Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a relatively new psychotherapy technique which uses eye movements to help the patient become desensitized to the harmful emotions associated with a traumatic incident. It’s proved extremely successful for treating sufferers of trauma, panic, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and a range of other emotional issues, by helping them to reprocess their memories into a more positive experience. Prior to the development of EMDR therapy, these kinds of conditions were both complicated and time consuming to rectify. EMDR has emerged as one of the most exciting new therapies, as it’s simple to administer and offers quick and long lasting relief for a range of emotional disorders.

EMDR therapy works by using bi lateral eye movements to repeatedly activate the opposite sides of the brain, thus releasing emotional experiences that are thought to be ‘caught’ in the nervous system. It was originally developed in 1989 by Francine Shapiro, a psychologist, who wondered whether the combination of sweeping eye movements while thinking of something distressing, could help people suffering from emotional problems to recover. While the treatment itself is a little more complicated than that, and indeed scientists still don’t know exactly how it works, it has a high rate of success. Some scientists have suggested that its success is due to the fact that the movement of the eyes is similar to the movement during the REM sleep cycle.

How is EMDR therapy used to treat addiction?

Although the reason why EMDR works is still under review, it’s widely recognized as an effective treatment for reducing the negative effects of trauma. Trauma is at the center of many emotional conditions, and if this trauma can be removed, so can the resultant problems. While EMDR treatment has proved successful for a range of emotional conditions, it’s also becoming increasingly used for addictions. Many addicts start to use drugs and alcohol to block out traumatic memories, so using EMDR to treat those memories means that the need to take drugs will disappear.

During an EMDR session, the therapist will encourage the patient to think of the memory that is causing them distress and simultaneously follow a moving light or other object with their eyes. They’ll then be asked to think of a positive memory and follow the object again. This process will be repeated, switching between the positive and negative memories, thus allowing the patient to become desensitized to the trauma and attach more positive emotions to it.

While this is not yet a perfect cure, it does offer a powerful and immediate effect, especially when used in conjunction with other more traditional forms of addiction therapy.

What are the advantages of EMDR Therapy?

Despite the fact that EMDR is a relatively new therapeutic technique, one of its main benefits is that it’s a completely natural process. When used in conjunction with other types of therapies, it helps the client move quickly from emotional distress to peaceful resolution of their problems. The sessions also work extremely fast, and processing the most difficult of memories can be achieved much quicker than with more traditional therapies. While traditional therapies usually focus on memories in the unconscious mind, and gain insight by analyzing their meaning, EMDR can shorten the process and go straight to the releasing stage.

EMDR Therapy at Luxury Beach Rehab

Here at Luxury Beach Rehab, we offer addiction treatment by EMDR, as part of our holistic approach to addiction therapy. As one of the best rehab centers in Florida, we take into account your physical status and health, and closely monitor your progress to ensure that you gain the maximum effect from our treatments. Our center is secluded and secure and offers a healthy way for a recovering addict to reset bodily chemistry, metabolism, dietary habits and their ability to function in the outside world.

However, if you prefer not to call our rehab center, just complete the email form on this page and one of our staff will be happy to answer your questions.