Treating Patients By Using EMDR Therapy For PTSD

By Young Lindsay


Post traumatic stress disorder affects a lot of people who invariably display symptoms such as hallucinations, flashbacks, severe anxiety, and nightmares. By using EMDR therapy for PTSD, it helps patients manage the post trauma stress disorder and lead a better life. The events that induce this condition may be life threatening or tend to cause physical harm the individual. PTSD is a condition observed more in women when compared to men.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing- EMDR offers a comprehensive as well as integrative psychological approach in treating this disorder. Epidemiology of this syndrome shows that it has a prevalence of about 8 to 10 percent in a lifetime, and is responsible for a lot of disability and morbidity. It is more common among the female gender than in their male counterparts.

There is no age preference in this condition and it has been observed in all age groups. Causes of this syndrome include mainly physiological factors. The amygdala is a brain structure that plays an important role in the pathogenesis of this condition. Its activation by threatening stimuli can lead to fear, which results in activation of its related structures including the locus ceruleus, periaqueductal gray, hypothalamus, and the nuclei parabrachial.

There are predisposing factors associated with the disorder and they include the nature of exposure, individual characteristics, and resultant events. The individual elements which determine the occurrence of this disorder include genetic makeup, any psychiatric illness before the trauma event, and a family history of experiencing this syndrome. When looking at the characteristics of exposure, things like the duration, closeness to the place or event and the severity play a role too.

Risk factors as shown by research include attributes of the exposure, characteristics of an individual and aftermath aspects. Individual characteristics include their genetic predisposition, prior exposure, history of psychiatric problem, and a positive family history. The elements of exposure include the proximity, severity, and duration.

The chances of developing the disorders are also determined by hyperarousal as well as re-experiences. In order for a patient to show positive results from examination, they have to display some or all of these signs for about 30 days after the terrifying event. However, the period may vary significantly.

At times, it might even take months of years before one presents with symptoms. This syndrome may also have an impact on personal appearance and hygiene. Patients may show somatic symptoms such as general body weakness and malaise. Some patients develop complications, which range from psychiatric to medical. Its consequences can range from placid to severe and affect the lifestyle of the patient in a big way. Other patients may engage in using drugs or alcohol substances.

Treatment is both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy centered. Psychotherapy involves cognitive therapy, exposure therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy. In EMDR treatment, a therapists uses his or fingers and moves them back and forth on the eyes and asks the patients to follow the motions using the eyes. The therapist also asks the patients to recall the disturbing events. Therapists may also use other methods like toe tapping and musical tones.




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