Honestly? There's some science behind it, as there also is if you look closely enough at most things. I have done EMDR and it unlocked doors I was not ready to open---that can happen to some---and for others, EMDR is most effective within a period of time soon after the trauma, before the patterns are "burned" into us---the info and responses vary.

DBT works, but not as well for everyone, for example. I use a combo of therapeutic approaches b/c no one way works by itself for me so far.

Honestly? I *was* resistant to EMDR therapy---b/c some part of me was *not* ready and knew it and got "talked into it" after a few sessions. I won't say I'm glad that stuff came out. Ugh. But it had to come out for me to know, and I had to know to cope and hopefully heal.

Gentle support. Given my experience with EMDR leading me to an ER, I am grateful for the TW.

He said that he believes that ....gah.....how did he put it????

I might not have had my needs met in the way I needed when I was very, very young resulting in some effect in my ability to trust.

Make sense??? I don't know. Anyway...he thinks that maybe EMDR might help with processing the trauma. I don't get how it can help me process trauma I don't remember.

I don't even understand what needs he thinks weren't met and why he thinks they weren't met.

There's no telling if it will help or not.
...Less permanent than dead.
Try it, see what happens?

It works great for some. Give it a try.

I have not done it but I think I have tried almost everything else and like Leo I use a combination of 'tools' DBT, Schema, etc

From what my doctor told me EMDR is a good addition for repressed memories. It is used with Schema a lot. Schema is described as early events in our lives which when recalled trigger negative emotions, sensations and beliefs. These memories can be referred to in Cognitive terms as hot spots or in Gestalt terms unfinished business.

Here is a great link my doctor gave me if we felt I could not get through just schema (most of my memories are not repressed) . It describes the schema and EMDR

http://www.cognitivetherapy.me.uk/schema_therapy.htm

It didn't work for me because my therapy started so long after my trauma. I got out of the war zone I was raised in at 17 and didn't even see my first therapist until I was 21. What Leo says probably explains it, that it works better sooner after the trauma. That's what I hear the Israeli Defense Forces do with it--use it with their troops quickly right after the first sign of a soldier's trauma.

So I hear it does for some, and with that in mind I'd consider it just speaking for me, but that's something only you can decide. What ended up working for me was CBT, meds, and support group, my first being face to face for 5 years weekly before coming here. Let us know what unfolds, Cecil.

OMG I can relate to your post. Deciding either PTSD goes or you do. Been there, tried that, ended up in the hospital, got help and getting better now.

Not sure if emdr works, but DBT has helped me. I imagine emdr / DBT are the same time of thing, they work for some, not for others. That is PTSD, not cut and dried formula for getting better.

Suicide is a personal choice and it is an option, but I hope you stick around for a bit longer. You will find something that works for you, I did and I have gotten so much better. There is hope!!

When you "ah" moment comes, you will know what you have to do to get well again. Mine came in the hospital and I suddenly understood. For me I need to change my life style. I am sick, I cannot expect to live my life the way it was, it was making me sicker, I am not able to live like that anymore. It was like a light bulb went on.

(((hugs)))

Logically, suicide ought to be the very last thing, after you've tried absolutely everything else.
You can stop taking meds, you can change therapeutic interventions...dead is dead.

I'll add that Muji is correct, IDF uses it as soon as possible after trauma, as do UK military units.

For repressed memories---well, it's dicey. Mine came back in a tsunami that was devastating to me and gave me *another* trauma to add to the list---nothing like an ER trip to do that with people grabbing me while I'm stuck in a flood of terror from my own dad trying to kill me---

That said, if it's done *knowing* you may have repressed memories? (We weren't sure with me. Whoops.) It can bring up the emotions if not the events, and can help. But it's like any therapy. If you don't wanna, it ain't gonna, and that's that.

Gentle support continuing, CB.

My 2 cents-

Suicide leaves a lot of pain behind for the survivors.

I think life is a gift, as painful as it may be, and should be respected.

EMDR is one treatment mode and it is as individual as any other treatment i have done it and it can bring up repressed trauma i would certainly make sure you consider it for you personally and do your homework with all the treatment modaliities out there certainly you will find one that is right for you

My most recent trauma was 6 years ago. The stuff before that ages ago. From the little research I have done I think DBT would be the better of the 2, for me anyway.

I don't have repressed memories just bad ones.

Life is not a gift to me. Life is the sum of sperm and egg. I never got the selfishness of some people. They don't want to grieve so someone has to live another 20 more years in pain. Just doesn't seem right.

All this talk about how people should understand mental illness as they do physical illness. The big exception is when it comes to the right to die a dignified death. So much better to live drugged up my ass, unable to work and drooling in my cheerios.

I only have personal evidence

I am doing EMDR, even though my traumas are ancient. I don't know how it's supposed to work, but often I work off body memories, and the treatment reduces some of the pain and distress. I am doing it in a context of "parts work" as well, in which I am connecting more and more with child selves and forging a relationship with them. I believe that working with the "parts" or "inner children" is the key to healing. DBT is supposed to make it possible to tolerate the feelings that come up on the road to healing - feelings that I find completely color the world before my eyes and make life almost intolerable at times. I am thinking about trying DBT for this reason.

What the doctor said to you sounds like a reference to Eriksonian stages, the first being trust vs. mistrust. http://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html

I have never heard you express any compassion or kindness towards yourself. This makes me think that you were treated harshly and unkindly throughout your life. I wonder what your relationship is to your child self. I bet you don't like her very much. Listen, I hated that "pig girl" that was me for most of my life, and my only goal was to run from her as far and as fast as I could. But I am finding that the key to healing lies in embracing her with the love and support, the kindness and comfort, that the adults in my life never gave me. I hope you will seriously consider what I'm saying here because there's nothing pollyanna about it - it's about as simple as watering a plant. We humans require the milk of human kindness to live and to grow, just like plants require water. You are simply human and you need that as much as the rest of us, and you absolutely deserve to have it!

I hope you are feeling better. If you need to talk you can personal message me any time. My brother's birthday was this past Friday. Let's see, getting together for a couple cold ones would have been real nice. I work Friday and Saturday, but maybe a belated fishing trip would have been cool. Maybe just hang out at his house and shoot the breeze for a couple hours sounds good too.

But after I got done delivering my dead fish, I went to the local Safeway and picked up a hanging basket with daisies in it. And then I drove the 3 miles to the church. Grabbed the basket and walked up to the brick wall. His 8x8 metal plaque is around knee level with his name, date of birth, and date of death.

My brother took his life over 3 years ago. My brother and myself were both victims of child abuse. I now know that my brother was the only one in that supposed family that was truly looking out for me. I do not judge anyone for making such a decision. It is not my place. That is between them and their maker.

All I can tell you is that I have no traditional family at all. And knowing what I know now, with the exception of my brother, that's not a loss, but a gain. I can only tell you I miss my brother more than anyone knows. I put the basket on the ground, and stood there talking to my brother for about 45 minutes. Snot and tears wetting the ground below me.

There is nobody else in the world exactly like you. I don't care how long and far you look, you will not find anyone. You are a very special person and there is someone that you can not see that loves you very much, 24/7....365. Myself as well as each and every person on DS PTSD cares deeply for you too. We are all just one big, hurting, grieving, pain-filled family here. We need you. Please stay with us.