Is There A Limit To Emdr?

[Northgirl]

I've been doing EMDR for about 5 months now, working through complex trauma over a period of 10-15 years. It just feels like I'm tired of the process, I know it's effective and notice positive outcomes, but I wonder if staying with it will bring additional improvement or just make me more frustrated. It's mentally and emotionally exhausting but I don't want to stop before I've gotten all I can out of it. Obviously everyone is different, but can anyone offer their experience of how long it's taken for them or identify with my dilemma?

 

[seedling]

I just started, I'd also like to know what it's like a few months down the road. I can see the changes, but don't know how this will go when we get to my main trauma memories and what the ultimate improvement and outcome might be.

 

[Mina]

Is there a limit to EMDR? I think there certainly can be, but it's unique to each individual. I figuratively hit the wall with EMDR after a while. My first therapist and I realized it wasn't really helping anymore, so we just used it when I felt like it would help. She was very flexible and employed a more open version of EMDR which helped me greatly sometimes. When we moved to another state, I went to an EMDR specialist for a while. She was more rigid and less intuitive than my first therapist - very structured and focused on the protocol. After a bit, I felt like I was failing to progress and getting nowhere and just frustrating her with my lack of being able to properly work through the appropriate phases and come up with a target memory, negative belief, etc.

At that point, I actually called my first therapist (in another state by this point, and a year later) and chatted with her about whether you can really just reach a point where the usefulness of the modality is exhausted. I did stop seeing the EMDR specialist, and found someone else who uses EFT quite a bit. That one has been fairly successful in places where EMDR kind of failed.

Personally, I would say look for either progress or a lack thereof. It doesn't matter how great a modality "should" be if you aren't moving forward with it. I wish you the best as continue your journey.

 

[Deleted member 19804]

I'm finishing up with EMDR after about 6 months. I'd tried it before that time, but I wasn't ready. So in total it's been about 8 months of trying I think.
For me it's been really helpful. But like you said, everyone's different.

I have been "lucky" enough to "only" have to work through one trauma. I can imagine it would take a bit longer for complex trauma. But again, everyone's different. Some people respond to EMDR extremely well, others find it very difficult. For some people (like me) it's helpful, for others it's only frustrating.

I agree with @Mina : there needs to be some progress. However, progress is not just measured in feeling better. EMDR can be very, very intense. I went through a lot of pain before I started feeling better. Keep communicating with your therapist about how the treatment makes you feel and what other effects it has on you. After a while you'll see if it's a helpful treatment and where it's heading.

Best of luck to you on your journey.

 

[Northgirl]

Thanks so much everyone. It really helps to have your opinions and personal experience.