Using eye movement desensitisation reprocessing therapy as a tool to wean off ADHD medication: Two case reports

Eye movement desensitisation reprocessing (EMDR) therapy was developed by Francine Shapiro following an incidental discovery in 1987 of how eye movements during a walk in the park decreased negative emotions associated with distressing memories. Although it was first used only for posttraumatic stress disorder, it is now used for a range of mental health conditions. EMDR uses what is called adaptive information processing as its theoretical model. This model posits that ‘except for symptoms caused by organic deficits, toxicity, or injury, the primary foundations of mental health disorders are unprocessed memories of earlier life experiences’ and that if there is ‘sufficient processing of those accessed memories’, adverse life experiences that have been stored maladaptively can be processed to adaptive resolution, transforming the adverse experience into ‘a source of strength and resilience’ (Shapiro, 2014).

Journal

English

Dennisa Davidson

Davidson, D. (2024). Using eye movement desensitisation reprocessing therapy as a tool to wean off ADHD medication: Two case reports. Journal of the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists, 34(1), 40–48. doi:10.5281/zenodo.10939137