EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing

EMDR is a powerful psychological therapy originally developed by Clinical Psychologist Francine Shapiro in 1987 for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, (PTSD).

It has since been recognised as an effective treatment for mental health difficulties that have been triggered by experiencing or witnessing traumatic or distressing events. EMDR can help with a range of mental health difficulties, including but not limited to, anxiety, depression, panic, phobias, low self-esteem, OCD and grief.

EMDR can help us process “stuck” memories of traumatic events in a way that feels safe and contained. These “stuck” memories can feel like the events happened more recently than they actually did and trigger symptoms similar to what we felt at the time of the traumatic event.  Symptoms can include flashbacks, physical sensations, emotions and negative thoughts.

 

How Does EMDR Help?

In order to understand how EMDR can help, it is first useful to understand how we process everyday experiences and how trauma can affect our brain and body.  By doing this, we can understand how we can also heal from trauma.

Normal Information Processing

We have two areas where we store memories. I like to think of them as a current memory filing cabinet in the right side of our brain and a long term memory filing cabinet in the left side of our brain. From the minute we open our eyes in the morning to going to sleep at night, we have information coming in to our brain through all of our senses. Our mind is constantly processing it. This includes body sensations, emotions, thoughts and feelings.

This information comes in like bits of a jigsaw to the right side of our brain, our short term filing cabinet. The brain will piece this together, date stamp it and send the information to the left side, our long term memory filing cabinet. The brain will shred what it thinks is not important and will file and store what it thinks is important so that you can access it later when you want or need to. This process is constantly happening during the day and night, you are not intentionally doing it. This is our adaptive information processing system.

If something stressful happens during the day and has upset us, we can often feel better about it the next day. When we are asleep and especially during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, when our eyes are flickering left and right, we continue to process information especially in the form of dreams.  At times these dreams can seem quite random but can sometimes be connected to things we have thought about or experienced in the day. This is where the saying ‘sleep on it’ comes from, as after sleep, our perspective about something can be different. This is our brains way of defogging.  When it does that, you feel more clear headed, the mind is clearing out. This process is similar to if you have a cut, your body will just get on with healing itself.

The Brain and Trauma

When we experience something traumatic, our brain goes into the fight flight freeze mode. This is our bodies automatic survival mechanism which is triggered when our brain perceives we are under threat or in danger. This does not have to be a life threatening situation, it can be triggered when we are being treated badly, for example, criticised or bullied. Adrenaline is released into our blood and creates lots of physical reactions that enhance our bodies ability to run away or fight. We all have this, and would have become extinct without the ability to run away or fight animals that could have eaten us millions of years ago. The freeze response can happen when the brain perceives that as the safest option, when fighting or running seem too dangerous.

When our brain goes into this survival response, it stops engaging in processing information normally (as described above).  The brain is too busy trying to work out how to survive the traumatic or threatening event. Our brain is only concerned with what it needs to do to survive that situation and all other processing is put on hold.

As a result, the traumatic experiences do not get processed normally. The thoughts, feelings, images and body sensations do not get date stamped and stored away.  They can get stuck in the current memory filing cabinet on the right side of the brain. The memory of that event can feel more recent than it should, more current. We can feel hyper-aroused, like our alarm system is still on.

Therefore, when something happens that is a reminder of the traumatic experience, this can trigger the same thoughts, feelings, images and body sensations you had at the time. This is called re-experiencing which can come in the form of flashbacks, images, thoughts, memories, dreams, emotions and body sensations. As our fight or flight response was triggered during the trauma, our re-experiencing can feel like this too. In order to manage this, people often develop safety behaviours to cope. All of this can result in mental health difficulties.

How EMDR can help

EMDR is believed to be linked to the same processing that happens during REM sleep. EMDR and the bilateral stimulation used through eye movements or tapping,  triggers our normal healing adaptive information processing system. This jump starts the memory being processed so that it will be date stamped and stored away.  It will feel more distant and in the past like a faded photo rather than in current techni-colour. Instead of it coming to mind often, you can decide when to think about it and it will make it more bearable. You won’t forget it but it will feel less emotional.

During EMDR I work with clients to identify memories related to their current difficulties including the thoughts and physical and emotional feelings linked to them. Before reprocessing the memories, I help clients develop coping strategies to be able to tolerate and cope with the reprocessing. When I do this, I will work with you, at your own pace, to ensure you feel confident, safe and ready before we start the reprocessing part of the therapy. The reprocessing is done in a planned, supportive and containing way so that you feel able to leave the session and continue with your normal life.

EMDR is an evidence based therapy which means there are many research studies showing that it works. It is recommended by the World Health Organisation and The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng116/chapter/Recommendations

EMDR is a powerful therapy but it does not have to feel overwhelming. If you have been struggling with something from your past and would like to discuss if EMDR can help you please contact me.

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ROMINA SCARAMAGLI - PSYCHOTHERAPIST atlantictherapies@gmail.com 07707 876 440

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