This month I’d like to share another modality that incorporates the body/science into healing called EMDR, which should just be called bi-lateral stimulation, but it stands for Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing therapy. I am asking for your open-mindedness for a moment. It may sound strange and unbelievable, but it is incredibly effective. I know this from experience as a client who was treated with EMDR. According to numerous studies and meta-analyses, EMDR has one of the highest efficacies in reducing PTSD symptoms. One study found that 77% of multiple trauma victims no longer were diagnosed with PTSD after only six 50-minute sessions!
To understand how EMDR works, we must first understand the basics about how memory works. When an experience is successfully processed, it’s effectively stored, integrating with other similar experiences. On the other hand, disruptions to our information processing system due to stress (negative/difficult experiences) result in memories that are inadequately processed and improperly stored. In other words, when someone is overwhelmed (by fear, trauma, etc.), parts of the experience get stuck in our system; this is where triggers come from. Let’s say you get in a car accident while eating skittles, eating skittles may trigger that memory. It’s as though a string is tied to that memory and when you taste skittles, you feel that the car accident is happening in the present. Essentially, our reactions to current triggers are caused by earlier experiences that are “maladaptively” stored. I encourage you to feel compassion for yourself and recognize that these are natural reactions. When we learn more about the science behind our emotions and reactions, we can reason with ourselves and learn to adjust our behaviors.
When we experience trauma, the left and right sides of our brains stop communicating and we cannot process the experience properly, things get stuck, as mentioned earlier. We are unable to create a consolidated story about the experience. That is why when some people explain what happened, they cannot tell it in chronological order. There is a part of our brain called the corpus callosum, which is like a highway between the two hemispheres, and bi-lateral stimulation reinforces the connection. When we recall/focus on the traumatic event and utilize bi-lateral stimulation, we can “reprocess the event.” When reprocessing is successful, disturbing memories are neutralized and effectively integrated. What is useful is stored and what is not, is discarded. Think of this process as putting folders away in the correct drawers in a filing cabinet and closing them. This process (EMDR) can be done utilizing touch or audio methods, not just eye movements. It’s a simple process that does not require you to talk in-depth about the details of the experience if you don’t want to. You simply think about a memory while you follow something back and forth with your eyes, tap on your body or hold vibrating buzzers in your hands. You and your therapist repeat this process several times – things change, insights come, reactions decrease and bodily sensations subside. The process can feel a little destabilizing at first, but it is incredibly effective. Some of your neighbors have tried this and had success. Please contact lovella@joinbastion.org to learn more or try it out.