EMDR

Trauma can occur through any circumstance or event that makes us feel threatened, frightened or powerless. It can occur through accidents, assaults and natural disasters, which is often referred to as shock trauma. It can also occur through developmental or childhood trauma, in which one experiences chronic adversity, abuse, neglect and/or a lack of safety while growing up. Trauma can also develop through (or as a result of) other distressing experiences, such as chronic stress, poverty, discrimination, violence, invasive medical procedures and ongoing, misunderstood/mistreated medical conditions, such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), which many of the women I work with are learning how to navigate as they reprocess past trauma.

There’s also intergenerational trauma or generational trauma, which researchers are learning more and more about, yet still often goes unrecognized. Intergenerational trauma is a concept developed to explain generational, cyclical challenges that we see in many families with the common symptoms of low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, insomnia, anger and/or self-destructive behaviors.

Trauma used to be viewed as events that “happen to us.” More indepth research over the last couple of decades, however, has discovered that trauma results not from what happens to us, but rather from what happens inside of us as a result of what happened. This explains why one person may walk away from an experience relatively okay while another may struggle significantly.

It’s also important to note that science and ongoing research has shown us that trauma dysregulates the automated nervous system (ANS), which is responsible for all of our automatic functions, such as breathing, our heart beating, digesting, etc. It also automatically manages our stress and survival responses as it’s designed to constantly scan for both danger and safety. When our nervous system is regulated and not activated as it would be with danger present—think fight, flight, freeze—we’re able to move through life in a state of flow, generally feeling safe. However, when trauma occurs and is not processed naturally (which is often the case in the world today), it becomes stuck in the nervous system—literally in the body—and we can become stuck in these survival states.

When in the throes of survival (even years after immediate danger has passed), normal tasks can feel frightening as our internal alarm systems are consistently activated, and people often seek out adaptive strategies (coping mechanisms), such as drugs, alcohol, food, etc, for some semblance of temporary relief.

As trauma is literally stored in the body, it must be released through the body, which is why just talk therapy alone rarely yields long-term results and relief in treating trauma.

EMDR is an extensively researched, empirically-proven approach to treating trauma and distress developed by Dr. Francine Sharpiro in the late 80s after she discovered a connection between eye movements and persistent, upsetting memories. Over the last three decades, and millions of clinical trials, clinical treatment hours and case studies, EMDR is known to be highly effective in treating trauma and trauma-related disorders.

EMDR is designed to naturally resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain and nervous system without the need to talk in detail about the distressing events or circumstances. Rather than focusing on changing thoughts, emotions and behaviors, which is the cornerstone of many other therapeutic approaches, EMDR functions to allow the brain to resume the natural healing process that was never completed.

As described by the EMDR International Association (emdria), a nonprofit with the mission of creating global healing, health and hope:

Our brains have a natural way to recover from traumatic memories and events. This process involves communication between the amygdala (the alarm signal for stressful events), the hippocampus (which assists with learning, including memories about safety and danger), and the prefrontal cortex (which analyzes and controls behavior and emotion). While many times traumatic experiences can be managed and resolved spontaneously, they may not be processed without help.

Stress responses are part of our natural fight, flight, or freeze instincts. When distress from a disturbing event remains, the upsetting images, thoughts, and emotions may create an overwhelming feeling of being back in that moment, or of being “frozen in time.” EMDR therapy helps the brain process these memories, and allows normal healing to resume. The experience is still remembered, but the fight, flight, or freeze response from the original event is resolved.

In addition to treating trauma and PTSD, today EMDR is used treat to a wide variety of issues including:

• Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
• Chronic Illness and medical issues
• Depression and bipolar disorders
• Dissociative disorders
• Eating disorders
• Grief and loss
• Pain
• Performance anxiety
• Personality disorders
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other trauma and stress-related issues
• Sexual assault
• Sleep disturbance
• Substance abuse and addiction
• Violence and abuse