Emdr Worked!!!!

[Scaredy Cat]

Thank so much for your reply Iam! The unconfident bit of me walked away from the computer and said, "silly girl, no one is going to answer you!" So, thanks for restoring my faith.

The book you recommended sounds v. interesting. And I will certainly look that up. The whole subject fascinates me to be honest, but I would prefer not to suffer it!

I'm so glad to hear that you are coming through this, and I will heed your advice on taking things slowly. I have only recently been diagnosed as having PTSD after being treated for a generalised anxiety disorder for 15 long years. When I received the diagnosis, I kind of thought whoopee!! I'm going to be cured. I now know of course that things aren't that simple. But stories like yours are inspirational.

I'd be interested to hear what your T comes up with from his seminar.......

Thanks for the welcome to the forum, I'm glad you're here!! :D

 

[Iam]

"Silly girl, no one is going to answer you!" would be a typical thought that any of us would have (especially those with C-PTSD). Welcome to the club (said sarcastically)! Sorry....it is the pits, but you will learn to restructure your thought patterns. Sounds like your T is doing CBT with you too, as he/she should be. CBT is probably even more important than the EMDR, though it was not enough for me. Childhood traumas were buried to deep for me to access the memories of some of it let alone the feelings associated with them.

Not unusual that you were dx with GAD for 15 years. Pretty typical for Ts who don't specialize in trauma. It took my primary T several months before he suggested that I have PTSD and that I should find someone who does EMDR. Now it's just the opposite. My trauma T told me a little over a month ago that I no longer meet the criteria for PTSD & my primary T has suggested that I "just" have GAD now! Who'd think anyone would be happy to learn they have GADLOL! I hate the anxiety, but it is load better than full fledged PTSD and I am determined to get even that under better control. I've been told by both my Ts that I will always be susceptible to getting PTSD again. Trauma, or for me even a sustained level of high stress, could cause me to flip back into it. For that reason I am continuing my therapy to try to resolve all my issues and create as many new neuropathways as possible. I imagine I will go back to my trauma T every now and again just for a tune up. I'd rather be proactive then wait for a crash.

Sorry for the novel Cat......Just want you to know that the things and you're experiencing are very common for people with PTSD. For someone like you that is so determined, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Just keep chipping away at it.... (((HUGS)))

 

[Blondie362]

I am glad to hear about the positive experiences posted of EMDR.

As I said I have only had one session to set the technique, and I have been using th tapping and sounds to get in the zone so to speak.

I really don't know how I am going to feel once we start to use the technique to address extreme trauma.

I supposed very scared springs to mind, and I don't want to feel like I'm opening pandora's box and not be able to control it out of the therapists office... time will tell my next session is on Monday.:tup:

 

[Iam]

Totally understandable that you would be scared Blondie. I still get scared at times and that is with extremely positive experiences with EMDR to fall back on. I doubt that your T will start on the traumas until he or she is sure that you know how to ground yourself and put the trauma back into the "container". :tup:

 

[jka37]

I had it again yesterday (after a terribly difficult, triggered week)...and it was so intense, we couldn't get through my target and will have to resume. I've decided I want to go every other week so life is more live-able...but after yesterday, which was the most intense session I've ever had, I'm doing fine. It's really weird, I should be in the dumps, dissociating, having trouble sleeping, etc. The day after (and often, days after) is always so difficult. I feel so blessed and taken care of, and so afraid that this peace will go away...but for now, I feel like me, and I love it!

 

[Iam]

That is one of the blessings of EMDR jka. It's intense to process the trauma/s, but once we actually do, the intense feelings just kind of float away. We will always remember it just not with the same intensity.

I have found that the intensity varies depending on which trauma we are processing. I am still resistant when it's something really tough which means it takes more sessions to process whatever it is. Seems silly to be resistant when I KNOW how wonderful the release is ;o) Still.....the intense pain of processing is frightening. I do notice however that when I am still "triggered" from a session it takes far less time to regain my balance that it did in the beginning.

Keep up the good work!

 

[Meadowsweet]

Well done Iam, and thankyou for posting. I'm waiting for emdr therapy and your shared story gives hope.

 

[jka37]

Ugh! Symptoms came back...and that's all a part of it too, right?

Still, this is remarkable considering everything. Thanks for being such a supportive community. You guys are great.

Be blessed,

jka

 

[Audreeeey]

Congratulations! EMDR is amazing! There is something about it that really gives your brain a healthy tune up.

 

[TheLost]

Im having EMDR just now and it has been triggering and Ive been more symptomatic. Well done for persevering with it and being able to reach this stage. Im hoping that one day Ill be able to say that on here aswell. The last session I had my T said that it was unusual for an adult to have come out of themselves during the traumatic event and kind of watch what was going on, like an out of body experience. She said its most frequnt in children. But anyway, I started to doubt whether I should continue the EMDR if my psyche at the time did this, but having read your success Ill keep at it and hope Ill one day get back to being almost the old me again. Obviously I wont quite be the same but if I can get sime if "me" back, it will be worth it. Thanks for sharing your story.

 

[KP the nut]

Obviously I wont quite be the same but if I can get sime if "me" back, it will be worth it. Thanks for sharing your story.

EMDR helped me to where I am now. I am in a much better place and no longer see my T. I am not the person I was before, I never will be but many ways I like who I have become better.

 

[TheLost]

EMDR helped me to where I am now. I am in a much better place and no longer see my T. I am not the person I was before, I never will be but many ways I like who I have become better.

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I totally agree with that. What a great quote!