Has EMDR Worked For Anyone With Childhood Abuse PTSD?

[No-Twitch-Tabitha]

Good Question

This is the question that has been in the back of my mind as well.

I started seeing my current therapist in July and she recommended EMDR for me as well as cog/beh (my self-talk is abominable) therapy. She underwent the procedure herself as a patient and also while training for the certification. So she could speak from a professional and a personal standpoint.

She recommended it to me because I'm at the point where I am ready to confront my traumas and my emotions (I'm still uncomfortable with emotional expression, but I'm not afraid to go ahead) and move forward. She sent me to a psychiatrist who is "conservative with medication" (he doesn't shove every new drug at you or make you feel like you are little more than a guinea pig) to evaluate whether what I was taking would be effective for me while I undergo the treatment.

She'd given me some handouts about EMDR and I did some research on the web as well as studied the experiences here. I've come to the conclusion that it is more a matter of the practicioner than the technique. My therapist advises that the technique isn't for everyone and it is very difficult because A LOT is dredged up, not to mention she is very honest about her experience. Things come up, and they stay with you, and then they go, or they may not go.

The other good thing is, my therapist also advised that every session doesn't have to be EMDR; if I'm uncomfortable, I can say stop at anytime...for however long I need. The point is to help, not overwhelm. The process and progress differs.

In processing some of the horror stories I'd read, I came to the conclusion that either the practicioner just rushed into it with the patient without considering or discussing the possible effects on and with the patient (too gung ho, as anthony said) or the patient had too high expectations as to the effectiveness of the treatment.

EMDR is not something that should be used like a shiny new toy; it shouldn't be treated like a fad, and it's not an easy treatment. However, I am looking forward to when I start.

 

[dontknow]

I have access to lots of journals at work and have been looking for a while for a good review article on EMDR, or an article that was not obviously biased one way or the other.
I found a good article that was a review of all the EMDR studies up until it was written (2002).

It has been shown thru the studies that:
1. the eye movement component is not necessary - there were some trials which showed that tapping or noises on alternate sides was just as effective (the bilateral stimulation theory) but then some later studies compared it to staring at one point so obviously this negates the stimulating alternate sides theory (although I never understood that since even breathing and using muscles to keep yourself sitting up uses both sides of the brain.)
2. studies have also shown that the reprocessing component is not necessary either with no statistically significant difference when the reprocessing component is omitted

but it does show improvements in symptoms when compared to a control group - showing that something about it helps. I have found that many are now of the opinion that it can help some because of its exposure component - that it is just a repackaged in vivo exposure technique.

 

[-m1-]

Wow.

I just got back from my therapist this morning and she wants to start EMDR next week.... I wasn't familiar with it.... she explained it to me pretty much, but of course I ran home to look it up here.

Not sure how to feel about it at this point now.

If anyone else has any feedback, it would REALLY be appreciated.

m1

 

[lrs]

I was victimized by a deranged, sadistic father, starting in infancy, and lasting until I was 14. The beatings I endured usually were long in duration, and the sheer savagery was beyond the pale.

My father was a tall, powerful individual, and to this day I do not understand how a human can beat their own children, like he to did myself and my brothers. To this day, I describe what happened to us as torture, and I do not think it is an exaggeration. All of my family members have had much difficulty in our adult lives.

I went through a few sessions of EMDR while in a treatment center/psyche hospital. Before the treatment started, we discussed it quite a bit, and I remember they were somewhat apprehensive about doing it with me. But I was in such bad shape, I don't think there was anything to lose by trying it. We did this once weekly for 3 or 4 weeks.

I don't think it was particulary helpful, but I don't think it was damaging. I don't think I came out of any WORSE than I already was.

 

[MIMI MAHOO]

My husband started EMDR for multiple childhood abuse - severe beatings all during his childhood. Since his first treatment he is now full of rage ... the psychiatrist has gone on holiday and not around for another week. I am really worried. Advice please?

 

[Dennis65]

I did the EMDR treatment and am glad that I did. I was physically abused as a child up to the age of 6 when my birth father was hauled off by the police and I never saw him again but the impact on my life was severe.

I was an introvert and did not make friends easily. I worked hard but did not join in normal conversation and if I did, there were too many times that I would get angry because I would get defensive. I have been married 4 times and I think it was because I never really knew what true love was. I am now married to my fourth wife and she is wonderful and understands me more than I ever did. I would get angry with her for no reason and she would tell me that it had to do with my past and I just didn't get it. I am now 70 years old and finally agreed to see someone about EMDR therapy.

Boy was that an experience! I relived those terrible days as a child and cried like I never had before. I did not use the eye movement gizmo but used the alternating vibration hand held things that allowed me to close my eyes while I relived those events. My chest felt like it was going to crush and my head ached but I continued. We would stop and talk about it and then do it again.

Surprisingly, each time it was not as difficult. For the next week I thought about that treatment and then went back and we did it again. The pain of those days decreased to the point that it no longer affected me. So, we focused on other issues that I could remember and did the same thing. The bottom line is that this procedure worked for me and the best word that I use to describe my feeling now is that I am at PEACE.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

I did emdr and worked on a few childhood traumas and had great success. It has changed my life. I am doing so much better as a result of it. I have alot of childhood traumas. We just went over a few of them as I have only 8 sessions, I have one session left. Then I am without therapy for two months because of my HMO. So we will see if it holds. I wish you the best. I hope you have a qualified therapist who knows about Dr. Shapiro. Good luck on whatever you decide.

 

[BloomInWinter]

I'm just beginning the actual processing, but my T. is only having me work with the negative cognitions I picked up, and not targeting any particular traumas per se. They just seem to work their way in.

So far, so good anyway. We spent a lot of time addressing my fears and developing ways I can communicate if I'm getting overwhelmed.

The big thing is, I don't have to share any details I don't feel safe sharing, as long as there is still memory material coming up in such a way that we know my brain is trying to work these things through.

 

[Lucycat]

Are there any success stories? Has anyone had good results with emdr therapy for sustained childhood abuse based PTSD?

Yes and Yes!:whistling:

 

[desiderata310]

I have done EMDR now five times. It's been quite frankly the most painful thing I have been through. I relive what happened in technicolor and it continues to flash for days after. I find myself suicidal and depressed. Much of what we have realized is that there are so many things from this adult trauma that is tied to childhood trauma. It's opening doors I can't close.

My therapist and I had to have a frank and difficult discussion this week because of how badly I was fairing. The options were to walk away from therapy right now(which I have been tempted to do), abandon EMDR altogether, or progress slowly with EMDR being something that is reintroduced gradually. We finally agreed to continue and reintroduce EMDR but from sort of an outside place: that is to say- instead of hitting on the hardest memories first we hit on something less charged and work our way inward.

The odd thing about all of this is that while I have PTSD, I've been very high functioning until we started this treatment- and after the EMDR I could barely function as a human for days. II know that my therapist was very hung ho till I started getting suicidal on him after the sessions and I would walk INTO our appointments already in a state of panic wondering what fresh new hell was coming at me.

He's backed up since, apologized and said that he needs to find a way to help keep me grounded while we are doing the EMDR and that the time that the vibrators are going has to be reduced for me. Things pretty much take off on their own and one thing flows to the next and while I am reliving one thing, I am suddenly also remembering anew an old memory from childhood.

The most important thing my therapist did for me was to put me back in charge of all of this. I had been along for the ride. When I go in for my second appointment this week, I know I have full say in what happens. I'll let you know when I do it again, if there is a change.

 

[Hashi]

II know that my therapist was very hung ho till I started getting suicidal on him after the sessions

He's backed up since, apologized and said that he needs to find a way to help keep me grounded while we are doing the EMDR

desiderata, didn't he spend time with you doing work on grounding before you started doing EMDR? Wasn't he monitoring the effect on you before you got suicidal?

I'm concerned. What level of training does he have in EMDR, and how much experience?

 

[desiderata310]

Today was actually the first time that I have gone in and wasn't, in his words, 'triggered' from the start. I walked in and was like I am "normally". That is to say, feeling calm and relaxed and not like I was walking into a nightmare- my own happy cocky self.

He has all the credentials and training but I think he thought I was going to be a simple case. I am unfortunately not. 5 years of an abusive relationship, 10 years before that of a different kind of abusive relationship (married to a schizophrenic) and childhood trauma/abuse/whatever you want to call it, doesn't make me … simple.

He thought he had seen… "base line" me, and he had not. He had started off seeing triggered me and then seen me go to a higher state of agitation and anxiety. So, today was about finding out who the NON-Triggered me is. And assessing who I am that way. He certainly sees the difference. He also noted that I have an extraordinarily high tolerance for pain- physical and emotional. It's hard to tell externally when I have gotten to that point of "oh shit she's gonna blow."

The problem it seems is that when we start the EMDR, it kind of takes off really fast for me. I make very rapid associations and they link to prior events which tumble over one another. The sessions we did were very short but it didn't stop the associations and with me the associations didn't stop when I walked out the door. They would keep going and roll around for hours and days till I got to a place of "OH MY GOD MAKE IT STOP NOW."

So, today was in my estimation a rebuilding of trust and a foundation so that I can actually DO the EMDR without getting …ahem … hurt. He did apologize for how all this happened and we are working to get me to a place where I feel comfortable and trust him. That part is also compounded by the fact that there are many things I've never put into words. It's all going to be painful and difficult.

We did talk today about another goal that needs addressing: my tendency to be REALLY damn hard on myself. It tends to spiral out of control and get ugly quickly when I only bounce against myself. So, that's probably where we are going to start the EMDR- NOT with a super emotionally charged OMG sexual assault.