Healing Trauma and Emotional Pain with EMDR
For most of the history of psychotherapy, we've had to guess at how the brain really works. Until recently, researchers believed that all brain development occurred before age 5 or so. But as we learn more about Neurology through research and brain imaging we now know that the brain continues to develop throughout our lives.
Now we know that neurons - the cells of the brain - work in linked clusters or groups. When new information or input is familiar or similar to something from our past, the memory of the past event is often triggered. Game shows that play a snippet of a song rely on this aspect of brain functioning - if we know the song, our neurons will access the next several notes or words until we remember the name of the song. Repetition makes neural pathways stronger - which is why repetition helps us learn and memorize information.
Trauma
Emotional wounds tend to be caused in two ways. One of these is Trauma with a capital "T." These are usually single, dangerous, often life-threatening events. Rape, combat, abuse, and natural disaster are some examples. The intensity of these events and the emotion that goes with them seem to make the neural pathways very strong. That's why similar sounds, places, or sensations can trigger flashbacks and emotions that are painful, scary or just too strong for the current situation.
The other way we suffer emotional wounds is much more subtle - trauma with a small "t." Playground (or workplace) humiliations, frequent criticism, and persistent lack of love or support are some examples of this more common type of trauma. These traumas tend to be less intense when seen as individual events, but they are often chronic. The repetition strengthens neural pathways. As with big "T" trauma, similar events in the present trigger reactions that are extremely uncomfortable - and seem "overblown" - compared to the triggering event.
Whether the trauma is the big "T" kind or the little "t" kind, the cluster of neurons associated with it appear to get isolated from other neurons in the brain. That's why we may know logically that we are safe, that our job is secure, that we are loved - but we still experience the painful emotions and body sensations (heart racing, sweating, blushing) that tell us something bad is happening. This process, in turn, can lead us to believe there is something wrong with us - which intensifies the problem and makes it even harder to address (because our natural inclination is to avoid feelings of shame).
Our reactions may include intense anxiety, anger, sadness, avoidance, self-blame, low self-esteem, over-eating (drinking, shopping, gambling, working, sexing) or other avoiding/distracting behaviors.
Fortunately, we have a built-in mechanism for healing. Based on recent research on EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) - the treatment of choice for trauma - theorists believe that eye movements in REM sleep help the neurons associated with trauma connect to the neurons that hold new, more realistic and adaptive information. By stimulating both hemispheres of the brain, it seems that this new information becomes integrated into the old, changing the distorted feelings, beliefs and behaviors.
EMDR therapists simulate the right-left movement of REM sleep by asking clients to watch an object as it moves back and forth (or listen to a tone that moves from right ear to left ear) while discussing disturbing or traumatic thoughts. As a result, most (85%) clients tend to feel immediate relief and are often free of painful symptoms within a few sessions.
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