From eye movement to mood stabilization: EMDR as a treatment option for bipolar patients

Traumatic events and PTSD are frequent in severe mental disorders, initiate and worsen the course and outcome. Therefore, psychotherapeutic interventions in this indication are clinically important but have been rarely studied. In this workshop we will introduce most important data on bipolar disorder, the neurobiology of bipolar disorder and EMDR by presenting some relevant neuroimaging data in the field. Then we will review the evidence of the co-occurrence of traumatic events and severe mental diseases and its consequences. Finally, we present a first controlled, randomized pilot trial of EMDR in traumatized, subsyndromal bipolar I and II patients, the so-called BET-study (Bipolar EMDR Trauma-study). Based on that study, we furthermore will highlight the EMDR Bipolar Protocol (EBP) with five sub-protocols, focused on insight, adherence, mood-stabilization, de-idealization of manic symptoms and impulsivity. As interactive part of the workshop, we also will practically apply some of the new protocols. We also will share with the audience the design of the next larger study of EMDR in traumatized bipolar patients to confirm or reject our first positive results of the pilot trial.

Conference

English

Benedikt L. Amann
Ramon L. Romero

Amann, B. L., & Romero, R. L. (2014, January). From eye movement to mood stabilization: EMDR as a treatment option for bipolar patients. In EMDR and bipolar disorder (Helga Matthess, Chair). Presentation at the 2nd EMDR Asia International Conference, Manila, The Philippines