EDMR Therapy

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So I have been recommended that I try EDMR therapy for PTSD and trauma I am currently struggling with. I don't want to disclose what I am going through because 1) I think someone would recognise who I am
2) I really struggle to put it into words and when people know what happened and try to give me advice (and support) it normally is not the thing I want to hear and I completely shut down.

I have had counselling for over a year and previously been on antidepressants but I don't want to keep making my problems anymore.

So what I guess I am asking is, has anyone else tried this and did they have any success? The person who suggested it found it helped her with the ptsd she suffered from after the death of a family member.

Thank you for reading

Xxxx
 
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I haven’t had this personally but I work in admin in a mental health service and we offer EDMR.
It can be extremely helpful but it is hard going so you do need to be prepared for what it may bring up and make sure you have good support in place (although your therapist should make sure of this too) we have a high waiting list for it but those that have had it have said they found it so helpful.

I hope you have a response from those who’ve experienced it who can answer your questions better xx
 
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Hello! I had EMDR for PTSD after a violent relationship that triggered and also involved reminders of childhood abuse. Very serious, very horrible.
It was scary - nerve wracking - exhausting - weird and brilliant. I was really sceptical and really not sure if it worked at first (or if it was a placebo) but I can honestly say I am a completely different person now. It’s like it re wired my brain.
Happy to answer any questions, I felt really alone when I did it xx
 
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Hello! I had EMDR for PTSD after a violent relationship that triggered and also involved reminders of childhood abuse. Very serious, very horrible.
It was scary - nerve wracking - exhausting - weird and brilliant. I was really sceptical and really not sure if it worked at first (or if it was a placebo) but I can honestly say I am a completely different person now. It’s like it re wired my brain.
Happy to answer any questions, I felt really alone when I did it xx
Thank you. I used to be of the mindset that anything that wasn't usual medicine in my mind would never work, but I have been having acupuncture (more traditional type ) and I never believed it would do much but I have already noticed changes. So I have said I will always give anything a go.

Would have to go privately for it, but if it can help, it is worth every penny. I just want to be happy again I think 2 years ago was the last time I was genuinely happy.

I have a good support system in my parents and a few close friends who have been with me no matter what.

Thank you for replying, it is reassuring to hear others positive experiences. Xxx
 
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Yes. I’ve had it as part of my most recent therapy journey. Maybe three sessions. I think it helped! It was in-tense. I felt off for a day or two afterwards. But overall I recommend, definitely worth a try.
 
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Yes. I’ve had it as part of my most recent therapy journey. Maybe three sessions. I think it helped! It was in-tense. I felt off for a day or two afterwards. But overall I recommend, definitely worth a try.
Can I ask what you mean by off? Did it make usual symptoms/feelings worse for those days? X
 
I’ve had it and yes it was fab. Reliving the trauma, not so fab, but certainly took the edge off it.

I wanted to go back for a recent traumatic event, but my therapist since retired and I am reluctant to go elsewhere. Stupid really as it was so amazing.
 
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Can I ask what you mean by off? Did it make usual symptoms/feelings worse for those days? X
Hmm yes good question. No, I’d say it was more that I felt very spaced out and flat and almost disorientated. I don’t remember feeling the “original” feelings more acutely at all, actually.
 
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I haven't tried it but I have also been recommended it for PTSD. All of the people I've spoken to have said they've heard it's amazing.
Does anyone know how much it costs?
 
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I found it really helped me process unresolved trauma and even trauma that was still there in my subconscious. It's mad how much your mind blocks out as a protective strategy.

EDMR didn't change that what happened, happened but those memories don't have the same hold over me in terms of rumination (I barely do this now) and the emotional toll of that. If that makes sense.

Like other posters have said, it was intense and tiring with lots of tears but definitely worth a go.

Edited: in terms of cost, I was able to access it for free through my workplace counselling service within the NHS.
 
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I feel like the odd one out here - EMDR was so traumatic for me. It got to the point where I was suicidal. It re-traumatized me on the trauma I knew about, and brought to the surface much more that I had somehow forced myself to forget over the years. It didn't help me process anything or desensitize me at all. I pushed myself to keep going with it because I kept hearing and reading about how great the results can be but reached a breaking point where my therapist refused to do it anymore because how harmful it was for me so we switched back to regular therapy. In total she was my therapist (talk/ some cbt/emdr) for 2 years and despite the emdr not working she was the best therapist I've ever had. So I don't think emdr didn't work because of having a bad practitioner.

However, you won't know how it will work for you unless you try it and despite my experience I would recommend to try it. It might be helpful to read up on the process and discuss the process, possible outcomes, any questions you have etc with your therapist beforehand.

I hope this more helpful than scary and I hope you can get some help/relief soon. Lots of luck to you.
 
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Thank you. I used to be of the mindset that anything that wasn't usual medicine in my mind would never work, but I have been having acupuncture (more traditional type ) and I never believed it would do much but I have already noticed changes. So I have said I will always give anything a go.

Would have to go privately for it, but if it can help, it is worth every penny. I just want to be happy again I think 2 years ago was the last time I was genuinely happy.

I have a good support system in my parents and a few close friends who have been with me no matter what.

Thank you for replying, it is reassuring to hear others positive experiences. Xxx
Yes it's not cheap at all, and I thought it was rubbish for the first few weeks or so. But I was also just so traumatised that I think I was really resistant to change/ couldnt see a way out at all. I had to take a day off work every day after the session so had my work not been understanidng that might have been an extra cost too.

A tip - I made a little whatsapp group for my close friends about it (I realised they were busy and couldn't be expected to get in touch every time, but I was single and very alone so a group meant I could update them and they could kind of remind each other which was helpful) I was pretty out of it after the sessions and usually came home and slept..

Hmm yes good question. No, I’d say it was more that I felt very spaced out and flat and almost disorientated. I don’t remember feeling the “original” feelings more acutely at all, actually.
Yes - this - it's a strange feeling. Like emotional fatigue or something.. It's like that feeling when you're really ill with a flu and your brain is a fog.

I feel like the odd one out here - EMDR was so traumatic for me. It got to the point where I was suicidal. It re-traumatized me on the trauma I knew about, and brought to the surface much more that I had somehow forced myself to forget over the years. It didn't help me process anything or desensitize me at all. I pushed myself to keep going with it because I kept hearing and reading about how great the results can be but reached a breaking point where my therapist refused to do it anymore because how harmful it was for me so we switched back to regular therapy. In total she was my therapist (talk/ some cbt/emdr) for 2 years and despite the emdr not working she was the best therapist I've ever had. So I don't think emdr didn't work because of having a bad practitioner.

However, you won't know how it will work for you unless you try it and despite my experience I would recommend to try it. It might be helpful to read up on the process and discuss the process, possible outcomes, any questions you have etc with your therapist beforehand.

I hope this more helpful than scary and I hope you can get some help/relief soon. Lots of luck to you.
sorry to quote again - but im sorry to hear it didn't work for you. This was my initial experience and then somehow i got over a hill. I was definitely "broken to heal". Im glad to hear you had a great therapist though :)

I just wanted to agree that research will really help - there are lots of youtube videos of people too which I always thought was very helpful. And the book 'The Body Keeps The Score' was really eye opening to help me rationalise my experience.


The best thing my lady ever said was "You're doing exceptionally well for someone who has been through someone exceptional". I think about it a lot and i'm sure it related to all of you too. <3
 
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I will def be keeping an eye on this thread as my daughter has just come to the top of the waiting list for this therapy. She suffers PTSD. She will be starting after Xmas.
 
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This is something I have definitely contemplated doing as I suffered a traumatic incident 3 years ago and haven't been the same since. I haven't been officially diagnosed with PTSD because tbh I have been kinda reluctant to bring it up but I am on antidepressants and seeing a psychiatrist for anxiety. I've looked into EMDR and it seems genuinely life-changing for many people and potentially more effective than talk therapy. I'm just wondering if I can get it on the NHS - I think you can although possibly a bit of a postcode lottery? Regardless I reàlly want to try it because tbh it's something I haven't really dealt with and some days it just saps the life out of me -feels like a dark cloud hanging over my life.
 
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This is something I have definitely contemplated doing as I suffered a traumatic incident 3 years ago and haven't been the same since. I haven't been officially diagnosed with PTSD because tbh I have been kinda reluctant to bring it up but I am on antidepressants and seeing a psychiatrist for anxiety. I've looked into EMDR and it seems genuinely life-changing for many people and potentially more effective than talk therapy. I'm just wondering if I can get it on the NHS - I think you can although possibly a bit of a postcode lottery? Regardless I reàlly want to try it because tbh it's something I haven't really dealt with and some days it just saps the life out of me -feels like a dark cloud hanging over my life.
I tried researching it and have been for a while and can not find anywhere about whether they do it on the NHS or not!
 
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Very interesting to read all your thoughts. I've just been advised to have some edmr along with hypno-therapy. And I am really excited about the plan my new cousellor has set out for me. It will be a comination of regular counselling, edmr and hypno-therapy with the idea that it will resolve alot of my anxiety and return me to a more "normal".

My counsellor recommended an initial 6 courses (once a week) but did advise that she thinks I will need more. This will be costing me £65 per session.
 
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I tried researching it and have been for a while and can not find anywhere about whether they do it on the NHS or not!
I came across some reports on r/EMDR of people saying they have been able to access it on the NHS. The NICE Institute recommends it as an effective therapy for treating PTSD - https://pathways.nice.org.uk/pathwa...ess-disorder-in-adults.xml&content=view-index
I think you can get up to 12 sessions or so which sounds reasonable. Although difficult to tell whether I can access it in my area.
 
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This is something I have definitely contemplated doing as I suffered a traumatic incident 3 years ago and haven't been the same since. I haven't been officially diagnosed with PTSD because tbh I have been kinda reluctant to bring it up but I am on antidepressants and seeing a psychiatrist for anxiety. I've looked into EMDR and it seems genuinely life-changing for many people and potentially more effective than talk therapy. I'm just wondering if I can get it on the NHS - I think you can although possibly a bit of a postcode lottery? Regardless I reàlly want to try it because tbh it's something I haven't really dealt with and some days it just saps the life out of me -feels like a dark cloud hanging over my life.
Are you under a mental health team? Some NHS services if they have a psychology team within them can offer it but sometimes it may only be one or two therapists that offer it and the waiting list can be long. I work for a community mental health team and we do offer EDMR but the waiting list is long and there’s a detailed assessment process. It could be worth mentioning to your doctor x
 
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Are you under a mental health team? Some NHS services if they have a psychology team within them can offer it but sometimes it may only be one or two therapists that offer it and the waiting list can be long. I work for a community mental health team and we do offer EDMR but the waiting list is long and there’s a detailed assessment process. It could be worth mentioning to your doctor x
I'm under the care of a consultant psychiatrist on the NHS so it could be worth asking him! Thanks for letting me know, I appreciate it! <3
 
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My friend has autism and PTSD, and her verdict is that it ought to be helpful, BUT she doesn't get enough time in the sessions for it to work. It takes her so long to process that by the end of the session she's still stuck in reliving traumatic events, without having got the next stage of successfully processing them.
 
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