It’s difficult to get through life without experiencing some form of trauma. It might come in the form of abuse, experiencing a natural disaster, or perhaps living through a traumatic experience like the loss of a family member or a personal injury accident. Left untreated, trauma can lead to other difficulties later in life.
One of the best treatment modalities for trauma-related emotional problems is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR is a therapeutic modality that involves the use of rapid eye movements to teach the brain how to reprocess the interpretation of traumatic events.
Since EMDR gets limited exposure in everyday life, little is known about it among common people. That has led to a lot of misconceptions about what it is and how it works. The following information is directed a dispelling seven common misconceptions about EMDR therapy.
1. EMDR is a New Therapeutic Modality
Surprising to some people is the fact that EMDR has been around since the late 1980s. Dr. Francine Shapiro is credited with personally discovering that rapidly moving the eyes while experiencing distressful thoughts had a soothing effect on her psyche.
2. EMDR is Not Effective Without Trauma Recollection
Even though the conscious mind often works to block painful thoughts, it doesn’t mean those thoughts are being blocked in the subconscious. EMDR is a “thought” therapy that does not require complete recollection or the ability to verbalize the traumatic event or events in question. All that’s necessary for EMDR to be effective is the ability to reach the memory component of the brain.
3. EMDR is Not a Research-Based Modality
This is patently false. The reality is that EMDR has gone through a lot of evidence-based research throughout the last 30 years. What the research has pointed out is exceptionally interesting.
It would seem that the brain processes traumatic events differently and more rapidly than normal events, resulting in mental stress. The slow eye movements created by EMDR act to calm brain activity, which relieves mental stress.
4. EMDR Can Worsen the Trauma
During the entirety of the EMDR treatment process, the patient might still experience bad memories and have nightmares related to the traumatic event or events in question. However, EMDR specialists will teach patients to offset these occurrences with relaxation exercises. It’s important to remember that EMDR does not seek to cure the feelings associated with trauma. Instead, it serves to help patients relax so the trauma becomes more manageable.
5. EMDR is a Form of Hypnosis
There is no truth to this misconception. Hypnosis is a therapeutic process that allows the counselor or therapist to tap into the patient’s subconscious mind while bypassing the conscious mind. In other words, the patient loses control of their mind and thought processes. A EMDR therapist deals directly with the conscious mind. In fact, the patient needs to be cognisant to facilitate them being able to learn how to employ rapid eye movements for relaxation.
6. EMDR Can Be Used to Create False Memories
The goal of EMDR therapy has nothing to do with verifying the accuracy or content of the traumatic memory in question. Therefore, EMDR is not directed at removing old memories or creating false memories. It’s directed at bringing the old memory to the surface and teaching the patient how to use rapid eye movements to soothe the stress from those memories.
7. EMDR Can Resolve Trauma Issues in One Session
As a reminder, EMDR is not a cure for trauma. It’s a treatment modality that teaches patients how to relax when bad memories pop up. The reality is it usually takes at least 2-3 sessions for a therapist to teach a patient how to employ the EMDR process.
Hopefully, you’ll find this information to be useful. If you feel as though you have been traumatized by past events, you might want to try EMDR therapy to help you cope and take control back of your life. With the support of a trained therapist, EMDR can be a valuable tool for processing and healing from traumatic experiences, offering a path towards emotional well-being and resilience.
