EMDR Therapy

Yikes, please forgive me for not tending to my blog for so long. I started writing a blog about my typical silly Erika banter but today I decided to share with you all what's really been going on in my life over the last few months.

It has been approximately 8 weeks since I started going to therapy. I'm an open book so saying, or rather admitting, that I am seeking help isn't really much of a stretch for me. Anyone who knows me, and I mean really knows me, is aware of my ability to be honest with them and my issues, of course only when asked.

It's been almost 2 years since I found out some really disturbing news about my father and in those two years I have developed severe anxiety, agoraphobia and depression. I've always been a bit of a worry wart in general but over the last 6 months in particular I've had several anxiety attacks relating to things I really have no control over but stress about anyways. It wasn't until 2 months ago that I realized something needed to change.

I went online to my insurance web page and literally found the closest therapist with positive feedback. I called his office, made an appointment and have been seeing a profound change since then. I really do think it was fate because I really didn't put much effort into finding "the therapist". It just so happened Dr. Alpert is an anxiety specialist. We use EMDR therapy (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy) to help me lower my anxiety. Instead of trying to explain what EMDR is, I'd rather just show you a video of someone undergoing EMDR therapy with a trained professional.

Now, I understand that it might look as though he is pretending or acting, but when I first saw this video after my first session undergoing EMDR therapy, I couldn't help but understand exactly how this man felt. Emotions run through you as quickly as the memories do. It's emotionally draining and exhausting by the end of the hour. In the 2 months that I've been seeing Dr. Alpert I've only done 2 sessions of EMDR and it has allowed me to really heal with issues I didn't even realize I held on to. I know therapy is not for everyone, and I know EMDR is not for everyone but it really has helped me. I will continue to go to therapy because I do not feel as though I have cured my anxiety by a long shot (I know I will one day) but until then I can definitely say on a scale from 0-10 on the anxiety chart I am getting closer and closer to that zero!

For more information on EMDR check out this website! EMDR