EMDR treatment - how long?

[NotSoSupergirl]

Hi all,

I started treatment with EMDR 2.5 years ago, and I have an EMDR session of 1.5h every two weeks. The other weeks in between I have a normal session of 45min. I've made a lot of progress in those 2.5 years, but the last months my PTSD had gotten a lot worse. Is it possible that EMDR deteriorates PTSD symptoms? Does anyone else have experience with EMDR treatment of multiple years?

Thanks in advance!

[sanmagic7]

hi, nssg,

i am an emdr therapist, so i know a bit about the process.  my guess would be that as long as you're making progress, it's doing well for you.  as far as emdr deteriorating symptoms, i'm not sure about that because i haven't had that experience.  if i were you, i'd talk to my t about those concerns.  it may be that some core stuff is coming up, which can be more difficult for the mind to process, or that what you're working on needs to slow down a bit because you're having a harder time adjusting to changes.

letting your t know about this could give him/her a heads up that something else is going on besides the type of processing you've experienced in the past, and s/he can make adjustments in your approach accordingly.  best to you with this.  i'd be interested to know what becomes of it, if you'd care to share.   

[EliseB]

Hi, I wanted to ask if there is a specific amount of time that EMDR should be done for? I did it for PTSD symptoms for only a few months, and was starting to feel a lot better so I'm going back to previous therapy methods since then. Sometimes I wonder if I could have gotten more out of it? I felt like it was really helpful, so should I have done more, or is there such a thing as too much EMDR?

Either way I'm glad I was able to utilize it when I really needed it, and that I'm feeling better overall now. Thanks for any information that anyone has. I think deep down we have to listen to our gut instincts on how we're feeling with the pace of therapy.  Good luck with everything

[sanmagic7]

i agree with you, elise, to go with your gut.

in my experience, if the emdr is helping, you can keep utilizing it.  for some they mix it with talk therapy, too, kind of ironing out any kinks along the way, so to speak.  talk therapy can also help slow the process down if it feels like it's going too fast, and it can also help you discover new targets for the emdr itself. 

so, as always, you know best.  if it feels like it might be a good thing to go back to it, then that's probably the right thing for you to do.   best to you with this.  big hug.

[EliseB]

Thank you Sanmagic.  It was definitely helpful.  I remember feeling like my brain was flowing so freely, like a stream of consciousness, and I felt a new sense of calm afterwards.  Maybe I'll bring it up with my therapist to see if we could do it occasionally, like for maintenance or something like that.  The other thing is that I see her less often now, because I've been feeling better and life has been busy.  But I do believe that it is an effective therapy from my experience.

[NotSoSupergirl]

Thanks for your response @sanmagic7! I am still making progress indeed, so I've decided to keep on doing EMDR every two weeks. Apparently my T is in inter- and supervision with other professionals, so that reassures me. The last few weeks/months we've been taking it slow and the heavy flashbacks seem to have gone to the background again. Upward and onward 

hi, nssg,

i am an emdr therapist, so i know a bit about the process.  my guess would be that as long as you're making progress, it's doing well for you.  as far as emdr deteriorating symptoms, i'm not sure about that because i haven't had that experience.  if i were you, i'd talk to my t about those concerns.  it may be that some core stuff is coming up, which can be more difficult for the mind to process, or that what you're working on needs to slow down a bit because you're having a harder time adjusting to changes.

letting your t know about this could give him/her a heads up that something else is going on besides the type of processing you've experienced in the past, and s/he can make adjustments in your approach accordingly.  best to you with this.  i'd be interested to know what becomes of it, if you'd care to share.   

[Eyessoblue]

Hi there, I've done 9 weeks EMDR now having 12 weeks of psychotherapy to help with ev7thats come up then back to EMDR if needed, been really helpful if not exhausting for me but is the only time I cry and properly let it all out so guess it's working well!! Wishing you all the best with it all. I've been wanting to cry and let it all,out for years but his is really the only way I can do it and so greatful to the nhs in the uk for providing me with this.