EMDR can help you, even if memories are not fully present. Almost everyone will experience some form of trauma in their lifetime. You’ve survived it, so why remember it? The problem is, no matter how hard your brain tries to forget it, you may still end up with this uneasy feeling that you can’t quite put a finger on.
EMDR research started with its use for PTSD treatment. There has been evidence showing positive outcomes with other psychological issues. Depression stems from negative or overwhelming life experiences. Some of these experiences can also be traumatic. So the tie-in here can be significant. Being able to identify the cause of the depression and reprocess how a person deals with those experiences can be helpful in overcoming the negative aspects.
The way EMDR and many other therapies now conceptualize trauma is with a much broader scope than traditionally thought. It isn’t just limited veterans who have seen combat or people who were abused as children - though those experiences certainly qualify as trauma and often result in a PTSD diagnosis.
Trauma can get stuck in your nervous system in a multisensory way. You hear, see, and feel things when you recall the event or become triggered in some way. Some of the memory is real mixed with things you imagine. Regardless, your body holds it all in your nervous system in an unfinished, unresolved state.
EMDR neuroscience has discovered that over just a few sessions, your therapist can assist improved communication between your amygdala and the hippocampus. As you and your therapist successfully process painful memories, stress is reduced, and somatic symptoms lessen. A high degree of mental and emotional arousal is decreased as flashbacks, nightmares, or panic attacks start to fade.
EMDR works by supporting the brain’s ability to shift its perspective and strengthen its own positive networks. Thanks to such neuroplasticity (the brain’s capacity to develop entirely new neural pathways) the research indicates that distress can be overcome. You can alleviate what bothers you quickly and effectively. In other words, you can adapt and thrive. You can trust the evidence.
