EMDR participants

HEy all! I have been doing EMDR for a while now (1.5 years) It is very successful on my PTSD. I was molested for 12 years... I am now 17 and i am doing better. I am still in a theraputic school till may 09. It is my primary support system. I recommend talking to you EMDR T and work with her on grounding tech. for when you are home by yourself. I have found that "rubbing my feet on the ground" or point out my surroundings helps. ASh

Yes, my therapist has told me about using those kind of techniques to make me feel "real" again--focussing on physical things in the environment, esp. heavy things. For me to look up, instead of down on the ground which I usually do & to take in my environment & try to make me feel like I am actually "here." Hard to explain--but I feel like I am in a vapor.--Suzy

My T put a glas that had ice in it against my arm to ground me - i have tried that at home too - putting ice in my hand - it has helped. P7

I have been doing emdr for 8 months, I have had bad ones and good ones. The thing I have learned is that the processing doesnt stop after you leave. Your brain will be processing it for a while. Even if you dont realize it. Sometimes I would just cry and cry and cry for no reason a day or so after emdr and i realized by looking at the core underlying feeling it was my brain processing the emdr. When I realized that I coud cope better with it. Emdr is a weird and powerulf tool. What I have also foundis that my emdr therapist when she talks to me during emdr her voice and comfort plants in my brain in a very deep way. She is 33 but in my brain she is a sweet comforting gramndmotherly figure that can comfort me by talking. LOL.

I had a little trouble with shutting down emotionally during emdr. I think my T got into the intense stuff too quickly. Plus I was having bipolar 1 issues (meds) as well. I will try again later when my bipolar meds are stabilized.

I have not heard of the grounding technique until now. I will talk to T about it when I see her next week.

I am really struggling. We can't work on much in therapy b/c I a mess before I even get there.

I hate night time. My anxiety gets so bad. I am a nervous mess. All I want to do is cry. Every little thing sets me off.

I do that to. The crying at night. That may be the processing that still occuring. Be gentle with yourself about it and try and remember that it is healing.

(((pleasehelp))) ((((MINIME)))

Thank you for the reminder. I am my worst enemy. Especially when it comes to being hard on myself. I tend to be very hard on myself. I have found that the CD "A guided mediation for Healing Trauma (PTSD)" by Belleruth Naperstek is very helpful. I listen to it at night and it helps me to fall asleep. I normally don't make it to the affirmation part.

Thanks to all who come here to help and support me!

I have a diagnosis of bipolar 1 & acute anxiety & PTSD & am doing EMDR & indiv. therapy & Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. I would highly recommend DBT for people with high anxiety & out of control emotions, etc. It has really helped me. I have felt so overwhelmed with emotions that I couldn't cope with that I resorted to overdosing on my medications... Now I'm learning much more rational ways of dealing with things.--Suzy