How EMDR Can Be Used to Treat Phobias
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder that causes extreme, consistent fear toward a specific object or situation. Phobias can cause a deep sense of dread and panic, they can impact your physical well-being, and they can make it difficult to uphold a positive quality of life, depending on what’s triggering your fear.
If you struggle with specific phobias, it can feel overwhelming or even hopeless to think that you’ll ever overcome your fears. However, it’s possible to treat phobias and move forward with your life.
EMDR can help.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is a safe and effective way to help you better understand your fear and work through it in such a way that will help you feel more in control. Let’s dig a little deeper into how EMDR can be used to treat phobias.
The Root of the Problem
By using bilateral stimulation, EMDR can help you better understand the source of your fear and where it actually comes from. Phobias don’t typically manifest out of nowhere. Maybe you had a specific experience in the past that caused your fear. Maybe you’ve experienced a certain type of trauma associated with your phobia.
Whatever the case, getting to the bottom of it is important. You might not always consciously remember what triggered your phobia, so being able to “open up” with EMDR will make this discovery process easier. Once you know what it is that caused such an extreme fear, you can start to fight back.
Changing Your Beliefs
Throughout the bilateral stimulation process, your therapist will work with you to reduce the emotional intensity surrounding your phobia. You’ll focus on specific thoughts while recognizing that you’re in a safe space, so those thoughts eventually become overwhelming.
When you aren’t a prisoner to negative thoughts or memories, you can start to challenge and change your beliefs. No matter what you’re scared of, your perspective can shift into a more positive one. EMDR can be used to treat phobias because it connects the limbic system to the prefrontal cortex. These areas are responsible for your emotions and logical thinking, respectively. When you access your phobic thoughts, you can reduce their emotional charge and fear.
Not only can your beliefs about the thing you fear change, but you’re also likely to notice a change in how you see yourself. EMDR helps you boost your own positive beliefs. That can build resilience and make you feel stronger and more confident as you move forward.
Phobias and Physical Symptoms
While a phobia is a mental health condition, it often manifests itself through physical symptoms. That’s especially true when you’re faced with the thing you fear. Phobias can cause trembling, sweating, and other somatic responses that can contribute to anxiety.
EMDR can help you process these reactions, as well. The more in control you are of your physical responses, the less likely it is for anxiety to completely take over. Your overall well-being will improve, and again, you’ll boost your confidence and resilience, recognizing that you can overcome this fear.
Finding Freedom from Phobias
When you’re dealing with a specific phobia, it’s easy to think you might never be able to overcome that kind of deeply-rooted fear. However, by understanding where that fear comes from and where it started, and being able to reprocess the thoughts that make it so overwhelming, you can take control of your life again. You don’t have to worry about the things that trigger you negatively impacting your day-to-day routine.
If you’re tired of letting specific phobias keep you from living the life you deserve, please consider EMDR as an option. If you have further questions or want more information about EMDR therapy in Colorado Springs, don’t hesitate to contact our office for a consultation.
