Posted by BabyToes on April 21, 2010, at 18:51:55
In reply to Re: Today he was more himself » BabyToes, posted by Dinah on April 21, 2010, at 15:14:42
I do remember you saying that you T didn't want you to do it for him, but for yourself. So don't psych yourself out due to minor details. (like one T not calling you back) Most T's I know do want to help people, that is why they are T's. Don't let this one T sour your view on EMDR just because she hasn't called you back.
As far as the dissociation, my T works with that everyday because a huge percentage of trauma memories involve dissociation to some extent. I would have sworn that I never dissociated more than the average person (like daydreaming) but I was wrong. I didn't recognize it and my T now was the first to notice it and bring my attention to the symptoms of it. A lot of her EMDR work is with trauma victims and ALL have involved dissociation to a degree. So it takes a really good trauma specialist to use EMDR most effectively. This is where the new training comes in handy because dissociation wasn't talked about so much in the beginning of EMDR. (like most therapies) Now there is TON of research on it and techniques to use for it, especially since Katrina. In fact a lot of that research is from that horrible event.
As far as your traumatic events being leached of any emotional charge is hard to agree with since you still have this intense phobia. It comes from somewhere. That is why it is important for you EMDR T to know you and for you to feel comfortable with them and trust them. You may think that it is just a single memory because of the phobia, but many times it is linked like a chain of many things. Luckily doing EMDR helps clear the emotional charge of more memories than just the one worked on. Working on this phobia could open a can of worms but it could help clear up other things at the same time.
My T works on body memories as well, because trauma just doesn't' affect your emotions, it effect the body in many ways. It could be that you may not feel the emotions anymore, but your body may haven't processed them yet.
I know it is complicated, reading that Parnell book would help. I found it in the library.But if this is something you truly don't want to do, than you shouldn't. It isn't a cake walk undoing trauma or phobia's. It is going to take dedication and a willingness to become uncomfortable and work through it. You may just not be ready or at a place in your life where you can allow things to get messy for awhile. Listen to your heart and follow that.
poster:BabyToes
thread:944014
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20100405/msgs/944429.html