Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy is nothing new, but it’s seen a massive growth in popularity over the last few years. It was initially designed to help patients struggling with the effects of trauma. However, it has shown effectiveness in people dealing with other mental health issues, too.
That includes anxiety.
EMDR is different from more traditional forms of talk therapy. While you’ll spend some time with your therapist discussing your past and your struggles, that isn’t the main point of the process. Rather, it focuses on helping you reprocess certain ideas and feelings, so they no longer make you feel so anxious.
EMDR doesn’t cause you to forget your past or your triggers. But, it can reduce the emotional charge of past issues and help you feel more in control of those things.
Let’s take a closer look at how EMDR helps anxiety. The more you understand, the easier it will be to determine whether it’s the right solution for you.
What to Expect From EMDR
If you’re interested in EMDR for anxiety, you probably already have a basic idea of how it works. Your therapist will direct your eye movements while you imagine the scenarios that make you the most anxious.
From there, you’ll learn how to shift your perspective on those thoughts and make them more positive. The idea is that the thoughts themselves don’t necessarily go away, but the way you view and understand them changes. That can be incredibly empowering, especially as you start to see the positive effects of EMDR in your everyday life when certain triggers no longer control you.
How Does EMDR for Anxiety Work?
EMDR isn’t some kind of magic process. In fact, it’s rooted in science and research. While typical modalities of talk therapy might ask you to let go of the stimuli causing your anxiety, EMDR does not. Instead, it asks you to hold onto those triggers as your therapist helps you reprocess them.
As you focus on the sensations, emotions, and fears that cause your anxiety, your reprocessing will allow you to shift your attention away from anything negative associated with those thoughts. You’ll start to look at them through a more positive lens. From there, you can regain control over your emotional state.
As of now, no one is 100% sure why EMDR treatment is so effective. However, there are a number of promising theories. Some believe it borrows aspects of exposure therapy. Others suggest the rapid eye movement mimics the effects of REM sleep, allowing your brain to let go of negative associations. Whatever the case, the important thing is that it’s been proven effective over and over in multiple studies, and for people with widely-varying conditions.
Is EMDR Right for You?
Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in the world. As a result, there are countless forms of treatment to help manage symptoms. There is no “one-size-fits-all” solution, since everyone deals with anxiety differently.
However, if you have a hard time talking about your fears and getting exposed to your triggers, you might want to consider EMDR as an effective therapy option. There is some talking involved as your therapist gets to know you and your background. But, you don’t have to open yourself up for weeks (or months) at a time just to overcome your anxious thoughts.
Furthermore, EMDR doesn’t just focus on masking the symptoms of anxiety. It helps you create more positive adaptive beliefs and put you back in control of your thoughts. So, instead of fighting against those symptoms, they tend to go away because you have the power to overcome your fear.
If you’re interested in learning more about EMDR for anxiety, feel free to contact me or set up an appointment. 561/866-6607.