EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing - What is it?
The concept of Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, commonly known as E.M.D.R., originated in America by the Psychologist Francine Shapiro in 1987. It began from a chance observation of how rapid eye movements corresponding with negative disturbing thoughts were spontaneously reduced and when recalled at a later time were found to be a great deal less disturbing.
This eye movement is suggested as characterising the rapid eye movement during sleep. What is further suggested is that we all have an internal information processing system that processes all our every day happenings that become the memories.
When those memories are disturbed bad memories through some negative happening beyond your control and they affect the way you think, feel and behave about yourself, life and immediately around and in general it is suggested that the internal information processing has become blocked with that particular negative or harmful memory.
As the name suggests the use of E.M.D.R. is most beneficial for desensitising those negative destructive memories, cognitively restructuring positive memories and eliminating any further intrusion from the disturbing events.
E.M.D.R. - The Treatment.
E.M.D.R. is a truly comprehensive treatment. Initially the treatment was based on eye movements that are carried out by the therapist using two fingers moving them across the Client's range of vision to generate eye movement while concentrating on the distressing negative thoughts.
The movements are reminiscent of rapid eye movement (REM) in sleep. Now other stimulus has been brought into use and has proved equally effective. For example hand taps, auditory and light cues with technical aids to help in creating the stimulus that is needed to unblock the negative memories.
When the Client is asked to bring to mind the distressing memory and the thoughts around it a link is established between the conscious mind and the site where the memory information is stored with in memory networks. By using eye movements, or other stimulus, the information is accessed, activated and then processed so that the distressing memory is then rebalanced and moved along to be dealt with in the normal manner.
The suggestion is that when your body receives a physical injury e.g. a cut on the hand, the body's healing response, the chemicals necessary to stop the bleeding and close the cut, comes into action. But if something blocks and stops the action then the healing can't take place. What is theorised is that whatever happens physically can also happen psychologically.
What Sort of Conditions Can Be Helped With E.M.D.R.
This treatment was first used with trauma victims who subsequently went on to suffer Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (P.T.S.D.) and their recovery was found to be very successful after E.M.D.R. treatment.
Anxiety states, Phobias,
Traumas come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some are major traumas, some can be minor traumas. If they can leave you with symptoms that affect the way you live your life for example anxious, low self esteem, negative beliefs, flashbacks, phobias then E.M.D.R. may be able to help you.