EMDR a Proven Technique
It’s a scary world out there right now, where fear and uncertainty are found in every headline and news story. Life is a chaotic blend of life-altering events and traumatic experiences for millions. When you’re already dealing with the fallout of past trauma, it can be overwhelming.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a proven technique that helps thousands of people every day confront their fears and thrive in the current climate created by the pandemic.
How Does EMDR Get Results?
Rapid, rhythmic eye movements are the primary mechanism behind EMDR’s ability to reduce the crippling hold of traumatic memories. Traumatic memories tend to get filed away in the right hemisphere, and counselors trained in EMDR can help you access and confront those memories to put you on the path to healing.
Think about how the body responds to an injury like a cut from a sharp kitchen knife. The healing response immediately goes to work at sealing the wound and starting the process of repair. We also assist the healing process by protecting the area from further damage with bandages.
The mind wants to heal from emotional trauma but requires balance. Obstacles often get in the way of the healing process, and EMDR has proven effective at removing the emotional blocks so natural healing can begin.
Generating Fearlessness Through EMDR Trauma Work
The current state of the world has put many of us at risk of trauma. Those who are already dealing with trauma wounds are more vulnerable than ever when facing unemployment, illness, loss, and uncertainty. Unfortunately, we can harbor trauma without even being aware of it, and it can manifest in different forms, including:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- withdrawal and social isolation
- Flashbacks
- Nightmares
We become mired in turmoil because of the beliefs, thought patterns, and sensations related to the trauma we carry. EMDR trauma therapy confronts, challenges, and transforms our emotional baggage more through physical eye movements than verbalizing your trauma. For example, your counselor will ask you to contemplate a traumatic scene while performing repetitive eye movements.
EMDR Research Reveals Promising Results
Studies involving combat veterans treated with EMDR have achieved fantastic success, with three out of four participants reporting freedom from PTSD symptoms in as few as 12 sessions. It’s a proactive process that puts you in the driver’s seat. You process the distressing thoughts without re-traumatizing yourself through past emotional and fearful events or dragging out the duration of uncomfortable physical sensations.
When you feel the symptoms of your trauma receding, you will find newfound confidence and the ability to face the world and its uncertain future. No longer will the news cycle be able to influence your emotions because you will have control.
No amount of EMDR therapy can change what’s going on in the world, but it can alter how you react to it. EMDR can also help you get through it by keeping you grounded and feeling positive and confident, rather than fearful about events for which you have no control.
Learn More About How EMDR Can Help You and Why It Matters Now More Than Ever
Many medications prescribed for PTSD have unpleasant side effects. EMDR presents with very few side-effects, and those that do manifest are generally much easier to cope with than ones experienced through medication.
The eye movement therapy also has more value than just as a trauma treatment. It has also shown positive results when used to treat other conditions such as depression, panic disorders, and anxiety.
EMDR deviates so far from what most people would expect during trauma treatment that a consultation with an experienced mental health professional is necessary to explain the process.
As the saying goes, “extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.” We are living through extraordinary times right now and keeping an open mind will lead you to EMDR and an excellent opportunity for finding relief.
Wondering if EMDR is right for you? Discover more about EMDR therapy here: Trauma Treatment