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    • #93469
      HunkyDory
      Participant

      had my first session. Counselor is young but knowledgeable. Told her the history and got very upset. She can’t diagnose but said all the signs of PTSD. Told her about my life now. She said I’m a warrior – I’ll take that. Had my nails done for the first time in years. Feeling optimistic and looking forward to more sessions to work out these horrible flashes I still get. I’ll get there. We all will xx

    • #93475
      Fudgecake
      Participant

      Well done, you! 😊

    • #93482
      KIP.
      Participant

      I’m starting EMDR soon. Well done for starting this. I’ve been told you have to be in a good place in your life away from the abuse so that’s a positive. Sounds like you’re beginning to stop and smell the flowers in life again. Take a deep breath, they smell wonderful. 💐 🌷 🌹

    • #93491
      hop
      Participant

      I have this type of therapy. It’s really intense but definitely worth it. Good luck with it x

    • #93492
      HunkyDory
      Participant

      Thanks ladies, had the recurring dream again last night that I hope this therapy stops as well 😥 I hope you find it useful as well KIP. FF, thank you, it seems intense, just about to read the pack she gave me soihave more of an idea what will happen xx

    • #93495
      KIP.
      Participant

      I had a nightmare last week and I managed to wake up and face it. I’ve had you before and you won’t scare me. I tried telling myself it’s the trauma coming out and processing it. Tried to see the clinical side of it. We all deal with them in different ways but I too hope this therapy helps gets rid of the PTSD. At least the worst of it. Please let us know how you get on. My therapist also recommended EFT which she says is a gentler way to begin x

    • #93508
      HunkyDory
      Participant

      This dream is exactly the same every time. He’s back and being lovely and I’m just worried about how I’m going to cope financially again, but just feel resigned to it in the dream. It takes some time when I wake up to realize it’s not real then it leaves me in a sour mood for a while. I’ll let you know how it goes, thanks KIP, you dealt with that nightmare really well! xx

    • #93509
      KIP.
      Participant

      It took me a long time to get to that stage. Early on I would sleep with the light and a radio on so when I woke I would know instantly where I was. Some nights I would have to get up, make a cuppa and some toast. I slowly weaned myself off the lights and radio to just the plug in night lights now. You will get there too x

    • #93510
      LozzyX
      Participant

      Hi what is EMDR and how did you get access to this type of support ?

      I have nightmares and sometimes a type of flashback that stresses me out.

      Not away from the abuse yet but realized I do need to get away from him now asap he is just so so toxic and unbearable

    • #93511
      KIP.
      Participant

      Hi, EMDR is a therapy designed to help with trauma however you need to be away from the cause of your trauma before you can begin this therapy. There are many other ways to cope with the symptoms of abuse but until you cut ties with your abuser, you’re just treating the symptoms not the cause x hope this makes sense. It would be worth asking to be referred for some form of therapy from your GP.

    • #93535
      HunkyDory
      Participant

      She explained it really well to me. Rapid Eye movement (REM) sleep, when the eyes move back and forth when we sleep, is the brain processing your day and ‘filing” everything in its correct place. But the trauma memories are like a box of files sat on the floor that you daren’t look at, so they’re not filed away with everything else. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. You use either eye movement following lights (or nothing) or rhythmic tapping when accessing these memories and it helps the brain make sense of them and put them away. They don’t disappear of course, but the mind will treat them like a normally filed memory. I think it sounds really intriguing. I accessed it through a local mental health organization. I’ve had a six month wait. I thought I was ok and felt a bit of a fraud going, thinking we’d both agree I didn’t need it. But then I completely broke down even before she started talking. So yes, I do need it, and I’ll let it help me. If you search for local organizations that do this, and you’re out of the direct abuse, you might be able to get referred. Good luck xx

    • #93538
      HunkyDory
      Participant

      * I have a sleep tracker and I seem to have very little REM sleep which she thought was interesting. We’re going to monitor it and see if it changes x

    • #93632
      hop
      Participant

      The memories seem far away, almost like they’ve happened to someone else. I have terrible nightmares and some parts of the therapy make them worse for a time. She gave me some really good grounding techniques which I need at home and really help me. I’m used to coping with self harm but I haven’t for weeks (I know it doesn’t seem much, but it is atm). I’ve been doing it for months. I thought it would be over by now but I guess it takes a while to unpick a lifetime of it.

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