I'm glad you asked! Let me start out by saying I'm not exactly sure myself. What little I have learned about it was from my therapists website. Check that out here. The short, layman's version is this; when someone goes through a trauma, their mind, being unable to process the event, simply freezes that moment in time. Your ability to process things is forever changed, causing you to over-react to everything. Every time you're in a situation after this, be it life-threatening or as simple as someone accidentally startling you, you will be reacting to the original trauma or traumas. Every time I get upset over something it literally feels like the world is about to end. I can't breathe, I can't think, I can't eat.
These reactions are normal in fight-or-flight situations but the mind should not remain in constant "trauma" mode, but for many of us, it does. The EMDR therapy, from my understanding, is somewhat akin to the REM (rapid eye movement) state that you achieve while sleeping. I have yet to have a session so I can't say how exactly the session will look, but the idea is that this therapy will help your brain to process those original traumas. That means that the memories will still be there, but you won't instantly go into "freak-out" mode with every "trigger". In theory, there should no longer be "triggers".
The GREAT news about this therapy, so I am told, is that you don't have to re-live these moments like in the past. Before we had to go back to that place in time and our thoughts, feelings, and mind are the age that we were at the time of the trauma. It is horribly painful and scary. I have gone through one of these episodes once. It made that particular memory, just that, a memory. The emotions, feelings, smells are not a part of that memory anymore, it has been processed.
With EMDR you do NOT have to relive the memory (entirely)! You will have to discuss, in short generality, the memories and feelings involved but the therapy itself does the hard part. The overall length of times it takes to do these sessions is based on the amount of trauma you've been through. A little trauma, a little therapy. There are 8 steps to the process, (please refer to Holly's website) and much like an antibiotic you may feel better early on in the process but in order for it to "take," for lack of a better term, you must complete all 8 phases.
8 phases is all that stands between me and peace. That seems far too simple and yet it isn't. It is nothing short of a miracle for PTSD/trauma survivors. More people need to know that there is an easier way, a way to live without pain, constant anxiety and feeling like the world is going to end at any moment. It's even easier than lying on someone's couch, curled up in a ball in hysterics.
No pain, no gain, that much is true but in this case it's less pain, more gain...I like the sound of that. We deserve easier, we've done hard. We have survived for years now it is time to live like we've never lived before. Know that the hard part can be over if you so choose. Contact someone who specializes in EMDR therapy. If you don't seem to "jive" with them, try someone else. Don't stop until every single thing in your body tells you that you've come to the right place. Once there, surrender for the last time.
You will become "normal" (from what I hear and from what I've seen of others who have used this therapy). I can't imagine what normal would feel like but it sure looks good from the outside. So until then, I'll be on the edge of my seat, right beside you, over-stressing, freaking out, holding my breath and waiting to meet the future "Mrs. Charming."
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