EMDR

[Pierre]

Has anyone ever been able to go back to the very source of his diaper addiction through EMDR therapy ? And what was the impact on his ABDL life ? I am tempted to try…

 

[SoftMichel]

Hm. Emdr therapy, as in trauma therapy? So, you definitely know the exact source of your diaper addiction? I don't think that is how emdr works. I am in the beginning of my emdr therapy. For me, in the session I focus on specific moments of past trauma. Lots of focusing and watching the moving light. The idea is by doing that the effects of the trauma will fade. I guess for you, if a particular traumatic event caused trauma and that trauma definitely triggered your need to wear diapers, then emdr might help the symptoms of that trauma event and perhaps then you won't feel the need any more to wear diapers? Addiction though is a funny thing. Very hard to break, especially if it is pleasurable.

 

[Pierre]

No, I am searching for the source… No clue so far.

 

[Wondercrinkee]

What is this EMDR? I read something about it, rapid eye movement to forget stuff unwanted. I don't seem to understand much about this. From what I read, that is.

 

[Nowididit]

I've stated this before.
What if one finds out what particular incident/event caused their ABDL and what if that incident/event was so traumatizing to the point that one just can't cope with it?
I mean if an ABDL person is happy and is leading a productive society participating life and not hurting anyone, are better off not knowing the unknown?
I'll admit that for years I ask the very question...."Why me"? It took many years of torment to finally accept this and stop asking "Why me". I don't want to know why anymore because in all honesty I'm really scared of the unknown. I don't know what incident/event triggered it. For all I know it might be nothing traumatizing but there's the chance that it is so traumatizing that it negatively effects my life as I know it. I'm healthy, happy, lead a productive life, I'm not hurting anyone and I'm completely satisfied with the way my life is right now.
As I see it, right now I'm going to die comfortably and content. I don't want to die miserable knowing I hurt those around me because I just had to find out the unknown of what caused this.

I say let sleeping dogs lie because they are more vicious when they are first awakened.
Jmo.

 

[SeniorMan]

What is this EMDR? I read something about it, rapid eye movement to forget stuff unwanted. I don't seem to understand much about this. .

EMDR is a psychotherapy technique designed to relieve the distress associated with disturbing memories. Short for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, it involves recalling a specific troublesome experience while following a side-to-side visual stimulus delivered by the therapist. The resulting lateral eye movements are thought to help reduce the emotional charge of the memory so that the experience can be safely discussed, digested, and stripped of the power to trigger anxiety and avoidance. Despite numerous studies showing that the technique works for some patients, it has been highly controversial ever since it was introduced in 1987. No universally accepted theory has been put forth to explain how lateral eye movements are integral (to the treatment. Further, the evidence is not clear that EMDR is superior to classic forms of exposure therapy, in which patients
recall traumatic memories in the safe environment created by a therapist; repeated exposure to the averse memory in the safe context diminishes fear and avoidance of the memory and any situation that might trigger it.

When It's Used ​

EMDR was initially developed as an individual treatment for people with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), but it has since been applied in the treatment of many other conditions. For example, it is used by some therapists to treat anxiety disorders, including panic and phobias, depression, dissociative disorders, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and some personality disorders. To be a candidate for EMDR therapy, patients must be able to tolerate some emotional discomfort and not shut down emotionally or become too easily overwhelmed by feelings. Patients must be able to call on cognitive and emotional resources to reprocess their memories successfully.

What to Expect ​

Expect a course of treatment that consists of six to 12 sessions, typically delivered one or two times a week, although some people may need fewer sessions. Studies suggest that a single distressing memory can be processed within three sessions. After taking the patient’s history and explaining the procedure, the therapist helps the patient decide which past experiences will be the subject of treatment. The therapist then activates a disturbing memory by asking the patient to visualize or experience thoughts, feelings, or body sensations related to the event. Once a memory is activated, standard protocol calls for the therapist to assess the level of negative feelings and thoughts regarding the event as well as positive beliefs about oneself the patient wishes to bolster, and then to administer the bilateral visual stimulation. Patients can expect to experience some level of emotional and physical discomfort while recalling distressing memories. Throughout the procedure, as new feelings and thoughts emerge and are discussed, the therapist samples the level and nature of emotional and cognitive distress and any somatic distress. Sessions end when the patient feels manage-ably calm, with instructions on how to handle disturbing thoughts and feelings between sessions. Subsequent sessions always begin with an assessment of memories that may have emerged since the previous treatment.

How It Works ​

EMDR is based on the so-called AIP (Adaptive Information Processing) model and is said to directly target the way a distressing memory is stored in the brain. The assumption is that past disturbing experiences continue to cause distress because they were not adequately processed, and when such memories are triggered in the present, they contain all the same emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations as the initial experience. Despite evidence that the technique works, no conclusive explanation for how it does so has ever been put forth. In fact, studies have even questioned whether eye movements are necessary for the procedure, suggesting that the real work of desensitization to traumatic memories is accomplished through recalling, confronting, and reprocessing averse memories under the guidance of a skilled therapist—exposure therapy. Nevertheless, a new theory may be emerging. Years of research conducted on the visual system have persuaded neuroscientist Andrew Huberman of Stanford University that the lateral movement of the eyes is necessary—and explanatory. Such movement mimics optic flow, he says, and that calms down the fear system, temporarily diminishing the sense of threat that traumatic memories hold. The eyes are a part of the central nervous system, the only part outside the cranium. In a study reported in Current Biology, he found that the eyes cue the brain to be alert or relaxed—that is, they adjust the inner state. In a brain imaging study reported in the Journal of Neuroscience, a team of Dutch researchers found that lateral eye movements suppress the amygdala, one of the primary threat detection centers in the brain. The eye movements activate a dorsal fronto-parietal network and transiently deactivate the amygdala. The down regulation of amygdala activity engages a ventro-medial prefrontal pathway known to be involved in the cognitive regulation of emotion. Twenty-four hours later, those who underwent reactivation of aversive memories with lateral eye movements had less fear of recalling such memories. The lateral eye movements of EMDR are akin to those that occur naturally during walking when the eye senses movement via the lateral streaming of visual imagery, so-called optic flow. Huberman observes. “It makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. We’ve always been confronted with threats—animal threats, interpersonal threats. Forward movement is the way you suppress the fear response.” The visual system, he notes, “is a steering wheel and brake of the nervous system. The brain will follow the visual system in many ways.”

What to Look for in an EMDR Therapist ​

As with any form of therapy, it is important to seek a therapist with whom it is possible to establish clarity of communication and a sense of good fit. In addition, experience counts, so it is advisable to seek a therapist who has had extensive training and experience using EMDR to treat patients presenting with mental health concerns such as yours. You might ask a prospective therapist such questions as:

• How often have you dealt with problems such as mine before?
• How do you know whether a patient is a good candidate for EMDR?
• How does EMDR work?
• What is a typical plan of treatment, and how long is a typical course of therapy?
• How do you measure progress?

Good as EMDR may be, it is just one tool. Any good therapist has more than one tool available. It is advisable to seek a therapist who is skilled as well in other therapy techniques, such as cognitive and behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, and more.

See psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/eye-movement-desensitization-and-reprocessing-therapy

 

[Pierre]

Waow… Thank you !

 

[SoftMichel]

EMDR is a psychotherapy technique designed to relieve the distress associated with disturbing memories. Short for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, it involves recalling a specific troublesome experience while following a side-to-side visual stimulus delivered by the therapist. The resulting lateral eye movements are thought to help reduce the emotional charge of the memory so that the experience can be safely discussed, digested, and stripped of the power to trigger anxiety and avoidance. Despite numerous studies showing that the technique works for some patients, it has been highly controversial ever since it was introduced in 1987. No universally accepted theory has been put forth to explain how lateral eye movements are integral (to the treatment. Further, the evidence is not clear that EMDR is superior to classic forms of exposure therapy, in which patients
recall traumatic memories in the safe environment created by a therapist; repeated exposure to the averse memory in the safe context diminishes fear and avoidance of the memory and any situation that might trigger it.

When It's Used ​

EMDR was initially developed as an individual treatment for people with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), but it has since been applied in the treatment of many other conditions. For example, it is used by some therapists to treat anxiety disorders, including panic and phobias, depression, dissociative disorders, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and some personality disorders. To be a candidate for EMDR therapy, patients must be able to tolerate some emotional discomfort and not shut down emotionally or become too easily overwhelmed by feelings. Patients must be able to call on cognitive and emotional resources to reprocess their memories successfully.

What to Expect ​

Expect a course of treatment that consists of six to 12 sessions, typically delivered one or two times a week, although some people may need fewer sessions. Studies suggest that a single distressing memory can be processed within three sessions. After taking the patient’s history and explaining the procedure, the therapist helps the patient decide which past experiences will be the subject of treatment. The therapist then activates a disturbing memory by asking the patient to visualize or experience thoughts, feelings, or body sensations related to the event. Once a memory is activated, standard protocol calls for the therapist to assess the level of negative feelings and thoughts regarding the event as well as positive beliefs about oneself the patient wishes to bolster, and then to administer the bilateral visual stimulation. Patients can expect to experience some level of emotional and physical discomfort while recalling distressing memories. Throughout the procedure, as new feelings and thoughts emerge and are discussed, the therapist samples the level and nature of emotional and cognitive distress and any somatic distress. Sessions end when the patient feels manage-ably calm, with instructions on how to handle disturbing thoughts and feelings between sessions. Subsequent sessions always begin with an assessment of memories that may have emerged since the previous treatment.

How It Works ​

EMDR is based on the so-called AIP (Adaptive Information Processing) model and is said to directly target the way a distressing memory is stored in the brain. The assumption is that past disturbing experiences continue to cause distress because they were not adequately processed, and when such memories are triggered in the present, they contain all the same emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations as the initial experience. Despite evidence that the technique works, no conclusive explanation for how it does so has ever been put forth. In fact, studies have even questioned whether eye movements are necessary for the procedure, suggesting that the real work of desensitization to traumatic memories is accomplished through recalling, confronting, and reprocessing averse memories under the guidance of a skilled therapist—exposure therapy. Nevertheless, a new theory may be emerging. Years of research conducted on the visual system have persuaded neuroscientist Andrew Huberman of Stanford University that the lateral movement of the eyes is necessary—and explanatory. Such movement mimics optic flow, he says, and that calms down the fear system, temporarily diminishing the sense of threat that traumatic memories hold. The eyes are a part of the central nervous system, the only part outside the cranium. In a study reported in Current Biology, he found that the eyes cue the brain to be alert or relaxed—that is, they adjust the inner state. In a brain imaging study reported in the Journal of Neuroscience, a team of Dutch researchers found that lateral eye movements suppress the amygdala, one of the primary threat detection centers in the brain. The eye movements activate a dorsal fronto-parietal network and transiently deactivate the amygdala. The down regulation of amygdala activity engages a ventro-medial prefrontal pathway known to be involved in the cognitive regulation of emotion. Twenty-four hours later, those who underwent reactivation of aversive memories with lateral eye movements had less fear of recalling such memories. The lateral eye movements of EMDR are akin to those that occur naturally during walking when the eye senses movement via the lateral streaming of visual imagery, so-called optic flow. Huberman observes. “It makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. We’ve always been confronted with threats—animal threats, interpersonal threats. Forward movement is the way you suppress the fear response.” The visual system, he notes, “is a steering wheel and brake of the nervous system. The brain will follow the visual system in many ways.”

What to Look for in an EMDR Therapist ​

As with any form of therapy, it is important to seek a therapist with whom it is possible to establish clarity of communication and a sense of good fit. In addition, experience counts, so it is advisable to seek a therapist who has had extensive training and experience using EMDR to treat patients presenting with mental health concerns such as yours. You might ask a prospective therapist such questions as:

• How often have you dealt with problems such as mine before?
• How do you know whether a patient is a good candidate for EMDR?
• How does EMDR work?
• What is a typical plan of treatment, and how long is a typical course of therapy?
• How do you measure progress?

Good as EMDR may be, it is just one tool. Any good therapist has more than one tool available. It is advisable to seek a therapist who is skilled as well in other therapy techniques, such as cognitive and behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, and more.

See psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/eye-movement-desensitization-and-reprocessing-therapy

I would add that distress can get worse before it gets better. As an analogy, what you are basically doing is picking at a scab, opening it up, then letting it heal properly. After a session, it is normal to experience distress for up to 3-5 days afterwards. For me, that means more panic attacks and nightmares. If you have anything that will calm and sooth you during that time, use it. For me, that is my dollies and security blanket. Use whatever helps you. Something else you should know, this is not a quick fix. I spent months beforehand setting up a safe place, support network, etc. The therapy itself can also take months. If you have anyone who can pick you up after each session get that organised in advanced. You are going to feel crap and exhausted. Get some sleep beforehand. Take the day off work, if you can. Oh, and just so you know, this is Not like hypnosis. That is a Suggestion thing.

 

[Wondercrinkee]

@SeniorMan a Very interesting article. Thank you.
I am too fragile to go for any triggering memories at my time now, but it's interesting. I never knew about this.