[thinkgood]

EMDR Therapy. Will this work in my case?

I am at a point of my life that I really want to take care of my issues, so I can finally life a more normal life.
I was referred to EMDR therapy for all my general problems. Light depression, unhappiness, low self esteem etc.
The person thought it had to do with some kind of trauma I went through.
I have indeed been in something yearsssss ago, not too big, but at the emdr session, I wasn’t really feeling anything.
Also I cant even say what score I give it from scale 1 till 10. It was so long ago, that I think, yes it was sad/crazy but that’s about it, I don’t feel much for it anymore.

So how is that supposed to work with emdr, does that mean this wont work for me?

How can emdr help me with my general problems if I can’t think of a real trauma?
I mean she keeps on asking me questions of how I felt about it, what I am thinking etc, but most times I didn’t have an answer to that. I wants really thinking, just spacing out while she did the finger movements.

Is EMDR possible to do without a specific incident/trauma.

Any advice?

[pattijane]

Yes, it should work for you on light depression, unhappiness, and low self esteem but it needs to be done properly! I hope your T is well-trained... you do need some event or memory to target but you can "get there" by starting with your negative belief about yourself (e.g. I'm powerless, or There's something wrong with me, or I'm not important, etc.), notice how that negative belief feels both in terms of what emotions come up and where you feel it in your body, and kind of "float back" to the earliest time you can remember having that belief and those feelings and body sensations. For most people some memory will pop up, doesn't need to be "traumatic" or "huge," just something that still feels disturbing when you call it to mind.

To understand more about EMDR therapy, one of the initial phases (Phase 2) involves preparing for memory processing or desensitization (memory processing or desensitization - phases 3-6 - is often what is referred to as "EMDR" which is actually an 8-phase method of psychotherapy). In this phase resources are "front-loaded" so that you have a "floor" or "container" to help with processing the really hard stuff, as well as creating strategies if you're triggered in everyday life. In Phase 2 you learn a lot of great coping strategies and self-soothing techniques which you can use during EMDR processing or anytime you feel the need. These resources are also useful for "spacing out" which is a form of dissociation, and you and your T should discuss grounding techniques to use if/when you space out.

In phase 2 you learn how to access a “Safe or Calm Place” which you can use at ANY TIME during EMDR processing (or on your own) if it feels scary, or too emotional, too intense. One of the key assets of EMDR therapy is that YOU, the client, are in control NOW, even though you weren’t in the past, during traumatic or upsetting events. You NEVER need re-live an experience or go into great detail, NEVER need to go through the entire memory. YOU can decide to keep the lights (or the alternating sounds and/or tactile pulsars, or the waving hand, or any method of bilateral stimulation that feels okay to you) going, or stop them, whichever helps titrate – measure and adjust the balance or “dose“ of the processing. During EMDR processing there are regular “breaks” and you can control when and how many but the therapist should be stopping the bilateral stimulation every 25-50 passes of the lights to ask you to take a deep breath and say just a bit of what you’re noticing, anything different, any changes. The breaks help keep a “foot in the present” while you’re processing the past. Again, and I can’t say this enough, YOU ARE IN CHARGE so YOU can make the process tolerable. And your therapist should be experienced in the EMDR therapy techniques that help make it the gentlest and safest way to detoxify bad life experiences and build resources.

Grounding exercises are essential. You can use some of the techniques in Dr. Shapiro's new book "Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR." Dr. Shapiro is the founder/creator of EMDR but all the proceeds from the book go to two charities: the EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Program and the EMDR Research Foundation). The book is an easy read, helps you understand what's "pushing" your feelings and behavior, helps you connect the dots from past experiences to current life. Also gives lots of really helpful ways that are used during EMDR therapy to calm disturbing thoughts and feelings.

I'm a psychologist who uses EMDR therapy as my primary psychotherapy treatment and I've also personally had EMDR therapy for anxiety, panic, grief, and “small t” trauma. As a client, EMDR worked extremely well and also really fast. As an EMDR therapist, and in my role as a facilitator who trains other therapists in EMDR therapy (certified by the EMDR International Association and trained by the EMDR Institute, both of which I strongly recommend in an EMDR therapist) I have used EMDR therapy successfully with panic disorders, PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief, body image, low self-esteem, phobias, distressing memories, bad dreams, and many other problems. It's a very gentle method with no significant "down-side" so that in the hands of a professional EMDR therapist, there should be no freak-outs or worsening of day-to-day functioning. EMDR therapy has a ton of excellent research behind it validating its efficacy.

In addition to my therapy practice, I roam the web looking for EMDR therapy discussions, try to answer questions about it posted by clients/patients, and respond to the critics out there. It's not a cure-all therapy, however, it really is an extraordinary psychotherapy and its results last. In the hands of a really experienced EMDR therapist, it's the most gentle way of working through disturbing experiences.

[thinkgood]

Thanks for your reply. About what you wrote "*the bilateral stimulation every 25-50 passes of the lights to ask you to take a deep breath and say just a bit of what you’re noticing, anything different, any changes" .
That is what I am trying to ask. I have most times no thought at all and no changes. Does that make sense?

[Kaysey]

I know just what you are talking about, thinkgood. I felt the same as you for my first few sessions. Like you I had no MAJOR traumas, but lots of smaller things that gave me negative views of myself. When I first started EMDR, I was trying hard to think of memories and of course thought of nothing. After a few sessions I relaxed a bit more and just let my mind wander. Whatever thought or idea came to me first, I told my therapist. They seemed pretty random, but she saw a pattern to my processing and after a while I saw how it was working. Now, I haven't finished processing many things yet so I don't know how well it will work for me. Right now I am trying to work on one of those negative beliefs I have that pattijane mentioned. Hopefully this will help. My advice is to try to relax a bit more and try not to overthink it. That's what helped me get started. Good luck!

[thinkgood]

thanks for sharing. I already went 3 times and felt it still didn't work. All that time and money adds up. I just don't have thoughts coming to me. I don't know how to rate on scale from 1 till 10 how bad I feel about something. In end I just gave random number for rating 7 but it wont be accurate when I rate it again in a few sessions as I made that 7 up.
Its so fustrating how much longer till it works for me. Yeh one time what came up was that I remembered that I had forgotten to call the regular doctor to make an appointment for my child.

[thinkgood]

i hope someone is still following this. i still do not know if i should go back or not. i havent been in a long time. i still feel i need help with all my underlining emotional problems. can anyone share how long it took for you for emdr to work and help you?