|
November 23rd, 2006, 09:55 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 3
|
|
New to EMDR
Recently, I have been researching into EMDR, as the topic kept cropping up quite frequently in my investigations about PTSD, and as I looked for ideas on how to handle particularly difficult flashbacks.
A little of my story as a background ....
I am currently seeing a therapist (for almost 3 years now) and have been working on difficult issues in my life that have arisen due to past childhood abuse. I have been diagnosed with PTSD, and am currently stuck on one of the most difficult flashbacks I believe I have ever had! What makes the situation worse for me, is that I am too frightened by this particular memory, and these long-held magical beliefs that I will be punished by the person responsible (who incidently, passed away years ago  ), that I am unable to talk to my therapist about the memory ... nor can I admit it to myself or write about it!
It is such a scary and helpless feeling to be held hostage by this memory, and not have the courage to talk openly about it ... I able able to mention a few of the body symptoms that accompany this memory, and some of the more intrusive sensations that I experience, but as to putting these symptoms into a 'story', or making some sense out of it, even to myself ... I am completely stuck!
In the research I've done on EMDR, I was really encouraged by the sound of it. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that there is less emphasis on being able to talk about a particular memory, but you focus on one or two of the components of the memory, and then do the eye movement thing, then the brain kinda takes it from there ..... simply speaking, I know ... but is that mostly correct?
That while you are focusing on the parts of the memory that you are aware of, and while the therapist guides you through the eye movements (or sounds, or lightbox or whatever) ... that your brain will be processing this memory and reducing the impact it has on your day to day life .... yes ...?
And then if you do need to talk about that particular memory some more, to try to make some sense out of it, then it should be alot easier for the person to do, as after the EMDR process has been completed, there wont be the same level of intrusion or anxiety associated with that patrticular memory. Is that all correct? 
One of my major concerns about having this flashback intruding on my life, is the significant physical pain that seems to come with it, which is incredibly disruptive to my day to day life. This is yet another reason why it is so difficult to discuss this memory with my current therapist, as I am afraid of triggering the memory and hence, this disabling pain.
My therapist and I are in the process of discussing whether it would be helpful to me, to see consult with someone who is trained in EMDR, and see whether their input could help me get to a stage where this memory is no longer having such an impact on my life. I have done alot of distress tolerance, grounding, and crisis management skill training with my current therapist (that's how we spent the first 2 and a half years of therapy), but I find that even with all of those skills, I still feel virtually powerless in the face of a flashback memory of this caliber ... and I really have managed some doozies before!
So - my questions about EMDR are these .... (if someone could answer generally, I'd really appreciate it) -
1. Could EMDR help a person who is experiencing a particularly intrusive and difficult flashback, that they are unable to talk about in too much detail ....?
2. Does an EMDR therapist expect you to discuss memory content during the EMDR process?
I dont mind seeing another therapist for EMDR, but if I'm going to be talking about anything really painful, I'd rather do that with my current t. Would a consultant EMDR therapist, expect a client to do all of the discussion stuff in those sessions with him/her, if the client had a regular t they were seeing?
3. During the EMDR process if a client is working on a particular flashback memory, is it usual for the client to re-experience that memory while the therapist is directing the client through the eye movement technique? ie - Will EMDR trigger a flashback?
The reason I ask this, is that I want to avoid, if it is at all possible, triggering these pains that I get when I have this particular flashback .... and I just dont think I'd be able to concentrate on the eye movement thing, if I am in the middle of a flashback - I just tend to crumple and curl up physically when these flashbacks hit.
That's all the questions for now.
I apologise if I'm asking questions that are a bit ignorant or basic ... I'm really new to all of this. When I read about EMDR, is sounded too good to be true!  Hearing that alot of people dont even meet the criteria for PTSD after they've completed their EMDR treatement, sounds unbelieveable ... but very very attractive!!
Thanks for reading 
I look forward to your response.
|