If a person has gone through some very emotional and breaking event and now he/she is unable to overcome it.
The trauma of the accident keep the person depressed and fearful all the time and the person is unable to grow in life, the condition that has been discussed can be controlled through eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy(EMDR). This therapy utilizing the hand and eye movement to normalize the traumatic incident is very effective in bringing the traumatic person back to life.
Now, let us have a detailed insight into what EMDR therapy is, how it works, what it treats, and its benefits.Want to book an appointment at Evergreen Rehab and Wellness Clinic? Call us at 604-449-5859 to find the best solution. We will help you make positive changes in your life.
What is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a psychotherapist treatment used to relieve mental health issues. This involves recalling the traumatic memories and normalizing them to minimize their impact in the future. This has been done by distracting the attention of the depressed person from the traumatic memory through the movement of hands and eyes while they narrate the accident.
What are the benefits of EMDR therapy?
People who have gone through some incident in their life and are unable to go out of the trauma of that phase, those with depression, those who are struggling to forget their past negative experience have been found to get benefit from this treatment.
Who Needs EDMR Help?
Anyone who has at some point in life gone through a dark period and the post-trauma of that period is still haunting then EMDR therapy is the treatment on which one can rely. Discussed below are some conditions the sufferer of whom can take EMDR for treatment.
- Childhood trauma
If anyone has experienced some dark event in childhood and cannot help forget it, the event may be the loss of any parent or separation between them or it may be child abuse. The adults with such child history can benefit from this treatment.
- Medical trauma
At some point in life, if anyone has experienced some physical illness and that periods haunt them then EDMR can do something like help.
- Single event trauma
The trauma may be related to some event that has happened a long time ago and still has pre-occupied the person.
- Unexplained medical symptoms
If a person experiences some kind of medical issue but is unable to define and recognize the issue, the situation creates depression.
- Self-esteem and confidence issues
Confidences issue usually arises due to some uncomfortable events in the past. The situation can be treated through EDMR treatment.
- Sleep disturbance
Anyone facing the issue of disturbed sleep which may include irregular patterns, waking up after a little sleep, watching horrible dreams, etc. can also be treated through EDMR.
- Other disorders
Other psychological disorders that can be treated through EDMR therapy include obsessive-compulsive disorder, migraine, depression, mood disorders, psychosis or voice-hearing, eating disorders, panic attacks, performance anxiety, disturbing memories, addictions, phobias, complicated grief, dissociative disorders, body dysmorphic disorders, a diagnosis of personality disorder, and dreams or nightmares.
How it Works
EMDR therapy works by allowing the individual in trauma to recall the memories that are hitting him/her. When the individual recalls the event that causes the trauma, the therapist starts playing its role. The professional therapist starts playing hand and eye movement bilateral sensations. The working of EMDR therapy takes the following steps.
- Phase 1- Evaluation
This phase includes an analysis of where the patient stands and what areas to treat. The therapist analyzes the traumatic thoughts and design strategy on how to treat them.
- Phase 2- Preparation
In this phase, the therapist helps the patient and tell the tips by following which the patient can cope with the psychological trauma and this may involve implementing the strategies that are used for managing stress.
- Phase 3- Assessment
In this step, the therapist assesses the level of trauma by making the patient recall some specific aspect of the incident.
- Phase 4 to 7- Treatment
During this session the therapist asks the patient to focus on the negative point of the trauma and narrate the negative points of the incidents, meanwhile, the therapist starts bilateral stimulation and would ask you to focus on the negative memories. Afterwards, he will ask you to clear your mind and notice the emotions. Then, he will again ask you to refocus on negative memory if the patient cannot focus on the previous one, he is asked to shift to the next negative memory, and so on.
- Phase 8- Evaluation
This is the last phase in which the therapist asks the patient to evaluate himself and the therapist also evaluates the progress of the patient to observe the changes before the start of the treatment and after the completion of the treatment.
Effectiveness of EDMR Therapy
EDMR therapy has been considered to be very helpful for patients of PTSD and those going through some kind of stress or post-traumatic condition. A study was conducted in 2012 and it showed that almost 77% of people have declared Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy as an effective treatment and told that their anxiety symptoms and hallucination have been effectively improved after taking EDMR therapy.
The impact of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy can be observed after a long time of taking the sessions and hence it is the therapy with long-lasting impacts.
Several studies conducted on small scale has shown EMDR therapy to be very effective in the treatment of stress, depression, and post-traumatic conditions, even more than standard care SC treatment, and is more long-lasting.
It is considered to be a safe treatment without any side effects. So, if you are troubled with any of the diseases mentioned above, EDMR therapy can do benefit you.
Want to book an appointment at Evergreen Rehab and Wellness Clinic? Call us at 604-449-5859 to find the best solution. We will help you make positive changes in your life.