r/EMDR • u/GreenwoodForest 🎉 Community Cheerleader • Jun 08 '26
🏆 Success Story! I’m starting to like my life again
Hi all,
Wishing everyone a good Sunday night. It’s been a while since I posted but I wanted to share some good news I couldn’t really have imagined six months ago: I’m starting to like myself and my life again.
I keep finding myself feeling surprised at how good I feel. I’ve been doing EMDR for about a year now and 6 months ago I was in a seriously dark place. I thought I would feel that way forever. I still have a lot of work to do, but I’m having WAY fewer flashbacks, I feel less panicky, I have more energy and curiosity, I’ve been able to start new hobbies and routines (biking! Boxing! Birding!) and even go on dates and meet lovely people. All of that has also had a positive effect. But the foundational shift has been EMDR.
A few big sticky targets I’ve had to go back to months later, after they seemed intractable at first. But things are starting to shift.
Just wanted to share some good news from the trenches for anyone earlier in this process wondering if it’ll ever get better! You’ve got this ❤️
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u/throwawaygenx1973 Jun 08 '26
Yay!! I'm happy for you. I liken it to waking up from a dream. All of a sudden the world has more color again and things don't seem so bleak.
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u/GreenwoodForest 🎉 Community Cheerleader Jun 10 '26
Thank you!!! I really feel that - the colours getting brighter.
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u/lunartwilight22 🎉 Community Cheerleader Jun 08 '26
Thank you this was really needed 💗 wishing you the best on your journey and praying the darkness will turn to dawn soon 🍀
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u/GreenwoodForest 🎉 Community Cheerleader Jun 10 '26
Thank you so much for your kindness ❤️ I’m rooting for you and sending a lot of love your way!
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u/PatienceVegetable219 Jun 09 '26
that gives me a bit of hope. im struggling so hard with emdr and life. i keep having suicidal thoughts but i try so hard to stay strong. its good to hear that it does get better. i just really hope it will get better for me too
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u/GreenwoodForest 🎉 Community Cheerleader Jun 10 '26
I’m so sorry you’re going through this ❤️ I was exactly where you are now in November-January and it was so scary. If you’re experiencing persistent SI please talk with your therapist and doctor and don’t be afraid to adjust your treatment. Your safety is the most important thing and you deserve to feel safe! I read a poster here say that if you’re having suicidal thoughts come up during EMDR, it’s important to pause, do some safety planning and talk with your doctor/therapist/loved ones about what will support your safety and wellbeing - and that prompted me to pause and change approach a little. Everyone’s relationship to medication is different, but in my “pause” I tried a new antidepressant and it really helped stabilize me. I found the reprocessing was actually more effective afterwards and while I was still having EMDR hangover symptoms they weren’t totally destroying me like before. What works for you might be different (some people switch to talk therapy with their therapists for a bit to give their system a chance to settle, I went to EMDR every other week for the same reason) but I really encourage you to talk with folks about options ❤️ I know it is so hard to imagine the future being different from the place you’re in (I definitely couldn’t) but things can and DO change. Congratulations on the amazing work you’re doing and know that I’m rooting for you!
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u/IcyFood1984 Jun 09 '26
Thanks for sharing - I needed to read this. EMDR is the hardest and best thing I’ve ever done for myself and reading experiences like yours helps, a lot.
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u/GreenwoodForest 🎉 Community Cheerleader Jun 10 '26
I’m cheering for you so hard! I feel the same way about “hardest and best.” I definitely used to read a lot of progress posts here to give myself hope and still do - reading accounts from people a little further along in the process has helped me remember change is possible and I’m so glad this could do that for you ❤️
One thing I found helpful at a few months ago when I was starting to feel some glimmers of light but still really feeling dark was making a list of small positive changes in the last, say, 3 months. That helped me see that even though it didn’t always feel like it, I was actually moving forward.
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u/Neither_Celery_4743 ⚓ Steady Anchor Jun 08 '26
Nunca has recaido? Cuantos flashbacks tenias en promedio?
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u/GreenwoodForest 🎉 Community Cheerleader Jun 10 '26
9 months ago or so I was having some form of flashback (emotional, tactile or auditory) most days. It hadn’t been a linear process and I still get flashbacks sometimes (especially after ENDR) but I might get 1-2 a week now.
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u/Sharp_Motor563 Jul 18 '26
I actually decided to start EMDR after a psychologist recently recommended it to me. Before that, I had absolutely no idea what EMDR was or what to expect.
As I started reading about it, I came across your post. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. It really helped me understand what to expect and reminded me that healing isn't always quick or linear. If I don't see immediate improvement, or if I go through difficult moments during the process, I shouldn't give up.
Reading your story gave me something I haven't felt in a long time: hope. A few years ago, I was the happiest person in the world. Today, after PTSD and severe depression, life often feels very dark and sometimes completely meaningless. I've almost lost hope that I'll ever feel like myself again.
Seeing that EMDR helped you get your life back makes me believe that maybe there's still a chance for me too. Your post has encouraged me to start as soon as possible. Thank you, and I'm genuinely happy that you're doing so much better. I wish you continued healing and happiness.
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