trauma and emdr

Trauma is often described as a normal response to an abnormal situation. It is a natural emotional response to an extremely negative event or experience; usually an event that was inescapable or outside of our control. Trauma typically results in disturbance. If you get stuck in this disturbing state, it impairs your capacity to function and enjoy life. 

A horrific or terrifying situation overwhelms the nervous system and the brain doesn't process or store the memory in the same way. Later, when something reminds you of the event, whether consciously or unconsciously, you are "triggered" and have intense stress reactions. The classic example is the ex-soldier who, long after the war is over, instinctively hits the ground when a car backfires. 

But it doesn't take a war to cause trauma. "Smaller" traumas, like being humiliated, can also leave their mark. For example, a child who was repeatedly excluded by peers may develop a fear of rejection and negative beliefs about self and others. These thoughts and feelings may persist and generalize, affecting behaviour and contributing to anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.

An event that traumatizes one person may not be traumatizing for someone else and what traumatizes a child may not affect an adult. Symptoms of trauma also vary and may show up days, months or even years after the event. Symptoms may include:

• flashbacks (sudden, involuntary and disturbing feelings of re-experiencing the traumatizing event)
• intrusive images and thoughts about the event
• intense, unpredictable or persistent feelings of anger, fear, anxiety, guilt, shame, sadness, helplessness, depression, despair
• irritable, aggressive and raging behaviour
• numbness and fatigue
• nausea , headaches and gastrointestinal problems
• problems with sleep and nightmares
• confusion and problems with concentration and memory
• emotional withdrawal and social isolation
• alcohol and drug abuse
• suicidal thoughts

After preparing you safely for the experience, the therapist asks you a structured set of questions and administers bilateral stimulation. This might take the form of following a light by moving your eyes from left to right and/or holding pulsars that alternately vibrate in your hands. The alternating sensations help to stimulate and integrate information from both sides of the brain. The bilateral stimulation in EMDR replicates the brain's natural processing mechanism used in REM sleep (when your eyes move from left to right under your eyelids).

In EMDR therapy, you are alert, awake and in control throughout the process. It's not about "re-living" the memory but "re-processing" it in a safe and structured way. The goal is to eliminate or reduce the painful intensity of the memory. It won't erase the memory. More like a scar on an old would, you'll remember what happened but it won't hurt anymore.

EMDR has been proven to work in multiple research studies. It has been shown to reduce or eliminate symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and other conditions.

EMDR is recognized as an effective treatment by the World Health Organization, the American Psychiatric Association, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and other international agencies. For more information, see www.emdr.com

To learn more about EMDR therapy, please contact me. I offer a free 30-minute consultation where we can discuss if EMDR is a fit for you.