Life After Treatment: EMDR Therapy

You know in the movies, when you’re watching a therapy session, and the patient is asked to follow the therapist’s finger with their eyes?

You’ve just seen a version of EMDR therapy in action.

This treatment helps people work through various traumas, mental health disorders and other emotionally intense or impactful experiences through a combination of psychotherapy and hypnotic eye movements. 

We’re going to give you a quick overview of EMDR therapy, what it looks like and the benefits you receive. We’ll then walk you through what life after EMDR can look like.

What is EMDR therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an alternative, mindfulness-based form of psychotherapy designed to help individuals heal their minds.

EMDR therapy has been proven to be successful in addressing a variety of issues. Most commonly it is used to help people process and release traumatic or deeply painful memories through your body’s natural functions. 

EMDR revolves around the belief that traumatic events are rarely (if ever) properly processed by the brain after occurring, which is why they continue to affect our daily lives. This can look like nightmares, panic attacks, flashbacks or being triggered in a way that makes you feel as if you’re reliving the trauma — sometimes even years after the trauma has occurred.

In other words, the theory is these “side effects” are manifesting as a result of us pushing down and ignoring our traumatic experiences, and the more we do so, the worse they’ll become.

This is where EMDR therapy comes in.

Benefits of EMDR therapy

EMDR therapy is known for its role in helping resolve various traumas and mental disorders (like PTSD). It can also be beneficial for anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, sleep disturbances and even substance use disorders or addiction.

The top benefits of EMDR therapy include:

• Helps your brain navigate triggers in a healthy way
• Reframes anxious and negative thinking patterns into positive ones
• Improves self-esteem and self-talk
• Reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety
• Healing past traumatic and painful memories

EMDR therapy has proven to have great success with many; whether or not EMDR is right for you is going to depend on your unique situation, needs and treatment preferences.

Life after treatment

If EMDR proves to be a successful healing modality for you, you’ll likely experience feelings of relief (some even say lightheadedness) after just a couple of sessions. You may also begin to remember more or more vivid details about your memories which can sometimes be painful; rest assured, your therapist will ensure you have the coping resources and skills to handle anything that may surface during the healing process.

By the fourth and fifth sessions, you will have received enough guidance and therapeutic sessions that you will likely find yourself being triggered less in your daily life, as well as experience less stress and anxiety in your body.

There is no specific timeframe for EMDR therapy — some people receive sessions for several months, while others only require a few sessions. Once your treatment is finished, you’ll likely experience a great deal of emotional, mental and even physical relief.

Though painful memories may still surface from time to time, you will be able to release those thoughts with a sense of genuine calm and acceptance, rather than be consumed with distress.

Is EMDR therapy right for me?

Have you ever experienced the feeling of being stuck or “trapped” in a traumatic relationship or experience, even when you’re out of it? You can’t seem to forget what happened, and yet, can’t bring yourself to think about it (and as a result, can’t heal) because of how painful it is, or how deeply sad it makes you.

It might feel easier to avoid those thoughts and feelings altogether by stuffing them down, but this will only prolong your suffering, as it doesn’t actually get rid of either. EMDR therapy can help you break free of this painful cycle, and we’re here to help you every step of the way.

Speak with an advisor today

High Focus Centers in Marietta, Georgia offers premier outpatient mental health and substance use treatment services to adults and adolescents. Working closely with each client, we help you remember how bright of a future you can have, and create a plan of clear steps to help you get there.

Our teams are built of highly experienced and deeply compassionate professionals who understand the importance of individualized, client-focus care. At High Focus Centers, your comfort, safety and recovery are our top priorities. We’ll support you every step of the way.

Send us a message or give us a call today at 866-204-7306 to get started today.