EMDR and The Body Keeps the Score

[tommom]

I started EMDR a couple of months ago. (If you don't know what EMDR is, it is a type of trauma therapy called "Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing"}. My T also recommended a book: Bessel Van De Kolk's book, "The Body Keeps the Score".

Both of them have been incredible for me. I just wondered if anyone else here who had experienced childhood trauma found them extremely useful and how?

[Lookin 2 B Free]

Yes, I've done EMDR in trauma T, too.  I found it very helpful.  In fact, when I started it years ago, I said to myself that I would never waste my time with talk therapy again.

Now I'm doing a little EMDR and some Somatic Experiencing.  I keep meaning to get around to reading the book you mentioned.....it's on the list.  There are just too many worthwhile things to spend time on, even with Covid.

[hhaw]

tommom:

I read Bessel's book and found the part about how we process trauma, when we have some ability to act or don't, very helpful.

Feeling helpless and at the mercy of makes processing trauma more difficult. 

What were things you found most interesting in the book?

[tommom]

hhaw, I found little Noam's story so wonderful. Just something so touching -his trampolines....they made my eyes fill with tears. His teacher and his parents helped him overcome the horrific experience as well. What we all need, I think, just a little help and understanding. When I finally began the EMDR treatments, they were amazing. In the book, Van De Kolk tells the story of a patient who used it and he asked her how it was after. He described how she said "It's gone" or something similar and just waved her hand. I have had that experience myself. It was incredible. Just hold onto those little buzzers and...it just goes away.  You see it from a different, untraumatized perspective. Incredible!!!

He talks several times - before his actual suggestions in the last chapters - about how the trauma "exits" your mind. It does. In my case, literally like "BuhBye!".  I had a BPDm who had a number of other mental and emotional issues herself (she was quite abusive and...I've never said this before....may have had FSIA) so my list of traumas is kind of long (maybe not longer than most of us, though!) so I'm still working on it. My only problem at the moment is... my T is on vacation   

 

[hhaw]

((tommom))
Remember your new tools and to use them, if you can.

You're stronger than you think.  Be super kind to yourself and take notes as things come up.  You can use them during your next appt with Therapist.

Be very curious.....drop all judgments and stay in Observer mode as you can.

I'm happy EMDR is helping you so much.  I think it's amazing too.

[Lookin 2 B Free]

Tommom and hhaw,   Thanks for posting on the book.  You have motivated me to go ahead and check into it, something I've been meaning to do for some time.  The preview I just looked at was very compelling.

I've been having increased contact with my FOO as I have POA for one of them (who is currently experiencing psychosis).  I'm getting opportunites to practice the somatic experiencing and EMDR for the trauma responses set off from this situation.  And I relate, Tommom -- my T informed me last week that she has to be gone for 5 wks!     This will be a good time to see what I have integrated and can keep going on my own.

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the acronym FSIA and didn't find it in the resources here.