Aspergers and Complex Ptsd

I don't think EMDR is the right therapy for cPTSD, EMDR seems to work best when you'e talking about a single incident or period of life, such as a soldier in a war. EMDR, from my understanding seeks to build a mental bypass around the traumatic event/s, with cPTD there's often no single cause of trauma, it starts early in life, often in infancy, when one is unable to process abstract thought or emotions, is dependent on a care giver to feel safe and nourished emotionlly and physically. Where do you start buliding your bypass if it's your whole life or early life?

Another thing to consider with anything like CBT or EMDR is symptom substitution, I'll use me as an example, when I started driving at the age of 36, I was very nervous, then the nightmares started, always the same being stuck in a car I couldn't control, I'd wake up sweating and shaking. I'd get up, do some yoga, have a cup of chamomile tea, read a bit and try and go back to sleep, only to fall straight back into the dream. It was so bad I gave up driving for years. I went to the doctor and was sent for CBT, I was sceptical to start with, but open to it. I can now drive again but only under certain circumstances, not on motorways or anywhere that I don't know, or I have panic attacks. So it worked to an extent, but a few months later I started feeling reluctant to go out and started to have the same sorts of fears and nightmares about social events. This new social phobia is a substitute symptom for driving phobia. I honestly don't feel that much better off than I did before the CBT, when I was recomended EMDR, I was wary as it seemed like CBT with knobs on. I think I was right to be wary, I did a bit of research, and found a fair bit of evidence doubting the effectiveness of EMDR as a therapy and for cPTSD in particular. EMDR is often sold as some kind of magic bullet for PTSD and it's absolutely not. I can't comment on whether it works for autistic people as I wasn't diagnosed then, but honestly I wouldn't recomend it and would advise someone who was seeking it to do a lot of research. There are other options for dealing with cPTSD, they're long and painful, but I believe having done it, ultimately better, I have managed to come to a place of acceptance and peace with it all, but you may have to look outside standard theraputic models.

I don't think EMDR is the right therapy for cPTSD, EMDR seems to work best when you'e talking about a single incident or period of life, such as a soldier in a war. EMDR, from my understanding seeks to build a mental bypass around the traumatic event/s, with cPTD there's often no single cause of trauma, it starts early in life, often in infancy, when one is unable to process abstract thought or emotions, is dependent on a care giver to feel safe and nourished emotionlly and physically. Where do you start buliding your bypass if it's your whole life or early life?

Another thing to consider with anything like CBT or EMDR is symptom substitution, I'll use me as an example, when I started driving at the age of 36, I was very nervous, then the nightmares started, always the same being stuck in a car I couldn't control, I'd wake up sweating and shaking. I'd get up, do some yoga, have a cup of chamomile tea, read a bit and try and go back to sleep, only to fall straight back into the dream. It was so bad I gave up driving for years. I went to the doctor and was sent for CBT, I was sceptical to start with, but open to it. I can now drive again but only under certain circumstances, not on motorways or anywhere that I don't know, or I have panic attacks. So it worked to an extent, but a few months later I started feeling reluctant to go out and started to have the same sorts of fears and nightmares about social events. This new social phobia is a substitute symptom for driving phobia. I honestly don't feel that much better off than I did before the CBT, when I was recomended EMDR, I was wary as it seemed like CBT with knobs on. I think I was right to be wary, I did a bit of research, and found a fair bit of evidence doubting the effectiveness of EMDR as a therapy and for cPTSD in particular. EMDR is often sold as some kind of magic bullet for PTSD and it's absolutely not. I can't comment on whether it works for autistic people as I wasn't diagnosed then, but honestly I wouldn't recomend it and would advise someone who was seeking it to do a lot of research. There are other options for dealing with cPTSD, they're long and painful, but I believe having done it, ultimately better, I have managed to come to a place of acceptance and peace with it all, but you may have to look outside standard theraputic models.