Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapy option that is beneficial for the treatment of a variety of mental health concerns, including depression. EMDR therapy offers the chance to reprocess harmful and traumatic memories that could be impacting your mental well-being.
At Promises, we offer EMDR therapy for depression. Our treatment programs provide personalized assistance that can help you understand what’s leading to the distressing symptoms you experience. Call Promises today at 844.875.5609 to learn more about your options.
Understanding EMDR Therapy
EMDR therapy is a treatment technique that uses bilateral stimulation to help you process traumatic memories. When you go through trauma, your brain might try to protect you by not processing the memory of it. Anything that triggers the stored trauma can jump-start a stress response that leads to anxiety and panic.
In many people, a traumatic memory can also cause depression. Depression is a mood disorder that causes symptoms such as:
- Low moods
- Fatigue
- Appetite changes
- Insomnia or over-sleeping
- Irritability
- Anhedonia
- Loss of interest in favorite activities
EMDR therapy for depression works by helping your mind reprocess experiences so that you can store them correctly and start healing. Bilateral stimulation can be achieved by doing specific eye movements, listening to sounds that alternate sides, and holding vibrating devices in each hand.
You can think of traumatic memories like wounds. Because they’re not healing correctly, they cause pain. By giving these wounds a chance to scar over, the distress can fade.
Benefits of EMDR Therapy
There are numerous benefits of EMDR therapy, making it an important therapeutic option for depression as well as many other mental health concerns.
EMDR Doesn’t Require Verbalizing Trauma
For many people, speaking of a traumatic experience is almost impossible to do. It can cause significant distress, making it difficult to incorporate any therapeutic techniques. EMDR, however, doesn’t require that you speak about the memory. You only have to think about it. That can prevent you from feeling re-traumatized.
EMDR Works With Many Conditions
EMDR therapy is effective on a variety of mental health conditions. That’s important for people who may be struggling with anxiety and depression and need to find an option that works well for both.
EMDR Offers Faster Results
When beginning behavioral therapy, the thought of needing to spend weeks and months in treatment before seeing any change can be overwhelming. Although EMDR therapy isn’t a magical pill that will immediately improve your symptoms, it does tend to work faster than other options.
By combining it with other therapies, you can start seeing improvement while still participating in longer-term treatment.
EMDR Requires Less Homework
With other types of therapies, you might be encouraged to do a lot of journaling and other tasks. These are all helpful but may be difficult to complete if you’re having trouble staying motivated because of depressive symptoms. EMDR therapy doesn’t require any homework from you.
EMDR Is Adaptable
It’s easy to adapt EMDR therapy to fit your exact needs. You and your therapist can combine it with other therapeutic modalities, and you can use it as often or as little as you like.
Schedule an Appointment for EMDR Therapy at Promises Today
Many mental health conditions stem from traumatic experiences that haven’t been processed correctly. If you’re battling depression, anxiety, PTSD, or a number of other conditions, it’s possible that EMDR therapy could be the right treatment option for your needs.
At Promises, we offer a variety of options to help clients who are experiencing distressing symptoms. From residential to outpatient programs, we offer the exact level of care you require. Learn more about our services by calling Promises at 844.875.5609 or by reaching out through our convenient online contact form.