BigBen

Well, I have finally started my walk down the path of the sane and healthy.

A counsellor helped my buddy through his shit, using some new technique of psychotherapy, called Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing and it is working for him...

I asked him how he was doing and he went on and on about how the PTSD is gone and he is able to sleep at night.

He got me in touch with a therapist (I'll take The Rapist for $100, Alex) that specializes in this, and I am set for a session a week from now...

He told me to look up EMDR on the internet, so here I am, going through the website.

Has anyone on TFP gone through this therapy? Can anyone offer insight?

Yes, I am perfectly aware that none of you guys are doctors; I am not asking for clinical opinions. I was just wondering if you have HEARD of anything about it. I am doing it anyway, I just wanted to ask my online family if they had any info.

__________________
3.141592654
Hey, if you are impressed with my memorizing pi to 10 digits, you should see the size of my penis.

Elphaba

Ben, I read about it not long ago and the success rate (as reported) is well above traditional drug/therapy regimens that have been used in the past. It's crucial that a better treatment method is found and I hope this may be the one. The current PTSD rate for returning soldiers from Iraq is overwhelming the VA.

I was a therapist for several war related PTSD clients from WWII to the Gulf War. I felt completely inadequate to the task of relieving their worst symptoms. Please let me know how your therapy experience goes, because this treatment possibility needs a great deal more attention "down under" y'all.

hrandani

My mom thinks this is the greatest thing in the world.

Unfortunately I've seen zero solid information on it that isn't proliferated by someone who practices it, so it is hard to take their word for it.

I agree with Elphaba. It would be a godsend if it's true.

noodle

Never, ever, EVER allow someone who doesn't have a certificate in EMDR treat you. I've seen what happens when someone who isn't specifically trained in it tries to practice EMDR. It isn't pretty. In fact, one lady almost went literally insane. She was institutionalized for six months to re-pattern her brain to not react in horror to minute occurrences. When performed by a clinically trained, certified professional, it can work wonders.

I was counseling a child while my co-worker was using EMDR with her mother. I saw the mom go from (literally) falling asleep over a trashcan from all the Thorazine, Lithium and Xanax the other doc had her on, to being able to get up in the morning, make lunch for her kid and have a productive day doing chores, errands, and leisure activities. This woman had had her lifetime maximum of ECT, every drug known to man and was a raging psychotic, bipolar, traumatized, hallucinating alcoholic who couldn't get out of bed half the time. It took almost a year for the full effect, because she was so severe to begin with, but last I heard (about a year after she finished treatment), she had held a steady job for three months... for the first time in her life. She was 39 at the time.

That's my experience with it. I was almost sacked for doing research on my own and bringing it to my boss before I knew you had to be certified.

__________________