Has anyone had EMDR for PTSD?

[Thandeka]

I am having CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy) for PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) caused by birth of my daughter 19months ago. I am about to start EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing or summat can't remember it exactly). Anyhow we have done safe space visualisation and that bit is ace but this week we actually start on the traumatic memories and I'm scared! I know I need to go through the process to get better but Im getting bit worried about it.
So has anyone had EMDR for PTSD? Did it work?

Anyone? Maybe I should have put this in mental health. Forgot that forum existed. Will ask for it to be moved!

Yes, I've had EMDR for complex PTSD and it has been unbelievably helpful. Not a scary experience at all and I would definitely recommend it.

Good luck.

Yes, I've had it and found it helpful too. :)

Hi Ive had it after I was knocked down and due to a head trauma couldn't remember anything.This caused me to have PTSD. I only had 6 sessions but managed feel like I knew what had happened to me. It was a strange feeling, not bad, but at least I could finally visualise the taxi just before it hit me. So I knew what had happened not just people telling me it had. IUKWIM.
Hope that helps and good luck.

Hi, I have not it but would be very interested to know how you got on. I have PTSD from the birth of my son and have had some CBT. I stopped the CBT because I was finding it traumatic to verbally go over and over what happened and ended up dreading the sessions and getting in a state over them. My therapist said I should try EMDR but have yet worked up the courage or the funds to do this.
I am shit scared of reliving the traumatic parts but have heard EMDR is less verbal than CBT.

How have you got on?

Can you get emdr on the nhs? I am still struggling with complex ptsd, and getting desperate. Psychiatrist has told me that talking therapy will prob not work for me, and I am floundering :(
I also have major issues with not remember certain important parts of the trauma. Would emdr bring them to the surface, despite it being 15 years ago?

DH did, it worked for him.

How do you get referred to an emdr therapist? Is it NHS or private?

Sorry haven't been back to thread (is OP under namechange). I was referred on NHS by my obstetric consultant after I said I wanted a termination if I couldn't have an elective section this time. Have been so impressed. EMDR wasn't as scary as I was panicking- have blogged my experiences on childbirthptsdandme on wordpress if it helps anyone.

There is a site www.emdr.co.uk from memory, which gives a list of practitioners, and where they are based, which should give an idea if they are nhs based or private. Many, even if private, have a sliding scale of fees according to income.

I've had it, and it definitely allows events to become 'just' memories, like anything else that has happened in the past. This is to the extent that they no longer 'pole-axe' me out of the blue, which used to leave me feeling rooted to the spot, and with a desperate need to run.

I have been told recently that it can be done when you are just thinking about the traumatising event, and that you don't need to have it spoken about - when I had it, I had written an account of the event, and it was read back to me, in between the eye movements.

Hope that helps

mmm. I am about to have emdr this week for ptsd post-birth. privately. I have heard it can be really effective.. I will update after the session - the guy seemed to think it might just take a two-hour session!
btw, the emdr person said endless counselling after a traumatic event made it worse - and tbh, I had some counselling after the birth and made no progress at all. I seem to remember reading somewhere that people who have undergone trauma have been worse post-counselling. Certainly for me talking about the event with someone just going, there, there, didn't help.

I agree with stella.. endless counselling that goes over the traumatic event over and over just didnt make sense to me.. I hated it. I needed to move forward into the future, not relive the past constantly.
I confided in 2 good friends.. recounted the whole thing, and then turned to them anytime I need to 'think out loud' about it.. anaylsis or solutions to help me calm down etc.. really helped me... xxx

I had it, it didn't work because I was unable to think about the event whilst having the EMDR. If you can do that I understand it is really effective.

This is such a misunderstood area. PTSD can be treated with EMDR (eye movement desensitisation reprocessing) but only if you are able to recall the event and or feelings associated with it.

Cbt works as a distraction technique but doesn't get ride of the memory. Talking over trauma with a good therapist and over time can help but has its problems and can actually re-traumatise people.

Hypnosis and rewind technique are also very good treatments for PTSD and a lot cheaper than EMDR. They are newer than EMDR but based on the same principles.

PTSD can be treated effectively but you may need to go private to do it

Oh rewind for traumatic child birth is excellent and fast

dd age nearly 9 is having this for ptsd.Had x2 sessions so far, not sure so far if its helped. Early days perhaps??
Arranged by local Camhs.