Trauma – PTSD

Question:

Hi Tom I’ve had EMDR as an effective treatment for processing memories and feelings of childhood trauma, but have had just as much benefit from some regressive talk therapy – my T talking me into one of those memories and then walking through it with me.  IME, it was pretty painful stuff to go through, but it does get better, and rather quickly, at least for me. After my breakdown, I told my T I’ve been dealing with this stuff for 20 years – he said actually, I haven’t been diving in at all, but rather, just walking around the edges.  EMDR helps you dive into the swamp.  My T said the door to freedom was at the bottom, and he was right – :/ and I did not have a sound mechanism to mine – it was done with rapid eye movement techniques. My best advice, also heard from others, is to give it a shot (a few times or whatever makes sense to you).  These memories generally don’t go away until you look them in the eye, and then it gets easier to deal with.  Sure the past can be harder to make peace with than a more recent event, but it’s not impossible. IMO, these are different therapies designed to do different things.  *IME*, CBT works more on the surface, and EMDR gets to the root of it and works through feelings (the memory).  I have had success utilizing both treatments, and needed both at various times to attack the fears from different angles. Hope this makes some sense!  good luck to you Tom, and please let us know how you are doing. take care, Renee No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit. –Helen Keller – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –        <snip             Had some VERY bad childhood experiences that I have always buried. You’d never guess depression if you met me on the street! He just starting using a therapy/device called EMDR which I understand but would like some feedback from anyone who has used this. Basically, I put of some earphones and a constant fluctuating beep goes through my ears as I concentrate on difficult issues I had to deal with growing up (LOTS OF THOSE!). I then speak of what "adjectives" cover my feelings at that precise moment. He believes that my going down this route, with some medusa, I can get better. I have not heard much of this therapy and would like some comments or experiences. Sounds intriguing but Cognitive Therapy seems more popular. I’ve only had ne sessions. Anyone familiar with this EMDR therapy?

Response:

Thanks for your feedback. I expect my insurance to pay for my therapy. If not I will have to deal with it myself. I’m also using XANAX and have mentioned I may need more while going through this? That Pandora’s Box sure has some tough stuff in there! Strange thing is, even if you had tough childhood experiences, I wouldn’t trade them for anything! They help ME put other things in perspective. I think & hope the EMDR stuff will just help me put most of that behind me and allow me to keep the "character building" aspects of having gone through some tough times. Good luck on your stuff. Write if you need to vent! Anyone else out there with EMDR stories? Tom – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thanks Maria… A few thoughts… You say it opens up a Pandora’s Box. Isn’t that part of idea? Yes, that is the idea, I just couldn’t handle it once it was opened.  I think if there was some way I could have been in a more relaxed state when I left there, I might have stuck with it.  Initially, I really liked it, and was so hopeful that it would work.  In retrospect, it probably would have.  I just couldn’t function day to day with so much anxiety.  Plus, it was very expensive, she didn’t take my insurance, and I just didn’t feel it was worth it for me to continue, not knowing how long it would take.  ( Not being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel).  There are some books on EMDR with remarkable results, and I agree, it probably will be one of the big therapies of the future.  I don’t want to discourage you on this.  If I would have had medication then (to keep my anxiety under control while going through the therapy), and if I could afford it, I might have gone through with  it. Right now, I am trying to get my anxiety under control with medication, before I think about therapy again. I’ll try it for a while but would be interested in this therapy verses Cognitive, which seems more prevalent. What I meant about the cognitive therapy was (really had nothing to do with EMDR), after the EMDR, I was in "talk therapy" which actually did nothing for my anxiety, and dealing with it on a day-to-day basis.  I meant that it seemed to increase my anxiety in the way that the EMDR did.  I probably shouldn’t have thrown that in, sorry. Anyway, try the EMDR, if you don’t like it, you can always stop it.  If you stick with it, you probably will have  success with it.  It seems to get to the "root" of the problem.  I do believe that some anxieties (such as my own) are caused from childhood problems, and may not go away unless they are healed. But, I also feel that you can get too wrapped up in the past (which seemed to be the case for me with EMDR and talk therapy), where I seemed to be spending my days brooding/grieving??   and, not really living for today, which is what we should all be doing anyway.  I guess there is a fine line between healing and getting on with life. Anyway, sorry for rambling…I have started taking paxil (first time on an AD), and find that it has helped to change my thinking more than anything else I’ve ever tried before. Good luck with the EMDR, Maria

Response:

Hi Tom!  EMDR is an effective therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)  It’s positive effects with this diagnosis are well documented with Viet Nam vets and survivors or single incident trauma.  Fewer positive results have been documented with other anxiety disorder diagnoses, however, some people have found relief.  Current research suggests that the combination of eye movement and thought processing stimulates an area, or areas, of the brain in which traumatic memories are stored.  Less is known about how it may work with PD.  Those who know me here at ASAP, know that I have a bias towards treating PD with CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) used in conjunction with pharmacotherapy when meds are needed to control physiological processes.  In very brief and simplified terms, CBT works with anxiety disorders, because AD’s are disorders of thought processing which mis-cue the body’s instinctual "fight or flight" survival response.  CBT focuses on retraining the brain’s false conclusions which initiate those physiological (e.g. adrenal) responses.  IMO, the worst thing that people with AD can do is to jump from treatment to treatment.  My advice is to stick with the EMDR for a few months and than re-evaluate your progress. Hope this helps. Good luck and keep us posted! ~Valerie

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thanks for your feedback. I expect my insurance to pay for my therapy. If not I will have to deal with it myself. I’m also using XANAX and have mentioned I may need more while going through this? That Pandora’s Box sure has some tough stuff in there! Strange thing is, even if you had tough childhood experiences, I wouldn’t trade them for anything! They help ME put other things in perspective. I think & hope the EMDR stuff will just help me put most of that behind me and allow me to keep the "character building" aspects of having gone through some tough times. Good luck on your stuff. Write if you need to vent! Anyone else out there with EMDR stories? Tom Thanks Maria… A few thoughts… You say it opens up a Pandora’s Box. Isn’t that part of idea? Yes, that is the idea, I just couldn’t handle it once it was opened.  I think if there was some way I could have been in a more relaxed state when I left there, I might have stuck with it.  Initially, I really liked it, and was so hopeful that it would work.  In retrospect, it probably would have.  I just couldn’t function day to day with so much anxiety.  Plus, it was very expensive, she didn’t take my insurance, and I just didn’t feel it was worth it for me to continue, not knowing how long it would take.  ( Not being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel).  There are some books on EMDR with remarkable results, and I agree, it probably will be one of the big therapies of the future.  I don’t want to discourage you on this.  If I would have had medication then (to keep my anxiety under control while going through the therapy), and if I could afford it, I might have gone through with  it. Right now, I am trying to get my anxiety under control with medication, before I think about therapy again. I’ll try it for a while but would be interested in this therapy verses Cognitive, which seems more prevalent. What I meant about the cognitive therapy was (really had nothing to do with EMDR), after the EMDR, I was in "talk therapy" which actually did nothing for my anxiety, and dealing with it on a day-to-day basis.  I meant that it seemed to increase my anxiety in the way that the EMDR did.  I probably shouldn’t have thrown that in, sorry. Anyway, try the EMDR, if you don’t like it, you can always stop it.  If you stick with it, you probably will have  success with it.  It seems to get to the "root" of the problem.  I do believe that some anxieties (such as my own) are caused from childhood problems, and may not go away unless they are healed. But, I also feel that you can get too wrapped up in the past (which seemed to be the case for me with EMDR and talk therapy), where I seemed to be spending my days brooding/grieving??   and, not really living for today, which is what we should all be doing anyway.  I guess there is a fine line between healing and getting on with life. Anyway, sorry for rambling…I have started taking paxil (first time on an AD), and find that it has helped to change my thinking more than anything else I’ve ever tried before. Good luck with the EMDR, Maria

Response:

Thanks Maria… A few thoughts… You say it opens up a Pandora’s Box. Isn’t that part of idea? I’ll try it for a while but would be interested in this therapy verses Cognitive, which seems more prevalent. Any problems I have arise from several issues, not just one, but sevreal childhood event along with some recent ones. It seems I could last months trying to nail each one with other therapies where EMDR seems to have a quick success ratio. I’ve been surfing, and all sites related to EMDR seem to relate to Post Traumatic Stress situations, and THEN say it may also help anxiety/PA/Depression, etc. So… just trying to figure out if this is the right road to go down. Besides a nightmare or two I see no downside. Could you elaborate on the success or differences between EMDR and Cognitive? I keep reading the later, with meds, is the "approved" method of dealing with GAD/PA and Depression. However, several studies I’ve seem point to EMDR as the therapy of the future and have some incredible data to back it up. I’ll deal with a few nightmares if there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I don’t mind being the guinea pig, especially if I can pass on some informative info to the group. And hey, if it doesn’t work, I try something else… Thanks… Tom – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have not heard much of this therapy and would like some comments or experiences. Sounds intriguing but Cognitive Therapy seems more popular. I’ve only had ne sessions. Anyone familiar with this EMDR therapy? Thanks… Tom Hi Tom, I had  several sessions of EMDR last year.  You think of the upsetting situation/trauma while you have the earphones on (I used the pulsating disks that you hold in your hands).  It seems to work better for recent traumas rather than childhood situations.  I could tell it did something, because I would have horrible nightmares (I guess as a way of working things out).  I didn’t like it, it seemed to be very anxiety provoking.  The therapist said that would go away in time, but I felt it was just too upsetting (like opening pandora’s box).  My therapist said it had helped many people, but seemed to be recent/single traumas (such as rape, etc…)  If it isn’t too upsetting for you, you may as well try it.  It balances the brain to help heal the brain. For me, it seemed to be similar to talk therapy vs. cognitive therapy.  Talking about my anxiety/problems did nothing to actually solve any of my problems, whereas cognitive therapy gives you solutions for your anxiety. Good luck, Maria

Response:

Thanks Maria… A few thoughts… You say it opens up a Pandora’s Box. Isn’t that part of idea?

Yes, that is the idea, I just couldn’t handle it once it was opened.  I think if there was some way I could have been in a more relaxed state when I left there, I might have stuck with it.  Initially, I really liked it, and was so hopeful that it would work.  In retrospect, it probably would have.  I just couldn’t function day to day with so much anxiety.  Plus, it was very expensive, she didn’t take my insurance, and I just didn’t feel it was worth it for me to continue, not knowing how long it would take.  ( Not being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel).  There are some books on EMDR with remarkable results, and I agree, it probably will be one of the big therapies of the future.  I don’t want to discourage you on this.  If I would have had medication then (to keep my anxiety under control while going through the therapy), and if I could afford it, I might have gone through with  it.   Right now, I am trying to get my anxiety under control with medication, before I think about therapy again.   I’ll try it for a while but would be interested in this therapy verses Cognitive, which seems more prevalent.

What I meant about the cognitive therapy was (really had nothing to do with EMDR), after the EMDR, I was in "talk therapy" which actually did nothing for my anxiety, and dealing with it on a day-to-day basis.  I meant that it seemed to increase my anxiety in the way that the EMDR did.  I probably shouldn’t have thrown that in, sorry.   Anyway, try the EMDR, if you don’t like it, you can always stop it.  If you stick with it, you probably will have  success with it.  It seems to get to the "root" of the problem.  I do believe that some anxieties (such as my own) are caused from childhood problems, and may not go away unless they are healed.   But, I also feel that you can get too wrapped up in the past (which seemed to be the case for me with EMDR and talk therapy), where I seemed to be spending my days brooding/grieving??   and, not really living for today, which is what we should all be doing anyway.  I guess there is a fine line between healing and getting on with life.   Anyway, sorry for rambling…I have started taking paxil (first time on an AD), and find that it has helped to change my thinking more than anything else I’ve ever tried before.   Good luck with the EMDR, Maria  

Response:

I’ve had some bouts with anxiety and Panic many years ago. Terrible chest pains, dizziness, etc. and passed every test they threw at me! Used Klonopin and Xanax and, after a year or two was able to wean off, using meditation and hiking as alternatives. The last few months have had my share of tough times, 4-5 months of being sick (Colitis and appendicitis… oh add hernia dying close fiend, moving, etc. All my old symptoms came back MUCH worse than ever. Terrible chest pain, extreme anxious, dizziness, etc. I’ve been in hospitals, for colitis, appendicitis, etc. but was just in the er because of what I knew was a PA but wanted to check out an EKG just to check. I’m sure you’ve all been there! I was sent to a psych doctor whom I like very much but seems to think that depression and anxiety/PA are, as he says, close cousins and that depression is my main culprit. Had some VERY bad childhood experiences that I have always buried. You’d never guess depression if youmet me on the street! He just starting using a therapy/device called EMDR which I understand but would like some feedback from anyone who has used this. Basically, I put of some earphones and a constant fluctuating beep goes through my ears as I concentrate on difficult issues I had to deal with growing up (LOTS OF THOSE!). I then speak of what "adjectives" cover my feelings at that precise moment. He believes that my going down this route, with some medusa, I can get better. I have not heard much of this therapy and would like some comments or experiences. Sounds intriguing but Cognitive Therapy seems more popular. I’ve only had ne sessions. Anyone familiar with this EMDR therapy? Thanks… Tom

Response:

I’ve had some bouts with anxiety and Panic many years ago. Terrible chest pains, dizziness, etc. and passed every test they threw at me! Used Klonopin and Xanax and, after a year or two was able to wean off, using meditation and hiking as alternatives. The last few months have had my share of tough times, 4-5 months of being sick (Colitis and appendicitis… oh add hernia dying close fiend, moving, etc.

The "dying close fiend" should of been a good thing.  J/J  (that was a cute typo, made me smile)   Getting on the serious side, I hope that you were able to be there with your friend and that your troubles will become fewer and less. Mel http://hometown.aol.com/msladymel/myhomepage/profile.html

Response:

Freudian slip there I guess. Made me smile also, when you pointed it out. Watching a close friend die IS a fiendish thing. I spend as much time as I can, being far away makes it hard! Building blocks for life I guess. BUT… still looking for EMDR therapy stories regarding depression and stress? Tom – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve had some bouts with anxiety and Panic many years ago. Terrible chest pains, dizziness, etc. and passed every test they threw at me! Used Klonopin and Xanax and, after a year or two was able to wean off, using meditation and hiking as alternatives. The last few months have had my share of tough times, 4-5 months of being sick (Colitis and appendicitis… oh add hernia dying close fiend, moving, etc. The "dying close fiend" should of been a good thing.  J/J  (that was a cute typo, made me smile) Getting on the serious side, I hope that you were able to be there with your friend and that your troubles will become fewer and less. Mel http://hometown.aol.com/msladymel/myhomepage/profile.html

Response:

I have not heard much of this therapy and would like some comments or experiences. Sounds intriguing but Cognitive Therapy seems more popular. I’ve only had ne sessions. Anyone familiar with this EMDR therapy? Thanks… Tom

Hi Tom, I had  several sessions of EMDR last year.  You think of the upsetting situation/trauma while you have the earphones on (I used the pulsating disks that you hold in your hands).  It seems to work better for recent traumas rather than childhood situations.  I could tell it did something, because I would have horrible nightmares (I guess as a way of working things out).  I didn’t like it, it seemed to be very anxiety provoking.  The therapist said that would go away in time, but I felt it was just too upsetting (like opening pandora’s box).  My therapist said it had helped many people, but seemed to be recent/single traumas (such as rape, etc…)  If it isn’t too upsetting for you, you may as well try it.  It balances the brain to help heal the brain. For me, it seemed to be similar to talk therapy vs. cognitive therapy.  Talking about my anxiety/problems did nothing to actually solve any of my problems, whereas cognitive therapy gives you solutions for your anxiety.   Good luck, Maria  

Response:

Related Posts