Self-medicating to cope with trauma: How EMDR therapy can help in substance abuse treatment

Individuals who have experienced trauma in their lives are at a much higher risk of developing addictions. According to the EMDR Institute, EMDR – which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing – is a specialized psychotherapy treatment technique that facilitates the reprocessing of traumatic memories using eye movements. The eye movements (or any bilateral stimulation like tapping or auditory tones) help to process disturbing information in a more normal process of memory. After successful processing, the disturbing thoughts, feelings and sensations that derived from the trauma are no longer relived when the event is brought to mind. [Excerpt]

Other

Paige Maurer

Maurer, P. (2016, July 18). Self-medicating to cope with trauma: How EMDR therapy can help in substance abuse treatment. U. S. News & World Report. Retrieved from http://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2016-07-18/self-medicating-to-cope-with-trauma-how-emdr-therapy-can-help-in-substance-abuse-treatment