EMDR for PTSD - any review of it? thoughts?

sporina

So, been reading about EMDR and somatic therapy - being used to treat trauma - mainly development or PTSD. There is quite a lot of academic support for this form of therapy however there does seem to be a lack of data somewhat.
Has anyone had this form of therapy? If so, what are your thoughts/reviews?

JuliusCaesar

CBT and EMDR have both evidence in treating PTSD. It seems to be the dual attention that's the mechanism of action in EMDR, so eye movements aren't actually necessary.

Dunno about somatic therapy, but as a specialist in PTSD I doubt it.

sporina

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

CBT and EMDR have both evidence in treating PTSD. It seems to be the dual attention that's the mechanism of action in EMDR, so eye movements aren't actually necessary.

Dunno about somatic therapy, but as a specialist in PTSD I doubt it.

dual attention?

Labarbapostiza

sporina wrote: »

So, been reading about EMDR and somatic therapy - being used to treat trauma - mainly development or PTSD. There is quite a lot of academic support for this form of therapy however there does seem to be a lack of data somewhat.

EMDR, Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. I've heard of it. A feature of hyper-vigilance, is a rapid eye movement scanning the environment for threats. And this is something that is necessary in hostile environments like war zones, and or, violent and unpredictable family environments. The prolonged hyper-vigilance is a cause of trauma in itself. I have no idea if it works. But what I read seemed to have the idea, that slowing the movement of the eyes, lessened the activation of the hyper-vigilance. Hyper-vigilance and rapid eye movement normally escalating each other to a dsyregulated state.

pheasant tail

I've done EMDR before OP, strange experience, drop me a PM if you've any questions 😉

JuliusCaesar

A systmatic review of EMDR found CBT & EMDR equally efficacious, as does this study.

The active ingrediant and mechanism of action in EMDR is disputed, though Francine Shapiro the originator of EMDR posits Dual Attemntion : one study thinks it's distraction but others think it's something to do with working memory.

All very interesting stuff, anyway.

Speedwell

I used to go to a therapist in America who used EMDR and EFT "tapping". I didn't do the EMDR, but she said she did it with a lot of clients with PTSD and found it extremely useful, in conjunction with other obvious things like CBT and, in many cases, working on basic self-care (eating, washing).

Labarbapostiza

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

The active ingrediant and mechanism of action in EMDR is disputed, though

I think they're might be a connection between the way people sometimes move their eyes when looking into the face of someone they love. It's a slow side to side scanning movement. It might mediate oxytocin, reduce the stress response that occurs revisiting traumatic events.


Are you really a PTSD expert? If so, would you mind answering a kind of maybe, funny, sounding question or two in relation to PTSD?

JuliusCaesar

I can never call myself an expert on anything at all! There's always more to know! But sure try me....

sporina

I am reading this at the moment.. there seems to be a lot of work done in the area.

this book - the body keeps the score - Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk

I am really just wondering if anyone has had this form of therapy..?

JuliusCaesar

Well, most people on this forum provide therapy, rather than being clients, so I don't know if anyone has had therapy for PTSD here. Most cases of single incident trauma resolve within 6-8 weeks of the incident, whereas multiple trauma or CSA is different.

Van der Kolk is a well-known researcher in the area.

Labarbapostiza

sporina wrote: »

I am reading this at the moment.. there seems to be a lot of work done in the area.

this book - the body keeps the score - Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk

I am really just wondering if anyone has had this form of therapy..?

I know who Bessel Van Der Kolk is. There are videos on Youtube of his talks that are very well worth watching. He uses EEG images to explain what is going on in the brain of a BPD person dissociating.

He advocates for the use of Neurofeedback in the treatment of BPD. This is like EEG, with pads placed on the scalp, except the EEG signal is used to control some kind of movement in a computer game. The theory is, the brain itself becomes better at regulating itself. This therapy is not in the Irish health system. But, there's a campus company in DCU doing it.

The connection between autoimmune disease and mental health, or the kind of stressed state's impact on physical health. This is very difficult to prove, and people have tried proving it. In general, the findings have been that there is no causal connection. But it's very difficult to do. Most deeply traumatised people, who've found a way to function, will not directly admit to a physician or researcher that they have had a traumatising period in their life. They will in fact tell themselves and others that they had a happy childhood. In his talks, Bessel gives an example of a trick question he usually uses when interviewing. I think it's something like, were there any adults you felt safe around as a child.

You can see that in case in the article you've posted. Marilyn is not consciously aware of the sexual abuse she has experienced as a child. Though she has bad reactions when triggered, fragments in nightmares. Unless you have some means of finding out for certain, your control group isn't adulterated by people who have been abused (or conversely, your sample group has not been adulterated by liars, who may have a mental health issue, but there's no underlying trauma like childhood sexual abuse)

Does Neurofeedback work. Do any of the treatments work. They work well for some people, they don't for others, and then for others they are no help at all. I've heard figures that about 20 US veterans of the Iraq war are committing suicide each day. Most if not all, will have received some form of therapy for PTSD. The therapies may have worked for those who have not committed suicide.