The new cognitive and behavioral therapy:
Recommended by the WHO, the EMDR tool remains a surprising technique for treating all kinds of traumas, in order to free yourself from the influence of memories which are responsible for the roots of all of our suffering.
Recognized worldwide, the EMDR technique remains a proven tool in psychotherapy. There are usually between ten and twenty untreated memories in people's lives that are responsible for most of their suffering.
What is EMDR?
EMDR is one of the so-called brief therapies such as: Ericksonian hypnosis, neurolinguistic programming (NLP), cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT), body therapies and SOH (solution orientated hypnotheropy).
Today, many of us understand the importance of being well, and the need to be kind to ourselves, so that we can have a better life together. Especially if you have been locked down for several months, this time has allowed some people to reposition themselves in their lives and understand that certain brakes can hinder their well-being. But how can you be kind to yourself when your mind gives way to such dysfunctions? (phobias, anxieties, panic attacks, depression, hyper-emotionality, addictions ...)
How to navigate this profusion of new methods and choose the method that suits each one of us? We will try to shed some light on this subject for you, to offer you some illumination so that you can reflect on this.
EMDR, you say? What dioes that stand for?
To begin with, EMDR, which stands for "eye movement desensitization and reprocessing", is a method of desensitization and reprocessing by using eye movements.
A simple eye movement to treat a trauma, that's a rather funny idea!
Who had this crazy idea?
In 1987, the American psychologist Francine Shapiro (Sigmund Freud Prize winner in 2002, the highest world distinction in psychotherapy) found a very simple way to stimulate a complex neuropsychological mechanism which is present in each of us and which makes it possible to reprocess undigested traumatic experiences which are the origin of various symptoms, some of which can be very debilitating. We can thus treat post-traumatic sequelae, even many years later.
That's great news!
In summary, EMDR seems to have very good results on PTSD, but what is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?
When the psyche is overwhelmed by a traumatic shock, our brain cannot process or digest shocking information as it usually does, and it gets stuck in the event, without our being aware of it. It is these untreated traumatic experiences that deepen the pathology, causing PTSD and other associated pathologies.The chronicization of the disorder can lead to and then worsen a deleterious situation.
What types of disorders?
Physical, psychological, sexual abuse, accidents, bereavement, attacks, natural disasters, traumatic events occurring in the context of wars and armed conflicts, as well as difficult life events related to childhood and during our life such as separation, illness etc ...
How does it work according to the EMDR association?
EMDR therapy uses a bi-alternating sensory stimulation (right-left) which is practiced by eye movements, where the patient follows the fingers of the therapist which pass from right to left in front of his eyes but also possibly by:
- Hearing stimuli by wearing a headset, which alternately allows the patient to hear a sound on the right, then on the left
- Tactile stimuli, where the patient holds buzzers in their hands which vibrate alternately from right to left
- Alternate tapping on the patient's knees or the back of his hands by the therapist.
- In short: The stimuli activate a part of the parasympathetic nervous system which is the same as that of relaxation.
I still do not understand the principle ...
The principle is based on the dissociation of memory and emotion. Everything relies on memory, on the encoding of the memory and the emotions that accompany it. EMDR therefore makes it possible to reconfigure this encoding. Plunged back into their past in order to be as close as possible to the sensory perceptions experienced at the time of the event, the patient is led, thanks to sensory stimulation, to focus their brain activity on the present. From this polarization, the possibility of reprocessing the trauma by dissociation of emotion and memory arises. Hence the fact that this memory does not go away. It frees itself from its emotional bonds.
“Eye movement unlocks traumatic information and reactivates the brain's natural healing system to complete the job,” according to psychiatrist David Servan-Schreiber.
A little suggestion from Womensdestiny; patience, prudence, perseverance
Patience: Take the time to find the therapy that's right for you and the therapist that's right for you.
Prudence: Check that the therapist holds the "EMDR Therapy Practitioner" diploma, a diploma which is recognized by the EMDR Institute in the United States and by the EMDR Association in Europe.
Perseverance: An EMDR session lasts 60 to 90 minutes, during which the patient can go through intense emotions, and at the end of the session, can generally feel a clear improvement keeping in mind that at least one to 3 sessions minimum will have to be programmed.
