Mental health conditions and substance use disorder often go hand-in-hand. There are a number of different ways that a professional therapist can help you and your loved ones with healing and recovery from life’s experiences. EMDR therapy stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. But what is EMDR therapy and how can it help you or your loved one?
What Is EMDR Therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing allows people to heal from disturbing life experiences and trauma in a similar way the body is able to heal from physical injuries. According to numerous repeated studies, EMDR therapy provides you with the benefits of therapy that previously took much longer to experience. In fact, there are over 30 studies that demonstrate this. During some of these studies, between 84 and 90 percent of participants who experienced a single incidence of trauma were no longer affected by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after just three 90-minute-long sessions.
How Does EMDR Therapy Work?
In order for you to understand what is EMDR therapy, it helps to know how the process works. EMDR therapy is divided into eight phases. During the first phase, the therapist works with you to develop a treatment plan and your history is taken. This helps you and the therapist identify memories and/or current events that cause you distress.
During the second phase of EMDR therapy treatment, tools to handle emotional distress are taught, if necessary. One of the goals of EMDR therapy is to help you remain emotionally balanced throughout and after the sessions.
For phases three through six, the target event is addressed using the EMDR therapy process. You’ll be asked to think about different aspects of that experience while using your eyes to track the therapist’s hand. During this time, you’ll begin to process the distressing memory along with its related disturbing feelings. It’s believed that this mechanism is related to those that are present in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.
During phase seven, closure for that particular incident is experienced. You’ll keep a log where you’ll document any experiences that arise related to the event. Its purpose is to help you remember the coping tools your therapist taught you.
Phase eight is when you and your therapist go over all the progress that you’ve made so far. It’s also the beginning of the next session where you start working on another experience.
EMDR Therapy And Substance Use Disorder
There is a significant link between past trauma and substance use disorder. Many people turn to drugs or alcohol, or both, as a way of coping with those trauma events or in order to deal with current distressing experiences. EMDR therapy looks at the causes of your substance use disorder and addresses them. Choosing a treatment center that offers EMDR therapy allows you to heal from the trauma. You’ll also learn new coping skills and have a chance to put them into practice. For example, many people who experience PTSD also have a substance use disorder. This makes EMDR therapy a crucial part of your recovery. The risk of relapse is reduced because the root cause of addiction is being addressed.
Serenity House Detox & Recovery Houston also offers the following services aimed at providing you with a comprehensive approach to substance use disorder:
Serenity House Detox & Recovery Houston provides a number of cutting edge therapies that have been medically proven to be effective. Learn more about what is EMDR therapy by giving our compassionate and professional team a call today at 866.516.8356.
