Does eye movement hold the key to reducing
traumatic and disturbing thoughts? Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is believed to be effective for posttraumatic shock, panic attacks, disturbing memories, and grief.
Jack* had been attending our suicide survivor group for many months. While he was certainly doing healing grief work within the group and also with a therapist, he had become stuck by one painful and devastating memory. Although he was becoming reconciled to the loss of his son, he was unable to get past that gut-wrenching moment when he had first come upon the scene.
Jack had come home from work to find his son slumped in the front seat of his car, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Now, whenever he thought of his son, that moment would come to mind, and his heart would race, his stomach would knot, and he would feel as though that moment was happening again.
His therapist felt that Jack could be helped by a relatively new therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR was originated in 1987 and has become a recognized means of helping those dealing with the effects of traumatic events. EMDR-centered therapy allows the mind to heal from psychological trauma in much the same way that the body heals from physical trauma. If an infection or foreign body interferes with physical healing, medical treatment can allow the normal healing process to continue. EMDR works to unblock emotional trauma so that the mind's natural healing process can continue.
Jane is worried about her son. Up until September 11, he worked on Wall Street. Now he is unable to go to work. He wants to go, but just getting on the subway is a terror-filled situation for him. He is talking of finding a new job, although he loves his work, and he doesn't understand what is happening to him. He saw the Trade Towers collapse, and remembers seeing people fleeing, clouds of dust, and broken glass. But he tells his mother "that was months ago. It's time to for me to 'get over it'."
Jane's son is experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He can "get over it" but he will certainly need help.
EMDR was developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro, who made the chance observation that eye movements can reduce the intensity of disturbing thoughts. She studied this effect, and in 1989, reported success in treating victims of trauma. Additional scientific research has established that EMDR is effective for posttraumatic stress, panic attacks, sexual and/or physical abuse, disturbing memories, and complicated grief.
Because EMDR allows the mind and body to heal at the same rate, and since treatment is usually around a specific problem, treatment is relatively short-term. A typical session lasts 90 minutes and the course of treatment may be from 3 to 10 sessions.
In EMDR, the therapist and client discuss the specific issue to be worked on. They discuss the level of disturbance and focus on what the client would like to change. The client is asked to call to mind what he felt, saw, and heard at the time of the incident.
During this time he is asked to track with his eyes the movements of the therapist's fingers, or a light, in front of his face. And he is asked to pay close attention to what comes to mind. In this process, the meaning of painful events can be transformed at an emotional level.
During the session, the client may experience intense emotions, but by the end, many people report a great reduction in anxiety. For example, a rape victim may go from feeling horror and self disgust to holding the belief that "I am strong and I survived."
While it is uncertain exactly how EMDR works, we do know that when a person is upset, the brain doesn't process information as it does normally. One moment can become frozen in time, and remembering it can feel as bad as going through it the first time. EMDR seems to have a direct effect on the way the brain functions, allowing normal information processing to resume, so that following a session, the sights, sounds, and feelings are not relived when the event is brought to mind. What has happened is remembered but is much less upsetting. This process appears to be similar to naturally occurring dream or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.
Jack participated in three EMDR sessions. He says that he does remember finding his son, and still feels the grief and loss. But the raw and gripping emotions that left him with a racing pulse and gasping for breath are no longer part of the memory.
"When I remember that time, I see it as though I was seeing it from a car window as I ride by," says Jack. "I can now remember my son's life and the good times we had - not just that ending of his life. Now I remember and it's OK. And I know that I'll be OK."
Jane's son is currently experiencing the benefits of EMDR. His work continues.
As nurses we frequently take care of those who have been traumatized - people who have been in accidents, survived violent natural disasters, have been attacked, threatened, and abused. EMDR is a tool that can help people process these traumatic events. Reprocessing these events can give people the chance to pick up the pieces of their lives and know that "it will be OK."
Jack had come home from work to find his son slumped in the front seat of his car, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Now, whenever he thought of his son, that moment would come to mind, and his heart would race, his stomach would knot, and he would feel as though that moment was happening again.
His therapist felt that Jack could be helped by a relatively new therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR was originated in 1987 and has become a recognized means of helping those dealing with the effects of traumatic events. EMDR-centered therapy allows the mind to heal from psychological trauma in much the same way that the body heals from physical trauma. If an infection or foreign body interferes with physical healing, medical treatment can allow the normal healing process to continue. EMDR works to unblock emotional trauma so that the mind's natural healing process can continue.
Jane is worried about her son. Up until September 11, he worked on Wall Street. Now he is unable to go to work. He wants to go, but just getting on the subway is a terror-filled situation for him. He is talking of finding a new job, although he loves his work, and he doesn't understand what is happening to him. He saw the Trade Towers collapse, and remembers seeing people fleeing, clouds of dust, and broken glass. But he tells his mother "that was months ago. It's time to for me to 'get over it'."
Jane's son is experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He can "get over it" but he will certainly need help.
EMDR was developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro, who made the chance observation that eye movements can reduce the intensity of disturbing thoughts. She studied this effect, and in 1989, reported success in treating victims of trauma. Additional scientific research has established that EMDR is effective for posttraumatic stress, panic attacks, sexual and/or physical abuse, disturbing memories, and complicated grief.
Because EMDR allows the mind and body to heal at the same rate, and since treatment is usually around a specific problem, treatment is relatively short-term. A typical session lasts 90 minutes and the course of treatment may be from 3 to 10 sessions.
In EMDR, the therapist and client discuss the specific issue to be worked on. They discuss the level of disturbance and focus on what the client would like to change. The client is asked to call to mind what he felt, saw, and heard at the time of the incident.
During this time he is asked to track with his eyes the movements of the therapist's fingers, or a light, in front of his face. And he is asked to pay close attention to what comes to mind. In this process, the meaning of painful events can be transformed at an emotional level.
During the session, the client may experience intense emotions, but by the end, many people report a great reduction in anxiety. For example, a rape victim may go from feeling horror and self disgust to holding the belief that "I am strong and I survived."
While it is uncertain exactly how EMDR works, we do know that when a person is upset, the brain doesn't process information as it does normally. One moment can become frozen in time, and remembering it can feel as bad as going through it the first time. EMDR seems to have a direct effect on the way the brain functions, allowing normal information processing to resume, so that following a session, the sights, sounds, and feelings are not relived when the event is brought to mind. What has happened is remembered but is much less upsetting. This process appears to be similar to naturally occurring dream or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.
Jack participated in three EMDR sessions. He says that he does remember finding his son, and still feels the grief and loss. But the raw and gripping emotions that left him with a racing pulse and gasping for breath are no longer part of the memory.
"When I remember that time, I see it as though I was seeing it from a car window as I ride by," says Jack. "I can now remember my son's life and the good times we had - not just that ending of his life. Now I remember and it's OK. And I know that I'll be OK."
Jane's son is currently experiencing the benefits of EMDR. His work continues.
As nurses we frequently take care of those who have been traumatized - people who have been in accidents, survived violent natural disasters, have been attacked, threatened, and abused. EMDR is a tool that can help people process these traumatic events. Reprocessing these events can give people the chance to pick up the pieces of their lives and know that "it will be OK."
