EMDR music therapy

[Alexandra]

Hello ; I want to let everyone know about ,what I just discovered: EMDR music therapy, I found it on YouTube, it is free, no commercials, EMDR music therapy, is most likely available on other platforms. I just started listening to it, so I do not have an opinion, of it's effectiveness ,yet.

[8888]

Cool!  I have tried it a few times.  A friend told me it's good to start by listening to it while doing a simple non-triggering activity to see how to goes.  Like word search, knitting or coloring.

[zen_racer]

I have tried EMDR music a few times.  I have used it to help calm myself using imagery of a place that has made me happy in the past, after doing similar with my therapist after getting triggered by something I said.  My first experience with EMDR music, I thought it would be okay to go over some heavier stuff, and I had a definite emotional reaction to it that wasn't exactly the best reaction.  I've since learned that EMDR used to process stuff should be done with supervision because it is easy to get overwhelmed.  My current therapist has told me it's okay to use at home for the positive and calming aspect.  I'm definitely no expert, but I would suggest a little caution.  Maybe it was just me though.

[Blueberry]

I definitely agree on using caution here, ZR.

[8888]

I agree with using caution as well.

[sanmagic7]

hey, all,

i'm a retired EMDR therapist, so i can say from experience (both with clients and with my own stuff) EMDR processing is powerful, so i agree w/ the others that caution is paramount.  i would  go so far as to say i wouldn't recommend utilizing it w/o speaking to a profe4ssional first.  you just do not know what might come up or that what does come up might be overwhelming. it's happened to me that at some point i even had a seizure while processing something i thought would be easily managed.  we just don't know what all our brains/minds hold and to what extent.  sending a hug filled with caution.   

[Alexandra]

Hello ; Thank all of you , for your responses, I listened to EMDR therapeutic music ,on YouTube several times ,and frankly, I only felt  some mild annoyance, from the taping, given your folks advice, I will not,try it again . I can not do regular EMDR, because, I have no control over my eye muscles . I listen to several types of relaxing music ,and nature sounds, both of which I do find helpful , I will just keep doing that . again thanks

[zen_racer]

Hello ; Thank all of you , for your responses, I listened to EMDR therapeutic music ,on YouTube several times ,and frankly, I only felt  some mild annoyance, from the taping, given your folks advice, I will not,try it again . I can not do regular EMDR, because, I have no control over my eye muscles . I listen to several types of relaxing music ,and nature sounds, both of which I do find helpful , I will just keep doing that . again thanks

I just wanted to point out that you don't need to use the eyes for EMDR therapy.  My therapist prefers to use a device that has a control box and two small plastic buzzers that just gently vibrate.  She had me hold one in each hand for the bilateral stimulation.  She said for small children, she'll sometimes have them step on the buzzers cause it's easier for them to hold. 

[Alexandra]

Hello zen_racer; Thanks for the information.

[Blueberry]

Hello ; Thank all of you , for your responses, I listened to EMDR therapeutic music ,on YouTube several times ,and frankly, I only felt  some mild annoyance, from the taping, given your folks advice, I will not,try it again . I can not do regular EMDR, because, I have no control over my eye muscles . I listen to several types of relaxing music ,and nature sounds, both of which I do find helpful , I will just keep doing that . again thanks

If you felt only mild annoyance to the italicised, maybe you can continue? It's just wise to be cautious and for instance not believe that we with cptsd can heal ourselves without a therapist. It depends on how much therapy you've done so far. There are some exercises I can do on my own (not EMDR because that's hardly been done with me by therapists), but other stuff. But then suddenly whatever method can send me for a total loop or exhaust me no end. Like EFT, Emotional Freedom Tapping, it exhausts me so much that I can't do the suggested number of times for running a sentence through. And in fact, it doesn't seem to work anymore for me anyway. Especially when you're thrown for a total loop (it's probably an EF, emotional flashback), it's good to have a therapist to help you back to your normal and try and help you figure out what went wrong. EF to the point of full-blown dissociation is something to avoid in my experience and opinion. All the trauma therapeutic methods can be powerful, so also too powerful. So, treat with caution.