Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapy used to treat mental health disorders. In this treatment, the patient has to move their eyes in a specific way and in specific directions while they process the traumatic memories.
The goal of EMDR is to help patients heal from the trauma and other hurtful memories that affect their daily lives.
Park Slope forensic and addiction psychiatrist and other healthcare centers use this therapy to treat the patients and have found it more effective than other treatments to relieve the trauma of the patients.
EMDR: An overview.
EMDR was first tried in the year 1989 and was later used innumerable times to treat patients with mental health problems.
The patients are instructed to follow a movement pattern of movement of eyes while they are made to think about the traumatic incidents and the memories they have faced and dealt with.
This treatment can help people with a range of mental health conditions. Teenagers and adults can all be treated with the help of this treatment. However, this treatment was initially used only to treat trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
How does Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) work?
The EMDR treatment session can last long upto 90 minutes or more. The patient simply has to follow the finger movement of his or her therapist.
On the other hand, the therapist moves his fingers back and forth, instructs the patient to follow his finger, and simultaneously asks the patient to recall all the disturbing memories. This also includes recalling all the emotions, body sensations, and feelings with it.
The therapist then gradually asks the patient to shift his thoughts toward positive and pleasant emotions. Some therapists then use alternative finger movements like hand tapping and musical tones.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of EMDR?
There are several advantages of EMDR therapy, some of them are as follows:
- Many studies have claimed that EMDR treatment is effective and treats traumatic disorders.
- It works faster than other therapies, and the patients that receive the therapy record faster results than other therapies.
- The treatment is less stressful and does not involve any physical treatment.
- Does not involve much homework.
Some of the disadvantages of the EMDR are as follows:
- The therapy is helpful only with patients having traumatic experiences.
- It is a new method, and very few theories and studies support the finding and its effect.
