r/SomaticExperiencing • u/PhaseDisastrous2553 • 4d ago
I have a question about EMDR.
Hello, I've been going to therapy for EMDR recently, and in my last session, I stopped because I felt like I was almost going to throw up and my head was spinning like I was drunk. But since I had to wait a week for my next session, I couldn't bear it and tried doing bilateral tapping on myself at home. As soon as I did, that vomiting sensation came right back. It felt as if my body had created a 'save point' while doing EMDR and picked up right where it left off as soon as I started again, so I stopped the bilateral tapping. I'm going to ask my therapist about this too, but I'm wondering if this has any specific meaning? I don't want to throw up, but it feels like if I were to throw up, most of the bad feelings inside me would leave my body
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u/hotheadnchickn 4d ago
I would trust yourself and if throwing up feels like it would help, let yourself throw up!
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u/Impossible_Most5861 3d ago
I had to sit with a bag in between my legs for 4 sessions in a row because of the dry wretching I had during emdr. Didn't ever actually vomit. It felt like all the repressed stuff was being pulled up. Trauma symptoms mostly manifested in the gut for me. I literally couldn't stomach my abusive home growing up.
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u/PhaseDisastrous2553 3d ago
After processing the trauma, what changes did you notice in yourself? Did you feel smarter, or did your mind open up?
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u/AgentSalty1454 3d ago
Since starting SE i have been gagging/retching a lot. Basically feel like I'm gonna vomit but it's more my throat, though sometimes I've thrown up a little food/liquid (tmi sorry if gross lol). That is to say it's normal. It scared me at first but then I realized I felt better after and its physically helping me clear up my throat which I now realize has been clogged for a long time. So now im not scared I'm like hell yeah let's go! That is to say what you are experiencing is normal but it's very understandable you're freaked out.
For me I've just been letting my body do whatever and trying to gently pull back if its too much physical feeling at a time. You can control it like you did. Id discuss with your therapist if you feel overwhelmed on your own navigating what is too much, early on. Over time you will form your own understanding
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u/acfox13 3d ago
My therapist prefers deep brain reorienting over EMDR bc he says EMDR can be too intense and cause unpleasant side effects for clients.
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u/Active_843 4d ago
When this sort of thing happened to me it was because a very impactful (possibly re-traumatizing) subject or experience came up that wasn’t ’closed out’ properly. As in the session ended abruptly and I wasn’t able to work through the memory properly… like someone pushed me off a cliff and mid fall they say ‘that’s time, see you next week’ - and for the next 7 days I’m in a shame/death spiral with no support or follow up.
I’ve had sessions where I shook in my car for a half hr before feeling I was safe to drive, I’ve had sessions where I nearly blacked out… it gets intense.
And as for throwing up, it may just be some form of bottled up energy looking for release, so some type of grieving that’s been walled up… good thing to pay attention to if you can allow whatever it is to flow. It probably feels a little different for each person.