Emdr Therapist Is On Holiday And I'm Struggling

[Agatha]

Help...I'm 4 months into EMDR for Complex - PTSD. We've really started getting somewhere but the last couple of weeks my therapist has had to be away on holiday. I've know the whole time this was coming up so it wasn't a sudden surprise. I really have been trying to look after myself but I feel myself sinking.
I've got increased sleeping problems (I do have either diazepam or zopiclone to help with this but the zopiclone only works for so long). My digestive system is well out of order and mentally I am feeling very worn out indeed.
Feeling very sorry for myself..... :-(

 

[SharonJ46]

Help...I'm 4 months into EMDR for Complex - PTSD. We've really started getting somewhere but the last co...

Hi Agatha,
I hope you are able to focus on the fact your therapist will be back soon and you will back on track again. Stay strong.
SharonJ46

 

[digger]

the last couple of weeks my therapist has had to be away on holiday.

Hi @Agatha - when is your next appointment with your therapist? Are you further through the break than you have left to wait (more days behind you than still to go)?

Therapy breaks can be hard, even when you are prepared for them in advance.

My therapist breaks at all school holidays, so we break for one or two weeks every six-eight weeks. I do better with it sometimes than others.
A couple of things which I find useful, which might be worth a shot for you too.

• When I'm hitting a difficult spot I try and imagine what my T might say to me about it. What suggestions she might have. What her take on my thoughts might be etc I find just bringing that focus in can help a little. - Do you feel you have built enough of a relationship with your T to be able to give that a shot?
• Also I try to treat breaks as an opportunity to reflect on progress and to try and practice skills - it sounds like you would benefit from some self care right now - have you had any discussions in the past with your T that you can draw on in this respect?
• The other thing that helps me is to remind myself of the benefits to T of taking regular breaks and how that will have a knock on beneficial effect to me in how she delivers therapy

Don't know if any of this will help, but hope you can take something from it.

 

[Agatha]

Thankyou both for your kind words
It's been 12 days since I saw T and 9 days to go, so over the hill. I agree that breaks can be great times to reflect and I am trying to do that. I think the problem this time is that we hit something really significant before the break and I feel like I'm teetering on an edge ready to fall into a pit of slime. Self-care is something I have to work very hard at. I have to write lists for myself to even achieve the basics. I'm really really good at looking after everyone else, usually, but I always get left until last. It's been my husband's 50th birthday this weekend so there's been lots of break in routine and the house it looking like a hurricane's been through it. What I mostly want to do is hide under a blanket with a good book, but there's so much housework to do and my teenage son is upstairs in GCSE prep mode (!!).

 

[digger]

Sounds like quite a bit of stress going on along side it. I hope you will be able to take a bit of time out for yourself, even if it's just a little bit here and there. It's hard when there are things to do, and other people's needs, that feel more pressing, but I try to remind myself that I might be more effective at attending to those things if I can give myself some time first?

. I agree that breaks can be great times to reflect and I am trying to do that. I think the problem this time is that we hit something really significant before the break and I feel like I'm teetering on an edge ready to fall into a pit of slime.

I'm in a similar place with a break this time too. Feels like it's come at the 'wrong' time when we were Getting into tackling something important. I'm fourteen days down and seven to go. Trying to remind myself that seven days is the usual time I go between sessions, so I can do that - trying to kid my head into thinking that it's just normal schedule again from here! :rolleyes:

Do you like to walk, or garden, or anything like that? Also mindfulness - I have to be a bit careful with mindfulness/guided meditation stuff myself, but there can be something beneficial in that thing of just making yourself stop for this ten, fifteen, minutes.

 

[Agatha]

gosh that's 3 weeks off for you, nearly there though! Well done!
I have a little chart that I have on my kitchen wall with sections for mindfulness, creativity and physical activity, with the aim that I tick at least one every day. I KNOW that all of these things help, so far today I've done some creative stuff, but I just get so numb and blank out. Grrr, silly bodies! I also find that unless I manage to motivate myself early on the chance of it happening as the day progresses dwindles and dwindles. I think I might go and read a book and give in....

 

[Fayne Jane]

There is a section on this web site for self care self soothing that is very good, I was just reading it. Some great ideas.

 

[Agatha]

There is a section on this web site for self care self soothing that is very good, I was just reading it. Some great ideas.

Faye Jayne thankyou, good idea. I think that I was just hugely tired from interrupted sleep. I ended up sleeping all afternoon and then slept right through the night too (that is a very rare thing for me!). Going to give today a better more balanced go of things. Thankyou all for your advice.