Edmr...

[SEATJERKER]

...Questions on EDMR, and it's effectiveness???

...anyone here had personal experience with the process?, and/or upsides/downsides.......

[Packo]

If your talking about the light therapy for PTSD I really don't have a lot of experience with it. It is my understanding, like any other type of therapy, it has seemed to work for some and not for others. We discussed it at my last County Trauma Support meeting and one Psychologist familiar with it seems to think it was kind of a fad or pop psychology thing. Who knows....don't think it can hurt you so go for it. Maybe Doc Fred has heard more about it. I don't know if they use it at Salem, Va.

Packo

[1CAVCCO15MED]

I found a scientific paper on the subject. It is as follows:

http//www.ncptsd.org/publications/rq/rqpdf/V10N1.PDF

I don't know how to get it so you can just click on the address and go there so just type it in.

[Keith_Hixson]

Have a friend who gets terribly depressed every winter. Uses light theropy. Says that it works! Might help with PTSD, certainly worth the try, couldn't hurt.

Keith

[SEATJERKER]

...not sure of the "practice", and went to the "EDMR" website on a search, and it boasts of it's success rate?, but was looking for more info...
...Fred's advice shows...


A National Center for PTSD Fact Sheet
Introduction
This fact sheet describes elements common to many treatment modalities for PTSD, including education, exposure, exploration of feelings and beliefs, and coping skills training. Additionally, the most common treatment modalities are discussed, including cognitive-behavioral treatment, pharmacotherapy, EMDR, group treatment, and psychodynamic treatment.

Common Components of PTSD Treatment:
Treatment for PTSD typically begins with a detailed evaluation, and development of a treatment plan that meets the unique needs of the survivor. Generally, PTSD-specific-treatment is begun only when the survivor is safely removed from a crisis situation. For instance, if currently exposed to trauma (such as by ongoing domestic or community violence, abuse, or homelessness), severely depressed or suicidal, experiencing extreme panic or disorganized thinking, or in need of drug or alcohol detoxification, addressing these crisis problems becomes part of the first treatment phase.

Educating trauma survivors and their families about how persons get PTSD, how PTSD affects survivors and their loved ones, and other problems that commonly come along with PTSD symptoms. Understanding that PTSD is a medically recognized anxiety disorder that occurs in normal individuals under extremely stressful conditions is essential for effective treatment.
Exposure to the event via imagery allows the survivor to reexperience the event in a safe, controlled environment, while also carefully examining their reactions and beliefs in relation to that event.
Examining and resolving strong feelings such as anger, shame, or guilt, which are common among survivors of trauma
Teaching the survivor to cope with post-traumatic memories, reminders, reactions, and feelings without becoming overwhelmed or emotionally numb. Trauma memories usually do not go away entirely as a result of therapy, but become manageable with new coping skills.
Therapeutic Approaches Commonly Used to Treat PTSD:
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) involves working with cognitions to change emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Exposure therapy, is one form of CBT unique to trauma treatment which uses careful, repeated, detailed imagining of the trauma (exposure) in a safe, controlled context, to help the survivor face and gain control of the fear and distress that was overwhelming in the trauma. In some cases, trauma memories or reminders can be confronted all at once ("flooding"). For other individuals or traumas it is preferable to work gradually up to the most severe trauma by using relaxation techniques and either starting with less upsetting life stresses or by taking the trauma one piece at a time ("desensitization").
Along with exposure, CBT for trauma includes learning skills for coping with anxiety (such as breathing retraining or biofeedback) and negative thoughts ("cognitive restructuring"), managing anger, preparing for stress reactions ("stress inoculation"), handling future trauma symptoms, as well as addressing urges to use alcohol or drugs when they occur ("relapse prevention"), and communicating and relating effectively with people ("social skills" or marital therapy).



Pharmacotherapy (medication) can reduce the anxiety, depression, and insomnia often experienced with PTSD, and in some cases may help relieve the distress and emotional numbness caused by trauma memories. Several kinds of antidepressant drugs have achieved improvement in most (but not all) clinical trials, and some other classes of drugs have shown promise. At this time no particular drug has emerged as a definitive treatment for PTSD, although medication is clearly useful for the symptom relief that makes it possible for survivors to participate in psychotherapy.


Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a relatively new treatment of traumatic memories which involves elements of exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, combined with techniques (eye movements, hand taps, sounds) which create an alteration of attention back and forth across the person's midline. While the theory and research are still evolving with this form of treatment, there is some evidence that the therapeutic element unique to EMDR, attentional alteration, may facilitate accessing and processing traumatic material.


Group treatment is often an ideal therapeutic setting because trauma survivors are able to risk sharing traumatic material with the safety, cohesion, and empathy provided by other survivors. As group members achieve greater understanding and resolution of their trauma, they often feel more confident and able to trust. As they discuss and share coping of trauma-related shame, guilt, rage, fear, doubt, and self-condemnation, they prepare themselves to focus on the present rather than the past. Telling one's story (the "trauma narrative") and directly facing the grief, anxiety, and guilt related to trauma enables many survivors to cope with their symptoms, memories, and other aspects of their lives.


Brief psychodynamic psychotherapy focuses on the emotional conflicts caused by the traumatic event, particularly as they relate to early life experiences. Through the retelling of the traumatic event to a calm, empathic, compassionate and non-judgmental therapist, the survivor achieves a greater sense of self-esteem, develops effective ways of thinking and coping, and more successfully deals with the intense emotions that emerge during therapy. The therapist helps the survivor identify current life situations that set off traumatic memories and worsen PTSD symptoms.
Psychiatric disorders commonly co-occurring with PTSD
Psychiatric disorders commonly co-occurring with PTSD include: depression, alcohol/substance abuse, panic disorder, and other anxiety disorders. Although crises that threaten the safety of the survivor or others must be addressed first, the best treatment results are achieved when both PTSD and the other disorder(s) are treated together rather than one after the other. This is especially true for PTSD and alcohol/substance abuse.

Complex PTSD
Complex PTSD (sometimes called "Disorder of Extreme Stress") is found among individuals who have been exposed to prolonged traumatic circumstances, especially during childhood, such as childhood sexual abuse. Developmental research is revealing that many brain and hormonal changes may occur as a result of early, prolonged trauma, and contribute to difficulties with memory, learning, and regulating impulses and emotions. Combined with a disruptive, abusive home environment which does not foster healthy interaction, these brain and hormonal changes may contribute to severe behavioral difficulties (such as impulsivity, aggression, sexual acting out, eating disorders, alcohol/drug abuse, and self-destructive actions), emotional regulation difficulties (such as intense rage, depression, or panic) and mental difficulties (such as extremely scattered thoughts, dissociation, and amnesia). As adults, these individuals often are diagnosed with depressive disorders, personality disorders or dissociative disorders. Treatment often takes much longer, may progress at a much slower rate, and requires a sensitive and structured treatment program delivered by a trauma specialist.

...open for discussion?...

...

[1CAVCCO15MED]

Salem

The thing they do which works so well is something called psychodrama. In this the vet is safely and compassionately taken back to the trauma and is able to reenact the situation. Other vets are used as "players". They use role reversal to get you to be the person you are dealing with and speak as him. Then you go back to being yourself and another vet acts as that person and speaks the words. I can only give you my experience with this treatment. Last time I was there I did one on my buddy Benbow. He committed suicide after being sent to the field as a medic without any training. I got to converse with him and his parents. I also got to make the sgt that sent him out to apologize and pin a medal on him. You can't change the past but you can work through your feelings about it.
This really does not do the process justice. The old brain is off today but you get the idea. This is an extremely powerful experience. Not only that but you also are an observer or a player in other guys' psychodrama. Salem is one of the few if not only PTSD programs that do this. Other programs use the psychoanalytic model. You just talk about your trauma. Mark Twain once said, "Everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it." Psychoanalysis talks but psychodrama does something about it.
They create what is called a therapeutic community before the psychodramas start. It is made up of the staff and the vets and the tightness of the group is what determines how deep you can go into your trauma.

[deltamedic]

It's not surprising that I read of your medic friend that committed suicide. Its not a common knowlege thing but the facts are that medics were under far more duress, stress, pressures than the infantryman was and as a result many medics didn't last long either physically or mentally. It's an awesome, lonely, lot of responsibility on a medic. Infantry could at least lay down & fire at the enemy but a medic had to constantly be exposed to some times instant death to try to save others. One can not begin to feel what a medic feels when he loses a man, to have to look that man in the eyes and comfort him with words that he'll be ok when in all truth you know little can be done for him.
One man to lose is hard always but imagine if you will as a medic going on a mission with 30 other men; you are ambushed and when all is said and done you and 2 other men survive and about you lie the bodies of men whom moments ago were living and breathing comrades. Fathom if you will the anger, pain, grief, and guilt you as a medic then carry around with you for the rest of your life. The guilt of why did I make it, why couldn't I do more to save them, why didn't all the training pay off. Yeah, a medic's life was one that few can ever, ever fully comprehend or understand the trauma a medic endures. I've tried suicide couple times my-
self but thankfully failed and eventually got hooked up with a vet center and therapy. Still have my days but now I have coping skills to help me through the bad days/times. Feb 12 each year is always rough no matter the skills but now I have fellow Nam vets to lean on instead of going it alone.

Doc Roy Branch (deltamedic)
Nat'l Sr. Vice Cmdr.
Nat'l Assn. Medics-Corpsmen

[Packo]

and all the brave Medics and Corpsmen who dedicated their lives so we could live! Welcome aboard!

AIRBORNE!

Doc's right about the Psychodrama. First saw it used in Salem on my patients and truly believe it's the best of all the therapies, but I've been out of it for 12 years. If Bobby and the Boys in Salem are still using it, then it must be still be the therapy of choice. Great having you back Doc Fred. Are you coming to Savannah/Beaufort on the 20th? Do you need me to make a reservation for you and Shirley at the Beaufort Inn? Staying in Savannah Thursday night at the Hampton on Bay St. Check with your boss and see if she has anything planned for you for the 1st Weekend in Spring.

Packo

[DMZ-LT]

Thank you, Deltamedic. Next to God a medic is a soldiers best friend. Welcome home, brother.

[ArtySgt]

I would like to add my thanks, the Medic's who worked on me saved my life. No doubt about it in my mind.
I tryed Salem myself, lost my cool and stormed out after my third or fourth day. I needed to be in total control and untill I learn to trust again, I could not work the program. My fault alone, had nothing to do with the program or the good people who run it.