Last week was my first time working with the EMDR device in her office. It was over quickly and seemed too simple to work, it couldn't have been a minute that I held a tiny pulsator in each hand and watched a dot move around on a screen, all the while I was instructed to recall a peaceful memory. Perhaps this was just a precursor to the actual treatment?
Hi Vega, welcome to the forum.
I'm also undergoing EMDR. My T spent our first 2 sessions talking through various aspects of my Trauma and then he wouldn't begin until I had a safe place to mentally go to, and grounding/coping techniques to help bring me back to the room.
He has used hand tapping, where he taps the back of my hands with his, I follow his hads with my eyes and narrate my trauma, gradually slowing it down to when I have a reaction.
Recently I have been holding the vibrating paddles (OK once I got over the giggles of the vibrators and the fact for the second session I have used the battery power). I hold one paddle in each hand, close my eyes and concentrate on the vibrations. Again either narrating the trauma, slowing it down, finding negative cognition and then positive cognition.
It is v hard, I think one of the hardest things I have ever done. I've had 11 sessions out of 20 each lasting 90mins.
Some weeks are OK, yesterday was horrendous, awful, memories, I came out so tense, in pain, drained and utterly exhausted. It is common to feel drained and tired afterwards. I always make sure I have nothing else on that day and can relax and take ie easy.
Yesterday was unusual, I have been making good progress. We are concentrating on my trauma but as the weeks go by, T is on at me to ask my GP to refer me back to psychological services for counselling with childhood/adult trauma and self esteem issues. T cannot do it - it is the way our NHS works. But other issues are coming up.
Hang in with it, PM me if you like.
KP
