@Tiffany2 - I've been in EMDR weekly for 7-8 months now, and I find that it's like peeling layers off an onion. I'm just getting into some of the deepest, darkest feelings of pain and suffering, so it's been really intense and incredibly overwhelming. I compartmentalized all of my feelings for years - like, hardly cried ever, etc. - and EMDR has essentially opened the box of all of that unfelt emotion, and it has come pouring out.
The things I need most out of the people in my life right now are love, reassurance, support, and understanding. It is TOTALLY exhausting. I go to EMDR on my day off (I couldn't do it after a full day of work), and sometimes I can't do anything the rest of the day but be quiet and sleep. I cancel plans a lot because again, I'm usually more emotionally spent because of feeling all this unfelt pain and suffering and rage that I've bottled up for so long. It also spills out onto regular (non-EMDR) days because you keep processing even when you're out of it. So that can be really overwhelming as well.
In a perfect world, I want reassurance that I'm going to be okay, that I am getting better, and sometimes it gets better before it gets worse, because it is HARD. I want understanding that I am just more fragile right now, so if I'm distant or depressed or cancel plans, it's not a personal thing or me being "flaky". I just can't do it at that time. And it means a lot when people reach out and check on me even if I'm being distant.
In my opinion, being as loving and supportive and non-judgmental as you can are probably the best things you can do right now. And just let him go through the process in his own time and with space to do so. Sometimes it feels like 1 step forward, 2 steps back. But that's just how personal growth and healing are, I think.
This is a great question, Tiffany :) Your son is lucky to have a mom who cares so much <3
