The Use of EMDR in Patients With PTSD
According to the lecture, EMDR refers to a psychotherapy approach that is used on patients who have experienced some sort of trauma. EMDR uses a series of bilateral stimulation, such as eye movement, desensitization, and reprocessing (Rousseau, 2024). EMDR is commonly used among those who have Post-Traumatic Stress disorder, in order to help cope with the traumatic memories one has. There are many ways in which PTSD can be treated, however the best way to treat it may be EMDR, that is because it allows patients with PTSD to process the traumatic memories that constantly haunt them (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 2023). Moving forward, the psychotherapy approach may be most commonly used by veterans who experienced a traumatic event, such as a way. It is used to help reprocess the memory that brings them anxiety and fear, to a way that I would not cost them to fear the experience.
However, the use of EMDR is not only used on patients who are veterans, but also victims of sexual abuse or physical abuse, such as children, or adults who suffered abuse as a child, but did not have the resources to seek for help. The majority of the time, these children will process these memories, in an unhealthy way that will allow them to shut off the part of them that will help process and heal from the event. In chapter 15 of “The Body Keeps the Score” , we are introduced to a patient named Maggy, in which she was sexually molested by her father at a young age. In order to cope with the trauma, her brain chose to forget the memory, which allowed her to not feel the pain of having to carry that trauma with her. (Van Der Kolk, 2015) Once Maggy began going to therapy, she confessed that her father had sexually molested her as a child, Maggy believed this was her fault. After a few sessions, she was introduced to EMDR, which allowed her to be able to reprocess the memory her brain chose to shut out, and accept that her father molesting her, was not her fault (Van Der Kolk, 2015).
There have been many studies that showed success rates the relief of PTSD symptoms. One success story would be Maggy’s story which showed a 100% success rate. However, there have been another thirty studies that have been conducted, which show positive incomes when it comes to the relief of PTSD symptoms among trauma victims (The Trauma Practice, 2024). There have been studies that showed approximately 80 to 90 percent of success rate among single event trauma victims (The Trauma Practice, 2024). Another example of case study is from the book “The Body Keeps the Score” by Bessel van der Kolk, the results showed that 60 percent of those who have received the EMDR approach to overcome their trauma have reported being wholly healed after their treatment. However, those who did not receive the treatment note that they relapsed after the case study concluded (Van Der Kolk, 2015).
Reference:
National Center for PTSD.(2023). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for PTSD. U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand_tx/emdr.asp
Rousseau (2024).Module 4: Neurobiology of Trauma Pathways to Recovery: Understanding Approaches to Trauma Treatment. MET CJ720: Trauma and Crisis Intervention. Boston University.
The Trauma Practice. (2024, december 8). Does EMDR Work?. https://traumapractice.co.uk/does-emdr-work/
Van Der Kolk, B. A. (2015). The body keeps the score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Penguin Books.