The EMDR Narrative

This page contains my narrative of the events that led to my acquiring myoclonus from EMDR and also a link to my new EMDR Victims Page containing other narratives of EMDR sessions gone bad

And then there were three ... Please be sure to read this narrative from a Canadian man who also wanted to share his disastrous experience with EMDR and this lady's story who only had 2 EMDR sessions before things went badly.

*NOTE: Those terms colored blue have links to my Defintions Page where you can learn about its usage. Once at the Definitions Page you can return here by clicking on the blue arrow after the definition.

Say what? Using EMDR can be hazardous to your health?

That's right. And what's more, the results may be unexpected and irreversible.

When I was first introduced to EMDR I knew nothing more than it was a recent discovery and that it was the latest new tool for the treatment of psychological disorders. In my case, it would be used to treat what was then thought to be depression. After all, I had done numerous tests to exclude the possibility that my chronic fatigue and depression malaise may have had a physical source.

Or so I thought at the time.

So when my psychiatrist recommended using EMDR to recover my health I explained that he had a very motivated patient sitting before him and that I would be glad to give it a try - after all, I had been unable to work since October 1988. As I recall that was July 1996.

The first meeting with the psychologist involved some 'psyche' tests that proved to only about 25% accurate in giving a true representation of my personality and, to me, not worth the some $600 that was my portion to pay after insurance. Even during the first session I began to notice strange goings-on. My left arm would suddenly twitch from the armrest of the easy chair right into my lap. When I asked the psychologist what caused that he said he did not know.

Nonetheless, these 'treatments' continued until October 1996. It was during October that the big 'freak-out' occurred. We began as usual, working with a so-called 'issue' and watching the therapist wave his pen back and forth about 5 feet away. Out of the blue I began twitching and jerking so badly that I almost flopped out of the chair. To his credit, the therapist became alarmed enough to run and get the psychiatrist. When the psychologist asked the psychiatrist what was going on he responded that I was doing this for some subconscious reason due to my grandfather having been an epileptic. I responded that my grandfather's epilepsy was due to a sports injury and therefore not genetic; therefore, I was not!

To this day I still twitch and jerk uncontrollably. I learned that the condition has a name: myoclonus. In my case iatrogenic myoclonus.

Previous to this 'freak-out' the psychiatrist had been expressing some concern that the medications and treatment were not producing the anticipated results. He said that he was going to find a top rated clinic or hospital to send me so we could exclude any other organic possibilities that could be causing my health problems. Now this remark will give away where I live and where the doctors practice but... The psychiatrist used to put down Fresno doctors in a big way, saying that they were next to incompetent and that if I wanted anything done right I would have to go out of town. I said, "sure, you just say where and when."

Unfortunately, I never had the examination due to the psychiatrist never having made the effort to find a clinic. I repeatedly asked him every time I saw him "Where and when?" but the answer was never forthcoming.

The only examination that I received was by a local neurologist, who had me tested at St. Agnes Hospital. The results were all negative. I had an EEG and an MRI performed. In order to get me to lay still long enough for the MRI they had to give me 10 mg of Valium intravenously.

It was immediately after this examination that I began to hear from both doctors, "If we can be of any assistance to you in the future, please let us know." This, as I discovered later, is a professional's way of giving a patient the 'brush-off.' Not quite getting the gist of their intent, I called in at their office one day to inquire yet once more 'where and when' will I get this examination that the psychiatrist had been promising. I was told that there would be no examination. When upon my asking what I was supposed to do now, the office personnel said that "I should let my fingers do the walking."

I was outraged!

Fortunately, I found a good internist and have competent medical care to this day. But I still have the myoclonus and probably always will.

This past February (1998), I discovered that EMDR is NOT a method approved of by the American Psychological Association (that is until 1998). It was while browsing the Internet that I found numerous sites contradicting the claims of EMDR practitioners. EMDR, to this day, has yet to satisfactorily stand up under scientific peer review. There is a great deal of disagreement about what it is about EMDR that qualifies it as an effective treatment for anything! It was this information that lead me to put up this web site.

DECombs@attbi.com