Efficacy of EMD treatment for generalized anxiety disorder after a long-term pharmacological approach - A case report
Description
Introduction
Although biological factors may predispose some people to anxiety, the main ‘culprit’ is generally some early life experience or experiences that triggered a problem and remained ‘trapped’ in a person's nervous system.
Objective
The aim of this case report is to show the use and efficacy of EMDR in GAD treatment after a long-term pharmacological approach.
Methods
After a long-term exclusively pharmacological approach, a client visited the psychologist, who carried out her psychological assessment, provided her with psychoeducational services and explained a possibility of EMDR technique application.
Case report
The client, aged 45, married, is a mother of two daughters, who are also married. She lives with her husband with whom she has developed an ‘addictive’ relationship. On the first visit, the client was visibly anxious, showing a lower level of independence compared to her assessed abilities, while, with a great despair, she pointed out the length of her treatment with various medications.
Having agreed upon the EMDR treatment application, the client received the standard protocol during 10 sessions that lasted between 60 and 90 minutes.
Treatment efficacy evaluation was objectivized with an application of the symptom checklist (SCL-90-R), which showed disappearance of the symptoms.
Six months after the treatment the client gave a subjective verbal report stating not only no return of the symptoms but also that her functionality had significantly improved, and that there were positive changes in her life such as travelling and going on a summer vacation, which had been previously unimaginable activities for her.
Conclusion
Application of EMDR therapy technique to overcome cognitive, psychological and behavioral GAD symptoms after a long-term psychopharmaceuticals usage has shown a remarkable efficacy in overcoming symptoms as well as a significant improvement of functionality, leading to positive changes in life such as travelling and going on a summer vacation, which were previously unimaginable activities for the client.