Our mind has the miraculous ability to store countless thoughts, memories, and emotions all at once. It goes on performing this task all on its own without us having to check in. There are many things we can’t forget even if we wanted to. That’s part of life. We all make do with the memories our mind chooses to preserve. However, the mind doesn’t always work perfectly.
When we undergo an extremely painful event, our brain reacts instinctively by allowing us to forget the pain while we heal. While this is a simple solution, most of the time, it’s a big problem when it comes to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sometimes, the mind hides the emotional pain of a specific trauma before we’ve had a chance to heal from it. So the pain stays constantly on the surface, and we don’t have access to the improperly stored memories that would allow us to heal the wound. Thankfully, a technique called eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) has come onto the mental health scene to help solve the problem.
What Is EMDR?
Compared to most mental health therapeutic approaches, EMDR is relatively new to the industry. It requires guidance and supervision from a licensed professional, and its benefits have been proven in numerous studies.
EMDR is a lengthy process that is specifically tailored to each patient by their chosen mental health provider. After a period of assessment and information gathering, the healthcare provider will move on to the treatment. The physical aspect of the treatment relies on a variety of approaches to hand movements, lights, sounds, and other sensory activators. Combining specific eye movements and guided instructions, you are able to access memories, which helps you reprocess what you remember from the negative event.
How Does EMDR Help Trauma?
EMDR is designed specifically for healing from trauma. It helps the healthcare provider enable the patient to reprocess the memories from the trauma that the brain stored incorrectly. That reprocessing helps “repair” the mental injury from that memory. Remembering what happened to you will no longer feel like reliving it, and the related feelings will be much more manageable.
There are some unknowns about how and why EMDR works. There are always some questions about why the mind responds to treatment the way it does. However, the results of EMDR, when guided by a mental health professional, are indisputable.
While trauma can feel very much like it controls our lives, it doesn’t have to. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is one of many therapeutic techniques that can help us heal and recover from past trauma. One of the worst traits of trauma is that we can be convinced that we are fighting it alone. We are not, and we can heal. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health disorder brought on by trauma, don’t wait to seek treatment. The Guest House can help. Call (855) 483-7800 for more information.