EMDR for PTSD?

[scripsi]

I am seriously considering emdr for PTSD and would be really grateful to know what happens in the sessions (is there one session of case history and then sessions of EMDR techniques?) and how many sessions were needed if you had it (this is partly because of trying to budget!).
Would be grateful for any information as I feel very anxious about any kind of therapy which would deal with past traumas.

It is a short term therapy and focused on the trauma. The initial assessment should be quite detailed though as they need to be sure EMDR is right for you. If you have PTSD then it is worth trying but go to someone good.

It is a recognised, NICE recommended treatment for PTSD.
(The other NICE recommended treatment is trauma focused CBT)

There would be an assessment session first where you go over your symptoms and history to assess suitability. Then usually 8-12 treatment sessions.

You do have to actually recall the trauma whilst doing the eye movement technique though. That is how it works. The idea is that it helps reprocess the traumatic memory so it doesn't keep flashing back.

There are no therapies for PTSD that don't involve talking about the traumatic event as dealing with the extreme avoidance that is part of the condition is part of treatment. So you do have to be willing to face it but in a controlled environment with the therapist helping you.

I had EMDR for PTSD three years ago and it was a significant help in dealing with it. The first few sessions address the traumatic memory in some detail and are difficult but as the weeks went by I could feel myself being able to process and deal with the incident in a more rational matter. There was a definite improvement in the flashbacks and emotional response after about session 3. I think I had 8 in total.

Thank you I think that this sounds really good, I downloaded a book on it and read it today and feel quite optimistic. I shall look for EMDR practitioners in the south east but please PM me if you have a recommendation (I don't want to be on a waiting list now that I have decided to take the plunge or I will talk myself out of it in the meantime). I am at the stage now where I can talk about the trauma which is better than it was, so I think this will be the next stage.

It didn't work for me as I couldn't access the memory without a panic attack. I've never actually told anyone what the trauma was, I can't say the words out loud, so it didn't work other than to make me more distressed and piss off my psychologist.

If you can recall the trauma then I can see how it is very effective. Good luck.