dissociation and memory
 

i have times where there are flashbacks but they don't seem like i am having them, rather it feels as though someone else is having them, yet logically i know it has to be me.
what does this mean? and can emdr help with this sort of thing?

Re: dissociation and memory
 

Yes EMDR can help, but not right away. People with dissociative disorders need to have a bunch of groundwork in place before jumping in with EMDR.

The following are general statements which may or may not apply in your case.

If one feels as if one has a flashback and memory which then leaves, or a skill which then leaves, or a preference which then leaves, these signs all indicate a possibility that other ego states are forward and then recede to background, depending on the environmental triggers.

Its a mistake to do EMDR too soon because it takes down the amnesia barriers. Those barriers are needed for a while to hold and contain the trauma material. Its best addressed piecemeal and systematically, building resources and skills and trust first. Then do a chunk at a time, preferably working behind the amnesia barrier if one exists. Later on the walls can come down after they are no longer needed.

Make sure your practitioner is trained and experienced in the treatment of dissociative disorders (www.issd.org) and in EMDR (www.emdria.org).