EMDR therapy covered by Kaiser insurance
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by flashbacks, nightmares, unwanted thoughts and anxiety. These are related to perceived disturbing events that may have been experienced or witnessed by someone in the past. This disorder can significantly decrease a person’s quality of life. Other mental health problems such as panic disorder, phobias and depression also affect large numbers of people in society. Your Kaiser insurance now covers treatment of such mental health disorders. There are various therapeutic options for the treatment of such problems. Westside Behavioral Care together with Kaiser Permanente helps people to overcome mental health issues such as PTSD and also others mentioned above, so they can live happier lives. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR in short, is one such therapeutic technique that works effectively to treat PTSD and other anxiety disorders.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapeutic technique that helps patients deal with stress associated with traumatic memories. When a patient remembers disturbing and traumatic thoughts, images and memories, it generates a psychological as well as physiological response. In EMDR, the patient under the guidance of a therapist, tries to recount the disturbing thoughts in small, sequential doses while at the same time focusing on external stimuli. Lateral eye movements directed by the therapist are most commonly used, but other stimuli such as hand tapping and audio stimulation are often used. For example, the therapist may move her hands around your face and you follow the movements with your eyes.
History of EMDR
EMDR was first developed by Francine Shapiro, an American psychologist in 1988, when she noticed that certain eye movements reduced the intensity of a disturbing thought. Intending to take her idea further, in 1988, she conducted a scientific study with trauma victims. Her research was published in the Journal of traumatic stress in 1989. Her hypothesis was that when a stressful or traumatic event occurs, it may overwhelm the normal coping mechanisms in the mind and the body. The event, thoughts and memories are not processed completely and are stored in isolated memory networks. With EMDR, patients are able to process the memories better and hence overcome them.
EMDR Process
There are 8 stages of EMDR therapy. These are: initial history discovery and treatment planning, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure, and then reevaluation.
How does EMDR help?
You may learn skills to deal with stressful situations and unwanted memories. It also helps your mind and your body to relax. Experts think that focusing on movements and sounds while thinking or talking about traumatic memories will change the way your mind reacts to memories of your trauma. The scientific basis of EMDR is: When you focus on movements or sounds while recollecting disturbing memories, information is processed. This happens in such a way that your brain adapts to deal with it in a positive way. This leads to complete information processing to overcome distress. It also facilitates new cognitive learning and insights. EMDR therapy shows that just like the body can heal from physical injuries and trauma, the mind too can overcome psychological trauma. Various studies have found the effectiveness of EMDR in treating many mental health disorders, especially PTSD. EMDR, covered by Kaiser Permanente, is now recognized as an effective form of treatment for PTSD. Various organizations, such as the World Health Organization, the American Psychiatric Association and the Department of Defense. How long does EMDR take? It would depend on the severity of the trauma and the kinds of memories the patient is dealing with
For what other disorders is EMDR helpful? Depression: Various studies have shown that EMDR can be an effective option for treating depression. The therapeutic practices used in EMDR can provide patients with many cognitive benefits and help them overcome depression. Anxiety-related disorders: According to studies, EMDR can be helpful for anxiety disorders such as Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), distress issues due to body image and other anxiety disorders Others: EMDR can help with psychosis, borderline personality disorder and even psychosomatic disorders. It can help reduce suicide rates and helps develop self-esteem in patients. EMDR can also help with high stress levels, panic disorder, anxiety, addictions, dissociative disorders, depression, sexual concerns, trauma (emotional, physical, sexual), loss, low self esteem
EMDR, Westside Behavioral Care and Kaiser Permanente
Westside Behavioral Care has teamed up with Kaiser Permanente and Kaiser insurance to provide solutions to several mental health disorders, including PTSD and anxiety disorders. Kaiser believes in the fact that mental health is as important as physical health, if not more. Your Kaiser insurance now covers treatment of PTSD and other mental health disorders using Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Kindly get in touch with Westside Behavioral Care for more information. Click the link to find EDMR Therapist https://www.westsidebehavioralcare.com/therapist/specialty/emdr/