New therapist uses emdr & breathing techniques

[WAgirl]

So, I just started with a new therapist. My first one ever doesn't do emdr and she said she thought that might be a better route to go as after 3 mo she was worried about going too deep with me. I find all of this confusing and I'm stressed about starting over but the I feel ok so far with my new one. I'm also anxious about emdr. I've tried to research it some, it seems a little Clockwork Orange but at this point I'm willing to try just about anything.

My new therapist worked on some breathing exercises with me today...how can breathing be so hard to do? My brain was all over the map, it wouldn't shut up and I felt like I wanted to jump out of my skin.

 

[Teamwork]

Breathing is hard! I had to do a lot of research outside therapy to understand all that stuff as there was never time in therapy to ask the questions. I follow a few ppl on Facebook who quotes mindfulness quotes in short paragraphs, I think it’s called the daily bell. This helps add to the breathing exercise.

 

[Freida]

Yep .Teaching yourself how to breath is just confusing. I mean...it's breathing! How hard can it be?!! Then I found out I was doing it wrong.:(. The good news is feeling breathing when it's done correctly is fabulous and can help with that jumping out of your skin feeling

 

[Skywatcher]

I have found some real benefits from emdr. I will say that when we first started getting into it, I looked her in the eye and said, “you have a really strange job!” I would recommend that once you are past the resourcing phase that you take your time and never forget that you can stop whenever you want or need to. It can be overwhelming!

 

[piratelady]

The thought of EMDR still freaks me out a bit, but I have read so many success stories from it!

Clockwork Orange

What is this?

 

[EveHarrington]

The thought of EMDR still freaks me out a bit, but I have read so many success stories from it!

W...

Clockwork Orange is a movie.

It has a rape scene so watch at your own risk.

 

[shimmerz]

how can breathing be so hard to do?

For me it was because I was frozen solid inside. I had to learn body techniques to be able to come out of that freeze. I practice it often when I feel my abdominal cavity release and man do I feel the difference when my diaphragm can actually move. Oddly enough, it is really simple (I am going to say automatic) when those muscles release.

I'm also anxious about emdr.

The eyes, for me were incredibly important for healing. I noticed when I used to freeze up (my whole body) that my eyes used to fixate on a point and I couldn't move my body until my eyes released from that point. Usually up and to the right. Sometimes up and to the left. Sometimes they would roll right up top. That used to freak people out.

Anyway, that taught me that the eyes are the pathway into regulation. If I could manage and work with the visualizations of past issues that locked my eyes to a certain location, then I would be able to release the freeze on my own.

It's all so fascinating.

 

[Freida]

I've been doing emdr for a little over a year and its' amazing when it works! Its like that thought that just made you crazy now is nothing more than a blip on the screen of your memory. But. It's hard, hard work. And there are many days I don't want to go back. I only keep doing it because I know it can be a game changer

She couldn't use the eye motions following her fingers because I'm too hyper vigilant, so we tried the hand buzzers and I threw them at her because I have issues with my hands. We ended up using headphones which has been great. So if the first technique doesn't work keep trying!:)

 

[WAgirl]

So I had my 4th emdr session today and I basically got walloped with something related to a memory I already had, that I thought I knew. This was something...I had no idea until I'm watching the lights back and forth, feeling the buzzing and like a slap to the head I'm in this memory I didn't know was there. I dropped the lights like they were on fire, made some weird startled noise and it was all I could do to stay in my seat. I thought I knew the worst of it, I didn't. I tried to explain, even basically but I couldn't string any words together they just wouldn't come out. She asked if I wanted to write something and I was able to scratch out a couple of sentences that gave her an idea. We spent the rest of the time trying to get me level since I had to go back to work. I was pretty useless the rest of the day, I've been all over the map.

I'm truly scared to go back, of what else may be around the corner I don't "know" about.

 

[anthony]

I'm truly scared to go back, of what else may be around the corner I don't "know" about.

The whole idea is to find the truth, to discover what happened, process it, then go away feeling a lot better. You get worse before you get better. Fight the fear and keep going. It is up to you to help yourself, nobody else can do it for you. Fear will only see you worsen for the longevity of your life. Options options.

 

[Freida]

I'm truly scared to go back, of what else may be around the corner I don't "know" about.

It is up to you to help yourself, nobody else can do it for you.

This is the worst part of emdr -- getting smacked upside the head by things you didn't realize you had hidden. But -- and this is a big but --- when it works it is amazing. Those memories that make you want to puke right now will become just things that you look back on and think ...gosh that was sad/scary/unfortunate. ho hum. Truly - it is amazing. I won't lie -- the road to get there can be really, really hard and you are the only one who can walk it. Your T can guide you, but this is between you and your memories.

One suggestion is that you try schedule it late in the afternoon so you don't have to go back to work that same day. When I get into the really tough memories it knocks me down for about 24 hours. So maybe you could ask your T to have an appointment at the end of the day on a Friday?

 

[WAgirl]

Thanks for the encouragement, it really helps hearing others perspectives. I trust my T, I'm sure I'll go back. I need this to work, but right now my alarm bells are going non stop. Sleep is not my friend tonight.