EMDR and marijuana

Dear All Readers,

In order for my questions to be answered sufficiently, a brief history may be pertinent:

I am a currently undergoing EMDR sessions for sexual abuse by a female babysitter experienced at age 4. I had therapy from 4 until 10 then sailed silently and unproblematically through the rest grade school. No one knew of my dissociative tendencies, not even myself. At age 13, self-criticism regarding perceptions of my social inadequacies led me to believe there was something wrong with me and I sought medical treatment. I have been diagnosed by a number of different phychologists and psychiatrists as having ADD, ADHD, clinical depression, bi-polar disorder, and now possibly some sort of dissociative disorder for which I am now being treated.

Since age 15 I have been smoking marijuana habitually.
I have been using marijuana also as a means of compensating for the anxiety/seeming bi-polarity of my disposition, with only partial success. I cannot deliver from the recesses of my sub-conscious this innate fear of sex, by or without marijuana. My responses to sex and/or general copulative behaviors and any mannerisms, gestures, etc. inherent therein (essentially the word "sex" and everything it possibly entails) resurface in a defensive, protective and fearful manner. This type of behavior is disrupting, nay, destroying my way of life.

Here are my questions/concerns:
Empirically speaking, since I use marijuana as a cushion for sexual abreaction; a "drug" to which I have most likely fallen somewhat physically dependent upon, would it be a bad idea to stop smoking pot (now) while going to EMDR sessions, or would the concurrent use of detoxification and EMDR processes have enexpected benefits? Is marijuana even detrimental to the efficacy of EMDR?

I have been smoking generous amounts of highly potent marijuana and I still enjoy positive results from my therapy. I fear that I may process things too quickly or hinder the process if I were to just stop smoking so abrubtly.

Now I'll assume that its bad and that continued use would further complicate. Would getting high cause me to dissociate from the parts of my mind that I am currently trying to reintegrate? Would marijuana distort my attitudes in handling these mind-states?

Basically, is it safer to quit or to keep smoking? What else should I know about marijuana and therapy?

Thanks and Cheers.
EM420, age 20

Replies:

Re:EMDR and marijuana, by Sandra Paulsen Inobe, PhD, 03/18/02 Re:EMDR and marijuana, by Nurse-Therapist in Ca., 04/11/02

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