Anyone familiar with EMDR?

[MossRose]

I'm sure this has already been discussed on other threads, but I couldn't find one dedicated to it, so I'm posting this question: Has anyone tried this therapy? Many of us have anxiety, with or without drinking, and I have been thinking recently that getting rid of the root cause of anxiety might be helpful in the fight to stay sober.

I have read much on EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and it looks promising. I know it is used mainly for the treatment of PTSD, but I can see it being applicable to other situations. Perhaps to remove unconscious anxiety triggers that lead to drinking. Just thinking out loud.

I found a psychologist in my area that uses this technique in her sessions, but it's quite expensive, so I wanted to reach out and see if anyone has any feedback. Thanks.

[Rusty]

Anyone familiar with EMDR?

Mossy, I have not heard of EMDR, but now you have piqued my interest so I think I will check it out!:thanks::h

[Senin]

Anyone familiar with EMDR?

I have not tried EMDR but I have been reading a lot about it. There is tons of information about it on the net-- they even list the entire Addiction protocol. One brief pdf link is
http://www.fsaprotocol.com/fsap-4-20-13.pdf
but I have seen pdf that go into even great detail, if you just look.

The reviews for this type of therapy are very good. I was considering it myself.

And, amazingly enough, because it is a proven therapeutic technique many insurance companies will cover it (unlike other things like NLP, hypnosis and EFT). It definitely sounds like something to look into.

[Zenstyle]

Anyone familiar with EMDR?

Hi MossRose.

I've done EMDR. It's not as scary as it sounds, it really just stimulates your brain into a relaxation mode where you can talk about issues you have swept under the mat. When I did it (years ago) they used headphones and lights to stimulate a "right brain, left brain" mechanism. I had PTSD and I think that's what it's mostly used for?

I'll be interested to see how it goes for you... I had no idea they used it for addiction.

[FlyAway]

Anyone familiar with EMDR?

I have tried it twice and didn't have good results. I did not try it for addiction though. I wouldn't say bad results, just no results. But I'm a tough nut to crack. :H I just gave up on therapy, the second time after 9 months of weekly visits.

[MossRose]

Anyone familiar with EMDR?

Thanks for the responses. I'm still undecided if it will work for addiction, but may give it a shot.Three years of traditional talk therapy only took me so far. I feel like I need an extra bump, so EMDR really caught my attention.

[Senin]

Anyone familiar with EMDR?

Take a look at faster eft.

[MossRose]

Anyone familiar with EMDR?

Senin - I am a huge fan of EFT. My mom used tapping when she was going through cancer treatments and she taught me. I just forget to use this therapy. You are right. It's powerful.

[MrBean]

Faster EFT, not just EFT. Fater EFT gets deeper. Check it out on Youtube - there is tons of videos.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOMFE_3uHvxxJIhCszavC_UknuON7k8nT

Take care.
MB

[MossRose]

Thanks MB. I didn't realize there was a difference until tonight. I watched the video that you suggested and then did some further research and will definitely give faster EFT a try. I know that when I used EFT regularly, I felt a shift. However, I was using it to combat anxiety (the underlying cause), not addiction directly. Perhaps, faster EFT will help with both. Interesting!

[MrBean]

Thanks MB. I didn't realize there was a difference until tonight. I watched the video that you suggested and then did some further research and will definitely give faster EFT a try. I know that when I used EFT regularly, I felt a shift. However, I was using it to combat anxiety (the underlying cause), not addiction directly. Perhaps, faster EFT will help with both. Interesting!

Yes, do get into it. With FEFT you turn all your bad memories/traumas into pleasant ones by aiming at them, tap on them and disconnect emotional factor to them. Then you tap on the actual substance (beer, wine...) taste buzz, smell, etc. And when you clear all the past, you should be fine. Check out some testimonials. I did one session with Laura Worley via Skype. I have to clear some stuff by myself. Didn't do it yet.

You can PM me, i will give you a link to the protocol I purchased - Full addiction protocol. http://www.fastereft.com/full-addict...ion-with-alvin

Take care.
MB

[Senin]

I worked with two of the top FEFT practioners and couldn't get the results I was seeking. I am now investigating EMDR, which seems promising. So far, I have had some positive results (reduction in cravings) by using EMDR on myself. Obviously a true practioner is needed.

[MossRose]

Senin - thanks for the feedback. Please keep us posted on how it's going. Are you doing self-administered EMDR? I have often wondered about that. There seems to be a majority of people who claim that it is dangerous to do it on your own. Yet, the founder, Francine Shapiro, figured it out while taking a walk and observing her eye movements. I understand that if you were dealing with extremely traumatic memories, it may be harmful, but wouldn't that be true of almost any therapy? In my case, I have a very specific goal - lessen my cravings for alcohol. I will be extremely interesting in hearing from you.

[Senin]

Actually right now I am all over the map. I had high hopes for FEFT, but it didn't pan out. I am interested in EMDR, I have tried it on myself, though I don't think that's a fair test. I may look for an actual practioner after the holidays. I also tried NLP's Compulsion Blowout. That seems good for cravings. The problem, though, is always the secondary gain.

[MossRose]

Hi Senin. It's nice to hear from you. It appears you are very into holistic methods, as I am. That's great. This is the section I hang out in most. But are you familiar with the newbies nest? Have you thought about posting there? It moves very fast, and can be intimidating at first, but you will get a lot of needed support. Think about, ok? I hope to see you there, but if not, I'll meet back you back here