'Facing the monster': Spokane firefighter battles PTSD

When Franchino finished his time at the treatment center, he already felt much better. He went into the center with his anxiety level usually at a 7 or an 8 out of 10. These days? Franchino said he’s usually a 2 or a 3, but still has bad days. As recommended by the center, he continued his healing with an EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) therapist. In Franchino’s sessions, the therapist uses a light bar where the light toggles back and forth. He focuses on the light and speaks about the situations that bother him. “Everything we’ve worked on through EMDR is no longer so frightful to me,” Franchino said. “I process it in a different way. It’s considered the gold standard for treating PTSD.” [Excerpt]

Newspaper

English

Megan Rowe

Rowe, M. (2019, March 4). 'Facing the monster': Spokane firefighter battles PTSD. The Spokane-Review. Retrieved from http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/mar/03/facing-the-monster-spokane-firefighter-battles-wit/ on 3/9/19