"EMDR with Community Mental Health at SWAH"

I have struggled with my mental health from a young age after losing my sister in a road traffic accident and the trauma of seeing my sister lying on the roadside getting CPR.  From that one trauma my life and my families life has been turned upside down, my parents both became alcoholics and my mother left the family home.

All I wanted to do was escape so I moved to Manchester where my mental health deteriorated even more. I was diagnosed with Complex PTSD, Depression and Anxiety. After seeing many different therapists and trying many different anti depressions I lost all hope when my mother lost her battle with addiction and I was admitted to a mental health ward in Colraine. I had lost all hope and fight within myself I was hopeless and did not want to be here anymore, I couldn’t take it anymore being so alone and feeling like nobody understood me. I thought what is the point.

After a few days in colraine I began to feel better with the help of the staff and other patients on the ward I started to feel not so alone anymore. I was given different anti depression medication to try which helped in the short term.  I was referred for EMDR by my mental health nurse Bailey (Student Nurse).  I have now received two treatments of this therapy, I am off all anti depression medication and finally I am seeing a way out of the hole I was in.  

I received treatment from Fergal in the SWAH community mental health team who has completely amazed me in how this treatment works.  I went into Fergal a wreck, crying and inconsolable I left that building laughing! I was amazed in how this worked for me and how I felt like I was finally properly dealing with all the traumas from my childhood.  This treatment needs to be recognised in all professions, if my GP had of known about this therapy or even been trained it in to teach me the method of how it works I may have never needed anti depression medication. What this therapy is doing for me is changing my life for the better and I can’t thank Fergal enough for working with me and making me feel free again.