Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
The Breakthrough ‘Eye Movement’ Therapy for overcoming Anxiety, Stress and
Trauma.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is an exciting new therapy, which
was discovered almost accidentally by Francine Shapiro Ph.D. In this
spellbinding book she presents case after case of people whose lives have been
transformed after treatment with EMDR, sometimes after only a single session.
This is a book you won’t want to put down, and when you’ve finished it I can
guarantee you’ll want to learn more about EMDR. Although techniques for using
EMDR are described in this book, is strongly recommended that only clinicians
with thorough training in EMDR should use it. The author admits that she is not
certain why it works but it seems likely that events with strong emotional
content are normally processed during REM sleep, and patients with post
traumatic stress disorder may have been deprived of nature’s way of ‘working
things through’. EMDR simulates REM to a certain degree and this could be
responsible for the rapid recovery reported by subjects. This book is modestly
priced and a must for anyone interested in psychotherapy.
Feature
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) is a major new discovery in
psychotherapy which can successfully treat psychological problems and
illnesses, from depression, phobias, recurring nightmares, post traumatic
stress disorders, grief, and many more conditions.
EMDR works by mimicking the eye movements made during
REM sleep. Research has established a link between Rapid Eye Movement (REM)
sleep and a variety of psychological disorders. REM sleep and the four stages of non-REM sleep continue
in 90 minute cycles throughout the sleep period, however the length of time
proportionally devoted to REM sleep appears to lengthen as the night goes
on. When people are deprived of REM sleep certain adverse reactions occur,
for example irritability, anxiety and disorientation. It seems that dreams
are so necessary that if we are deprived of sleep then this will be
compensated for on subsequent nights. It is thought that trauma victims may
awaken during periods of REM sleep, causing them to become caught up in a
cycle of sleep deprivation and anxiety.
It is believed that mammals process survival
information during the REM state and that during REM sleep, whatever an
animal has experienced during the day is synthesized and stored in the
memory in order to help it to survive in the future. This suggests that
sleep helps us to integrate the material. When sleep is interrupted due to
traumatic thoughts then nightmares may occur.
Another parallel between the two states is time
distortion. REM states last between 20 and 60 minutes at a time, yet a
dreamer can feel as though they have lived through a whole day or more’s
experiences. Processing occurs quickly with EMDR and numerous events can
unfold with each ‘set’.
If you'd like to find out more
Eye
Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
