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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by happyflower on December 25, 2005, at 18:49:19
Say a normal person(whatever) that is triggered by something from the past (like child abuse), gets upset for remembering the memories, has nighmares that tends to make them more upset.
Then they talk to their T (the only person, they can tell this disturbing memory to), and then they feel better just for talking about it. At the time, I talked to my T was worried about getting PTSD again because of the nighmares. Well they have stoped since the session, I feel okay. So I think I am fine.
My T wanted to possibly do EMDR to help with the memory. We were going to talk about it this week in my session and maybe try it again. But I think, the memory was very emotional when I remembered it, but now if feels (more distant) in my mind.
So when a normal person has an upsetting memory, are they upset maybe for a few days, but then are okay? So I am hanling this like a normal person would?
Posted by daisym on December 26, 2005, at 2:05:49
In reply to Is this what normal people do?, posted by happyflower on December 25, 2005, at 18:49:19
I'm not sure I'm the right person to try to answer this because often I feel anything *but* normal...
I don't think anyone sustains intense emotions for significant periods of time. There is an ebb and flow to it. A memory may cause flooding and it feels overwhelming and scary. But when you talk about it, examine it, and sit with it for awhile, the intensity tends to fade a little. And I think sharing anything scary makes it less so because then you aren't alone with it anymore.
It seems reasonable to me that you would feel better after talking things over with your therapist. Has whatever triggered the memory and the dreams been resolved?
I also think it is normal to compartmentalize painful feelings and memories. This way you can move back into your daily life and keep this "thing" over here in the corner until you have the space or energy to look at it again. So it wouldn't surprise me if the intense emotions came back while you were in session. It also seems very normal to me that you wouldn't want to revisit something painful. But I know from experience you need to process it a number of times in order to be done with it.
Good luck with the EMDR!
Posted by happyflower on December 26, 2005, at 6:38:31
In reply to Re: Is this what normal people do? » happyflower, posted by daisym on December 26, 2005, at 2:05:49
Thanks Daisy for helping me! The thing that triggered the memory was my burn accident I had in the kitchen, so I hope that won't happen again. LOL
The memory just doesn't have the "power" that it did when it first was triggered. So when I do think about it now, I think, yeah, it was bad, but I am safe now, I am okay, and it won't ever happen again.When I was suffering from PTSD, that started about a year ago, I couldn't compartmentlize the fear I had of my mother, it was affecting my life majorly.
I guess there is no such thing as "normal" because my T says that everyone has "stuff" or baggage fromt he past that can effect them. My T says I will never forget what happened to me, but he can help the memories become less intense with EMDR. I know I trust he will do what is best for me after I talk to him again about this. I think I am afraid of a fallout that happend the first and only time I tried EMDR. SOme much more intensed memories sufaced several hours after we did EMDR (this is rare by the way) and it was very intense and I had my DH to support me. Well I don't have anyone to support me, so I am afraid of that happening again and being alone with no one to hold me. So I am scared. I told my T that I was scared, but my session was already over by 10 minutes , so we didn't get into why I am scared, so we will discuss this this Thursday.
Posted by fairywings on December 26, 2005, at 13:45:25
In reply to Re: Is this what normal people do? » daisym, posted by happyflower on December 26, 2005, at 6:38:31
Hi hf,
I think daisy's right, it seems overwhelming, and then fades a bit, and then may come and go depending on a lot of things. I always feel bad after I leave my T's office if we've talked about something troubling, but he says that just talking about things should make you feel better...maybe not right away, but over time.
Maybe just talk to him and tell him how you feel before you go forward with the emdr?
fw
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