EMDR Therapy for Military Trauma
Military personnel, veterans, and civil servants who have served alongside arm services personnel are at an increased rate for job-related trauma exposure. The US Department of Veteran affairs reports PTSD rates (post-traumatic stress disorder) ranging from 12 to 22% of veterans. This includes trauma exposure from combat deployment, traumatic loss, and even sexual assault and sexual exploitation that may have been experienced while serving in the military. (Click here for more information on that research.)
As a result, the treatment of military-related PTSD is vitally important in serving this population. EMDR therapy is one of the most validated and researched interventions for PTSD treatment related to military trauma exposure, and the US Department of Veteran Affairs endorses its efficacy in treating veterans as a part of their trauma recovery journey. (Click here to learn more information on that research)
Today we will take a deeper dive into the use of EMDR therapy with military-related traumas and answer a few questions for those who may be considering EMDR therapy as a part of their trauma treatment and PTSD recovery.
If you were interested in learning more about EMDR therapy on a general level and how it differs from other forms of therapy, please visit our previous blog posts for more information on that discussion.
How EMDR therapy is different from other forms of therapy
When it comes to EMDR therapy and military trauma. Here are a few frequently asked questions:
How can EMDR therapy help military trauma?
EMDR therapy is a trauma treatment intervention aimed at reducing the distress and volatility of traumatic information as it is stored in the body and the brain. By reducing the distress associated with traumatic events, we are able to reduce the intensity, frequency, and presents of trauma-related symptoms. Some symptoms that are often reduced or resolved by EMDR therapy processing include:
Flashbacks
Night terrors
Invasive thoughts of a past event connected with current day trauma reminders
Emotional surges like sadness, anger, or fear
Hyperarousal, or feeling on edge or like you were always on guard
Physiological or body responses connected with current day trauma reminders
Maladaptive coping skills like addiction, substance use, avoidance, and more*.
*When we can address the root cause of the distress the brain is trying to avoid, we are able to reduce the symptoms associated with the traumatic event and reduce the need for the coping skills assisting in managing those uncomfortable and then tolerable trauma responses. Click here for more information on EDMR therapy as a treatment for addiction
What if some things just seem too hard or too big to think about or talk about? I don’t want to remember some of these events.
The role of an EMDR therapist is to help any client manage the level of distress that they are experiencing and process traumatic memories within what is referred to as “the window of tolerance“. EMDR therapists are trained to assist clients in managing the distress levels, and a well-trained EMDR therapist will utilize techniques to make sure that clients are able to work through the trauma without becoming overwhelmed, or exiting that window of tolerance. It is always suggested that individuals with high trauma exposure work with an EMDR therapist who is fully trained, certified, pursuing certification, and whose credentials are endorsed by EMDRIA, to ensure that the appropriate training and knowledge basis is held by the EMDR therapist assisting you in this delicate work. This type of trauma recovery work is hard, and having the right clinician partnering with you in this type of trauma treatment is critical. A list of certified therapists is available on the EMDRIA website, and you can access it here.
It is also important to note that EMDR therapy does not call up memories that were forgotten or access some form of information that was previously unknown to the client. There are times that people will remember or have more vivid recall of information, maybe that they have not thought about in quite some time, but the purpose of EMDR therapy is to process the information that the body and brain experienced in order to assist the body and brain in reaching a more healthy, functional state of being in the present life that we live.
What if there are some things that I don’t want to forget?
Similar to the question above, The goal of EMDR therapy is not to remember things that were forgotten or forget things that are remembered. The goal of EMDR therapy is to reduce the volatility and distress associated with memories and experiences and to resolve the symptoms associated with that traumatic exposure. While some of the explicit details may fade or shift slightly during the processing, individuals who participate in EMDR therapy will not explicitly forget the events that occurred, but oftentimes report that they have a better understanding and more functional memory or recall of the event. More specifically, for those who are concerned about processing events where someone important was lost or significant elements of grief are involved, individuals often reported that they are able to better remember the person that was lost, rather than simply or primarily remembering the traumatic content associated with the loss.
What if there are things that I am not allowed to talk about?
One of the unique challenges that military personnel at times face is the requirement to keep information to themselves, and that information may simultaneously be distressing, traumatizing, or problematic for them. One of the amazing benefits of EMDR therapy is that distress reduction and processing can happen without the therapist knowing the specific details and context of protected information related to the distress. As long as the client can notice what elements of contents are coming up in the memory that is being processed, effective EMDR therapy and trauma treatment related to that distressing event can occur.
Are you interested in learning more about EMDR therapy and how it may help you in your trauma therapy journey? Our team of therapist is ready to help. Visit us in our Arlington, Tx counseling group office or online through our confidential online therapy services.
