EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)

[mm222]

I have recently come across a 'self help' technique that is very interesting, and was curious whether anyone here has any feedback with it.

It is called EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique. I dont know too much about it, other than it involves tapping certain areas on your face and body and thinking and preforming some specific inner dialogue.

I have tried a basic one that I saw on youtube, and found it actually mildly helped calm me down.

If you know anything about it, or have experience with it... please share!

I am curious if this can be a usefull tool in the arsenal of overcoming soc. anx. and depression (they are bedmates you know!)

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[britisharrow]

I've used it on smaller things and it worked, I've yet to try it on larger anxiety.

You can get a free manual from www.emofree.com

I believe it works - it looks weird and there's no Western medical scientific backing to it, and that's enough to put some people off it. However the results are impressive across the board, and it costs nothing to learn.

Sign up for Gary craig's EFT mailing list at www.emofree.com , it's a daily e-mail with articles, success stories, and inspirational quotes. Also try looking up Brad Yates ( http://www.youtube.com/user/eftwizard ) and Richard Smith ( http://www.youtube.com/user/HealingMagic )

Richard Smith has loads of good videos so does Yates. And of course check out Sebastian's site at: http://www.social-anxiety-solutions....t-therapy.html

I know EFT in its raw form is the real deal because Gary Craig never charged anyone to learn it, and he allows people to copy 100 times any DVD they buy. Also there is plenty of evidence of it working as you will have seen.

[flower2blossom]

I love EFT and it's been working well for me! My therapist gave up on me but EFT has saved me... I'll write about my experience more later. I've got to now.

[flower2blossom]

I posted a message above. I'm back.

I have been having severe social anxiety for quite a long time. Taking therapy sessions and using other techniques (reading self-help books, exercise, prayer, zen theory, etc.) have helped me come to the point where I can function enough to hold a job and maintain some social relationships. I am, however, still having difficulty meeting with strangers and carrying a decent conversation.. this has prevented me from getting a more challenging job because I cannot perform well at a job interview. I'm writing about it in another forum.

I think my problem is a fear of rejection - I freeze when I face rejection even if it is a simple "no" from a friend when I ask her for something. I cannot stand the idea facing rejection or being criticized by a prospective employer. It hurts! Last year, I started cognitive behavioral therapy with an expensive psychologist in Manhattan to specifically deal with my problem with a job intereview. After 9 months of therapy, the psychologist decided that I needed to take medication... but that was not I wanted to hear about.

I was very disappointed, but around that time, I heard about EFT. I tried it and liked it a lot. I have some knowledge of acupuncture and this method makes sense to me. I have worked with a practitioner and also done it by myself. EFT is not a miracle treatment like some others but it has certainly helped me reduce my anxiety. I feel my brain chemistry has changed because of the EFT. Although I still dread a job interview, my fear has become small enough for me to seriously start a job search.
Sorry, it's become very long!

[ringfortheking]

how does this work?

[iwannabecoolplzhelp]

If anyone feels this is helping them please don't listen to me lol

However, I feel to provide a balanced discussion there are a few things that should be said.

1) Numerous studies have shown CBT and medication are helpful for a wide variety of mental health conditions and qualified MDs, therapists, and psychiatrists can help determine an appropriate path to follow.

2) There is no evidence that EFT, NLP, or similar self-help miracle cures provide any benefit for any mental health condition. In some cases, they have taken concepts from psychology and tried to extend them to unreasonable lengths such as using pavlovian conditioning to "control another human". Most of the people touting these things have either monetary or affilliative needs that must be kept in mind (want your cash or want to be praised as a guru) and do not have formal training in science so it's dumbfounding to me how they could know if something works when there have been no rigerous tests performed.

[britisharrow]

There is no evidence that EFT, NLP, or similar self-help miracle cures provide any benefit for any mental health condition.

I'm sorry but you're talking nonsense, your criticisms are clearly not based on any knowledge. EFT and NLP are entirely different, the latter has extensive research behind it because all NLP does is teach someone to consciously use their own mind for their own good.

EFT whilst not being proven as a whole by western medical science does yield impressive results in controlled tests, you'll find a chapter on research into EFT at the end of the book: The Healing Power of EFT and Energy Psychology: Revolutionary Methods for Dramatic Personal Change by David Feinstein, Donna Eden, and Gary Craig.

It HAS been proven that rapid eye movement does desensitise bad memories, which is a major factor in EFT. You will find HERE a report from Harvard University's School of Psychiatry which supports conscious rapid eye movement in moving stalled bad memories from the hypocampus into the neo-cortex of the brain.

The tapping part of EFT may or may not be anything to do with Chinese meridians, and this is what puts many people off, however the most conservative explanation is that the tapping provides a distraction whilst the memory is being accessed, and done repeatedly in conjunction with rapid eye movement this facilitates proper processing of bad memories and feelings.

In some cases, they have taken concepts from psychology and tried to extend them to unreasonable lengths such as using pavlovian conditioning to "control another human".

"Surrogate EFT" is not a mainstream part of it, it is followed by people who buy into the energy side of it. However since all we are IS energy, western medicine is having to reexamine the role of energy in pathology and you may well be surprised at the results.

Most of the people touting these things have either monetary or affilliative needs that must be kept in mind (want your cash or want to be praised as a guru) and do not have formal training in science so it's dumbfounding to me how they could know if something works when there have been no rigerous tests performed.

Gary Craig does not charge a penny for the EFT manual, which is all one needs to do the techniques. To learn advanced techniques the above book I mentioned is $12.99.

They DO sell DVDs and they do charge for them, but why shouldn't they? Gary Craig allows anyone who buys his DVDs to copy them 100 times for other people.

I have done some research into this and with respect I think you should too. It really is as simple as that, there will always be people who say EFT and NLP are ludicrious but the real proof is in trying it yourself and coming to your own conclusions.

[MetaFitx23]

Originally Posted by iwannabecoolplzhelp

2) There is no evidence that EFT, NLP, or similar self-help miracle cures provide any benefit for any mental health condition.....Most of the people touting these things have either monetary or affilliative needs that must be kept in mind (want your cash or want to be praised as a guru)

I strongly credit the usage of NLP techniques and subliminals in helping me to overcome my social anxiety. If you're diligent enough, you can find both resources for free on the internet (through torrents for example).

I'm not going to say they work for everybody though.