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Other Emotional Issues

Depression

Was it really a manic/depressive disorder?

Important Note: This article was written prior to 2010 and is now outdated. Please use my newest advancement, Optimal EFT. It is more efficient, more powerful and clearly explained in my free e-book, The Unseen Therapist™.  Best wishes, Gary

Tapping for situational issues and assigning "EFT homework."

Hi Everyone,

Kay Politano has an observation that she finds helpful in some cases where the client has been diagnosed with manic/depressive disorder. For our benefit, she describes a recent experience along these lines. Please note Kay's use of EFT to resolve several "situational issues" as well as her instruction to the client to do some "EFT homework" between sessions.

Hugs, Gary


by Kai Politano

Dear Gary,

The recent message on this list regarding a misdiagnosed manic/depressive illness reminded me of a client I've seen for 2 sessions. During her first visit she informed me that she was diagnosed by her psychiatrist as manic/depressive and quite sure that was true due to some episodes of extremely high energy that would last several days followed by depression that kept her barely able to drag from her bed to work and then back to bed.

She seemed to feel secure with this diagnosis but wanted help resolving some situational issues. She was on several psychotropic medications. During that session we tapped for the situational issues she was experiencing which led to more tapping for underlying issues. She went from a 10 to 0 on those issues. Since I was concerned there were many more aspects that would cause her symptoms to reappear I instructed her to use EFT between visits.

When she arrived for her next appointment I was not sure she was the same person. She was completely centered. There were no symptoms around her situation difficulties. She was more concerned with all of the medications she was taking. She was also concerned about her husband's alcoholism and her fear that he would turn out to be like her father. As we talked she disclosed the fact that her father was an alcoholic and there was much abuse in her family of origin. Although still centered, symptoms of fear and deep sadness began to emerge. We tapped the entire session. Again she left feeling great relief. At the end of the session she said she was planning to talk with her physician about getting off the medications.

Although manic/depression can be a very appropriate diagnosis for some people it is often given inappropriately to many adults who grew up in alcoholic or abusive homes. For these individuals the issues are so overwhelming that constant activity becomes the drug of choice. Staying focused on exciting activities or getting caught up in a whirl wind of activity keeps the demons of the past from surfacing.

Unfortunately, like other substances, the effect wears off. Issues too complex to process begin to surface. Then, when the individual is exhausted from all the activity the only other escape route is depression. As painful as that may seem it is much more easily tolerated than memories and internalized messages from the past. This is usually an unconscious process or survival technique. The bouncing between constant activity and depression gives the appearance of a manic/depressive illness.

I'm having great success with these clients using EFT. When the client is able to feel relief some while looking right in the face of those old messages and memories he/she no longer has to use the alternating rush of activity or depression to feel safe.

By the way Gary, I am one of those adult children of alcoholics. Although I've studied many treatment techniques and used them myself, nothing can compare to the relief I've experienced using EFT.

Kay Politano

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