How Is EMDR Used to Treat Phobias?

Phobias are unusually strong fears that can have an effect on many aspects of your life. They can develop while you are still a child or when you are older.

While some phobias are outgrown, others remain strong or grow more difficult to ignore.

If you have a phobia of driving or of something else, you have probably heard of options like psychotherapy (talk therapy), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and drug therapy to treat your anxiety.

One interesting technique overlooked by many people seeking relief from their phobia (or depression) is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

EMDR allows you to reduce or eliminate the negative feelings associated with a traumatic incident in your life. The mental health professional helps you to do this by guiding you as you mentally revisit the trauma. He or she basically uses a simple, sensory distraction like a light or a noise to “trick” your brain into losing the negative association you have with the traumatic event. Instead, a new and less-threatening impression is formed around the event.

Over time, EMDR can help you to resolve some of your anxiety and function normally. This is invaluable to people who have phobias, which can cause them to miss work, avoid others, and miss out on experiences due to fear.

If you want to read more about EMDR (including how it works and what it can help treat) from a person who has gone through it before, visit the link below.

http://voices.yahoo.com/use-emdr-treat-phobias-traumas-8613609.html

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