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EMDR Therapy

This post was most recently updated on March 26th, 2014

EMDR TherapyIn my last post I shared how my irrational fear was conquered by EMDR Therapy. 

 

As I read through my comments, most of my readers wanted to know how it worked for me.  In this post I will share my experience.

 

My therapist had asked me if I would like to try EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy.  I had read about rapid eye movement methodology, and was curious to see how it worked for myself.  It made sense to me and I jumped at the opportunity.

First, my therapist assessed all the things that were “blocking” me… behaviors, habits or phobias I wanted to alter.  There were quite a few from the past, lol.  My most immediate concern was a fear of lightning and thunder.  I would not go outside if there was any chance of a stormy day.  Ridiculous isn’t it?

Be that what it may, we worked on this issue.  The session takes one and one half hour so we discussed the plan for how this treatment would go.

It began by me visualizing an image that represented my fear.  

The vision I used was of me hiding in my basement describing how I felt emotionally, and how my body felt physically.  I described how I was short of breath, feeling like I was having a panic attack.  The feelings manifested in my body as sweaty palms, chills, stomach ache and nausea.    I was asked to rate, on a scale of 1 to 7 (7 being the highest) how strongly I felt these things.  My answer was 10, hehe

Now, I was instructed to keep this in mind as the process began.  

The therapist moved her fingers from side to side as my eyes tracked them through patterns of rapid movement.    “Take a deep breath”, she would say.  “Now, do a body scan.  Tell me how do you feel?” On a scale from 1 – 7,  I felt a 5 (which was reduced from the 10 I had reported at the beginning of the exercise).  And then thoughts came to my mind which I shared with her.  I reported feeling less afraid because I knew I was working on the issue in a safe environment.

We repeated the exercise again and again, and followed each series with “body scans”.  I felt more and more comfortable each time.  Throughout the process, I shared a free association of images I was getting.

We did this until I was more comfortable with the idea of an electric storm.

Then we began the “Installation” process.  

I was asked to continue my rapid eye movement sequences while focusing on a positive thought.

BOOM….I remembered that when I was a child, long before I developed this fear, my dad and I would watch lightning storms and enjoy mother nature at her best.

I felt like I was right there at 8 years old sitting next to my dad.  I felt safe and enjoyed the show.  I had to explain some key words that described this.  I said things like “safe, soft, smells good, clean…”

“Go with that,” my therapist told me.  I did, and we went on with this exercise of free association and imagery.  Throughout the process, I underwent rapid eye movement segments, followed by more positive images.  Then I had an image of me sitting in what looked like a “king’s chair holding a majestic golden staff.”   I laughed at it, but we moved forward and did yet another body scan.

I felt strong, I felt like a king with a staff.  I felt in control!  Yes, it sounded silly even while I was saying it.  But the resulting body scan was enlightening.  

My body felt strong and was filled with energy.  I felt like a new person.  We got to the point where there was nothing negative lingering in my body.

We reinforced images of the words I had come up with:  Soft, clean, safe, etc… all the while, with rapid eye movements.

At the end of the session, we talked about how I felt emotionally, and how my body felt.  It was suggested that I keep a journal and record other key words that might be “triggered” by actual storms.

Now, one must keep in mind that one session may not do the trick.  I kept on visualizing my “positive installation”… the installation of positive feelings to replace the negative ones.  It was an experience that involved both my mind and body.

Then it happened…….

A violent storm hit one hot afternoon.  I didn’t flinch.  I had a memory of fear, but didn’t have the emotion attached to it.  It was like remembering an event.  I was smiling and took some time out to breath calmly as I recalled my positive word associations.  As the storm was going on, I worked diligently on my EMDR exercises.

Later on I asked my husband how I would have acted during such a storm prior to my EMDR sessions.  He told me that I would be shaken in fear, and hiding in the basement at the sound of thunder, and the flash of lightning.

He’s been totally surprised (and delighted) to see my new behavior.  I’ve gone through 5 storms as of this writing (yes, I’m counting them), and I am still doing great!

I wanted to share this with you, my readers, because it is a personal experience that made me a strong believer in the power of EMDR.  I also want to note that there were several other mind and body issues that were resolved with this therapy.

Now, If you want to know more about it, I would suggest you Google it and see for yourself.  EMDR was developed by Francine Shapiro.  There is still controversy over it, but as you research it, you will find many stories of people like me, who have had great results.

So, my friends, the moral of this story is that if you have any fear at all, you can over come it.   Even if you have to explore many different approaches, don’t give up!  Remember my experience with EMDR.

-Donna

Donna Merrill
Donna is a well known blogger and creator of "Blogging Magic" - an intensive guide to blogging. "Blogging Magic" is for beginners who are trying to figure out how to bring their blogs to life with tons of visits, comments and social media interaction. It's even for advanced bloggers looking to reach new levels of authority and engagement with their audience.

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43 Responses to EMDR Therapy

  1. Cherrie Bautista October 12, 2013 at 10:21 pm #

    This is very interesting, Donna. I haven’t heard of it until now. I wonder if you have to be aware of your fears for it to work. What if you don’t know what’s blocking you to move forward and you want to reprogram your subconcious beliefs. Would this work? By the way, saw your post in Facebook about your dog. I hope he is feeling better now. I’ll keep praying for him and your daughter’s cat.
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  2. Dee Ann Rice
    Twitter:
    October 5, 2013 at 9:55 pm #

    Donna,

    That is so great that you were able to address fears like that. I sometimes wonder just how those fears get started. I will have to say I hate the wind blowing. It is not that bad for me though. I think I mostly don’t like it because we have livestock and I worry about them. When we get rid of all of the animals outside and there is nothing to worry about out there I will be better.

    I am definitely going to go and check out EMDR Therapy. Do you know if they use it for PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) at all? I would especially be interested in that.

    I am so happy for you and thank you so much for sharing with us.

    Dee Ann Rice
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    • Donna.Merrill October 6, 2013 at 2:42 pm #

      Hi Dee Ann!

      Well seems to me you have good cause fearing the wind with that livestock outside!

      And YES…EMDR was first used for PTSD. It was commonly used for vets coming home from war and it works well.

      Just Google it and you will find so many stories of people who had used this for PTSD and are amazed how well and fast it worked.

      -Donna
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  3. Leslie Denning
    Twitter:
    October 4, 2013 at 12:51 pm #

    Hi Donna. I had never heard of EMDR therapy, so this was very enlightening. I don’t know how it could work, but the mind is a marvelous thing, and I’m glad it worked for you.

    I’ve suffered from anxiety most of my life (now under control with meds), but I’ve never had a panic attack. I used to have a penpal who was agorophobic. I just can’t imagine how it would be to be afraid to step outside my own door. If I had any of these problems that remained untreated, I would certain give EMDR a try. It would probably be a good thing for war veterans so try, as well. Thanks for this information.

    All the best,
    Leslie
    Leslie Denning recently posted..Business Essentials: Autoresponders, Part 2My Profile

    • Donna.Merrill October 5, 2013 at 2:52 pm #

      Hi Leslie,

      I have anxiety problems too. I was on meds for severe panic attacks, but while doing that I kept on fighting my way through different modalities of therapeutic trainings. I don’t like to rely on meds, not even for a headache!

      This particular problem went way beyond the anxiety attacks. I just don’t like it when things get in my way! Many years ago I did start becoming an agorophobic. I pushed myself out of the front door. Then took days to walk down the street. On and on I went with my “baby steps” all the while feeling dizzy.

      I can’t take all the credit. I used to pray and tell myself I’m walking with God and I am protected. That’s how I got over that one!

      Thanks for stopping by,

      Donna
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  4. Viola Tam September 30, 2013 at 5:41 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    Thank you for responding to your readers and created this wonderful post. What you have shared about “body scans” is interesting. As someone who believe in the power of visualization, I have no doubt at all that bringing back the positive feelings can be very powerful.

    About controversy! Many great deeds and invention in the past were strongly debated or even violently opposed. When there are testimonials like yours and that there is no horrible side-effects like those of the pharmaceutical drugs,there is hope for more people to get educated. Hopefully, even the skeptics would consider at least giving it a go.

    Keep up the great work, Donna. I appreciate your sharing.

    PS: Just curious, can EMDR be done over a Skype session? Or, has it to be a face-to-face consultation?

    Viola Tam – The Business Mum
    Viola Tam recently posted..Stay-at-Home Mums – Time FreedomMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill September 30, 2013 at 7:53 pm #

      Hi Viola!

      Thank you so much for your kind comment. Yes, this is a way to keep away from pharmaceutical drugs! That stuff has too many side effects. I do believe it is needed in certain circumstances, but the person has to do the work to overcome their problems.

      Yes this is a controversial therapy, but it worked for me and I did my homework and found many people on the internet that had testimonials that they had overcome severe problems.

      To answer your question: No, I would never suggest this done over Skype because sometimes an emotion can come up and the client may be distressed. I must be done on a one to one basis.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

  5. Holly
    Twitter:
    September 28, 2013 at 12:20 pm #

    Wow, sounds like a great technique to use.. especially for a phobia!! I am not afraid of thunder storms, but I must admit, the dark scares me… maybe its time I looked into it!!
    Holly recently posted..Juicing Ain’t For Everybody!My Profile

    • Donna.Merrill September 29, 2013 at 1:09 pm #

      Hi Holly,

      EMDR is great for phobias! Also used most commonly for PTSD. It’s great when you just cannot shake that fear.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

  6. Ryan Biddulph
    Twitter:
    September 26, 2013 at 12:40 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    Inspiring stuff! We can overcome fears by using tools like EMDR. Tapping is another technique to bring up our stuff so we can face. embrace and release it.

    I have a fear of heights. This comes into play during airplane turbulence. If we experience a sudden dip my stomach goes into my throat. I still feel fear when turbulence kicks in because I dislike the quick dip feeling but by meditating frequently I can actually watch the fear more frequently instead of being overcome by it. It is almost like watching a movie at times, which is neat 😉

    Thanks for sharing Donna!

    Ryan
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    • Donna.Merrill September 29, 2013 at 1:07 pm #

      Hi Ryan,

      I know what you mean! I have some “fears” like that too. But as long as we acknowledge it, we then have the means to overcome it. Meditating, self-talk, whatever works!

      Thanks for sharing,

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

  7. marquita herald
    Twitter:
    September 24, 2013 at 7:59 pm #

    Wow, thanks so much for sharing your story and experience with EMDR Donna! What an empowering feeling it must be for you to be able to overcome your fear.
    marquita herald recently posted..Personal Standards are Your Key to Real SuccessMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill September 25, 2013 at 2:37 pm #

      Hi Marquita!

      It sure is a great feeling. Especially that fear that lasted so many years. I just never gave up!

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

  8. Yorinda September 24, 2013 at 5:05 pm #

    Hi Donna,
    thank you so much for sharing your experience.

    About 10 years ago a counsellor did something similar in a session. She got me to make the picture so small that it fitted on her finger tip and then moved her finger in front of my eye. I think it helped.

    Last night we had a big storm and I used all my self soothing talk and managed to fall asleep. I live in a small cottage on the top of a hill surrounded by trees which magnify the sound.

    I appreciate your inspiring post!
    Love and Light
    Yorinda
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    • Donna.Merrill September 25, 2013 at 2:27 pm #

      I like that idea your counselor gave you Yorinda!

      Any technique we learn and apply can get us through our fears. Now you have learned this 10 years ago, but you still apply it. That’s the thing most folks need to do.

      It amazes me how many people read self-help books, go to seminars, etc. They learn techniques but never apply them.

      Bravo!

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

  9. Lisa
    Twitter:
    September 24, 2013 at 7:09 am #

    Wow, Donna, I’ve never heard of this one. That is truly amazing. I wonder if it could work for me with my fear of big dogs. I would have to see if anyone is in the local area that does this. It sounds quick and quite harmless too. Thanks for sharing with us Donna and congrats!
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    • Donna.Merrill September 25, 2013 at 2:20 pm #

      Hi Lisa,

      I’m sure this will work very well with the fear of dogs. It may take one session or a few. Fearing dogs can keep one from walking down a road, or being in a park where dogs are unleashed.

      Now that’s something that can get in the way!

      Good luck with it!

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

  10. Barbara Charles
    Twitter:
    September 24, 2013 at 3:23 am #

    Hi Donna,

    It’s 3:21 a.m. as I read this and have some issues myself with fear from news I’ve received yesterday so this is a good thing for me to read right now. It’s good to know there are different approaches to something like this (besides drugs 🙂 ). I’d like further reading on EMDR as it’s always good to know for yourself and referrals.

    So glad this worked out for you and I hope you have continued success.
    Barbara
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    • Donna.Merrill September 25, 2013 at 2:18 pm #

      Hi Barbara,

      Glad it helped a bit for you during this horrible day you had. I wanted to share this because it is an example of intense fear.

      We have fears all the time, and we somehow overcome them. But when it is so intense, there are many modalities to rid them.

      Thanks so much,

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

  11. Corina Ramos September 23, 2013 at 4:55 pm #

    My therapist had suggested some hypnosis sessions but I was too nervous about it so I never followed through. She then introduced me to Qigong and I loved it.

    I feel like I’ve gotten control of my fear but the true test will be soon when I have to meet my ex in court. When I got the notice in the mail my stomach was turning the rest of day.

    I know I’ll have to be prepared for this meeting because I don’t want him to think I’m afraid. Thanks for sharing this experience with us and for giving me another option to consider. Oh and congratulations on this major breakthrough!

    Have a wonderful and blessed week Donna!
    Corina Ramos recently posted..Monday Work-from-Home Job Lead MadnessMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill September 25, 2013 at 2:02 pm #

      Hi Corina,

      Qigong is a great tool to use. Just remember to use techniques when you are in court.

      Of course your stomach turned when you received the notice, but that is normal. No one wants to go through that experience.

      Self talk, calm voice, and No Eye contact with him will help!

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

  12. Rebekah Radice
    Twitter:
    September 22, 2013 at 9:50 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    I’ve never heard of EMDR until now and WOW is it fascinating! And the success you’ve seen from it is nothing short of a miracle.

    It sounds as if your fear was totally debilitating. Now armed with your EMDR exercises, you can make it through a storm without even flinching. What a gift that must feel like!

    Thanks for always being such an enormous inspiration!
    Rebekah Radice recently posted..Build a Sensational Personal Brand: 7 Tips to Spark Creativity!My Profile

    • Donna.Merrill September 25, 2013 at 2:00 pm #

      Hi Rebekah,

      I just loved sharing this story because it just may give some hope to those who have an intense fear. There is ALWAYS a way to get around things.

      Yes, the feeling is amazing when a storm is going on. After so many years of this darn thing getting in my way…finally I had overcome it.

      I tried for years and never gave up. And….that’s the moral of the story!
      We cannot ever give up! We all must try to push forward no matter what.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

  13. Adrienne
    Twitter:
    September 22, 2013 at 8:27 pm #

    Okay Donna, that was definitely interesting.

    Not having been through anything like that of course I’m wondering how in the world does that even work. It’s all in our thinking right! It all goes back to that and what we associate things with.

    Hey, I wonder if we can do that for Kayla. My poor baby is so scared of the thunder. I wonder why it bothers dogs so much.

    I’m happy to hear though Donna that you are cured. I’m sure it’s a process just like anything else and I guess I’m just thankful that I don’t have any horrible fears.

    I’ve never heard of this before so thanks for sharing this. Definitely a very interesting process.

    ~Adrienne
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    • Donna.Merrill September 25, 2013 at 1:57 pm #

      Hi Adrienne,

      Through this journey memories came up during the process. My dad and ex husband. How erratic their behavior was that frightened me. It was more than just transference. I realized that living with them I never knew what mood they were in, when they would attack me verbally or mentally, and the extreme case of physical abuse.

      It’s kind of like a storm…you never know where or when that lightning may hit. But after going through all this, then putting positive memories and words into my subconscious…viola!

      As for Kayla, did you ever try those “lightning jackets for dogs?” I never did myself for my little ones, but they say it works!

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

  14. Lesly Federici
    Twitter:
    September 22, 2013 at 8:11 am #

    Hey Donna,
    This is really wonderful .. sometimes you need to reach out and find a way that helps you to overcome certain things, like fear. Something to prod a long the process of releasing it or we just keep repeating it …. thank you for the share, I know how special and rewarding this was for you and sharing it will have others look into this as a way to help them as well … Love seeing you around after the move… look forward to hearing about where you are now 🙂
    Lesly Federici recently posted..Wow! Bing ImagesMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill September 22, 2013 at 1:58 pm #

      Hi Lesly,

      Sometimes I find that the most powerful way to introduce something is to share my own story. Fear is something most people won’t admit, especially those deep rooted ones. But I like to encourage folks to speak out (as some did in my comment section) because that’s the first step.

      When we publicly share our fears, we acknowledge them. Then may feel the responsibility to help ourselves.

      Oh the move is great. I’ve been posting lots of pictures on Facebook lately. Thanks for asking.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

  15. Silviu September 21, 2013 at 6:04 am #

    Hi Donna,

    The good news is that you can get rid of your fears and phobias. This is wonderful.
    Free associations and imagery. It seems like you disconnected the event (the image of the event?) and bad feelings and then associated it with good feelings using body scanning and words.
    This technique reminds me about Neuro-Linguistic Programming.
    The point is that no matter the technique you are using, if it works, keep going until the problem is solved.

    This is encouraging for many people who suffer so much from these things.

    Have a wonderful day
    Silviu recently posted..Social Media Tools for a Less Stressful Life: PotluckMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill September 22, 2013 at 1:49 pm #

      Yes Silviu,

      It is much like NLP. Only a little longer and more intense. I tried NLP for this fear also but it didn’t work so well.

      Whenever I find something that works, I just like to share it. And I like to share my joy also.

      Enjoy your week ahead.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

  16. Arleen
    Twitter:
    September 20, 2013 at 5:00 pm #

    Donna- I am glad to hear you have overcome your fear. Mine is a fear of heights, but it is weird. I have no problem in an airplane, elevator or looking out a window of a tall building. My fear comes when I go out on the balcony of a tall building. I don’t know what happened in my past that I got this fear but using the EMDR exercises is worth a try. I wish it would n insomnia.
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    • Donna.Merrill September 22, 2013 at 1:21 pm #

      Hi Arleen,

      I’m sure EMDR would help with your fear of heights, even if you cannot remember why, it is the re-conditioning that counts.

      As for insomnia? Hmmm That’s a good one, I’m sure that there is a trick to that one too.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

  17. Jeevan Jacob John September 20, 2013 at 3:20 pm #

    Don’t give up – Yes, indeed 😀

    This seems like a great exercise to try – perhaps I can perform it on my own.

    Breathing heavily has worked for me, particularly with my fear of darkness. I try to focus on my breathing. Only time it hasn’t worked is during swimming. I kind of hate swimming, probably because I fear the water. I had a very had experience when I was a boy – almost drowned. So, every time I take a bath, especially with cold water, I am reminded of that particular experience.

    I tried focusing on breathing and all it did was worsen the experience – probably because I remember breathing heavily during my original experience. Perhaps I should try again (I haven’t tried that in a while. Like you mentioned, never give up!).

    Anyways, thank you for sharing your experience, Donna 😀

    • Donna.Merrill September 20, 2013 at 7:03 pm #

      Hi Jeevan,

      Oh I had almost drowned as a child too. I used to love to swim before those rough boys held me down while they thought they were playing. I even lost consciousness, went to the ER but I was ok.

      It was a terrible experience and kept me out of the water unless it was waste deep for a long time.

      Then I joined a gym. The lap pool was only 4 foot deep, so I felt safe. But I did not put my feet on the ground and pretended that it was deep. I did this for a few months. Now I can swim again.

      Can you do EMDR alone? No, you need a trained professional to help you do it.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

  18. Sylviane Nuccio
    Twitter:
    September 20, 2013 at 1:54 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    I’m so glad that you shared this story and at the same time it explains what EMDR is. I had heard of it, but wasn’t sure what that was exactly.

    I have a fear of dogs. Not smaller dogs but medium to large dogs in general, unless I learn to trust them like my neighbors dogs for example. But if I pass a strange dogs I am usually very scared. If I have to pass a dog that is not on a leach, well, I go back. I will not pass that dog.

    When I see people walking with their unleashed dog in the park where I do my work out, I yell to them to hold their dogs on the leach.

    I’ve never been bitten by a dog. I don’t know where that fear is from. But sometimes I can feel that I have an apprehension even if there is no dog in sight yet. I hate that!

    One day I was combing the belly of one of my cats and my mom said, you’re not scared he might scratch you? I laughed out loud saying, since when I’m afraid to be scratch by a cat anyway?

    I only wish I could feel the same way about dogs.

    I was wondering if I could try to do EMDR on my own? What do you think?

    Thanks for this great post and have a great weekend, Donna.
    Sylviane Nuccio recently posted..10 Typical French GesturesMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill September 20, 2013 at 7:00 pm #

      Hi Sylviane,

      Lots of people are afraid of dogs, but it is usually because they had a bad experience. Here, it seems like there wasn’t one. But you, being an expert on the subconscious mind understand that it could have been something in your past that you perceived as dangerous. Even a children’s story could have done it.

      Now I have 3 dogs as you know. They are NEVER unleashed unless they are in my fenced in yard. There are laws and some places dogs can go free. But as a dog owner, I know that if my dog runs free, it could scare a person because many are afraid of dogs.

      I yell at people all the time when they don’t put their dogs on a leash. One woman almost hit me because she wouldn’t leash her dog and my dog was panting and frightened. I called the police and she got a fine!

      To answer your question, no, EMDR cannot be done on your own. You do need someone that is a trained professional to do it with you. It goes beyond the exercise itself. It is the feedback and the way you are lead through the process. It does require that.

      Enjoy your weekend,

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

  19. William Butler
    Twitter:
    September 20, 2013 at 8:03 am #

    Hi Donna,

    Thank you for sharing your inspiring story. I’m sure it is going to give hope to those frozen in fear, that they will at least have an option to explore.

    I’m proud of the progress you’ve made. You definitely didn’t give up and that’s always reason to celebrate.

    I empathize with what you’ve been through. Throughout the nearly 32 years I worked in the Police Department, I had a number of very traumatic experiences to deal with. Trust me, I’ll spare you the details. Suffice it to say, I had a support system in place.

    I wish you a beautiful weekend and week upcoming.

    Kind Regards,
    Bill
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    • Donna.Merrill September 20, 2013 at 6:54 pm #

      Hi Bill,

      I could just imagine working 32 years in the police department! I have some good friends in that line of work and it ain’t easy! I just wish the salary was higher for all our men in blue!

      But I digress…. I am sure glad you had a good support system in place.

      No I didn’t give up even though it took years! Guess I’m pretty suborn that way. If something inside me is broke, I like to fix it. My journey of trial and error took years, but this was my magic bullet. (pardon the pun)

      Have a wonderful week ahead!

      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

  20. Harleena Singh
    Twitter:
    September 20, 2013 at 5:08 am #

    Hi Donna,

    Interesting indeed 🙂

    I remember the previous post and you all had us wait for this one, where you shared all bout the EMDR Therapy. It surely seems to have worked wonders for you, and that is commendable.

    I liked the sessions and the gradual progress, and yes, it doesn’t all happen in one or two sittings. I wonder if these are the kind of positive affirmations you tell yourself to drive the negative ones away, whether they are of fear of any kind. I liked the imagery part of sitting like a king…lol…must’ve felt on top of the world that ways without any kind of fears, isn’t it?

    It does sound a little like hypnosis where the therapist asked you to see her fingers move from side to side as your eyes tracked them through patterns of rapid movement, though later asked you to imagine things that work in your favor. I wonder how the body scans worked? She did them or they had to be done elsewhere.

    I guess this must be a perfect solution for those who have fears that are pretty deep rooted, and it’s better to try such kind of therapy rather than go in for medication that may never work.

    Thanks for sharing. Have a nice weekend 🙂
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    • Donna.Merrill September 20, 2013 at 5:14 pm #

      Hi Harleena,

      It is sort of like hypnosis in a way because you sit there in a relaxed state. The rapid eye movement has something to do with the brain. It is too technical for me to explain. But when I did research on this it made sense to me.

      As for the body scans; they were my therapist asking me “Where do you feel the sensations in your body?” In an instant, I became aware by breathing where things were tense and on a scale of 1 -7 how intense they were.

      There was a time during this particular session where I jumped almost out of my seat and felt my chest close. It was when I connected with the deep fear. I think I even shocked my therapist. I could have sworn a lightning bolt came at me, but there was nothing there. She asked me to scan my body and all those intense feelings were there.

      So that’s how the “body scan” works.

      It is a great solution to very deep fears that one cannot shake!

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

  21. Sue Price
    Twitter:
    September 20, 2013 at 3:36 am #

    Hi Donna

    Wow thanks so much for sharing this process with us. I know many of us wanted to know more.

    I have done Kinesiology and a few off shoots along the way but this sounds very quick and exacting. And sure beats spending months with a therapist.

    I am sure most of us have some fears. It is interesting that you started out loving storms though and then changed.

    I had a fear of heights but I always had it until I did the abseiling and a whole bunch of things that diminished it over time.

    I wonder if there is anyone practicing this in Australia. I will have to check it out.

    Thanks for writing this Donna.

    Sue
    Sue Price recently posted..Right Place Right TimeMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill September 20, 2013 at 4:56 pm #

      Hi Sue!

      I am so glad you enjoyed my adventure of conquering fear! If you Google EMDR you should find so much information on it. I didn’t want to get too technical here, just wanted to share my experience.

      I’m sure they are practicing this in Australia. I know it was first used for Vets. It has helped so many with PTSD too.

      Still a controversy, but to me it is like anything. I remember when going to a chiropractor was taboo lol.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

  22. Raena Lynn September 20, 2013 at 12:21 am #

    Wow Donna,

    After reading this post, I can totally relate to your feelings and fears of thunder and lightning. I must have some kind of negative energy about thunder and lightening too. I can handle the lightning better, but I fear the loud booms and cracks of thunder. I posted a comment on Facebook asking if people were afraid of thunder and lightning, and I was shocked how many people actually love it! Then I realized, my fear isn’t the norm, so it has to go back to some “childhood” experience. I cannot recall any reason why I fear the sounds of thunder.

    I will look into this. I have a couple of fears and it would be great to get rid of them. I’ve tried “face your fears” but it doesn’t work. Imagine how scary it is to force yourself to “get over” something by attempting to confront it. It doesn’t work. All it does it create more fear, so it has to be dissipated. It sounds like EMDR is a great solution for some people. This is an interesting method and I have no problem dealing with “issues” alternatively. I’m happy to hear that you had the opportunity to overcome your fear! Thanks for sharing.

    Raena Lynn

    • Donna.Merrill September 20, 2013 at 2:18 pm #

      Hi Raena,

      I tried so many things over the years and needed to give this one a shout out because I’ve been on line with others that went through it with success.

      This is the “biggie” that I confronted. But I also got rid of other bothersome fears. Now I feel like Superwoman!!!

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..EMDR TherapyMy Profile

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