# EMDR



## LRD123 (Nov 1, 2019)

Has anybody had any success with EMDR treatment? I was just diagnosed a few weeks ago with PTSD with dissociative symptoms. My neuropsychologist said EMDR will "cure" me. I will start EMDR therapy on March 9th


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## Aridity (Jun 12, 2011)

Tried it, it can work if you have emotional and maybe physical anxiety towards memories. I myself cannot visualize anything in my mind, and if I can bring up a memory it doesn't envoke any emotion in me. I can talk about maybe traumatic events in my childhood but I am totally numb and dissociated.


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## inspiredpoet (Nov 9, 2012)

It helped me in the sense that it took my symptoms from unbearable to nearly manageable. Basically with the therapist I looked back on some stressful/traumatic memories, and then she did the emdr method while I imagined the memory in a more helpful manner (saw myself acting in a more empowered manner).

After a few sessions I felt more grounded and safer expressing myself.

It didn't 'cure' me but was a big help.


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## Phantasm (Jul 16, 2017)

I learned all about it and did all the processing part - had all the manuals - but my ingrained negativity at the time cancelled it out. The last part, the part I thought most unimportant, is the most important, the re-framing, changing how you feel about things, is essential.

You can go over and relive trauma a million times, but if you don't change how you feel about it - and you can do that deliberately - then you wont move forward.


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## inspiredpoet (Nov 9, 2012)

Phantasm said:


> I learned all about it and did all the processing part - had all the manuals - but my ingrained negativity at the time cancelled it out. The last part, the part I thought most unimportant, is the most important, the re-framing, changing how you feel about things, is essential.
> 
> You can go over and relive trauma a million times, but if you don't change how you feel about it - and you can do that deliberately - then you wont move forward.


Yeah that's true. In my case, going back to the memory and picturing myself doing something empowering like standing up for myself was what helped me feel better. Just going over and over the trauma without actually re-framing it or picturing a better outcome wouldn't have done anything for me.


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## LRD123 (Nov 1, 2019)

Thanks for the input everyone! This derealization/depersonalization crap really scares me. I went through a short period of this when I was 13, only last a couple weeks and another time at age 15 when my friend died that lasted only at her funeral and a couple days afterwards. Scary stuff. I think the visual part of it scares me the most. My vision has never been affected but this time it definitely has (tunnel vision, visual snow, blurriness, colors are washed out, things appear to move...)


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