EMDR for complex PTSD - Feedback please

[Tamodaleko]

My DP suffers from CPTSD since chilghood and for the last 16 months has been trapped in doors with some serious bouts of flashbacks, depressive episodes and on-going struggle with suicidal thoughts.
Mental health issues have been part of DP’s life but this time the dark cloud is not shifting.

Just wanted to hear from anyone who tried EMDR for complex PTSD

• how was the treatment for you?
• what were the improvements?
• Is there a suitability criteria who can benefit - depending on severity?
• can you recommend a therapist?

We live in London.

Would love to hear from you - we are desperate for this nightmare to end or at least to supside

Thanks

Bumping for info. Sorry I can't offer any insights myself.

Hi op, I don’t have personal experience of either but I recently read a really interesting book called The Body Keeps The Score, it’s written by a doctor who specialises in PTSD. He had very positive things to say about EDMR in relation to treating extreme cases - he worked with Vietnam vets if I remember rightly. I’d really advise taking a look as there’s lots of information in there. Hoping you find a referral for your daughter and some light at the end of the tunnel soon.

Just re-read your op - you wrote your partner, not your daughter, my apologies.

I am currently reading The Body Keeps the Score and it is groundbreaking in its depth of insight based on genuine research and explains how the brain is physically altered by trauma and how it can be effectively treated. EMDR is just one of the effective treatments and I hope to try to access EMDR on the NHS but if it looks like it won't be made available to me I will try and scrape together the money to pay for it privately. After 50 odd years it is giving me hope.

Other things have also been shown to help to re-wire the sidetracked neural pathways evident in PTSD: compassionate touch as in gentle massage, taking part in rhythmic / musical / singing groups or dance where there is a wonderful joining together of people in shared feel-good events. It's a fascinating book well worth reading.

I’ve had EMDR for C-PTSD, would really recommend it. It’s tough, it’s hard-core - it brings painful stuff to the surface and helps you to process it. It’s helped me loads to process stuff, understand myself better and be more in control of my feelings and reactions. I’ve been having it in conjunction with neurofeedback (that’s talked about in Thr Body Keeps the Score) and together that seems effective. I wouldn’t say it’s a quick fix but it does work. pM me if u have any questions or For a recommendation

My dh had it for CPTSD ...very successful outcome, I'm pleased to report.
He'd had CBT and lithium which partly helped but found the EMDR was incredibly helpful ( even with him being a cynic!)
Has it on the NHS with a brilliant psychiatrist, who once she retired became a family friend!
Hasn't needed any more intervention or medication in over 10 yrs and is a much happier person changing career also helped

I've had EMDR for PTSD and it definitely helped where nothing had before. To answer your questions.

how was the treatment for you?
At the time it feels pretty traumatic, because you have to think about the things that traumatise you in order to address them. However the point is to make a change during the session, so I would be asked to think about something and score my distress out of 10. We would then do the EMDR and I would then be asked to score again. For me it was always lower. My therapist would also make sure there was plenty of time at the end of the session to make sure I was ok and not leaving in distress. I always left feeling calmer and safer.

• what were the improvements?

I definitely found an instant improvement using EMDR, I was able to deal with thinking about things that I would previously block out because they were too traumatic without freaking out. EMDR had an immediate effect, but I used it in combination with CBT, exercise, anti-depressants and an all round wonderful therapist. Because of the multi- pronged approach that helped me I can't say what effect EMDR on its would have had, however being able to to think about trauma allowed me to get the benefit from talking therapy which I couldn't have otherwise done.

• Is there a suitability criteria who can benefit - depending on severity?

I can't give you a definite answer on this as I'm a patient not a practitioner. All I can tell you is where I was. I was unable to work due to extreme anxiety, could only cope with close family without having my DH to support me, couldn't drive without panicking and was generally terrified of the entire world.

I still have bad days and some things are scary, but I do freelance work again, travel all over the world and daily thank my amazing therapist.

• can you recommend a therapist?

My therapist is Midlands based, but I would happily give you her details as I'm sure she could help you find someone in London.

My problems started later in life than your DP, but his symptoms sound so familiar. I can vividly remember how awful it was to feel like that and how awful it was for my DH to live with that stress. Please pm me if there is anything else I can do to help.