Trauma Therapy for ADHD Adults, Kids

Simply as overeating can overwhelm our digestive programs and trigger us to develop signs of indigestion, traumatic experiences can get “caught” in our nervous system, resulting in ongoing misery and adverse feelings and beliefs. Eye motion desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) remedy helps people heal from the experiences that hang-out them fairly than merely study to deal with them.

EMDR might be particularly helpful for adults with ADHD or comorbid circumstances, similar to anxiousness, despair, or post-traumatic stress dysfunction (PTSD), as a result of it targets underlying traumatic experiences (i.e., childhood abuse, disgrace, neglect, bullying, and so on.) which will contribute to signs. The evidence-based remedy works by participating a number of neurophysiological processes, which is a flowery approach of claiming that EMDR depends on the nervous system’s pure therapeutic skills to reprocess a distressing reminiscence or expertise, in the end decreasing or eliminating debilitating signs.¹

The important thing element of EMDR is bilateral stimulation (BLS) — the remedy doesn’t work with out it. BLS stimulates either side of the mind via eye actions, tapping, or listening to alternating tones. It stimulates comparable processes skilled in the course of the fast eye motion (REM) sleep section, a vital a part of reminiscence consolidation. BLS “taxes” or “breaks” a focused reminiscence, making it onerous for a shopper to give attention to it inflicting the reminiscence to lose its adverse emotional cost. A shopper can nonetheless recall a adverse reminiscence simply with out the adverse emotions.

Table of Contents

How Does EMDR Work?

A false impression about EMDR is that it’s a magic bullet and can work seamlessly for everybody. That’s not true. The remedy takes time and preparation to work successfully. The shopper and therapist give attention to constructing coping expertise and a protected therapeutic relationship earlier than figuring out reminiscences to focus on and deal with utilizing EMDR strategies.

In whole, EMDR remedy consists of eight phases, together with: ²,³

EMDR Section 1: Shopper Historical past

The therapist takes an in depth shopper historical past to determine their readiness and suitability for therapy.

EMDR Section 2: Preparation

The therapist units affordable expectations and trains the shopper on numerous self-control strategies to keep up stability between and in the course of the classes.

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EMDR Section 3: Evaluation

The shopper and therapist collectively determine the goal reminiscence on which they are going to work.

EMDR Section 4: Desensitization

The shopper makes use of BLS to vary the focused reminiscence’s trauma-related sensory experiences and associations.

EMDR Section 5: Set up

The shopper identifies the brand new optimistic statements and associations they maintain concerning the expertise, now that it’s resolved.

EMDR Section 6: Physique Scan

The shopper scans their physique for any somatic response associated to the focused reminiscence. If current, the therapist targets this physique sensation for additional processing.

EMDR Section 7: Closure

The therapist explains what to anticipate between classes and asks the shopper to document any disturbances skilled between classes. The therapist additionally takes time to assist relieve any misery from the session so the shopper feels regulated upon leaving the session.

EMDR Section 8: Reassessment

The therapist evaluates the EMDR therapy’s effectiveness.

A typical EMDR session lasts one hour; nevertheless, some therapists provide intensive classes for 90 minutes or a number of hours. It could take a number of classes to course of a focused reminiscence. Shoppers who’ve skilled advanced trauma might have a number of months of EMDR remedy; shoppers who have already got coping expertise and aren’t afraid to really feel feelings and physique sensations might quickly transfer via EMDR therapy in a couple of weeks. It relies on the shopper’s objectives, the energy of their nervous system, and what number of reminiscences should be processed.

After a profitable EMDR session, my shoppers usually expertise decreased misery and vividness related to the adverse reminiscence and report {that a} beforehand tough expertise “now not bothers them.” Additionally they report decreased signs related to the reminiscence and extra peace and pleasure of their lives.

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EMDR for Kids

EMDR remedy just isn’t solely applicable for adults. It’s a child-friendly and developmentally applicable remedy for youngsters and adolescents. Therapists can tailor EMDR therapy to satisfy the wants of every baby by utilizing enjoyable and interesting strategies, similar to storytelling, drawing, and play remedy, to assist youngsters really feel protected and cozy whereas processing their traumas.

Extra importantly, EMDR remedy will help youngsters with ADHD and comorbid circumstances develop coping expertise and techniques to handle their signs extra successfully. For instance, it could possibly train them leisure strategies to scale back anxiousness, enhance their skill to focus and full duties, and assist them develop wholesome communication and relationship expertise.

It is very important observe that EMDR might be an awesome and susceptible remedy; therapy ought to solely happen with a skilled EMDR skilled — and solely after each the skilled and shopper are prepared for it.

By serving to people course of and launch adverse feelings related to traumatic experiences, EMDR remedy can alleviate anxiousness, despair, and PTSD signs and even cut back some signs related to ADHD. Whereas EMDR won’t alleviate an ADHD prognosis, it could possibly assist those that wrestle with ADHD signs stay a happier, extra productive life. EMDR helps shoppers to develop a extra optimistic self-image, self-confidence, and stay a greater high quality of life.

To discover a licensed EMDR skilled, go to emdria.org.

EMDR Remedy: Subsequent Steps

Rebecca Kase, MSW, LCSW, RYT, a member of emdria.org, and an emdria-approved coach and guide.

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