AIBU to consider trying EMDR?

[Unicornsandrainbows3]

To keep it beief I have a history of severe, ongoing and complex trauma including childhood grooming and abuse, DV and sexual abuse.

EMDR has been mentioned as a possibility but there seen to be varying opinions on the success in those with complex trauma.
Has anyone here tried it? What happens during sessions? Does it really work so well? After years of trying various therapies I do feel a bit wary, but if it really does work I'd be willing to try.

Hi. I had EMDR for trauma, it was the only thing that helped me. It was for one big event though, not multiple events. It was very tiring, I had about 7 sessions. Doesn't help with the depression but helped massively with flashbacks and triggers.

I really hope it works for you and wish you all the best x

I second what banana says. I'm a therapist working with trauma and partially EMDR trained.

I would say your priority is someone who specialises in CPTSD with EMDR as an 'add on'. Dissociation is actually one of the factors that's makes someone NOT suitable for EMDR so you might possibly need that to be managed by someone with experience in a variety of therapy modalities first. Find someone you trust and feel safe with, that's the thing that matters more than anything else. I'd be inclined to look for a clinical psychologist.

Also as you've said it's not recommended during legal proceedings.

However when it works it works really well (and I wasn't initially convinced but it does)

Im sorry for all you've been through.

Hi,

Sorry to hijack, I've never heard of this treatment before but it sounds really interesting. Does anyone know, or have any experience in whether EMDR can be helpful for anxiety, depression or borderline personality disorder (that is not caused by a traumatic experience)?

Thanks

I don't think so buzzmot - I'm pretty sure it only deals with difficult memories

i had an extended course and it didnt work for me.

EMDR is sometimes used in other areas such as anxiety/phobias (where there may not be an obvious 'trauma' per se).

For emotionally unstable personality related issues, you might be better looking at something like DBT or MBT. There are lots of therapies that can help with anxiety and low mood; whether you want to go down a CBT route, something more psychodynamic, narrative, or more recent therapies like ACT or CFT (which look a bit more like CBT). The NICE guidelines for different issues is one place to start but there are lots of limitations in terms of their recommendations as they only suggest things that have been researched in certain ways and therefore that have been around a while.
With anything, it's worth getting a good assessment to start with so you have a good understanding of what's going on. Then you have a map to guide and prioritise interventions.

For OP, I'm not surprised that talking about some of the traumas has triggered more memories. It's a very normal, if horrible response to making statements and testifying. And one of the reasons why psychological therapies talk about trauma in very specific and careful ways. Id very much suggest that you focus on coping strategies like grounding and self-soothing now and don't start trying to process the trauma memories themselves until you have a bit of a sense of control over the symptoms and the legal side of things is completed.

Have you considered "Havening"? It's a more recent development but supposed to be more effective and simpler than EMDR, it's being used with front line troops and Bristol uni are researching it

Hi yawning, no I've never heard of it before but I'll have a research. Looks like EMDR is on the back burner at least til after the legal stuff is done.