Nervous

[BrokenWingsMyLife]

Feeling extremely anxious this morning because I have my first EMDR. Don't know what to expect. I have tried to "shut down" the last few days, when I shut down I have a tendency not to eat. Yep not healthy. Night mares have come back with a vengeance to the point I am fearful of going to sleep. My biggest fear is that I will remain broken and no matter what my therapist won't be able to fix the broken me. Is there anything I can do to prepare for this? Thank you in advance!

 

[Cannottakethis]

All I can tell you is that anyone I know that's had emdr says it's helped them a lot. I think going in with an open mind and knowing that your T is not going to let anything happen to you might help. I'm hoping to have it this year. Good luck @BrokenWingsMyLife. I hope it goes well for you.

 

[Mim28]

Treat yourself well before and after the treatment. Now is the time to let your mind heal. Eating is important. It is medicine for our minds, so eat even if you are not hungry. You may need to rest after the treatment. just know this is normal. Before the treatment, ask your EMDR specialist what to expect and what to do if you feel your symptoms worsening. there should be a plan.
I found EMDR tired me out; sort of like a workout. I just let it ride, but always share how you feel with the T. each session may give you a different reaction. Some were easy and some were very hard, but at that point, I had trust in the process. I wish you the best and I hope this helps you.

 

[Missycat]

Hi @BrokenWingsMyLife ,
I know exactly how you feel, ive been there and still actually feel the same when i am having emdr therapy.
I imagine your T has worked on self soothing , grounding and your safe place with you ? If not they will do this as part of the process.
I was (and still am) having awful flashbacks and feeling of anxiety and a fear of having to go through the trauma and abuse again, however i have seen improvements having started emdr.
I find deep breathing exercises help me before i start and my T often senses my anxiety so will have me do breathing exercises before whether i think i need it or not !! This usually calms me down.
Your T will guide you through it.
I was told that it would not fix everything overnight and that after sessions i could still be 'processing' memories , this has happened and i have used the grounding and mindfulness ,safe place techniques i have been shown to get me through the difficult times. Im told i have a positive mindset as well , which i suppose helps in that i set myself a goal to get better and feel better and im confident one day i will.
This is just my story, everyone can have different experiences.
I hope this helps and i wish you all the best.
*hugs* if accepted x
MC

 

[BrokenWingsMyLife]

Thank you all! I survived 1st session. Weird how we started on one trauma but my mind would go in a different direction! I am completely wiped out and want a long nap, but after the session I went to work. Not sure how I am finding the strength to work but I guess because strength is all I know. I am finding it extremely hard to ruminate which I guess is one of the goals. So overall glad I did it and T said it was a great session because I felt and showed emotions.