Experiences with EMDR?

[chl_hobbs]

Im really interested in this, how do i go about getting it? Is it expensive therapy or can the nhs refer you? thanks

Charlotte x

[chalk]

It's nice to know that others have experienced the same... well probably not nice for them but you know what I mean.
My mind seems to jump about alot when the hand is going side to side, it almost mesmerises me. A few times the psychologist had to say my name to get me to come back to what I was supposed to be doing, it was like I had gone elsewhere, trapped in my thoughts and then stopped following the hand.
There does not seem to be much on NMP about EMDR, I would have expected alot more, as I presume it must be quite a common therapy these days.
Many thanks for finding the time to reply Swgrl09, I appreciate it.

---------- Post added at 12:40 ---------- Previous post was at 12:26 ----------

In reply to chl hobbs, I have been having EMDR via the NHS, I am in Staffordshire and Shropshire NHS trust area, I am not sure it is available everywhere. I was referred by my Doctor to the Adult and Community Mental Health team with anxiety and panic attacks, I saw a Psychiatrist who referred me to CBT. After about half a dozen CBT sessions which to be honest were achieving nothing except leaving me in a worse state..... and the Psychologist likewise I was referred back to the senior Psychiatrist and then he decided that EMDR would be the most beneficial course to take. I have certainly responded to the EMDR, you have to trust the psychologist and go with it or I imagine it would not work. The EMDR has dredged up lots of things as you can see by my earlier posts, I am not sure whether I am always remembering actual events though or my dreams/nightmares. With me the boundary betwen reality and dreams has become a bit blurred.
The first few sessions are history taking, creating a safe place for your mind to go and it is only after about 4 or 5 sessions you start to address the events that have happened. I have had no reduction in anxiety or panic attacks, if anything they may have got slightly worse, but then the Psychologist says that this is quite common and once the mind processes the events properly you should see a reduction in symptoms...... I hope!!! I will stick with it, I have nothing to lose, but alot to gain, I do not want to be as I am for the rest of my life.
I believe EMDR is available privately, but make sure the person doing it is properly trained and has at least level one and even better level two training. I believe it costs about £60 to £80 per session privately but these figures may not be correct.

[eternally optimistic]

That is very intestesting, your last post, Chalk.

I have investigated EMDR on the advice of my GP but when referred via a second party, they suggested beat the blues course - I am not depressed!

My incident, whereby I was involved in a fatal road accidient which killed three people, is a complete blank to me. Some may say that is good, but, I think it has sort of hampered my recovery, albeit more than 20 years ago!!!!

I think, since that incident, that things that made me nervous I have taught myself to blank them out and then bang, it is a problem.

I am interested in the updates on this subject and wish you all well with your treatment.

[PanchoGoz]

This is a fascinating thread, keep us up to date with your experiences guys
Want to see something good come out of it!!! Sounds wacky at the moment!

[swgrl09]

Yes, it is odd as this past time my anxiety does feel worse too ... but I keep being told by my therapist that is because I am only now processing things that have been beneath the surface for a long time. So hopefully sticking it out will bring some peace finally!

I have been having REALLY vivid dreams still. Sometimes frightening, but not always. Sometimes just odd. It's a very interesting thing to go through. My next session is in a week today, I'll update as things come up.

[chalk]

I was told that I am in what is called the processing stage of EMDR. I think what they try to do next is some sort of desensitization to get your body to react less to the mental stimuli it receives. I will update as time goes by, my next session is 4 days time, so assuming they haven't found me a nice jacket that fastens at the back I will keep you posted.

[chalk]

I had another session on Friday, they are really tough, again I went back to the events that happened. I "remembered"things that I had not written down afterwards. I was worried that I was remembering dreams or nightmares and that I was creating false memories. The EMDR Psychologist tells me that people recover memories of the events that the brain had shut out of memory at the time, that it does this to protect itself, it is like a computer that freezes up and that the emdr unfreezes it and allows the brain to process the memory and then the memory should be able to be remembered without the panic and the panic attacks get less. Well I'm hoping that the Psychologist is right. I am still in the getting worse stage before it gets better I think!!!.... well I hope???
I have been given another new medication Quetiapine (Seroquel), I told the Psychiatrist that my BP was lower than average (typically 110/70) and that some meds dropped my BP too much (as I seem quite sensitive to them). I had read that this can cause a drop in BP. I am assured that this is unlikely to happen at a dosage of 100mg. I try it and guess what?? BP drops to 87/53. I am so light headed and go dizzy when I try to stand. Well, not taking any more of those. I think that if someone has a higher BP to start with it might help alot as is very sedating. Chemical Cosh is the expression that springs to mind!!

[swgrl09]

i had a session yesterday. We spent a lot of time discussing the panic and paranoia I have been experiencing and again, it is due to me processing things that I have never processed fully. I am still amazed by what comes up in sessions, things that I never let bother me but did at the time. I don't think about those things anymore, but I guess they are all below the surface affecting me. It's like throwing up - it feels crappy coming out, but once it is over it will feel better.

[swgrl09]

I am so tired!!! I slept for 2 hours last night because I was so irritable and got in a big fight with my boyfriend at 2 AM. Ugh. All my fault too, and I knew it. I hate the irritability, hostility and hyperarousal I get wtih this. Therapist still says its the result of me processing stuff,that it "feels icky while it comes out" and I will feel better in the end ... I just am tired of not being myself and being totally aware of that yet have no control. After the fight I had a big mental breakdown ... third one since Friday. It's been a rough week.

[chalk]

Had another session of EMDR, lots of memories flooded back of the events that happened, smells as well, really horrid, I thought the drains in the hospital were blocked but it apparantly was my memories remembering the smells around at the time of being attacked. I remembered other events with great clarity as well that happened whilst I was working there, even conversations, like they had just happened. It really is weird and it brings it all back like it has just happened. Do not get me wrong, I always know I am in the session, its not hypnosis. I have had lots more panic attacks over the last 2 weeks and the nightmares have been really bad (so bad i needed a shower and had to change the bed clothes... need I say more!) I just hope that my Psychologist is correct when she says it gets worse before it gets better, I only seem to be getting worse. Does it really get better??? Typing this has made my leg shake uncontrollably..... its thinking about it all.
My psychologist says I am spending too much time trying to rationalise the memories, because I question some bits of the memories. I know 80 or 90% is right that I remember, there are still some little details that I doubt happened. She says go with it, it does not matter, but I hate the idea that my mind is playing tricks on me and that I might have some false memories in there.
Anyone else had memories that are questionable? Does this happen to everyone?