Fear of EMDR

For some reason I've not been able to tolerate EMDR.......sends me spinning when my T attempts to work with me with EMDR.

Only thing I can figure out is that certain trigger words or subjects has some sort of hidden meaning to/for me.

I know a couple people who have done EMDR and they have had a life changing expierence for the better... one in particular she swears by it and she was having a horrible time and since doing EMDR she has had a big weight off of her shoulders.

I'm sure it'll be somewhat scary because of the process, maybe your afraid to have stuff brought forth, but in therapy and healing stuff needs to in order to be able to put it behind us.


I was told to look into this, and have but it was expensive...

EMDR therapy can, at first, be as painful as the initial trauma. But the point of it is to become "immune" (or almost immune) to memories of that initial traumatic experience.

The idea of it (at least to me) is that you have one foot in the present, the other in the past. So that your brain realizes that the trauma is in the past while you're working through it. You may want to talk to your therapist - maybe you're not sufficiently "grounded" in the present while visiting your memories. If you're not, it can seem like you're there, with no way to get out. Like a debilitating flashback.

Maybe have a "safety word" with your therapist, one that signals that you stumbled on something (a hidden trigger), and that you need to address it?

Wonder what your mind is thinking when you go into a spin..... could it just be - allowing yourself to feel the upset? or maybe, like was stated already-- you feel unsafe and need a "grounding" word/phrase to keep you in the here and now.

I tried EMDR, it did nothing for me....... but then I hadn't really grown to trust that particular therapist either...... I just dissociated and then it did absolutely nothing for me..... *shrugs*.... I've heard it's not for everyone.

It could be the right thing for you though.
I wish you inner peace with whatever avenue you go.

mariposa