How Does EMDR Treat Anxiety?

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is often used to treat the effects of trauma and PTSD. However, this science-backed approach is gaining popularity when it comes to addressing and helping with a variety of other mental health conditions, including anxiety.

EMDR doesn’t take away the triggers and thoughts that might be causing your anxiety. However, it can help to reframe the way you perceive those thoughts, giving them less power and control and taking away a lot of the fear and worry that contribute to your symptoms.

Let’s take a closer look at how EMDR treats anxiety so you can determine whether it’s the right option for you.

How Does EMDR Work?

EMDR employs a process called bilateral stimulation to simultaneously activate both hemispheres of the brain. This process requires you to focus on a specific anxious or negative thought while your therapist guides your eye movements back and forth. This is part of the “desensitization” stage. Again, it doesn’t take away the negative thought, but it can cause it to feel less distressing and overwhelming.

Next is the reprocessing stage of EMDR, where your therapist will help you change your perspective on your anxious thoughts. You can replace the negative thoughts with positive ones, so the things that once triggered your anxiety don’t have as much of an emotional impact.

Reframing your negative beliefs with more positive and adaptive ones won’t just reduce your anxiety but can also positively influence your entire well-being and quality of life.

Getting to the Root

EMDR can make it easier to get to the root cause of your anxiety. That’s not always easy to do when you’re utilizing more traditional forms of talk therapy. Some people have a hard time talking about what’s causing their anxiety or triggers. Others aren’t entirely sure.

While there is some talking involved in EMDR, you don’t have to go into a deep history of what’s causing your anxiety or cycle of negative thoughts. Rather, you can focus on one thing that’s triggering your anxiety now and use the process to feel more confident and in control of your mental well-being. Getting to the root of anxiety is often the best way of treating it while learning to manage your symptoms.

Increased Coping Skills

A large part of anxiety is learning how to cope with your thoughts, especially if you’re having a hard time pinning down exactly what’s causing them.

Because EMDR directly impacts the brain, it’s a great tool for boosting your coping skills and making it easier to not only deal with the anxiety you’re facing now but also the challenges you’ll face in the future.

Everyone experiences worry. It’s how you learn to handle and manage it that will make a difference. By learning effective coping skills through EMDR, it’s less likely that your anxiety will resurface and take over in the future, no matter what challenges you face.

Is EMDR Right for You?

If there’s a silver lining when it comes to anxiety, it’s that it’s often a very manageable and even treatable mental health condition. However, it’s nearly impossible to manage on your own, and the burden of trying to do so can make your anxiety even worse.

While EMDR isn’t yet as common as more traditional forms of talk therapy, it’s seeing a rise in popularity for a reason. It’s a great way to change the way you perceive and handle your anxious thoughts rather than trying to “get rid of them.”

If you’re interested in learning more about EMDR for anxiety, feel free to reach out with any questions or to set up an appointment soon.