Posted by SatinDoll on November 25, 2006, at 18:22:31
In reply to Do You Have To Revisit Memories for EMDR?, posted by happykat on November 25, 2006, at 11:25:40
Hi happykat!
I also suffered from PTSD about 2 years ago, and my T did EMDR on me just once, and it was a huge catalyst in my recovery. I no longer suffer from PTSD, which was a huge relief.
When I did EMDR, I had to focus on the memory either by "seeing" as a show on TV or just thinking of what was happening. But it only last a few minutes, and the intense feelings disapate rather quickly. At the end of one session, I felt just sad, but not frightened. It even works if you don't tell your T what the memory is, which is great in cases where it is too embarrassing to talk about the details.
Now I don't want to scare you, but what happened next with me was rare, most people don't experience this. But your brain will continue to process things even hours later, and sometimes, very rarely, it will bring to surface a even worse memory that might have been surpressed. Surpressed memories are rare usually because most people remember something bad happening to them VERY well, so EMDR bringing out this is even more rare.
I mostly cried all night because I had to except the surpressed memory as what DID happen to me, but mainly it was I had to come to terms with that yes, I was an abused child. My T got me in right away the next day to calm me down. He said out of the 200 people he was treated with EMDR, what happened to me only happended to one other person.
But the change was amazing really, and I don't believe in such voodoo stuff. LOL But it is becoming more reconized as being very helpful in treating PTSD. Good Luck, I hope the best for you. By the way, is it your T that is going to do the EMDR, or another person?
poster:SatinDoll
thread:707048
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20061123/msgs/707213.html