As usual i had therapy today and my T and i did EMDR and it was mind blowing bar none.

I went through so many emotions i'm now emotionally drained to the point of exhaustion.It was nothing remotely close to what i thought it would be in that i knew i'd spiral downward, i knew it would be rough on me, i knew it was something that had the pontential to hurt me further however i also knew it could help me in ways therapy per se could never do itself.


I still have mixed feelings about doing it again because it leaves you in a state of numbness.

I disacosiated several times during the session and cried uncontrolably.During one episode i felt as though i was floating and my entire body was numb.

I can only speak from my experience but i will tell anyone who is thinking about trying out this process to be real careful for alot of rapid fire thoughts/feelings you may not be ready for,but most importantly your "safety" is paramount and anything less then that is unacceptable.

Be aware though it can really give you a perspective you might not have otherwise if you did not at least try it.

Coop

Hey Coop...

I'm actually scheduled for my first EMDR session on Friday...
only the second session w/ my psychologist....

I only hope for you that you're ready to take this on.


Coop

EMDR does a lot of work in a short amount of time. I didn't experience the same dissociation that Coop did, but I did get hit with the emotional barrage. It takes me a while to recover afterwards.

Yeah, know the feeling. Sometimes they're like one giant flashback for me. Many times I have to sit in the therapist's office for a while before I can drive home. After one session, there was no way I could drive, so I sat down in the waiting room. There was a lady there with me, and I didn't want to upset her, so I picked up a magazine and pretended to read it while I got myself together. Trouble is, I couldn't help myself and tears started to roll down my cheeks. She must have thought that was the saddest issue of "Science Digest" ever written.

Bobby

What is EMDR?? I feel numb in my therapy sessions

Hey coop,

What you describe sounds very intense, especially with the warnings you posted, more than once.

I like some, am not sure what EMDR even is.

Would it be possible for you to explain in a little more detail for those of us who aren't really up to speed on what this process really entails. If it is not, I'm sure we all would understand.
I kind of got cold chills just reading and thinking about how intense it must be.

Best wishes and warmest regards,
Scott

From another thread...



Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

The theory is that bilateral stimulation (achieved by following the "bouncing ball" from left to right with the eyes only) somehow accesses the memory portion of the brain including the emotional components of the memory, allowing them to be processed in a healing way instead of being stored as a traumatic memory that affects the entire being. The bilateral stimulation can be accomplished visually, audibly, and through the use of alternately buzzing pods held in the hands or on the thigh.

It's been accredited by many major mental health organizations world-wide, and is recognized as a primary treatment for PTSD by the American Psychological Association.

The long and the short of it is, it works fast and well for most people, often times without "reliving" the memories as they are processed.

Thanks Dewey2k,

That is an excellent de>

Glad I could help. There is a lot of literature on it on the net if you google it.