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The mysterious healing effect of EMDR: Why do eye movements affect trauma?
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, since its creation by Francine Shapiro in 1987, has become an important treatment for combating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, within the psychology community, its effectiveness has been controversial. Although the World Health Organization and medical institutions in many countries have expressed support for EMDR, many scholars have questioned its theoretical basis.
EMDR therapy combines lateral eye movements and the process of recalling traumatic experiences in the hope of reducing negative emotions. But the scientific basis for this approach remains to be explored.
The healing process of EMDR
EMDR treatment usually requires several sessions, each lasting 60 to 90 minutes. During treatment, patients are asked to recall images, sentences, and emotions that represent trauma, and then receive left and right eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation. This process will hopefully allow the patient to reevaluate the trauma in a relatively safe environment.
According to 2013 World Health Organization guidance, the goals of EMDR are to reduce subjective feelings of distress and enhance adaptive beliefs about traumatic events.
Reflections from the professional community
Although EMDR has been recognized by some organizations, such as the American Psychological Association, which recommends its use in the treatment of adult PTSD, the scientific theory behind it still triggers widespread discussion. Critics charge that EMDR lacks verifiability in some aspects, and that improvements in its efficacy are mostly due to the treatment process itself rather than the effects of eye movements.
Many experts regard EMDR as a purple hat therapy, that is, the therapeutic effect mainly comes from the traditional treatment method it draws on, rather than its unique treatment method.
Potential effects of EMDR
Many studies have compared the effectiveness of EMDR and found that EMDR is equally effective in treating PTSD when compared with trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT). However, critics have also raised questions about the quality of the data and the design of the studies, pointing out that many studies have problems such as small samples and poor control groups.
Mechanism Discussion and Controversy
The understanding of the mechanism of EMDR is still not clear enough. Shapiro believes that trauma can lead to incomplete processing of information, thereby affecting memory. In this theory, bilateral stimulation is thought to help reprogram these incompletely digested memories, however there is currently no widely accepted scientific evidence to support this.
Some scholars have suggested that eye movements may affect working memory, thereby alleviating and alleviating negative emotions.
Social acceptance of EMDR
Among celebrities, many have also publicly expressed their use of EMDR for treatment. For example, Britain's Prince Harry and Hollywood star Sandra Bullock both shared their EMDR journeys and said the therapy helped them. However, do these experiences imply scientific validity?
Conclusion
The existence of EMDR continues to challenge our understanding of psychotherapy. As a therapy, its efficacy and theoretical mechanisms are still being debated and discussed. With the development of the field of psychology, what progress will be made in the understanding of EMDR in the future?
