Starting The Reprocessing Part Of Emdr

[ashdawn8287]

So, after I spent all summer doing self care and building safety and positivity, I am ready to move forward in EMDR.

I start reprocessing next Friday. My therapist was very nice. She even said she wishes I was her spokes person for proof of that healing is possible if you do everything the good and credible research says to do. That was very sweet of her. She is so nice.

She doesn't think it will take long or many session as I have already came a far way with healing, but everyone handles things differently with EMDR she explained. My insurance runs out January first, but I will have student health insurance still.

I just hope it goes well and it doesn't knock me down I have a lot of daily stuff I do. I decided Fridays would be best, because it would give me the weekend to practice the stuff I do in order to be good by Monday, since I am a busy little bee.

Just thought I would share.

I have to sit down and talk with S (fiancée) about it tonight she said he needs to learn everything about EMDR and how to support me. He is very going at being there, but only being there haha. If that makes sense. He will hug me and do "service" oriented stuff like run errands, he is working on his emotions, and that is the part I need from him during this.

He is scheduling an appointment with my free counselor at the YWCA though and in hopes to learn how to support someone like me and honestly maybe even help some of his issues, but I just don't tell him that haha. It's the denial thing with him, everything is okay always yet he displays behaviors and patterns and being functionally slow in the relationship, I do a lot of the things to pull us up, and it is getting exhausting. It takes everything I have to bring myself up. He has lots of room to grow and he is a good man though. Always physically there for me and helps in other ways, but I do need him to work on himself to help me in the relationship.


What should I discuss with S, in regards to help support me emotionally better during reprocessing? Thanks.

 

[nomedic1]

Tell him exactly what you need him to come to the party emotionly. He needs to step up to the plate and show you he is willing to give up things so you can have a stable relationship

 

[euca]

Hello ashdawn. Sounds like we are in a similar therapeutic position. I began the processing part of EMDR about a month ago. For my more 'minor' trauma that we started on, it was OK, better than OK, it works. I have been able to change my cognitions to more positive natural thoughts, I am less sensitive to triggers from this event, I can think about it without it being overwhelming, I could feel the process working. The last two weeks we moved onto the more difficult trauma and this is different. I am highly anxious, can't sleep and lots of PTSD symptoms are at a height and stressing me out.

I don't know how it is going to go for you, of course. Your supporter might want to be prepared for worst case scenario, ie for you to feel very rough, especially in the two days after session. It is normal for things to feel worse before they feel better according to my therapist. At the moment I'm a bit lost as to whether they will, but I'm trying to remember how the first processing worked and trust in my therapist. Some of the things you might want to warn him about: I am really angry for no reason quite commonly, and then I lose interest in whatever I was angry about. I have no interest in domestic things. My supporters (I am lucky I have a few) can't get close to me right now. Eating is hard. Sleep meds are essential. Exercising my rear end off is just about keeping me in line. Just some thoughts. Hope it goes OK for you.

 

[Only 1 of me]

I would second Euca's comments. It's hard to predict how you will be after sessions. Mostly what I want post EMDR is space, sometimes I need to sleep, or to have minimal sensory input. I also have several strands of trauma, and we started with the 'easier' stuff. This gave me confidence in the process and built my trust in my therapist. Now we are tackling the last block, the most difficult and distressing stuff. I get very anxious in anticipation, but it's a non linear process so I've found that when I'm anxious and think it's going to be awful doesn't always correlate. I'm glad you've spent the time working on your coping skills, that will be key.

EMDR has changed my life, and I'm so glad I had the chance to do it, but it is hard work re-wiring you brain.