If you have depression, you know how hard it can be to feel happy, hopeful, or interested in anything. You might also struggle with low self-esteem, guilt, or suicidal thoughts. Depression can affect every aspect of your life, from your work to your relationships. There are many reasons why people get depressed, such as genetics, stress, trauma, or life events.
One of the ways that you can get better is by trying EMDR. EMDR stands for eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing. It’s a type of therapy that helps you heal from the bad things that happened to you or the negative thoughts that you have about yourself. EMDR is mostly used for people who have PTSD, which is when you have flashbacks, nightmares, or anxiety after a scary or painful experience. But EMDR can also help with other kinds of depression, especially if they are related to trauma or bad memories.
What Does EMDR Do?
EMDR works by helping your brain process and let go of the things that make you depressed. When you do EMDR, you work with a therapist who guides you through a series of steps. First, you talk about what’s bothering you and what you want to change. Then, you focus on a specific memory or situation that makes you feel bad. You also think about a negative belief that you have about yourself, like “I’m worthless” or “I’m a failure”. And you think about a positive belief that you want to have instead, like “I’m valuable” or “I’m capable”.
While you do this, the therapist asks you to follow a light with your eyes as it moves from side to side. Or they might tap your hands or play sounds in your ears. This is called bilateral stimulation. It helps your brain activate both sides and process the memory or situation in a new way. As you do this, you might notice changes in how you think, feel, or sense things in your body.
The therapist helps you to reinforce the positive belief and reduce any remaining distress related to the memory or situation. They also help you to check your body for any tension or discomfort and clear it with bilateral stimulation. They make sure that you are calm and safe before ending the session and give you some tips on how to take care of yourself. They also check on how you are doing in the next session and decide whether to keep working on the same thing or move on to something else.
The idea behind EMDR is that your brain has a natural way of healing from bad experiences and memories. But sometimes it gets stuck or overwhelmed and needs some help. EMDR helps your brain get unstuck and heal itself. This makes you feel less depressed and more positive about yourself.
Does EMDR Work?
EMDR has been studied a lot and has been shown to work for many people who have depression. EMDR is mostly known for working for people who have PTSD, but it can also work for other types of depression . For example:
– A study that looked at 12 other studies found that EMDR was better than doing nothing or getting fake treatment and as good as getting other treatments (like CBT) for depression.
– A study that compared EMDR with fluoxetine (a medicine for depression) found that EMDR was better than fluoxetine in making people feel less depressed and happier with their lives after treatment and later on.
– A study that compared EMDR with usual treatment found that EMDR was better than usual treatment in making people feel less depressed and more positive after treatment and later on.
– A study that compared EMDR with supportive counselling found that EMDR was better than supportive counselling in making people feel less depressed and more connected with their babies after treatment.
To Sum Up
EMDR is a therapy that can help you with your depression by helping your brain heal from the things that make you feel bad. EMDR can help you change your negative beliefs, emotions, and body sensations that are related to your depression. EMDR can work for different types of depression and can make you feel better in a short time. EMDR is also easy to do and you don’t have to talk a lot about your problems. EMDR can be combined with other treatments to make it more effective. If you want to try EMDR, you can make contact via contact form on this website to arrange for an initial consultation.
References
: EMDR for Depression: How It Works, Examples & Effectiveness. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.choosingtherapy.com/emdr-for-depression/
: EMDR: The basics. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://emdrassociation.org.uk/a-unique-and-powerful-therapy/emdr-the-basics/
: Hase, M., Schallmayer, S., & Sack, M. (2008). EMDR reprocessing of the addiction memory: Pretreatment, posttreatment, and 1-month follow-up. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 2(3), 170-179.
: Nijdam, M. J., Gersons, B. P., Reitsma, J. B., de Jongh, A., & Olff, M. (2012). Brief eclectic psychotherapy v. eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder: randomised controlled trial. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 200(3), 224-231.
: Novo Navarro, P., Landin-Romero, R., Guardiola-Wanden-Berghe, R., Moreno-Alcázar, A., Valiente-Gómez, A., Lupo, W., … & Pérez, V. (2016). 25 years of Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR): The EMDR therapy protocol, hypotheses of its mechanism of action and a systematic review of its efficacy in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Revista de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental (English Edition), 9(2), 101-114.
: van den Berg, D. P., de Bont, P. A., van der Vleugel, B. M., de Roos, C., de Jongh, A., Van Minnen, A., & van der Gaag, M. (2015). Prolonged exposure vs eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing vs waiting list for posttraumatic stress disorder in patients with a psychotic disorder: a randomised clinical trial. JAMA psychiatry, 72(3), 259-267.