My Favorite Bit Of Information From The Week:
E.M.D.R
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy treatment that recreates the rapid eye movement experienced during REM sleep – a time that is known for processing and healing in the body. EDMR is used for many mental health diagnosis, but primarily for treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (for more on P.T.S.D you can check out my previous post or the Mind’s page on P.T.S.D).You can get P.T.S.D from a range of experiences; giving birth, witnessing a natural disaster, being attacked, adjusting to a new culture, coming back from war to a different environment, surgery – the list goes on… There are different types of P.T.S.D, but the basic foundation is that the brain and nervous system are anxious and stressed after having gone through such an intense ordeal. The world may not feel safe anymore, you may have a hard time remembering things, sleep problems, flashbacks, anxiety attacks – so forth.
So how does EMDR help?
To answer this question, I thought I would speak about my experience. I went through EMDR at a particularly trying point in my life, so my therapist helped me process my past trauma, but in the present. By having me recreate a traumatic memory from my past while holding little buzzers in my hands, the pulsing and the breaking down of the old memory allowed me to safely take the issue from the past, and then deal with it in the present from a place of strength and power. The session helped. Truly helped. And now, I no longer experience anxiety from that memory.
While it is still a relatively new theory, having been introduced in 1987 by Francine Shapiro, Ph.D., the medical community and mental health community have recognized and accepted the benefits of EMDR. Traditionally in the treatment, you bring your traumatic memory to the forefront of your mind and then your therapist has you follow their finger right to left, thus creating R.E.M eye movement, but other techniques work as well, such as tapping the patient’s leg or holding tactile buzzers (certain clients respond better to certain options). There is a misconception that EMDR is hypnosis, but it’s not true. The patient is completely cognizant the entire time and able to stop at any time. The process can be quite taxing though, and may require several visits – depending on the severity of your trauma – but it is incredibly rewarding and helpful. EMDR allows us to bring memories into a healing state and deal with them in real time, removing the emotional power, while rewiring the neurons in our brain to process the memory differently.
For more on EMDR and a more in-depth explanation go to EMDR Institute Inc.
Video Breakdown of EMDR: I found this video particularly helpful, and although the narrator sounds a bit robotic and cliche, it’s still very informative and delightful.
EMDR Being Used: EMDR session. It is worth noting that this is a parsed down session, and not all therapists will be the same, but it gives you a general idea if you are curious.
EMDR Story: Content Advisory– the following article deals heavily with suicide and loss – if those are triggers for you, it may be intense. I found several stories on the EMDR UK and Ireland website, but the story of Charlotte, a young woman who lost both of her brothers to suicide within a year, stood out to me the most. Not only does the article highlight the mental health crisis of suicide completions among young men, but it also discusses the healing process through EMDR and how it helped Charlotte recover. If you have a moment to read the article, it is both heartbreaking and inspiring.
Update On My Show:
Fundraiser Update: This past week I have been reaching out to several businesses to take part in our fundraiser! More information to come soon!
Fundraising: The project is free for audiences and therefore is completely independently funded – any support is appreciated! If you have already donated, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, you have made it possible to get this far. And if you are not in a place to give a dollar right now, thank you for being here and being a part of breaking the stigma on mental health. Much love!If you would like to donate to my show, share this project with a friend, or find out more about it please check out my gofundme here.
Please check out the One Woman Hamlet Website: www.onewomanhamlet.com
AND! my update Video.
Many, Many thanks: Margo Siwak and Joe Siwak for the design of the logo, and to Jillian Best and Bill Best for the Website creation and Design! I feel very blessed to have such beautiful humans in my life.
Ways to Support: If you would like to donate to my show, share this project with a friend, or find out more about it please check out my gofundme here: https://www.gofundme.com/one-woman-hamlet
Thank You: Thank you VERY much to all who have donated thus far, making this project possible.