[Rive1976]

I talked to my therapist about thinking EMDR has shut off my emotions. She said she doesnt think it can. I just know from the age of 8 till about 4 months ago I lived in a constant anxious state. Triggers all around. I hate it. I would rather go back to that than feel this way. A unfeeling zombie.

[koru_kiwi]

its interesting what you say about EMDR shutting off your emotions. i have not done EMDR, but i have done neurofeedback therapy which successfully calmed my constant anxiety and fears and this lead to emotional regulation for me. i know EMDR and neurofeedback are both body centred therapies which can be beneficial for with overcoming the symptoms from complex trauma. experiencing the calmness was a very new and quite a different feeling for me because i have been anxious probably since i was an infant and had no real concept of 'calm' and i wonder if what you are experiencing could be kind of similar?

for a while, as i progressed with my neurofeedback therapy, i felt flat in my emotions and something that i can only describe as a sense of boredom in part of my being. i didn't feel like an unfeeling zombie, but i did notice a complete difference to especially how i was feeling in my body and who i was as a person. i was becoming less hypervigilant and sensitive to triggers and my environment, and because of this, i was able to start noticing and experiencing new things around me from an entirely new perspective and from a place that felt safe. from this new perpesctive, i was able to start re-exploring the world again and having new experiences. i believe it was through these new experiences that i started to grow into who i am now. perhaps it was the emotional growing i was never able to complete when i didn't feel safe and calm in the world. i definilty prefer the sense of calm now over any of the hypervigilance and anxiety from before.

how long have you been doing EMDR? overall, do you think it has been helpful for you? it will be interesting to hear if anyone else who has done EMDR also relates to this 'flatness' or feeling emotionless.

[Rive1976]

The strange thing is only only done it like 7 times.

[Seelenna1982]

Emdr shut me down. I’m taking a break but I’m absolutely useless now in therapy, like a zombie and I don’t know how to change it.
I think maybe the emdr was just done too soon and I couldn’t manage it.

[Rive1976]

I am used to being anxious and triggered. All of my life that I can remember has been like that. Niw that I am rarely ever triggered I dislike it. I should love it right? I dont though. My T just says the brain is mysterious. That doesnt help. I want to be like I used to be. I just feel so different.