EMDR Therapy – Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing

EMDR therapy at Castle Craig

EMDR therapy can be a beneficial treatment in addiction rehab.
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Victoria McCann BA, MSc
Page Reviewed on by Victoria McCann BA, MSc | Communications Director and Editorial Lead
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What is EMDR?  

EMDR, which stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, is a type of therapy which helps people to process difficult memories and beliefs. It is used to treat trauma and is based on the notion that during distressing life experiences, a person can be so overwhelmed by trauma that their brain is unable to process what is happening. 

As a result, the traumatic memory becomes “stuck”, causing them to effectively keep re-experiencing the event – and all the associated unpleasant emotions and feelings – whenever they are reminded of it.

The aim of EMDR therapy is to help the patient reprocess the difficult memory so that thinking about it no longer evokes such an intense emotional reaction.

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Why is EMDR a Useful Treatment for Addiction?

We know that trauma very often lies at the root of addiction and that many people in treatment experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as flashbacks, extreme anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and nightmares. 

These distressing symptoms are often the reason why people turn to substances and addictive behaviours in the first place, as a form of self-medication to numb their emotional pain. Several different forms of trauma and addiction therapy can help patients begin to heal and find healthier coping mechanisms.

EMDR has been approved as a treatment for PTSD by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and is considered a highly useful therapy for many people seeking recovery from addiction.

How Does EMDR Work?

During EMDR treatment, a therapist uses bilateral stimulation to help a patient’s brain to process traumatic memories. While thinking about the upsetting event, the patient will be guided to do things which stimulate bilateral brain activity. This is usually moving the eyes from side to side, but it can also be listening to sounds or tapping.1

This bilateral stimulation enables the brain to start reprocessing the traumatic event and file it away as if it is an everyday memory, reducing its emotional intensity as a result. Processing difficult memories in this way helps patients to make sense of them while reducing their power to keep causing the person distress. 

Human brains are usually able to process naturally the events that we experience, along with all the associated images, sounds, and feelings. EMDR effectively helps this happen for traumatic memories which have become stuck. It encourages a similar process to that which occurs automatically while we sleep. 

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What Happens During an EMDR Session?

You will meet with your EMDR therapist, and follow a structured treatment framework consisting of eight phases.2

Phases of an EMDR Session

Phase one: history taking

This involves sharing your story and identifying your goals for treatment. These might include past events or current triggers. Your therapist will ask you to rate how distressing you find these memories on a scale of 0-10.

Phase two: preparation

Your therapist will explain the EMDR process and together you will discuss ways to help you manage any distress that might arise through the therapy. This might include grounding techniques, breathing practices, or calming imagery.

Phase three: selecting the target memory

You will decide which memory you want to target, and your therapist will ask about any images, sensations, or feelings that you have about it. The aim of this stage is to activate the traumatic memory and bring it into focus.

Phase four: desensitisation

This is when the reprocessing starts, and the bilateral eye movements, sounds, or tapping will be introduced while you think about the event. This will continue until any distress reduces to zero.

Phase five: installation

Bilateral stimulation is again used to introduce and install alternative, more positive beliefs in relation to the memory. This phase continues until the belief feels true.

Phase six: body scan

You will be asked to scan your body to see if any negative sensations remain when you think about the memory. If you still feel some distress, more bilateral stimulation will be used to reduce it.

Phase seven: closure

Your therapist will help you to return to a state of calm, regardless of whether the memory reprocessing is complete or not, so that you can return to your usual activities.

Phase eight: reevaluation

At the start of each session, you and your therapist will discuss how you are feeling about recently processed memories, and whether the distress has reduced or you think you might need more sessions on a particular target. At this point, future target memories and goals can be identified.

At Castle Craig, our EMDR trauma therapists are appropriately trained through EMDR Europe.

We work to process traumatic past events, any current situations that cause distress, and potential future scenarios that could induce a traumatic response. 

After EMDR processing, our patients generally report that the emotional distress related to the memory has been significantly reduced, or even eliminated and that they have gained insight into their mental processes and behaviour. This often leads to changes in thoughts and behaviour. 

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EMDR Facts 

EMDR was developed by a psychologist called Francine Shapiro in the 1980s. Since then, EMDR has been the subject of extensive research and has been recognised internationally as an effective treatment for trauma. 3

Some studies have looked specifically at the therapeutic benefits of EMDR for people affected by addiction, with researchers finding that standard EMDR treatment can successfully treat PTSD symptoms in people with substance use disorders.4

EMDR has also been found to reduce cravings, fear, and depression among people with addiction, while at the same time improving emotional regulation and self-esteem.5

  • References
    1. American Psychological Association. What is EMDR therapy and why is it used to treat PTSD?. Available here. [Accessed 10 July 2024].
    2. EMDR International Association. The Eight Phases of EMDR Therapy. Available here. [Accessed 10 July 2024].
    3. EMDR Institute. Is EMDR therapy an efficacious treatment for PTSD? Available here. [Accessed 10 July 2024].
    4. Perez-Dandieu B, & Tapia, G. Treating Trauma in Addiction with EMDR: A Pilot Study. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. 2014; 46(4), 303–309. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2014.921744
    5. Pilz R, Hartleb, R, Konrad, G, Reininghaus, E, & Unterrainer, H. F. The role of eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) in substance use disorders: A systematic review. Fortschritte der Neurologie-Psychiatrie. 2017; 85(10), 584–591. Read abstract here or full paper in German https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-118338

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