There is a perception that seeking out mental health is a sign of weakness. You should be tough enough to handle this, or you should work through this. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sometimes we go through traumatic experiences that alter our understanding and relationship with the things and people around us. Patients who have undergone Financial District EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), are amazed at the speed at which they can process through these tragic losses, finding a place where they start to feel peace around what had been an unimaginable pain for them.
Why Is EMDR Important?
EMDR is valuable and appropriate for people across their lifespan. Multiple presentations, multiple kinds of struggles, and different types of abilities. It is a highly successful choice for just about anyone who walks into the office of David Salvage, M.D., FAPM. The whole reasoning behind trauma treatment is to help an individual move past or process their trauma to the point where the brain is not reacting as if it is still in danger.
What Happens When We Experience Trauma?
Our brains recover from trauma through a process that involves communication between the:
While traumatic experiences can often be managed and resolved spontaneously, some incidents may need help to process. Natural fight-flight or freeze instincts are the brain's way of processing stress. When a patient performs an activity associated with the trauma, they feel as though they are stuck in time.
How Does EMDR Work?
EMDR therapy helps to process the trauma. Although the experience is remembered, the brain response is not resolved. Your mind convinces you that you are still reliving those memories. You do not just remember the trauma and unprocessed painful experiences from the past; it is not a psychological thing. It does not mean that someone is weak psychologically. It is not a character issue. It is a brain thing-- events occurred which increased levels of stress that interfered with the brain's ability to process the inflow of information, which got stuck in the nervous system without processing it. Trauma is an understandable biological event that creates a change in the neurological linkage of your brain.
Once a client comes to a session and has completed history taking, the care provider in charge will typically identify the memory that they want to reprocess and any other negative beliefs related to it. The doctor will then guide the patient through a series of rapid eye movements in 30 seconds. It allows the brain to cross out small chunks of it at a time. That dual attention bilateral world keeps the body in the room, the person grounded in their body creating a rhythm that speaks safety by keeping someone focused on the present while evaluating past events.
EMDR is one of the most researched therapies out there. If you are looking for a gentler way to treat your trauma, contact David Salvage, M.D., FAPM, to schedule your EMDR session.
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