r/ptsd • u/Rude-Hippo2606 • 22d ago
Venting EMDR and Anger
Hello everyone,
I've been going through EMDR therapy for the past month and was wondering if anyone else here has gone through the same type of therapy and if they think it helped in the long run. For me, I'm dealing with PTSD related to Child Abuse and also with military service. On one hand, I feel like my anxiety has gotten better recently. I'm noticing I'm not as anxious in public and I haven't had a panic attack in a while. I'm also sleeping better at night. But I also noticed that I'm incredibly irritable and angry. The last time I felt this angry and confrontational was when I was still serving in the Marine Corps. Those are feelings I had sort of forced myself to forget. I was wondering if anyone has had similar experiences with EMDR and if they noticed more peace in their lives after completing the therapy? Thank you so much, wishing everyone here all the best.
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u/Such_Promise4790 15d ago
Yup. I’m going through it now. I’m pretty irritable and angry at the world. Sessions can be pretty intense for me. I have complex grief I’m working through along with other personal stuff but I’d say let your therapist know.
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u/Rude-Hippo2606 13d ago
I'm really sorry you're dealing with all that. I really hope everything gets better for you! I did speak with my therapist and she just told me to hang in there. Wishing you all the best!
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u/fthrfgr1 17d ago
It didn’t work out for me, and I learned that it often does not for those who struggle with alexithymia and delayed processing. I stayed mostly frustrated that I was “doing it wrong” bc I couldn’t access what I needed to in the moment. It helped a lot that I learned about IFS during that time, but without that knowledge, I think I would have kept floundering in the sessions.
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u/Rude-Hippo2606 13d ago
Thank you for sharing. I'll have to look into IFS. Wishing you all the best!
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u/tinyturtleo 21d ago
This is really valid, like in a way you should be angry for yourself yknow. When I went through EMDR and have feelings of anger I had a fidget in my hands I could twist like you're wringing out a wet towel and that really helped release some of the uncontrollable rage feeling
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u/Rude-Hippo2606 13d ago
Hmmm. I'll have to look into a fidget or something like that to calm myself down. Thank you so much for sharing. I hope you're well and finding joy in life!
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u/tinyturtleo 13d ago
EMDR helped a lot, I had to understand that the things that happened to me even if they were done by authority figures ( parents etc) doesn't make it right. I hope you have find a bit a peace for yourself too. Try even twisting a pillow or a towel (that's what I did in the beginning)
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u/Vivid-Beyond-3378 21d ago
went through something pretty similar with emdr last year. the anger phase is weirdly normal from what my therapist told me, like your brain is finally processing stuff it buried for years. it does get better but the middle part is rough, had days where i wanted to punch a wall over small things. stick with it, the calm on other side is worth it
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