Therapy
What is EMDR
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing. It is a psychotherapeutic approach, used as part of a wider treatment plan which can help reduce the distressing effects of memories caused by traumatic events. The traditional way this is achieved is using eye movements, but if this is problematic there are other effective techniques. EMDR aims to reduce the symptoms of trauma by processing information or memories that have become stuck.
The length of therapy is usually dependent on the complexity of the problem. A single event trauma with no previous significant trauma history could take a few sessions, whereas someone presenting with lots of historical trauma may require longer-term support.
Whatever the issue, EMDR does not require you to give a detailed account of events.
As well as trauma I have used EMDR successfully with physical pain, anxiety, depression, phobias, OCD, low self-worth, psychosis and difficulties in relationships.
Trauma
At some point in our lives we will experience something traumatic, but often we recover without the need for outside help. However, for many reasons, some people continue to experience trauma symptoms long after an event or events have taken place.
Are you troubled by thoughts and feelings about something that happened to you in the past? This might include reliving an event, feeling anxious, being easily startled or jumpy. Maybe you avoid situations that remind you of distressing events, or you are struggling to sleep or having nightmares. Perhaps you are experience flashbacks, feel more irritable, experience problems with your mood or your appetite. All these are common symptoms of trauma.
Dissociation
Have you ever lost yourself in a good book or a piece of music? This could be said to be mild dissociation and is fairly normal. However, dissociation is also a natural way that people respond to traumatic or overwhelming events and if they are severe or repeated, the higher the levels of a person's dissociation.
Perhaps you cannot recall important events or periods of your life, or you feel detached from reality and the people around you. Other signs of dissociation include numbing of emotions, feeling as though you are on auto-pilot or just going through the motions.
People with dissociation often describe feeling zoned out or being in a world of their own.