New to forum - looking for info on emdr therapy

[Returntonormal]

Hi: I am suffering from anxiety due to a recent trauma. I am looking for information on emdr therapy. Is anyone familiar with this? If so, has it worked? Thank you.

 

[Hurt&Hopeful]

Hi: I am suffering from anxiety due to a recent trauma. I am looking for information on emdr therapy. Is anyone familiar with this? If so, has it worked? Thank you.

Hi there - and welcome! I am familiar with it - I have been doing brainspotting therapy, which is very similar. I haven't done EMDR, but I know it's been proven to be very effective in treatment of PTSD and trauma-focused anxiety. Whatever you are going through, I hope you can find some relief and help. You are not alone!

 

[Returntonormal]

Hi there - and welcome! I am familiar with it - I have been doing brainspotting therapy, which is very similar. I haven't done EMDR, but I know it's been proven to be very effective in treatment of PTSD and trauma-focused anxiety. Whatever you are going through, I hope you can find some relief and help. You are not alone!

Hi there - and welcome! I am familiar with it - I have been doing brainspotting therapy, which is very similar. I haven't done EMDR, but I know it's been proven to be very effective in treatment of PTSD and trauma-focused anxiety. Whatever you are going through, I hope you can find some relief and help. You are not alone!

Hi: thanks for the reply. May I ask, how has the brainspotting been working. I also take medication...which I hate...so I am hoping EMDR will eventually replace this.

 

[Hurt&Hopeful]

Hi: thanks for the reply. May I ask, how has the brainspotting been working. I also take medication...which I hate...so I am hoping EMDR will eventually replace this.

Hey! Yeah, I saw the post on medication. I hate taking it too, but I'll admit that it's been really beneficial for me and made me more able to do therapy. I am on Lexapro now. All of the SSRI medications take several weeks to really start to work the way they are intended, so give it some more time. The side effects in the beginning (for me: nausea, spaciness, etc.) also go away. If you're three weeks in, you're almost over the hump, and it will get better!

On brainspotting - it's really weird stuff. But I am seeing progress, yes. I have worked on both calming down my body, and processing trauma/anxiety triggers. What I've noticed is that I can calm myself down better and my triggers are losing power over time. I was feeling really alert and unsafe everywhere, all the time, with bouts of panic attacks and agoraphobia. With medication and therapy, I am still anxious, but it feels less scary and doesn't escalate into terror as much. I'm functioning, working, etc. - and just understanding what is actually going on in different parts of my brain during anxiety and working on re-training and actually healing them makes me feel good and gives me power over it, in a way. I hope that makes sense and helps somehow.... it's a journey, and I'm still on it.

Blessings to you - this is not who you are, it's just what you're going through right now.

 

[Returntonormal]

Hey! Yeah, I saw the post on medication. I hate taking it too, but I'll admit that it's been really beneficial for me and made me more able to do therapy. I am on Lexapro now. All of the SSRI medications take several weeks to really start to work the way they are intended, so give it some more time. The side effects in the beginning (for me: nausea, spaciness, etc.) also go away. If you're three weeks in, you're almost over the hump, and it will get better!

On brainspotting - it's really weird stuff. But I am seeing progress, yes. I have worked on both calming down my body, and processing trauma/anxiety triggers. What I've noticed is that I can calm myself down better and my triggers are losing power over time. I was feeling really alert and unsafe everywhere, all the time, with bouts of panic attacks and agoraphobia. With medication and therapy, I am still anxious, but it feels less scary and doesn't escalate into terror as much. I'm functioning, working, etc. - and just understanding what is actually going on in different parts of my brain during anxiety and working on re-training and actually healing them makes me feel good and gives me power over it, in a way. I hope that makes sense and helps somehow.... it's a journey, and I'm still on it.

Blessings to you - this is not who you are, it's just what you're going through right now.

Thanks for the encouragement. I know this journey is not one any of us want to be on, however last time at this year if someone told me I would be on this road, I would have told them that they were crazy. I just want to be me again!

 

[Hurt&Hopeful]

Thanks for the encouragement. I know this journey is not one any of us want to be on, however last time at this year if someone told me I would be on this road, I would have told them that they were crazy. I just want to be me again!

So sorry. No, we don't choose it, but we live in a time where anxiety and trauma are understood so much better, and we have good treatment options. You WILL be you again, even though you will be different than before because we go forwards, not backwards, right? But the anxiety can get better.

 

[Returntonormal]

So sorry. No, we don't choose it, but we live in a time where anxiety and trauma are understood so much better, and we have good treatment options. You WILL be you again, even though you will be different than before because we go forwards, not backwards, right? But the anxiety can get better.

Yes. You are correct. We do need to go forward as the past is the past. I need to keep telling myself that. I had what anyone would consider a close to perfect life until 6 months ago. I am still coming to grips with the fact that I am now dealing with a psychiatrist, a psychologist and medication. I don’t want to be on meds forever...I guess no one does! Thanks for your input. You sound like a very wise, compassionate person.

 

[Nori]

I got off meds and am having a relapse due to a tragic loss. I am trying to cope. I don't want to take meds again

 

[Returntonormal]

I am sorry for your loss. I want off meds also as it has caused terrible side effects, insomnia being one of them. It’s brutal.