Written by:

Danny Smith

Last Updated:

September 30th, 2024

EMDR

What is EMDR Therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) is a mental health treatment commonly used to treat PTSD but also used to treat other mental health issues. It involves reprocessing traumatic memories with movements that affect both sides of the body – usually eye movements, but sometimes tapping, vibration and sound. It’s unclear why EMDR works, but research shows that it is effective in reducing the symptoms of PTSD.

History of EMDR

EMDR is a relatively new form of treatment. It was developed by Dr Francine Shapiro in 1987, who claimed that while walking in the park, she realised that certain eye movements helped to relieve the distress of painful memories. Much of the early research on EMDR was performed by Shapiro herself based on this realisation.

EMDR spread rapidly, with institutes, conferences and training quickly becoming available in countries worldwide. While the rise of EMDR has not been without controversy, EMDR is recommended as a treatment for PTSD in many countries and is included in the UK’s National Institute for Care and Health Excellence (NICE) guidelines. The World Health Organisation states that the two psychological interventions with the most evidence for effective treatment of PTSD are trauma-focused CBT and EMDR.

The theory behind EMDR

EMDR is based on a theory of memory processing called Adaptive Information Processing (AIP), which claims that traumatic memories are processed differently from other memories.

AIP theorises that normal memories are stored ‘smoothly’ and are ‘networked’ – meaning they are connected to other things you remember. When a traumatic event occurs, the memory is not networked because the brain temporarily goes offline, causing a disconnect. Because these memories are not connected properly, they can remain unprocessed in the brain. This lack of processing leaves the stored memory in place unhealed, like a wound, and leaves you open to re-traumatisation and re-experiencing the memory in unpleasant ways. Similar sounds, sights and smells to those experienced during the traumatic event can trigger fear, anxiety and panic – the flashbacks that are a part of PTSD.

The theory of AIP and non-networked memories is controversial because it is unfalsifiable – it could explain why EMDR works, but there’s no way of proving it’s true.

However, EMDR has remained in use as a therapy, particularly for PTSD, because studies have shown that it works. The reasons why aren’t yet fully known, but clinical trials have shown it to be effective.

What happens during EMDR therapy

Unlike some other forms of therapy, which are open-ended, EMDR is very structured. Because it does not necessarily involve talking about traumatic memories, many people prefer EMDR to talk therapy, as speaking about the memories can be painful and challenging. It also appears to work more quickly than other forms of PTSD treatment.

EMDR is broken down into eight phases and takes place over three to twelve sessions. Some of the phases below, such as background and preparation, only happen once, while other phases will occur in a cycle in a single session.

• Background

In this phase, you and your therapist will gather information about your past, discuss whether EMDR is right for you, and look at goals you would like to focus on.

• Preparation

Your therapist will tell you about the process and how to feel safe and stable during your sessions.

• Assessment

This is for setting the intentions for your course of EMDR therapy – which memories or events you want to focus on, what beliefs you currently hold about them and what beliefs you would like to have.

• Reprocessing and desensitisation

During this phase, you will be asked to recall your traumatic memories while undergoing sense activation. This can take a variety of forms, like a moving light, sounds that play different tones on both sides of your body, or tapping your body if you are comfortable with this.

• Installation

This is the process of integrating a positive belief that you want to process as memory.

• Body scan

This encourages you to focus on feelings in your body, especially sensations that arise when you bring unpleasant memories to mind. It helps to assess your progress through EMDR.

• Stabilisation and closure

Your therapist will help talk you through expectations of future sessions, advise stabilising yourself if you have difficult thoughts or feelings between sessions and write down any new thoughts about your memories. This phase also helps bring closure to each session, calming you down before the session ends.

• Continuing care and re-evaluation

You will assess how you feel, your progress, and whether you need additional sessions.

Studies on EMDR suggest that it can be very successful in a relatively short period of time, and 3-12 sessions are usually sufficient to reduce symptoms dramatically. However, it’s important not to place too much pressure on the EMDR process and to work at your own pace.

Dangers of EMDR therapy

While EMDR doesn’t require you to talk about your traumatic memories, it does require you to think about them during reprocessing, and this can be unpleasant. EMDR works with high intensity for brief periods – you will be asked to focus intently on your memories for short bursts during reprocessing and this can be difficult. Early stages are generally tougher than later ones, and the mental effort required to sustain concentration can be taxing. Some patients report feeling faint or having lucid dreams in between sessions. EMDR can also produce temporary increases in emotional distress, so it is important that you feel ready to engage with EMDR before starting the process.

EMDR for addiction

EMDR is most commonly used for PTSD. Due to the well-established association between trauma and addiction, EMDR can be an effective way of managing trauma, which in turn can reduce the symptoms of addiction.

There have been some studies on using EMDR therapy for addiction itself, not just to treat underlying trauma. Addiction-focused EMDR targets the memories associated with addiction itself, like cravings and positive recollections of using substances.

There isn’t much research on using EMDR to treat addiction. Still, initial research is promising, and psychologists and addiction experts are looking into new ways of using the model to treat addiction directly.

We can help you face your addiction

Addiction can feed on trauma. If you’re struggling with addiction and unsure how to face difficult events, emotions and memories, we can help.

We offer a range of tailored therapies at Oasis Bradford that will help you overcome your addiction and start your journey to a happier, sober life. Get in touch today to find out how we can help you.

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