Dave's Vietnam nightmares "I can sleep now"!

It’s now been some 36 years after my tour of duty to Vietnam in the 60’s.  And I would have thought that the nightmares and flashbacks would have stopped by now or at least lose their intensity.  However,

I have been plagued with these and had tried all sorts of ways to rid myself of them.  I’ve seen psychologists, psychiatrists and doctors to try and relieve myself of these symptoms.  I understand the correct terminology is PTSD – post traumatic stress disorder for the symptoms I’ve been experiencing.  My doctor tried several medications on me including nortriptyline, citalopram and melatonin, none of which have worked and have in fact made my suffering worse.

 I want to share an amazing experience with my colleagues who may be suffering from similar symptoms and may want to try this technique to rid themselves of the traumas of war.

 So I was ready to try anything by now.  I had been told a few years ago about this body-mind technique which could completely rid me of these symptoms.  I figured I had nothing to lose and would give it a try.

When I was visiting my family in Pukekohe, I made an appointment with the therapist/practitioner to resolve my issues.  We had about one hour and a half together and she asked me to think about the worst experiences in Vietnam, which I had no trouble recalling, as they were as fresh in my mind as the day they occurred.  She explained that this therapy known as ‘tapping’ or EFT (emotional freedom technique) is based on acupuncture therapy and utilizes the connection between the emotions and meridian points in the body.  She asked me to rate the intensity of negative emotions I felt while I recalled and related the incidents to her.   She tapped on the meridian points on my face and hands while I was doing this and I instantly felt a relief, letting go, release and draining away of pent up negative emotions which I have been carrying with me for all these years.

 The test of course was that I had my first night’s sleep without nightmares.  The following sleeps have been the same and the sense of relief I feel is unbelievable.  Yes, the memories are all there, but I’m not living them, or hooked into them, nor are there the usual flashbacks I used to experience when ever I heard certain sounds or saw stuff on the television or newspaper.

 This therapy is regularly used in the USA where it was invented by a psychologist and trialed successfully with a Vietnam veteran in California.  It is used worldwide by medical and health workers for the resolution of traumas and many other afflictions.