Page 111 - Post-traumatic stress disorder in adults with mild intellectual disability: Screening, assessment, and brief intensive EMDR therapy

Experiences with intensive EMDR and rotating therapists
Participant one
Participant one (before therapy): “I just need that therapy to
calm my mind but also to be able to trust people again. Because
it’s also very commercial you need to get food into the kiosk.
Well, you cannot just get it. You have to call abroad and do all
that. You have to trust people, you have to go there.”
Prior to therapy, participant one said he was motivated to engage in therapy.
His future dream is to start a skate park abroad, and in his private room, he
has built a model of it, complete with ramps, seating areas, and a small kiosk.
He said that EMDR therapy would help him to trust people again, which
he sees as essential for making his dream come true. At present, his lack
of trust prevents him from, for instance, calling people abroad to arrange
supplies for the kiosk in his envisioned skate park. This reflects a tension
between his wish to trust others and his fear of doing so, a dilemma that
could complicate trauma treatment when working with rotating therapists.
Participant one (before therapy): “I have had it [EMDR therapy]
before, but I could not... [I am afraid that] I might get angrier
afterwards... That I will withdraw a lot, I am afraid of that... That
is why I stopped before, and now I just want it to go well.”
Participant one had previously received EMDR therapy, but reported that
it was not successful at that time. The participant was unable to explain
why the therapy was ineffective. However, later in the interview, he
expressed concerns that he might become angry during EMDR therapy
and, consequently, display aggressive behaviour towards the therapist. He
was also worried that he might withdraw, isolate himself from his private
room, and stop attending therapy. Despite these concerns, participant one
was determined to fully engage in the therapy and hoped that it would be
effective this time.
5
Participant one (after therapy): “When I did it [EMDR therapy] the
first time, I started crying…. I just hate it. I just hate being angry.
I hate crying. I hate that feeling... And then I thought: I need to
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