A few years ago, after finally breaking free from an abusive relationship where I experienced years of trauma accompanied by crippling depression and anxiety, I found myself stuck in a cycle of talk therapy that temporarily made me feel better but didn’t treat my trauma. I was searching for other types of treatment that could help me overcome my disorders and process my trauma. That search led me to EMDR.
Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of psychotherapy developed in 1987 by the American psychologist Francine Shapiro. This pioneering treatment is well known for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex trauma (C-PTSD), and other psychological trauma, including traumatic memories and experiences.
The EMDR method’s unique approach to processing trauma has gained popularity globally and revolutionised mental health treatment. With its worldwide recognition and acceptance, you can now find EMDR in most leading organisations and therapeutic centres.
While notable for being a highly successful treatment for all types of trauma disorders, EMDR is also incredibly effective for other mental health conditions such as addiction, eating disorders, anxiety, and depression.
I have to be honest. At first, I didn’t want to do it. I felt like I had done nothing but focus on my trauma for years. Every morning, I woke up thinking about it. I couldn’t eat, sleep, concentrate or work. It consumed me. My therapist gently convinced me this might be the exact thing I needed to push through and achieve the results I needed to reclaim my life. I didn’t understand how it could or would work, but I was willing to try.
How does EMDR Therapy work?
EMDR allows the brain to reprocess traumatic memories by activating sensory inputs on the left and right sides of the body (bilateral stimulation). How? In a structured therapeutic environment, the patient is encouraged to briefly focus on the traumatic memory while simultaneously making rapid, rhythmic eye movements, taps or tones. These movements help the brain reprocess traumatic memories.
Under the guidance of an EMDR therapist, you’ll be asked to mentally bring up a traumatic memory. While focusing on this memory or past event, your therapist will safely “guide” you through any fearful memories, gently asking questions as you mentally enter the “uncomfortable” territory of trauma. While there are different EMDR techniques, most initiate the bilateral stimulation by having the eyes trace an object, like a wand, back and forth.
As you track and your mind wanders, the therapist may pause from time to time to check in and encourage you to do some “self hugs” accompanied by soft tapping movements. The self-soothing technique of tapping is usually done on the chest, shoulders, forehead and back, but you can tap anywhere on your body that feels good. The session will go on like this, back and forth, almost trancelike, for some time as you work your way through the feelings and emotions. Sometimes, you might become overwhelmed or feel like holding back, but through more repetitions of bilateral stimulation, you’ll feel more comfortable and more present with your suppressed emotions. Letting go will feel like a beautiful release!
While you should feel a shift after the very first session, most clients need between 6 and 12 sessions of 60 to 90 minutes.
Now that you understand more about how EMDR therapy works let’s examine how it’s used for addiction and trauma treatment.
EMDR Therapy provides these top five benefits for people struggling with addiction and trauma
1. EMDR Therapy gets to the root cause of addiction
EMDR therapy helps you directly confront and deal with the root cause of your addiction, which is usually some form of unresolved trauma. For those struggling with unprocessed trauma, turning to substances is a common way to block out the painful memories.
However, for some people, addiction isn’t associated with trauma; it’s linked to the reward—chasing the high. For these individuals the struggle is to reprocess the pleasurable memories associated with that “high” as those memories can increase cravings.
With EMDR, you learn how to reprocess, integrate, and resolve your trauma while desensitising the memories associated with the feeling of being high. In turn, this also reduces the dependence on substances, breaking the cycle and allowing you to heal from addiction.
2. EMDR Therapy can help reduce cravings and relapse risk
In the same way EMDR gets to the root cause of addiction, it also can help reduce cravings and prevent relapse. When you actively reprocess trauma, your brain is being “reprogrammed”, and your central nervous system is rewired to break the patterns of addiction and rewards and create new positive memories.
This means the emotional triggers you used to experience that could lead you to cravings and a relapse will be neutralised. For those at risk of using again, avoiding those triggers is key to recovery and long-term sobriety.
3. EMDR Therapy tends to work faster than other forms of therapy
As I personally experienced, traditional talk therapy took a long time and never seemed to completely uncover and address my deep-rooted trauma the way EMDR therapy did. While it doesn’t work instantly, for someone like me who had been stuck in a repetitive loop of negativity, never moving forward and truly feeling paralysed with life, the speed at which EMDR worked was truly life-changing.
Naturally, results vary from person to person. Some might see a marked improvement in just a few hours, while for others trying to reprocess multiple traumas (like myself), it will take longer. Regardless of the trauma, EMDR therapy is known to work faster than any other form of treatment. When you’re dealing with addiction, quick results can make a massive difference in the recovery process.
4. EMDR Therapy improves emotional regulation and coping skills
If you’re like me, the thought of bringing up old trauma and being painfully honest about those experiences can be downright terrifying. I can still remember how my hands would shake, my heart would race, and I would break out in a cold sweat just seeing my abuser’s name.
EMDR therapy teaches you how to deal with these feelings in a safe environment. Working with your therapist, you’ll develop self-regulation skills to manage those big, scary feelings and stressful situations. With EMDR, I learned how to self-regulate when feeling stressed out and overwhelmed. It’s a skill I use daily.
5. EMDR Therapy works well with other therapies
Research has shown that a “one size fits all” approach to therapy is usually less effective than multiple approaches to healing.
With EMDR, you can also access other therapies in your treatment plan, including:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Individual Therapy
- Group Therapy
- 12-Step Programme
- Alternative Therapies
EMDR therapy can be combined with a number of other types of treatments and medications, making it an excellent and holistic addition to any recovery plan.
Transformation with EMDR Therapy
Before I started EMDR, my unmetabolised traumatic memories were trapped in my brain and nervous system, causing a seemingly endless loop that I now understand was PTSD. The negative thoughts and reactions surrounding my trauma were debilitating. After completing my treatment sessions of EMDR therapy, I was able to understand my trauma, recognise my emotions were tied to the past, and finally break free from the memories. When I think back to the “old” me, I hardly recognise myself. Cliché, but true.
If you or someone you know has been suffering from the debilitating effects of addiction and trauma, perhaps it’s time to consider EMDR treatment.
Contact one of our specialists at Camino Recovery today to learn how we can help guide you on the path of healing and transformation.
