4 Awesome Benefits of EMDR Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a validated approach to treating trauma. EMDR focuses on reimagining disturbing events so the events lose their psychic hold on the patient.
EMDR is especially helpful in the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a condition whereby the patient relives trauma over and over. This causes stress, anxiety, and depression, among other negative effects.
Are you curious about EMDR and whether it may help you or a loved one? Keep reading for the benefits of EMDR and how it works.
How Does EMDR Work?
The therapist stimulates the patient's eyes bilaterally which in turn stimulates both sides of your brain. The therapist moves her fingers back and forth while the patient's eyes follow, causing rapid eye movement. See here for more information.
During this process, the patient thinks about the traumatic event. As the patient holds the thoughts in mind while watching the therapist's fingers, the memories shift and become less difficult.
1. Reorganizing Your Thoughts
EMDR helps a patient reorganize her thoughts, feelings, and beliefs surrounding the trauma. The brain stores trauma in the mind and body. A major traumatic event is often the main organizing event of a person's life.
With EMDR, the trauma is no longer the main event, but rather a small part of a person's life. The event itself now stays in the past, allowing the patient to heal. This helps greatly when working on overcoming PTSD.
2. Letting Go of Circular Thinking and Anxiety
Traumatic memories often trigger anxious and circular thinking. The patient has a difficult time controlling his thoughts, and they come back to the trauma again and again.
Constant thoughts about the traumatic event can provoke anxiety, sadness, and depression. After EMDR, disturbing thoughts are less prominent. Patients let go and feel lighter as the burden of painful thoughts lifts.
3. Positive Self-Beliefs
Past traumas often create negative self-beliefs. Some people feel unworthy of love or having good things in their lives. Low self-esteem and thoughts of unworthiness are often self-fulfilling.
If a person doesn't feel good about herself, she'll make poor lifestyle choices which also lowers self-confidence and self-esteem. EMDR helps patients gain a new life perspective. This helps lift self-confidence and mood and can improve a person's motivation.
The negative inner dialogue shifts to a more positive viewpoint.
4. Promotes Ongoing Self-Improvement
As the circular thinking, anxiety, and trauma lessen through EMDR, ongoing self-improvement is one of the side benefits. The patient handles stress better, feels better about himself, and has more motivation for improvement.
The Benefits of EMDR
The benefits of EMDR make it a great type of therapy for those suffering from different types of trauma. EMDR helps patients reorganize their thoughts and place things in perspective.
This type of therapy helps patients unburden themselves from circular thinking and its resulting anxiety, sadness, and even depression. At the same time, EMDR promotes self-awareness and a more positive life perspective.
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