EMDR has helped me. I'm horrified to hear the stories of how it has hurt some of you. I know what a session can be like and the thought of it not having a good outcome, well, that's just scary. I'm sorry for all of you who were hurt by it. However, my story is different.
I've suffered from depression most of my life and after a major depression I started seeing a therapist who happened to know EMDR. This was before the major trauma that caused my PTSD. We worked together using EMDR. As for my traumatic childhood memories (divorce, abandonment, and others) that used to haunt me keeping me at a nearly constant depressive state, they are no longer haunting me. I still remember them but they don't trigger me to cry or hate myself.
Years later, I am assaulted and this leads to PTSD. I started seeing a therapist who just so happened to know EMDR as well. I was excited, it was like a blessing from God. I knew how EMDR worked and how much better my life became. Well, turns out I'm terrified of doing it now because these memories are very graphic and life-threatening. I still believe in it tho and have expressed this to her. She gently persuades me but never forces me to do it. It is painful but the whole time she reminds me that I'm safe, he's in prison, and I'm safe in her office where no one can hurt me. This helps a lot because sometimes I want to run out of the room like a fight or flight response, lol. She also expresses time and time again that there are no rules or guidelines that I need to follow. There are no expectations on me. This is also very important because if I were to think that I must visualize exactly what happened to me then I would likely be re-traumatized.
The brain knows when to protect you and during EMDR, just before he strangles me, the image will usually shift or almost pause. Once, I even laughed out loud because he kept trying to choke me but had no power, no strength, couldn't hurt me a bit. I pictured him getting so angry and frustrated and even in my vision I was laughing right in his face. Now that WAS very healing. My disturbance level (asked prior to the session and again afterwords) went from the highest, a 10, to a 7. That was just one session and for the first time since the assault, my intrusive thoughts had dropped in numbers. I was thinking less and less about the assault!
I don't believe there is a cure for the chemical changes in the brain that result in life threatening traumas, known as PTSD, but maybe it's possible for the brain to change again closer to it's original state. I do believe that even a changed brain can learn new tricks. EMDR is a tool, a great one when used properly by a specially licensed therapist (you must have a license to preform EMDR as it can have devastating results when done improperly). With each EMDR session, my life is noticeably better. I have less nightmares or none at all, I have less intrusive thoughts, I trigger less and am less effected by them.
I still have a long way to go but I believe healing thru talk therapy, guided imagery, positive affirmations, journaling, and some medications is drastically sped up by EMDR. EMDR will not reverse PTSD but it will help to make the memories just memories instead of constant reminders that I'm in danger.
Both my therapists suggested I research it before I use it so you are right to do a full investigation. In my research, the people who downplayed it the most were professionals who hadn't actually preformed EMDR or even sat in on a session. Anyone with a painful memory can benefit from EMDR not just PTSD'ers. I also use it when other issues come up, like before my deposition with the defence attorney, issues with facing my mother (she triggers me), and any up coming event that I'm afraid of.
Cure is not a word that is thrown around loosely for PTSD so that may be a red flag with his particular therapist. Check his credentials, how many clients has he had with PTSD, how much does he understand PTSD, and the length of time he has been using EMDR. Find out if he is keeping up to date with the latest techniques and ask him to explain to you step by step how he performs an EMDR session. It should match the one you can find here on this site www.emdr.com/briefdes.htm Take a good look at this site, especially under General Information and Frequently Asked Questions. They also have a lot of statistical data and very specific information on research findings.
I wish you the best! God Bless!
