EMDR for Post-Concussion Syndrome?
 

Wow, so, it was not my intention to have my first post here be as much out of left field as this one(after visiting the site for months without ever registering) . But has anyone had any experience trying to treat their PCS symptoms, and perhaps more specifically, the anxiety and hypersensitivity they have related to the possibility of re-injury, with EMDR?

EMDR is typically used to treat PTSD and severe phobias, but I suppose enough googling of anything will yield some preliminary studies and hypotheses on how it might treat PCS, at least inasmuch as nervous system sensitivity and anxiety are concerned.

I feel like some aspects of PCS are related as much to like a body-memory or body-fear of reinjury. I don't mean this in a woo-woo kind of way, but more in the same way that PTSD, which has its similarities, and trauma of any kind, can be "trapped" in the body? Have just finished reading "The Body Keeps the Score" by Bessel van der Kolk, who (if you're not familiar) is sort of like the Michael Jordan of PTSD.

Wondering if anyone knows anything about this or (even better) has any experience with it? I've tried just about everything else possible, as so many of you have, and am still not back where I want to be.

Hey maybenot,

Welcome to the forum. I'm not familiar with EMDR for PTSD but am interested in the subject and what you can actually tell us about it. I post the following as an introduction to people unfamiliar with both the acronyms and the process. Perhaps Mark and others will come forward with information.

EMDR, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, is a proven, evidence-based therapy used to help people recover from distressing events and the trauma these have caused. EMDR is recognised as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and the World Health Organisation (WHO)


Developed in California by clinical psychologist Dr Francine Shapiro, EMDR has been successfully used as a method of trauma therapy since the mid-1990s and is now recognised by NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) as the leading treatment for chronic PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). EMDR works with bilateral stimulation, i.e. with both brain hemispheres, primarily through eye movements, and other sensory stimulation. It is one of the most efficient, effective and highly researched therapies out there and is well suited for use in combination with other therapeutic techniques such as NLP, acoustic therapy and bilateral stimulation

Best wishes,

Atty

I did try TFT, i was confused by it....But many people I know have got some great outcomes....The lady I went to travels the SW helping Vets, her office is down the street from me....She has a book published on it.

Suzanne Connolly, LCSW, LMFT, LISAC, Thought Field Therapy, PTSD

EMDR was offered to me in 1999 after a combined concussion and PTSD due to claustrophobia event. I declined it.

Personally, I have yet to consider any of the non-volitional therapies. Most are approved by claiming exempt status from FDA regulators. The objective of changing the brain by outside audio and visual stimulation is still controversial.

When I looked into EMDR, I did not find anything that gave me confidence.


Before I would try non-volitional therapy, I would exhaust all other therapies such as CBT, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Exposure therapy.

Concussion Anxiety Syndrome, as I have called it, appears to manifest in people who have a pre-existing anxiety and OCD struggle. The research suggest this in an abstract way.

For me, I received the most benefit by increasing my serotonin levels with 5-HTP.