Started EMDR - Having weird physical symptoms

[Depression = 72% of members]

Hi all  

I started EMDR therapy two weeks ago and I have been having a bunch of weird physical symptoms. A weird cold fingers crawly feeling up the back of my neck, a large lump feeling in my throat, ringing in my ears and a reverberating sinking feeling in my stomach. I am used to intense anxiety, but these specific feelings are new. I have been trying all the relaxation techniques I know but nothing is easing it.

I am worried about what is to come, because we haven't even addressed anything very upsetting yet. The first week we only practiced relaxation techniques with the EMDR buzzers and the second week we did it working through how anxious and over attuned I get when spending one on one time with one of my children.

Thank you for this site- it helps so much to have a place to share my story and to read others. I don't comment much, but I follow many of your stories with interest and empathy. Thank you so much for reading and for sharing  

[daughterandmom]

Hi all  

I started EMDR therapy two weeks ago and I have been having a bunch of weird physical symptoms. A weird cold fingers crawly feeling up the back of my neck, a large lump feeling in my throat, ringing in my ears and a reverberating sinking feeling in my stomach. I am used to intense anxiety, but these specific feelings are new. I have been trying all the relaxation techniques I know but nothing is easing it.

I am worried about what is to come, because we haven't even addressed anything very upsetting yet. The first week we only practiced relaxation techniques with the EMDR buzzers and the second week we did it working through how anxious and over attuned I get when spending one on one time with one of my children.

Thank you for this site- it helps so much to have a place to share my story and to read others. I don't comment much, but I follow many of your stories with interest and empathy. Thank you so much for reading and for sharing  

[Turkish]

Have you discussed these symptoms with your therapist?

[P.F.Change]

Hi, daughterandmom.

I'm sorry you're experiencing anxiety and physical discomfort after your first EMDR session. I agree with Turkish that this is a good thing to ask your therapist about.

I went through EMDR therapy and found it helpful in ways I did not expect. There are several ways a therapist can produce a bilateral stimulation; the way I chose was eyes-only, watching my therapist's hand move back and forth. If you think the mechanical buzzer may be causing some of your symptoms, you might consider trying that or tapping (on the knees or shoulders) instead. Part of the therapy will be paying attention to sensations in your body as well as emotional feelings--before, during, and after a session. I do not think it is unusual to notice physical differences in the days following a session. However, if they are causing you distress or you are concerned about them, or if there is something in your physical health history that makes these sensations alarming, definitely ask your therapist or doctor whether you need to do anything differently.

This is my personal opinion on reading your story, and please take it as such. I think mind and spirit and body all work together. Working with emotional energy can also sometimes be felt physically, and vice versa. This is one of the fundamental ideas in eastern religions and medicine (e.g., yoga, acupuncture, etc.)--it is all connected. Some might describe your experience as an opening up of various energetic chakras. For me, when I started noticing tightness in my throat during a session, my therapist used that as a point to focus on during the next round, and it brought about a huge breakthrough for me in an area I thought I was long finished with! Sometimes our bodies can tell us what our minds are not yet able to understand or articulate. Sometimes we may need to work through feelings that began before we knew how to speak and that we store somewhere in our bodies. I feel EMDR can bring about energetic shifts in both our emotional and physical bodies that then allow us to replace negativity with positive change.

What I would suggest to you this week would be to try noticing the sensations and calmly paying attention to them; notice and pay attention to what emotions you might attach to them; and let them come and go without judgement or trying to make them go away. It might also help to write them down in your journal so you can share them with your therapist next time.

Wishing you peace,

PF