How Does EMDR Therapy Work Towards Treating Addiction
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of psychotherapy treatment that was originally designed and developed by Francine Shapiro in the 1980s to alleviate the stress that comes with traumatic memories. EMDR therapy targets the accessing and processing of these traumatic memories and attempts to formulate new adaptive memories in their place with external stimulation.
EMDR therapy has become a vital tool for a lot of mental health technicians in the past few years, as it helps people to heal from psychological trauma the same way they would from physical trauma. This novel method of therapy has been found increasingly effective in helping people recover from post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders. EMDR therapy for addiction to drugs and alcohol has also shown remarkable results.
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Addiction, in very simple terms, is when people turn to alcohol, drugs, or both to self-medicate for physical or emotional suffering, and this self-medication alters the brain patterns over time. Through the use of EMDR therapy, people are shown how to process their traumatic memories in a different manner so that they do not trigger the same response in the case of addiction – self-medication. However, it is important to note that EMDR therapy is not a quick fix but rather an eight-part treatment process, and each part of the phase is essential for recovery. The 8 steps for EMDR therapy are mentioned below.
History and Treatment Plan
The first step in the EMDR therapy process is also the most important one. In this session with an EMDR therapist, the client or patient needs to go over their entire history, starting from what brought them into therapy, the symptoms, the substances in use, and the resulting behaviors. Specific details are not required for the therapy to be effective. Once the history has been disclosed, the therapist and patient discuss coming up with a treatment plan.
Set-Up
This step can be considered as preparation for the therapy, and it usually takes about two to four sessions to complete. During this phase, the therapist gets to know the patient and develops a relationship with them, and even teaches them some basic techniques.
Assessment
During this step, the therapist tries to trace the specific thought patterns that need to be reprocessed. The therapist identifies the negative thought and the physical sensations that go along with it and then works on reprocessing those feelings through a series of eye movements, taps, and tones.
Desensitization
Once the disturbing emotions have been identified and put on the Subjective Unit of Disturbance scale, the therapist takes the patient through a series of eye moments till the negative emotions become less disturbing.
Installation
During this step, the therapist works towards increasing positive thoughts, which the patient identifies to replace the negative ones.
Body Scan
Once the positive reinforcement has been done, the therapist scans the body for any lingering tension and underlying physical responses to unresolved issues. The move to the next phase only happens when the patient does not experience any tension while recalling painful memories.
Closure
This step takes place at the end of each session, and it is done to help the patient end the session feeling better than when they started. At this point in the process, they should take the necessary steps to calm themselves.
Re-evaluation
This step takes place at the start of every subsequent session. The therapist scans the body for any lingering signs of distress.