[happyflowergirl]

I recently got a new T a few months ago, and I have started to do EMDR, but we need to go much deeper. We mainly have worked on some surface stuff. I don't have DID, but my very first EMDR session, by another T, I did dissociate afterwards later that night ,and that was scary. But it was a catalyst in my changing of my life.

But now I am getting to the nitty gritty. I hope this therapy can help heal my childhood abuse. At least so I am not triggered by current things. My new T is taking things a lot more slow and I am learning how to use my safe place. If EMDR doesn't work well, he is talking about age regression therapy, which sounds scarey to me. But I think I can trust my new T , he is so warm, and I am able to even cry in therapy, but with my old T in 2 1/2 I couldn't cry, in fact I only cried twice and it was beause he hurt me. But I fired him because our relationship was getting too personal. I miss my old T, but I am glad I have my new one.

So I was wondering what kind of therapies you have used for dealing with past abuse? I suppose it is different for everyone. Is there hope?

[Rhapsody]

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happyflowergirl said:
So I was wondering what kind of therapies you have used for dealing with past abuse? I suppose it is different for everyone. Is there hope?

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YES....... there is HOPE -

I have been using EMDR & Radical Forgiveness for five years now and I have been able to over come many of my past issues, with my sexual abuse being the hardest one to heal from (I am stil working on that one).

You can read my Bio thru my Name for my History.

[mtd]

I have used EMDR to confront the worst parts of what happened to me. I have found it very helpful with a trusted therapist. But I was required (for my own good, I was told) to stick with it through several sessions without big breaks in between, which was very exhausting. It was really hard, but I feel like it was worth it. I would do it again.

mtd

[happyflowergirl]

You are right about being exhausting. I am totally spent for 3 days afterwards! But I feel it is helping.

[happyflowergirl]

HI! I think we have talked before, or maybe I have been reading for a long time and have seen you post many times! It is nice to know I am not alone in dealing with past abuse.

One thing I just can't fathom anyone abusing a child. I have 2 wonderful kids, and I couldn't imagine harming them in any way.

[tsha]

Happyflowergirl
Your description sounds similar to my experience. I am currently in EMDR. I wasn't getting anywhere with talk therapy when it came to the abuse. Its working, albeit a little slowly for my liking but that's controlled by my brain. After the first few sessions we had to slow it down so that I don't become re-traumatized.

My therapist is wonderful and very good about controlling the session. She is a survivor and was treated with EMDR so she understands what I am going through. She shares her experiences with me.

On a purely technical level, it is very interesting how it works with our brain and what you go through, but on an emotion level it is the hardest think I have had to do. I tremble, I cry, I get headaches and at the end I am so tired all I want to do is sleep. But I can't that first night. I toss and turn.

I see a different therapist for EMDR. I have set up my regular therapy sessions for the following morning. This has been working out pretty well.

In terms of recovery, we have made significant headway. Just getting through the "shame" has been such a hurdle.

I wish you luck with your treatment.

[happyflowergirl]

Wow, I am glad I posted, and I am not the only going through this. Is is nice to talk to those who know how EMDR feels. I tend to have nighmares or flashbacks the night after my session. I am glad you are making headway, it gives me hope! Thanks!
Namaste

[sunrise]

I have used EMDR for childhood trauma. Just a few times, but it really helped me. It was exhausting. I would go home and crash and sleep for hours afterwards. I sometimes felt such a weight lifted from me in the days after that I felt almost high. Then after a few days would come crashing down. But overall it was very valuable. I can now talk about really traumatic experiences from my past that before the EMDR would send me into terror.

[SweetCrusader]

I hope this isn't hijacking the thread (if it is, though, let me know and I'll take my question to a new thread)...

Can you guys explain in detail what happens in your EMDR sessions? How does it work? Do you have to go back and remember all the traumas?

[salukigirl]

i have never heard of emdr. from the postings it sounds like when they hypnotize you and you can conjur up old feelings and memories that you may have repressed subconsciously. thats just what it sounds like from the postings though, im probably waaaaay off

[happyflowergirl]

I am not sure if we can post links, but the best info on the web about it is EMDR.com. It isn't hypnotization, you are in control of everything the whole time.

In laymans terms, is it like when you experiece a trauma situation, your brain freezes, and it remains stuck. This is why people have flashbacks, etc, because the situation is still stuck.

EMDR simulates what is simular REM sleep. It unlocks the froozen, and allows you to fully process it till it becomes less sensitive to you. It doesn't work for everyone, but recently the VA recommened it for their clients (soldiers). But whatever you do if you deceide you are interested, find someone who is at least level 2 certified, and has a lot of experience doing it.

[Rhapsody]

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SweetCrusader said:
Can you guys explain in detail what happens in your EMDR sessions? How does it work? Do you have to go back and remember all the traumas?

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No - I would not say that you have to remember ever bad detail of your past...... You just talk about your feelings, thoughts, sadness, anger etc while doing the EMDR with your T (most common practice is using pulse pads that alternate pulses starting on the left side of the body them jumping to the right side) - (the ones I used were placed under my upper thigh while I was sitting).

These pulses help line up the right side and the left side of the brain so that you may now deal with your past issues / wounds having both sides of the brain involved instead of just one - emotions and logic...... this is where the real healing is done and the old wounded energy is released.

[Rhapsody]

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happyflowergirl said:
I am not sure if we can post links,
but the best info on the web about it is EMDR.com.

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YES........................................... You can.

* * * * * * * * *

A Brief Description of EMDR:

http://www.emdr.com/briefdes.htm

F&Q

http://www.emdr.com/q&a.htm

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing:

http://skepdic.com/emdr.html

[tsha]

When one suffers a traumatic experience our brain takes action to protect us. In my case, I was a 5 year old who was sexually abused by an uncle for 9 years.

The trauma became too much for me and my brain split (for lack of a better term). The 'split' is actually the emotional side turning off because the event is too overwhelming. (One side of your brain controls emotions and the other thoughts). So your brain processes the event on an intellectual level but not emotionally. In essence you have an incomplete memory and because its incomplete you suffer flashbacks, etc.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) works by forcing the 2 sides of your brain to work together. Before beginning the session, you talk with your therapist about the negative feelings you have about the trauma- shame, hurt, lack of self-worth, etc. You select one of them as your focus for the session. And you also select a positive belief you would like to replace it with.

In the session your eyes follow a light from side to side; this forces both sides of your brain to work together. (you could also use a sound that goes side to side or pods you hold in your hand that vibrate back and forth) As this is happening the therapist prompts you to recall certain memories. As that memory comes up more pieces of that memory come up. It is at this time that you experience the emotional side of the trauma you are working through. Its important to note that you have total control during the entire session; you can stop it at any time.

It took me quite a long time to get over the shame I felt. I always believed I did something wrong, I should have fought harder, I wasn't strong enough, etc.

It really is amazing as you start to see the changes in yourself and your beliefs about the trauma.

Think of it as the dreaming process. It is believed that our brain uses this time to sort through and organize our day and then store all of it in our memory. Once EMDR does its thing the traumas become complete memories we can recall with the appropriate emotion and intellect. EMDR becomes our "dream" process by helping our brains to process the entire memory. This enables us to recall it with a better understanding of what happened.

I understand that we can still have some flashbacks but they are significantly diminished in both frequency and intensity.

I hope this gives you some understanding of EMDR. And for those that have or are going through this process I hope that I have accurately represented the therapy. Please feel free to correct me.

I just said for me.. the therapy did not work... in fact turned out to be very bad for me... and yes I went to a very experienced person.. My Dx is DID... and for me it brought me to those traumas.. and "left" me there...
There were residual effects after treatment that were intolerable.. and I also was in talk therapy... I think that it can work... but perhaps it is not for everyone... it is powerful.. and it should be approcahed in my opinion.. with caution.. just like any treatment plan..

[Jane999]

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tsha said:

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) works by forcing the 2 sides of your brain to work together.

I hope this gives you some understanding of EMDR. And for those that have or are going through this process I hope that I have accurately represented the therapy. Please feel free to correct me.

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There is no scientific evidence or independent research that proves that claim. None whatsoever. It is pure made up psychogobblygook.

Check that link from skepdic.com on EMDR.

If you want to work with your eye movements, I recommend tratak candle gazing of yoga, or San Ti, a chi gung gazing exercise using the breath and gazing designed to increase your mental awareness.

If you really want to cause your brain to work on connecting both sides learn tai chi or yoga.

There is no scientific proof backing up the eye movements, the lights, tapping, etc all these *refinements* made to emdr by other practitioners. There is no control studies that prove that the eye movements are doing the work, rather then the cognitive behavioral effect, the desensitization that comes of talking about or thinking about your issues.

caveat emptor.

[happyflowergirl]

Jane,

You have to be careful about that site because some of that information is really outdated. What it says was true about 5 years ago, but now there is prove from independent studies.
Traditional desensitization threapy takes a lot of time and the client must think about the traumatic events over and over again for hours. EMDR works much quicker than that, and the time you think about the traumatic memories is much less. Most T's who are trained in EMDR can would tell you that it is much quicker relief than the traditional methods they used a long time ago.

I belive that the eye movements or any bilateral stimulation isn't doing all the work, EMDR is a combination of the eye movements and cogitinive therapy together.

Now I don't beleive that what was said about EMDR works by forcing the 2 sides of the brain to work together, is rather simplistic. and not really how it works. But claiming there is no scientific proff by looking at that web site that contains outdated info, isn't proff either that it doesn't work.

[Jane999]

Hello HappyFlowerGirl,

from what you are saying, that's good news. I am all for effective treatment of abuse stuff. Do you have any links to studies I can check out?

[sunrise]

My T really likes to use EMDR because it is so quick. He can save his clients a lot of time and pain by using this speedy therapy. Before that, he said he got his best results at treating trauma with psychodrama, but even that can be long, like talk therapy.

There are a number of controlled, independent studies demonstrating the efficacy of EMDR in treating trauma. It's not for everyone, but it is not just a magician's trick pulled out of a hat. I think it is certainly worth a try for anyone trying to deal with stuck trauma. If it doesn't work for you, then try the next idea your therapist has. Work together to choose the therapy that is the best fit for you.

[happyflowergirl]

I do have some links, I am leaving for vacation in a bit, but I can get them to you if you like when I come back. Do you have access to an academic library, because most of those articles are new and either you have to pay for access as individual, or it is free if you are through an university.

Some of the studies are using MRI and CAT scans for the studies. Now since EMDR isn't just bilateral stimulation, it is combined with cognitive/behavioral therapy techniques, many that are used in traditional desen. therapy, but it seems the bi lateral stimulation, speeds the process up quite a bit.
The VA now accepts it has a very good therapy for PTSD. I have had it myself, and know of others who have, and it worked much easier and less painful as traditional desen. therapy. I know many therapists that beleived it was all crap until they saw it for themselves the results in front of them or had it done on themselves. I plan on getting certified in it when I am a T. Now you probably know like every other therapy, it isn't 100% for everyone or helps everyone. but it showing very favorable results especially after some of the recent natural disasters. It seems hocus pocus, but it really works well with a lot of people.

[tsha]

well well...all I can tell you is that EMDR is the only therapy that has helped me. I know that I am doing things in EMDR that my mind would never allow myself to do in the other therapies.

I do practice yoga regularly (5 - 90 minute classes a week) and I work with a private teacher. I fully believe that yoga is an important part of my recovery, but my practice whether in a class or with my teacher would never be capable of working through the emotional issues I have suffered as a result of my abuse. Neither myself nor my teachers could possibly know how to help me through the overwhelming emotions that have come out.

I believe there are many benefits to yoga. I'm dedicated to it, I love my practice, all of it, not just the asanas. But I am so tired of people telling me that it will fix all my problems.

There are those that believe and those that don't. But don't knock it until you've tried it.