT is working through trauma slowly but also like reprogramming your responses. Learning to make rhyme and reason of your physical, mental, and emotional responses. I am guessing biofeedback during EMDR can be sort of the same but in my CBT biofeedback was never an option. You just knew how you felt and when too much was too much and you get to work on that aspect for a while and learn different ways to respond and keep practicing it and drilling it in your head day and night until you get close, as I don't know we can ever shut down how we respond all the way but we can find areas to improve to make life a lot more bearable in general. Very much like your take of leave no stone unturned. You get your real traumas processed as much as you possibly can and then you get to the normal bullshit eg "my mom never loved me enough" "my dad was a drunk" shit that hurts out of the way then too as it weighs heavily. And since we are not keen at anything but being hurt those little things too need to be addressed to give a clearer path.

In CBT you very much (for me anyway) hit the big real shit then the pissy shit lingering. The pissy shit you find added uneeded stress and you can get over pretty easily once you slowly learn how to think differently and respond differently. Brainwashing to get you healthier in a good way is the best I can describe it.

 

[Claire]

Sorry to interupt this but I've just read this thread and I wanted to say I've been doing EMDR for the last month or so and its really helped me. Its bloody hard work and you do have to totally trust the therapist but my sleep hasn't been as good since before my crash. I'm getting better, stronger and braver all the time and it feels good.

 

[anthony]

I'm trying to imagine who, in their right mind, would lie to a therapist about traumas.

Firstly, PTSD encompasses an aspect that immediately places the sufferer on the thinking pattern of, "lie and it may all go away, be done with, and I can get on with my life again." PTSD also manifests its own trauma that actually never even occurred. PTSD also has trust issues, which means instead of telling the therapist they where raped 10 times, they only tell them they where raped once. Instead of telling the therapist you fought through 50 heavily armed militia, blew heads off, grenades, ended up in hand to hand combat or fixing bayonets; the therapist gets told.... "yer, had a couple of battles, but nothing of major interest." This is lieing to the therapist, and unless the sufferer trusts the therapist, none of this gets said for months typically until the therapist happens to catch something or the person feels they really need to "now" unload.

Too late when in EMDR, in that the therapist didn't have the instinct that this person was not divulging all their trauma, all the facts, so they just proceeded regardless. Taking a person with such hidden traumatic experience into EMDR is how damage occurs. The therapist must be good, they must trust their instinct and not simply be trying to play numbers. All people lie... its a fact.

Anthony, how can CBT and EMDR be basically the same thing?

They both heal trauma, they just have two completely different ways in which to achieve it.

Sorry to interupt this but I've just read this thread and I wanted to say I've been doing EMDR for the last month or so and its really helped me.

That is good to hear Claire... it is not for everyone, it works well for single trauma especially. Multiple trauma is different though.... and I mean serious multiple traumatic events, not just your every day life traumatic events.

Always good to hear positive experience on EMDR Claire, thanks.

 

[Deleted member 487]

Anthony, certainly worth discussing is contact I have had with Ms. Shapiro's office regarding multiple traumas, CPTSD and EMDR. So far no one has said what would happen if EMDR goes bad. But they did confirm that EMDR for someone with either of those issues is far more complex than someone with just one or two. Add the CPTSD, like what I have, and I was informed that EMDR bi-weekly could take several years. Recovery will not be short and sweet.

I find it interesting that DVR closed my case accusing me of not cooperating with counselors in seeking EMDR, and I found out the only formal training they have in EMDR is the basic short introductory course they get in college.

My disability advocate is NOT happy.

 

[anthony]

Yer mate, no person performing EMDR is going to outright tell what the down-side to fallout is. The facts though, is that there "has" been recorded and documented total and permanent brain failure from EMDR technique thus far, though the facts also indicated that the persons performing the procedure, whilst qualified, did inheritantly attempt to modify the initial testing and procedure itself. Which brings me back to my original issue surrounding EMDR, you really have to trust your gut with the therapist in that they are doing what is best for you, not what is best for them and their own sneaky tactics. Lets face it, the only way to really find results is generally by performing something in order to obtain them, though brain impairment is a serious issue from failure.

In Bec's case for an example, if the therapist tested her correctly, if the therapist stopped based on the fact that Bec did say she could not remember most of her trauma, then that is the "flashing red light" that says EMDR is not the treatment for her at this time, due to the fact her brain could overload if triggered for release beyond what her brain could control.

Nothing surprises me mate with compensation or help towards PTSD.... people have come to the point where this just doesn't go away, though they still think if they ignore people it will. Go figure...

As it is becoming more globally recognised and apparent to get help, the problem is the disability services are also becoming overloaded from it. I have had people ask me directly how they could try and fool people saying they had PTSD to get what I get... so there are plenty out and about trying to fool and ripoff the systems worldwide. Problem is, that just makes it worse for those of us who do suffer this shit disorder.

I was told that I could not do EMDR, though knowing what I know I would have done it with Shapiro herself or a direct study of hers. Because I could not do it though I was pointed to CBT as the only other viable solution from medication to help me. So that is where it all began. When I met Bob, he then introduced me to mental imagery, which whilst not a therapy itself, it is like EMDR to help trigger the mind in order to remember and piece together the sub-conscious facts our conscious avoids.

CBT takes six to twelve months typically for the healing process alone. Then a good couple of years to learn the manage skills. Either way, your looking at years. The problem with EMDR though is that you still have to learn how to manage PTSD, which still comes back to exposure therapy and learning skills to help manage PTSD at the core level.

 

[rob4444]

my wife was doing great at therapy until they tried emdr(i think)...following a light moving side to side???....anyway it gave her migraines and she doesnt want to return to therapy....seems to have destroyed the good work that proceeded..

 

[Deleted member 93]

Quote:
Originally Posted by veiled
Anthony, how can CBT and EMDR be basically the same thing?

They both heal trauma, they just have two completely different ways in which to achieve it.

So not really the same just as most therapies they have the same goal. And as in most as we have seen here over and over, what may work for one certainly will not for another?

 

[Deleted member 93]

I have had people ask me directly how they could try and fool people saying they had PTSD to get what I get... so there are plenty out and about trying to fool and ripoff the systems worldwide. Problem is, that just makes it worse for those of us who do suffer this shit disorder.

Do not want to know but why would people do this and (rhetorical question) how in the hell do you fake this shit? We spend all our time faking not having it. Real pisser when we cannot get it past a damn doc.

 

[anthony]

Why do people try and fake lots of things in life surrounding money or benefits? Answer that and you found the answer. Yes, we who are sick spend time keeping it from others.

 

[Deleted member 487]

Nothing more insulting than when a counselor tells me they think I'm faking. If I'm faking then I'd love to end it. Except I'm not, so I can't. Damn counselors.

 

[Claire]

Just shows their complete lack of understanding of PTSD.