Many unique treatment methods can help people who struggle with addiction. One that doesn’t get a lot of time in the spotlight is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). However, what is EMDR therapy, how does it work, and what are the benefits of EMDR?
What Is EMDR?
In order to fully understand the benefits of EMDR for addiction treatment, people have to know what it is. This treatment first emerged in the 1980s as a way to help people deal with traumatic events. The basic goal is to help them reprocess traumatic events in order to achieve relief.
The brain has the ability to process traumatic events and protect itself from them. Sometimes, though, it fails to process these events healthily. In the end, people continue to relive the trauma. Using EMDR, they can reprocess the events in a way that provides lasting relief.
How Does EMDR Work?
While all EMDR programs vary slightly, most still follow a few core concepts. First, people have to allow negative and troubling thoughts and images to enter their minds. Basically, they have to think about the trauma that causes them anxiety. Reliving these events in a safe environment is part of how they experience the benefits of EMDR.
With the trauma in mind, they follow an object in front of them by moving their eyes back and forth. This motion creates an external and internal focus during the EMDR session. The movement of the eyes keeps them from placing all of their focus on the traumatic event.
Experts say that EMDR therapy also works because it activates the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). Studies suggest that the rapid eye movement actives the PNS, which creates a calming effect in the body. The PNS also stimulates the right and left sides of the brain, which helps it find new ways to cope.
What Are the Benefits of EMDR?
The benefits of EMDR clearly start with its ability to help people process trauma. This function is important for many mental health disorders, including addiction. In fact, experiencing traumatic events is one of the leading causes of drug abuse. When people can’t deal with grief, they often turn to drugs and alcohol to cope.
Another of the benefits of EMDR for addiction treatment is its ability to deal with anxiety and distress. This treatment method reduces anxiety thanks to the rapid eye movement that activates the PNS. This calming effect can help people who struggle with addiction cope with triggers and cravings.
Learn More About the Benefits of EMDR for Addiction Treatment
Are you in need of Houston addiction therapy services? If so, Serenity Light Recovery can help you. We want to teach you the benefits of EMDR for addiction treatment. In fact, we offer EMDR treatment and so much more, such as:
- Full medical detox
- Residential treatment rehab
- Intensive outpatient treatment
- 12-step rehab
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Yoga therapy program and fitness
Don’t discount the benefits of EMDR. Choose a rehab center that offers EMDR and other programs that can help you achieve recovery. Call us today at (281) 431-6700.
As our CEO, Heather’s main calling is to stay true to the vision of the organization, which is saving lives and striving to redefine statistics by raising the standard of care with evolving treatment methods. Heather studied psychology at LSU and both the main and Clear Lake campuses of the University of Houston, and she is a certified IASIS provider and CPI instructor. She’s been helping people in recovery since 2011. Heather’s motto to live by is “I am not what I’ve done; I am what I’ve overcome.”