[I had no idea]

I am currently doing EMDR and apparently I have a lot of issues because I started in June and I don't expect to be finished before October. I have even done 2 sessions/week sometimes. I do think it's helping, but it can be a tough thing to go through for this long period of time. Plus I feel like I am constantly going to appointments. There is no way I could work and receive treatment for all of this. Between my EMDR T, my regular T, and my psychiatrist, I feel like I'm in constant therapy! I know this is not a forever thing, but I just think about all the things I need to do & the only "alone" time I have is when I go to my appointments. I actually want to be alone a lot to think about what is going on and spend some time healing by myself, but with life and kids I am never alone!

[Nammu]

Being deaf I haven't found any one who will do EMDR for me, I've read they can adapt it by changing it to taps or in other ways, it's just where I live. I wish you good luck with that I've heard it gets very good results.

I have had what was called partial hospital, my reg T, a psych Doc and classes that just happened to be Soc and advanced psych classes. Just 2 classes and both in related fields! All at the same time and that was hard, it was hard just to stay awake, there was time to sleep, but it was hard to sleep, that was when I had the time to be quite and the stuff would come up and go though my head. I was exhasted all the time. It was easier back when I was younger and working full time at night as a CNA and going to the University durring the day, and having a social life sqeezed in the odd hours w/ bits of sleep.

I needed to use those tiny bottles of energy drinks just to stay awake though the groups.(I don't drink coffee-can't stand the smell) I don't know why working on this stuff is harder and takes more out of you than physical labor and school but it does. Families take just about as much energy, so I sympathize. What you are doing, it's hard. I wonder if you have talked to your wife about taking one day a week off. Maybe if you have a single friend who has room for you to bunk out for a day. Our if you have the money a room at an economy motel some time durring the week when its cheaper, but only if the kids are old enough or you have a friend who wouldn't mind stepping in and watching them for that day. Most married people know married couples.

Maybe you could work something out with another couple that they would take your kids after school on say tues or weds see that they get to school the next day. Then after you have finished the therapy, you and your wife could return the favor, that way you both get a night off. You could use it for the two of you or you both could use it to recharge separately. Journaling, walks, baths, boob tubes are good too! playing games, sex....but you both get a break and it would probably help a lot more than if just you had the break.

I can understand how you feel, no time to process all the info. The difference thogh is huge, living with a family and doing that means giving a lot back especialy w/ kids, they can't be expected to put their lives on hold. That has to be hard. My husband and I divorced a long time ago and my daughter is now 27 so when I was going though all that. My time at home was mine. The draw back was there was no one there when I could have used it. Haveing someone, a support is a really great bonus, and somthing to treasure. I did everything I could to save my marrage, but his drug use was just too dangerous. If it had been just me that would have been ok but I couldn't let him put our daughter in harms way. So maybe if you can find a way to just get one night it would help. I haven't been in exactly that situation, but I've had a family and I've had intense therapy and no time, so I can sort of imagine. The best of luck.

[laceylu]

This stuff really makes me tired. I work full time and was going to college. I am trying to adopt. So my life is full. I almost have no time to process. I journal. I forget everything. She wants to do emdr but I freaked. I am hanging on by a thread. I asked my boss for one consistent day off a week to do therapy and college and stuff. I stopped college. On my day off I do T and journaling and nothing else. I have a long drive to T so I can think on my way there and on my way home. I sleep a lot more than I used to. I stopped TV. My T was supposed to be quick. But now I have discovered more problems. T says I also have a dissociative disorder. I want full testing. So I guess I will be in T a long time. And I do have to work the same number of hours, just more on weekends. I use PC for support between sessions since T's appts are tight. She may send me to another T for the D.D. Therapy is hard kind of like getting chemo or dialysis on a regular basis.