EMDR: An Effective Treatment for Anxiety
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting millions of people worldwide.
As a therapist with over 25 years of experience, I am always looking for effective ways to help clients manage anxiety. For the past five years, I have incorporated Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) into my work with children, teens, and adults. I have seen how it can help some clients reduce the distress connected to anxious thoughts, memories, and triggers.
In this article, I’ll explain how EMDR may help with anxiety, including anxiety that is not necessarily connected to a clearly identified trauma.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapy treatment that was originally designed to help people deal with traumatic and painful memories.
Now, EMDR is also shown to be helpful in treating many types of anxiety.
According to the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA), EMDR is based on the idea that our minds can heal from emotional pain, like anxiety, much like how our bodies recover from physical injuries.
How EMDR Helps with Anxiety
Here's how EMDR can help with Anxiety:
Understanding and Lessening Anxiety Triggers: EMDR helps identify and work through the root causes of anxiety, which may include past experiences, current stressors, or worries about the future.
Shifting Negative Beliefs About Yourself: EMDR helps you change negative beliefs about yourself that increase your anxiety, replacing them with more helpful thoughts. For example, changing "I'm not safe" to "I can handle this."
Reducing Emotional Upset Of Anxiety Triggers: EMDR can help lessen the emotional upset of anxiety-provoking thoughts or situations.
Help Reduce the Physical Symptoms Of Anxiety: EMDR can help ease the physical symptoms of anxiety; such as rapid heartbeat, sweating, or muscle tension.
EMDR for Different Types of Anxiety
EMDR has shown to be helpful in treating many types of anxiety disorders:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): EMDR can help reduce worry thoughts and shift your perspective on anxiety-triggering situations.
Panic Disorder: EMDR may help process frightening experiences associated with panic attacks and reduce the fear of experiencing another attack.
Social Anxiety: EMDR can help reduce anxiety around social experiences and shift internal beliefs about social interactions.
Phobias: EMDR can reduce the intensity of specific fears. Here are three common fears that affect kids, teens, and adults, which EMDR can help with:
Fear of throwing up: An intense fear of vomiting that can affect eating habits and daily activities.
Fear of public speaking: Extreme nervousness about speaking in front of others, which can impact school, work, and social situations.
Fear of dogs: An overwhelming fear of dogs that can limit outdoor activities and social interactions.
Research on EMDR for Anxiety
Here are some research studies that show that EMDR is effective in treating anxiety:
This study in the Journal of EMDR Practice and Research (2019) showed how EMDR can help prevent anxiety for children who are about to have medical procedures: https://doi.org/10.1891/1933-3196.13.3.163
A study in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders (2017) found that adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) showed significant reduction in anxiety symptoms after EMDR treatment, with effects maintained at 6-month follow-up: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337565768_Efficacy_of_EMDR_Therapy_for_Anxiety_Disorders
Another study in the Archives of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (2015) showed the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in reducing worry in patients with generalized anxiety disorder: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276816832_The_effectiveness_of_eye_movement_desensitization_and_reprocessing_EMDR_in_reducing_pathological_worry_in_patients_with_generalized_anxiety_disorder_A_preliminary_study
EMDR: A Powerful Tool for Overcoming Anxiety
Here’s a recap of how EMDR can help with different kinds of anxiety. Remember EMDR isn't just for trauma - it can help with many types of anxiety that affect everyday life:
Constant Worry: If you're always thinking "what if" and can't seem to relax, EMDR can help calm those racing thoughts.
Panic Attacks: EMDR can help reduce the fear of having a panic attack and lessen its intensity when it does happen.
Social Worries: If social situations make you nervous, EMDR can help you feel more comfortable around others.
Specific Fears: EMDR is great for tackling those specific fears we talked about earlier. It can help you process these fears so they have less power over your life.
Performance Jitters: Whether it's test anxiety or nervousness about a work presentation, EMDR can help you feel more confident.
EMDR can help some people process experiences, beliefs, and triggers that contribute to anxiety. Treatment is individualized, and whether EMDR is appropriate depends on your symptoms, history, and therapy goals.
You can learn more about how I use EMDR and trauma therapy for adults in my practice. I provide virtual for adults throughout New York, Connecticut, Florida, and Delaware.
If you would like to discuss whether EMDR may be helpful for you, please click the button below to set up a 15-minute free consultation.