Has anyone experience EMDR therapy?

[maddog]

My counsellor has suggested it. I’ve read quite a lot about it. I’ve had loads of mental health treatment over the years, and some has been more helpful than others. Some time ago, I tried hypnotherapy. It wasn’t helpful although I think it was more about the practitioner than the process.

I’m really hoping it might help.

[Marmalade]

Hi Maddog,
I’m on the waiting list for EMDR as other forms of trauma therapy were unsuccessful as I have quite severe cPTSD.
My understanding is it is supposed to wipe the memories.
Ironically even if I reach the top of the list, I can’t have it as I still have an ongoing police investigation, so I have to keep the memories just in case it ever gets to court. If you have any ongoing proceedings then potential witnesses can not have EMDR as it distorts or suppresses memories.
I have heard mixed reviews. Some ladies swear by it, others noticed no effect. Good luck if you have it and let us know if it is successful.

[maddog]

My counsellor wants me to look at things way, way back, maybe even before speech was a thing. I really thought I’d processed this stuff although I’m not really surprised
Oh for a magic bullet!

[browneyedmum]

Its not nice while you’re having to do it, but after is *amazing*. One of my children had some intensive, long term medical treatment and follow up which gave me paralysing sc-anxiety. Went and had EMDR specifically for that and I no longer have fear and anxiety around annual checkups.

It doesn’t wipe memory but rather it re-processes and re-integrates memories using sensory cues so that strong connection to a negative emotional response (i.e. — fight/flight/freeze) is no longer triggered. I remember past scans, I remember that I was paralysingly anxious about past scans. But after… I can’t say that I felt ‘blank’ but it was amazing to feel that absence of the extreme anxiety so that I could instead fill that emotional space with confidence and feeling assured.

Hope that helps!

[maddog]

I’m so glad it’s worked for you Browneyedmum. I find yoga really helpful and the teacher is particularly trauma informed. My goodness I resist it! I really enjoy how I feel afterwards although I certainly don’t find it easy. My counsellor has lots of tools in their bag. It’s time limited which concerns me a bit. I’m caught in a thought cycle which hasn’t affected me for decades. It’s pretty grim here!

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