Most people who suffer from PTSD, anxiety, depression and other issues are encouraged to seek the help of a therapist with whom they feel comfortable talking to. But for some people, talk therapy doesn’t seem to help. They would spend months or even years talking to their therapists, but they still haven’t recovered from the trauma. If this sounds like you, you might want to try EMDR therapy.
Here are some of the benefits of EMDR therapy.
Offer faster relief
EMDR therapy is known for its quick relief of PTSD symptoms. In fact, one study suggests that about 85% of patients who underwent EMDR therapy have noticed a difference after just 1 session. In a separate study, researchers have found that some patients experience relief from PTSD symptoms in as little as 3 to 6 sessions.
Since each person responds differently to treatments, there is no way to tell how long EMDR therapy will take to work. However, studies have confirmed that EMDR provides faster relief than traditional talk therapy.
No talking involved
If you have years of repressed trauma, but you’re not yet ready to spill your guts, consider EMDR therapy.
In this form of therapy, you don’t need to talk about the traumatic or hurtful events that happened in your life. Here, patients re-experience the trauma while the therapist guides the eyes to move as they do during the REM phase of sleep. Studies suggest that the eye movement is an important part of the treatment.
Heal from emotional distress
EMDR can be a fast and effective treatment for issues related to trauma, anxiety, and depression. After experiencing trauma, this usually stays stuck in the person’s mind and body. Oftentimes, they experience flashbacks and nightmares, which interfere with their day-to-day life. While the treatment sounds somewhat bizarre, it helps patients to see disturbing memories in a less distressing way. It helps them deal with the emotion rather than simply reacting to it.