Hello, MJ. Welcome to the forum. Sorry for what brings you here, but glad you are here.

I can't share any personal experience with EMDR, but I can share some juicy gossip. I have talked to folks who benefited from it and recommend it. End of gossip. Confidentiality rocks.

I can also assure you we'll be here to support you sort through the process, if you choose. Personally, I find my recovery allot easier to maintain when I share the load.

Welcome aboard, MJ. Hope you find healing companionship here.

Personally emdr wasnt for me but it might be because i hadnt got away from the people who caused me truama still st the time. Good luck

Welcome,mj....

i'm so sorry you are suffering so much.

i wanted to tell you though,that for the one particular memory i worked on with EMDR,it worked wonders.

i no longer get flashbacks with this memory,and,if i do think of it,it comes up with no emotional attachment.

i do know,though,that EMDR can be too intense for some people.

do make sure you are working with a qualified therapist who will let you go at your own pace.

i would love to do more EMDR therapy,but unfortunately it is not covered by the province i am now in and is very expensive...

as arfie said,we will be here to support you through the process with however much you feel comfortable with sharing.

Best of luck to you,and,again,welcome to the board.

Thanks guys. My doctor wanted to put me off of work but I think that’s the only thing keeping me sane. It’s so hard to push on. I have no contact with my toxic family, which is recent, and I’m not sure if I’m just grieving, scared, lonely, triggered, all of the above . . . It’s chaotic.

"All of the above" would be high on my personal experience list. It's hard to pull just one worm out of a proverbial can of worms that has continually been compressed and hasn't been opened in allot of years. Tug on one worm and the whole slimy chaos comes tumbling out. The good news is that the suckers are easier to sort once they are out in the open.

I am thrilled to hear that work is helping you to stay sane. A stabilizing routine might be the greatest healing agent I have found in my own recovery. It gives me something to hold on to.

Continued support while you work it through, MJ. Easy does it. Don't push too hard. Keep moving, but don't stop moving. A mighty oak is strong BECAUSE it grows slowly.

Thank you

I've never done EMDR, mjfan14, what's worked for me has been therapy that led me to stay away from my toxic original family system, and prazosin to balance excess PTSD adrenalin. They've made me able to work and like you say, work keeps me sane, though I had to balance that out recently too and stop working overloads. What silverlight says about how EMDR worked sounds really promising. Update us on it after Saturday, would you please? I'd like to consider it, too.

I did EMDR. I was in a serious automobile accident about 10 years ago. I had be cut out by the jaws of life. Long story short, I to had have my right hand surgically reattached, and my leg was broken in several places. I was in the hospital for close to two weeks and released on home IV therapy. I had multiple surgeries, was in a wheelchair for a couple of months, then crunches, then a cane. I pretty much refused pain meds because I was so paranoid of being addicted, so that made my recovery extremely problematic. When it was all said and done and I was walking again, I thought it was all behind me.

My husband could tell I wasn't sleeping right and that I was exhibiting signs of extreme anxiety whenever we were in a vehicle. He took me to therapy and the therapist suggested this technique called EMDR. After he explained it, I agreed, kind of thinking it was a joke. I knew nothing like that would work for me because I am a very logical and rational thinker.

Well it sure did work. The minute I got into our car after that appointment, I could tell a huge difference. It felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I was shocked at the difference. I didn't realize how much anxiety I was carrying around until it was gone.

Thanks for sharing gutted. And I will share my experience after my appointment this afternoon. I’m hoping for success because I’m tired of the daily struggle.

Sorry for the late update. I met with the psychologist yesterday and we spent the 90 minute session discussing my history. She’s very optimistic that she can help me with my ptsd and we are starting the actual EMDR next Saturday. I’m super happy with the optimism but still struggling.

MJ, I know people who have benefited from EMDR . Please keep us posted and know that you are not alone. We are here for you . Blessings and a warm gentle hug to you !! Stay strong !!!

Thanks! You have no idea how much everyone's comments mean to me <3

I know it is a bit late on the post but I will say EMDR has been very helpful for me. I am more in the category of complex PTSD. It has not been a quick fix, so my advice is to be patient with yourself and celebrate the progress as it comes. Wishing you good luck!