Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Description:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a slightly controversial therapy, which is sometimes used for treating social anxiety. It is used primarily to treat people who have suffered a traumatic event in their lives, which is thought to have triggered their social anxiety disorder. EMDR is especially helpful in cases when post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is thought to be the root of SAD.
EMDR therapy works by guiding the patient through thinking about and processing the traumatic event through new cognitive channels. By dealing with the event in a more comprehensive way, the patient is able to process and cope with the feelings more completely. This, eventually, is thought to lead to a reduction in anxiety related to the event. The movement of the eyes associated with the therapy is thought to help the brain focus in different ways, however, some professionals believe that the benefits of this therapy come from the reprocessing process and are not necessarily related to the eye movements themselves.
More Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_Movement_Desensitization_and_Reprocessing
EMDR therapy works by guiding the patient through thinking about and processing the traumatic event through new cognitive channels. By dealing with the event in a more comprehensive way, the patient is able to process and cope with the feelings more completely. This, eventually, is thought to lead to a reduction in anxiety related to the event. The movement of the eyes associated with the therapy is thought to help the brain focus in different ways, however, some professionals believe that the benefits of this therapy come from the reprocessing process and are not necessarily related to the eye movements themselves.
More Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_Movement_Desensitization_and_Reprocessing
Effective for PTSD symptoms
Shared by Drew on Dec 24th, 2008
6 out of 7 people found this treatment experience helpful:
Treatment Experience
My psychologist who treated me with EMDR told me about a patient of his. It was a middle aged man with no history of any mental disorders. He witnessed a shooting where someone he knew was killed and developed such severe anxiety with physical symptoms that he barely left his house anymore. He went through around a year of talk therapy with limited positive results, but then in only one extended session of EMDR all of his physical symptoms were eliminated. He literally called my psychologist and said I don't need to come back for next week's session. This is an example of a very rapid recovery from the physical symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) via EMDR.
In my case, it wasn't quite so simple or fast. While I had experienced a traumatic event at a young age, I did have a history of depression and social anxiety when I pursued EMDR. I'd also already pursued treatment for social anxiety with CBT and had gone through a 20 week group.
I approached EMDR as the last psychotherapy that I was going to try before giving medication a shot. I was hoping it would finally "fix" my social anxiety. While it didn't do that (as I am currently taking medication), I did find it to be a beneficial treatment.
---
First of all, what exactly is EMDR?
EMDR is a psychotherapy treatment that was designed to resolve symptoms resulting from exposure to a traumatic event. The theory is that symptoms arise when a distressing event is inadequately processed and can be eliminated when that memory is fully processed.
The "processing" that takes place in EMDR causes the traumatic memory to be transformed both emotionally and cognitively because new connections are formed with more positive and realistic information. The result is that the patient is no longer distressed when accessing the memory, instead seeing it with a new perspective free of the emotional distress and physical responses.
What does EMDR actually involve?
When working with a therapist, you focuses simultaneously on 1) the image that best represents the traumatic memory, 2) the negative belief formed, and 3) the disturbing emotion or physical sensation.
As you do this you follow an object moving back and forth with your eyes, listen to sound alternating ears in headphones or hold sensors that vibrate alternating hands.
These are believed to be important in facilitating the processing of the traumatic memory, but how exactly they do this is debated.
Three supported explanations are:
1) The bilateral stimulation through eye movements (or other alternating stimulation), facilitate interaction between the brain's hemispheres, which then improves the processing of trauma-related memories
2) That eye movements (or other alternating stimulation) facilitate processing of trauma memories by activating a state similar to REM sleep.
3) The eye movements (or other alternating stimulation) in EMDR affect the orienting response, which can inhibit the avoidance response, induce an investigatory reflex and produce a relaxation response.
The EMDR process itself is finished when you form a new, more rational belief about the memory.
After successful treatment with EMDR, there is supposed to be a reduction in the distress, a shift in the negative beliefs, and a reduction in the physical symptoms.
---
Ok, that being said, I went through around 20 EMDR sessions with a psychologist. In that time I went through and "reprocessed" a handful of traumatic events from my childhood.
Without getting into the nitty gritty details, I wouldn't say repressed memories came to the surface, but memories that I just didn't think were important I found to be linked together and linked to certain beliefs about myself and the world. There were times when I had a significant amount of emotional release, whether that was through crying or anger. I never would have imagined I had so much emotion stored up about the events in my past.
How do I know that it worked?
Since my childhood I had a problem where I would start to feel like I was going to throw up when going to social environments. It wouldn't have to be that I was giving a speech, it could just be going to a party. There were times when I would actually throw up I was so anxious about going to a social gathering.
After treatment with EMDR I have not had the feeling again.
If for nothing else, that made it worth it.
Overall, I don't see EMDR as the main or first treatment for social anxiety. CBT and group therapy takes that role. But I'd highly recommend it for someone who is experiencing severe ongoing physiological responses (something like throwing up) to social situations.
My psychologist who treated me with EMDR told me about a patient of his. It was a middle aged man with no history of any mental disorders. He witnessed a shooting where someone he knew was killed and developed such severe anxiety with physical symptoms that he barely left his house anymore. He went through around a year of talk therapy with limited positive results, but then in only one extended session of EMDR all of his physical symptoms were eliminated. He literally called my psychologist and said I don't need to come back for next week's session. This is an example of a very rapid recovery from the physical symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) via EMDR.
In my case, it wasn't quite so simple or fast. While I had experienced a traumatic event at a young age, I did have a history of depression and social anxiety when I pursued EMDR. I'd also already pursued treatment for social anxiety with CBT and had gone through a 20 week group.
I approached EMDR as the last psychotherapy that I was going to try before giving medication a shot. I was hoping it would finally "fix" my social anxiety. While it didn't do that (as I am currently taking medication), I did find it to be a beneficial treatment.
---
First of all, what exactly is EMDR?
EMDR is a psychotherapy treatment that was designed to resolve symptoms resulting from exposure to a traumatic event. The theory is that symptoms arise when a distressing event is inadequately processed and can be eliminated when that memory is fully processed.
The "processing" that takes place in EMDR causes the traumatic memory to be transformed both emotionally and cognitively because new connections are formed with more positive and realistic information. The result is that the patient is no longer distressed when accessing the memory, instead seeing it with a new perspective free of the emotional distress and physical responses.
What does EMDR actually involve?
When working with a therapist, you focuses simultaneously on 1) the image that best represents the traumatic memory, 2) the negative belief formed, and 3) the disturbing emotion or physical sensation.
As you do this you follow an object moving back and forth with your eyes, listen to sound alternating ears in headphones or hold sensors that vibrate alternating hands.
These are believed to be important in facilitating the processing of the traumatic memory, but how exactly they do this is debated.
Three supported explanations are:
1) The bilateral stimulation through eye movements (or other alternating stimulation), facilitate interaction between the brain's hemispheres, which then improves the processing of trauma-related memories
2) That eye movements (or other alternating stimulation) facilitate processing of trauma memories by activating a state similar to REM sleep.
3) The eye movements (or other alternating stimulation) in EMDR affect the orienting response, which can inhibit the avoidance response, induce an investigatory reflex and produce a relaxation response.
The EMDR process itself is finished when you form a new, more rational belief about the memory.
After successful treatment with EMDR, there is supposed to be a reduction in the distress, a shift in the negative beliefs, and a reduction in the physical symptoms.
---
Ok, that being said, I went through around 20 EMDR sessions with a psychologist. In that time I went through and "reprocessed" a handful of traumatic events from my childhood.
Without getting into the nitty gritty details, I wouldn't say repressed memories came to the surface, but memories that I just didn't think were important I found to be linked together and linked to certain beliefs about myself and the world. There were times when I had a significant amount of emotional release, whether that was through crying or anger. I never would have imagined I had so much emotion stored up about the events in my past.
How do I know that it worked?
Since my childhood I had a problem where I would start to feel like I was going to throw up when going to social environments. It wouldn't have to be that I was giving a speech, it could just be going to a party. There were times when I would actually throw up I was so anxious about going to a social gathering.
After treatment with EMDR I have not had the feeling again.
If for nothing else, that made it worth it.
Overall, I don't see EMDR as the main or first treatment for social anxiety. CBT and group therapy takes that role. But I'd highly recommend it for someone who is experiencing severe ongoing physiological responses (something like throwing up) to social situations.
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About Treatment Experiences
The individual experiences about treatment for social anxiety disorder (social phobia) are not a substitute for medical advice.
You should always consult a qualified health care professional before beginning, changing or stopping a treatment.
