Published on: 8th June 2023
An emergency medicine doctor from Stockport has praised a mental health therapy that he credits with completely changing his life following a period of severe trauma.
Tim Freeman*, 50, suffered a heart attack and began experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He would see flashbacks of the heart attack itself and his subsequent surgery.
For three years he tried to carry on and solve it by himself, but he didn’t start to see a change until he was referred to NHS Stockport Talking Therapies (formerly Stockport Healthy Minds), provided by Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust.
Explaining his experience, Tim said:
“I was getting flashbacks of traumatic memories on a daily basis. It could happen at work when dealing with a person receiving a life changing diagnosis. Or if someone mentioned a gym it would take me back to where it happened. I was very easily triggered.
“My social life was impacted as I’d plan all my activities around how much of a risk they may pose to my heart. If I went to a restaurant, I’d be looking at the menu for the safest food – not which one I would enjoy the most. My sleep was poor and I was always in fear of having another heart attack.
“I thought it was something that would pass, but after trying self-help and cognitive behavioural therapy it became apparent something else was needed. I didn’t want to use prescribed drugs as I felt they wouldn’t address the underlying problems, that’s when I tried NHS Stockport Talking Therapies.
“I met with Meredith Walsh, a practitioner in eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR). This is a process where you’re asked to think about a scenario and then asked a series of questions about how that makes you feel.
You’re asked to follow a light moving from side to side with just your eyes which is repeated and speeds up. It helps your mind process memories better, instead of a certain memory being intrusive your brain is trained to file it away properly so it isn’t accessed involuntarily anymore.
“We’d start talking slowly as though I was in the gym where the heart attack happened. The therapy would take around 20 minutes until the full story is told and by that stage the emotion triggered by the trauma was reduced from a 10/10 to a 0/10.
“The next week we’d move onto the next part of the trauma which is the operating room and do the process again. The positive impact was phenomenal in terms of how big the improvements were and how quickly they happened.
“Before the therapy I couldn’t talk about any of this without bursting into floods of tears, now I can recall the incident as I would with any other memories. I often thought people with PTSD were perhaps elaborating on their situation, but I understand now that this isn’t the case.
“From the start, Meredith made sure I felt constantly supported, listened to and reassured that I am not a lost cause. She explained the process using helpful analogies, kept the pace going, put up with my tears and more. I’ve found it completely transformational, and it’s allowed me to see a positive future again without night terrors, flashbacks or graphic visual reminders.
“It's absolutely changed my life in such a short time and been quicker than the effects of most drugs. There must be loads of people like me who could benefit from this treatment.”
On how the service works for people, Meredith added:
“Tim was a pleasure to work with and I was delighted with the progress he made in a relatively short time. He remained committed to the therapeutic process throughout our time together and he worked hard between sessions, completing the tasks that were set for him each week. This greatly improved his chances of success.
“I remain hugely impressed by the courage Tim showed in facing his fears. I don’t mind admitting feeling quite emotional myself when he reached the end of his therapeutic journey. The difference it made to his life was clear to see. I’m really proud of Tim and believe that EMDR can be life changing.”
NHS Stockport Talking Therapies (Pennine Care) is for anyone aged 16 or over who’s registered with a GP in Stockport and is experiencing depression or anxiety. It can also help with panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), pre-natal and post-natal difficulties, difficulty sleeping, social anxieties, phobias and eating difficulties.
People are encouraged to self-refer using a quick and easy online form at: www.penninecare.nhs.uk/stockporttalk
They can also phone 0161 716 5640 or ask their GP or another professional to refer them.