EMDR Therapy: How It Can Help People With Different Mental Health Issues?
When you first hear about EMDR, also known as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, it might sound like a weird new experimental technique. EMDR is an acronym that stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Are you shifting your gaze to process repressed trauma? That has got to be some joke, right?
It turns out that you were completely incorrect. EMDR is not a hoax; it effectively reduces the symptoms of various mental health disorders, most notably Ptsd Therapy Orange County CA, which has been demonstrated repeatedly.
This guide will assist you in comprehending what EMDR therapy is and how it works if, like many other people around the world, you’ve been wondering whether or not you should give this innovative therapy tactic a shot yourself.
The idea behind EMDR is that the brain has a specific way of addressing trauma and negative memories. This method requires repeated motions to process the information in these memories so our minds can heal and recover.
How Does EMDR Therapy Work?
The methodology can be described as moving your eyes from side to side while being guided by a therapist; Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapy that, in a nutshell, helps reduce the intensity of traumatic memories (as well as the associated destructive and distressing emotions).
Although eye movements are essential to the EMDR process, the psychotherapy method also incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness practice components. The guidance of the therapist is of the utmost importance.
The therapist is the person who facilitates EMDR therapy, and during the process, they will encourage you to shift your focus when you are stuck. It might take some time to get used to the eye movements and substitute them for your bad memories, but with practice, your mind will eventually find a way of dealing with these emotions over time.
The research that supports EMDR is interesting for several reasons, one of which is that there is overwhelming proof that it does, in fact, work, but no one seems to know exactly how it works.
The only thing that is 100% clear about how EMDR works in mind is that further research is required to get comprehensive knowledge.
The exact number of EMDR sessions required to begin experiencing improvements in your symptoms depends on your specific circumstances. For instance, have you encountered a single traumatic event or a lifetime of them?
In general, however, specialists agree that most patients should begin to see relief in their symptoms, if not fully process the traumatic memory, between 6 to 12 sessions.
What else can EMDR help with?
Eating Disorders: Many survivors of an eating disorder can benefit from EMDR because it helps them to process their feelings related to those times.
Severe Anxiety: Extreme anxiety and panic attacks can be caused by traumas; the more recent they are, the more likely they cause great distress. While EMDR therapy doesn’t claim to heal anxiety, it can help reduce fears associated with past unpleasant experiences.
Generalized anxiety and other long-lasting forms of stress are often caused by unresolved past trauma. While EMDR therapy cannot eliminate the anxiety itself, it can help you make sense of the issues that caused your generalized anxiety in the first place. EMDR can even help children to deal with painful memories.
Depression: When we have experienced fights and traumas in our past, we often carry with our negative emotions, and in some cases, these bad feelings can lead to depression. True to its name, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy help to desensitize us to the memories of past traumatic events so that we do not feel overwhelmed by them.
Panic Attacks: Panic attacks are often caused when we are overwhelmed by past traumatic events. EMDR therapy can help you work to re-process these bad memories and make them a little more manageable.
Stress Fractures: When people have been traumatized, they often suffer from psychological stress, which can sometimes lead to physical issues such as stress fractures. For example, if a person is too stressed after the death of a loved one, it may result in broken bones in the extremities, which may be indicative of previous trauma.
Grief: The death of a loved one can cause great stress, especially if the death happens suddenly. Since EMDR therapy is beneficial for getting past traumas, it can help people to process their grief more effectively and start working through their emotions. Find a Grief Therapist Near Me!
Wrapping Up!
Everyone’s brain has different thoughts; even the same trauma can have a different meaning depending on the person. It is always suggested that EMDR therapy is used in conjunction with counseling, as psychological therapies may make it easier for people to cope with their trauma. So whether you have PTSD or another disorder related to bad past experiences like anxiety, depression, or generalized anxiety, it can help you process these issues and feel better.
