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We’ve
all had experiences that affect us deeply. Sometimes we have experiences
that are traumatic in nature. We may have been in a car accident
or been the victim of crime or abuse. We may have had experiences
that have caused us to fear or avoid certain situations, or feel
badly about ourselves. When that is the case, it often seems like
anything that reminds us of that experience is felt very strongly,
out of proportion to the actual situation. That is because of the
way the brain stores traumatic memories. They don’t fade
over time like other memories. They get stuck. They are re-experienced
full strength, sometimes in the form of nightmares or flashbacks,
or as unusually strong reactions to people or situations. EMDR
can
help the brain process those traumatic memories so they fade and
become less emotionally charged. This process can often achieve
results more quickly than ordinary talk therapy can.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.
Moving your eyes from side to side stimulates both sides of your
brain, and helps your brain make
new connections. It helps the logical, rational side of your brain communicate
with the part where the memories are stuck, and facilitates the development
emotional resolution. It helps you let go of the trauma and put
it in the past where it
belongs. For more information on EMDR, please visit the EMDR International
Association’s
website at emdria.org . |
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