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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Ellen on February 9, 1999, at 19:54:42
I know there was a bit of controversy about Toby's identity a while back. I hope he/she is still with us. I've learned so much from reading Toby's postings.
Posted by Susie on February 12, 1999, at 12:17:06
In reply to Is Toby still with us (I hope)?, posted by Ellen on February 9, 1999, at 19:54:42
> I know there was a bit of controversy about Toby's identity a while back. I hope he/she is still with us. I've learned so much from reading Toby's postings.
I have also learned a lot from Toby's postings and have a question for him/her/anyone. Could medication be the cause of traumatic memories from long ago surfacing and causing night terrors? Would Effexor or Xanax after a year of use cause this? If talking about past abuse causes seizure like dreams and so much distress that an increase in medication is necessary isn't it harmful to delve into those memories? Would medication cause more anxiety about childhood sexual abuse than was experienced at the time of abuse? Do coping mechanisms decrease with age? How can one go about daily life while dealing with such issues?
Could EMDR sessions be concentrated to get fast results and quicker response and less disruption of everyday life?
Posted by Chris A. on February 12, 1999, at 15:16:52
In reply to Re: Is Toby still with us (I hope)?/EMDR?'s, posted by Susie on February 12, 1999, at 12:17:06
I had a well defined experience with Effexor and night terrors. I had not had them prior to nor have I had them since taking it. My husband thought I was going to crush him I was hanging onto him so hard. I was not taking any other meds and the time and in context in was diagnosed as a switch into dysphoric hypomania. It was an unforgettable experience and I will never touch Effexor even for a billion dollars.
Chris A.
Posted by Toby on February 25, 1999, at 14:16:52
In reply to Re: Is Toby still with us (I hope)?/EMDR?'s, posted by Chris A. on February 12, 1999, at 15:16:52
I have not heard of medications causing memories to surface that were previously buried. Some medications do cause nightmares and an increase in dreaming. If sexual or any other kind of abuse occurred in childhood and either the memories themselves or the coping mechanisms that were learned at the time to deal with them have outlived their usefulness and are now causing difficulties and distress, it is not generally useful to ignore them (old psych saying, "more of the same does not lead to improvement"). Trying to deal with past issues is almost always difficult, but if it is causing even more dysfunction in your life than before counseling, you and your therapist may need to look at improving your coping skills and safety issues before dealing head on with the traumas. EMDR can certainly speed up the process and a good EMDR therapist will insure that you have addressed these safety issues, will help you improve your sense of self worth and coping skills and whatever else may help you deal with the past before actually tackling the past. If you never had memories of abuse before the medication-induced nightmares, I would be wary of automatically coming to the conclusion that the events in the nightmare are real unless you have other evidence or other independent memories of this (just a caution).
This is the end of the thread.
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