Can EMDR Therapy Help with Anxiety? We Think So

If you suffer from anxiety, you are likely aware of the impact it has on your life.

It can be exhausting to worry and can impact your overall health and wellbeing.

Anxiety is like your body’s built-in alarm system sending alerts of worry and fear throughout your day and into the night.

Sometimes, it’s obvious what’s causing it, like when you’re about to take a big test.

Other times, it comes out of nowhere.

You may be feeling more anxiety recently with current changes happening in our country and around the world.

This is normal and a signal to you that you may be at risk of harm.

Sometimes your body reacts as if you’re facing a real threat when there is no apparent threat present.

Read More: “Common Questions About Anxiety Answered”

Your heart races, you start sweating, and your muscles tense up. It’s your nervous system triggering your fight-or-flight response.

While this response can be helpful in actual dangerous situations, it’s not so great when you’re relaxing on the couch and suddenly feel panicky for no apparent reason.

You might find that anxiety affects you in different ways.

While some anxiety is normal, for many people, it becomes overwhelming and interferes with daily life.

When anxiety symptoms interfere in this way, it may mean it has developed into an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorders can manifest as generalized anxiety, panic attacks, agoraphobia, excessive worry, social fears, or obsessive-compulsive behaviors.

It’s important to remember, if you’re struggling with anxiety, you’re not alone.

People with anxiety often overestimate dangers and underestimate their ability to cope. This tendency can stem from how your brain processes and stores past experiences.

Understanding the root causes of your anxiety is an essential step toward managing it effectively.

By recognizing your thought patterns, you can start to challenge unhelpful beliefs and develop healthier coping strategies.

How Does Anxiety Affect Your Life?

Anxiety can turn your world upside down, impacting every aspect of your daily life.

You might find yourself constantly on edge, with your heart racing and breathing shallow. Avoiding social situations may become the norm as you fear judgment or panic attacks.

Your mind may be a whirlwind of worry, replaying conversations and imagining worst-case scenarios.

Read More: “Curious About Anxiety Treatment? We Have Answers”

At work or school, you might struggle to focus, feeling like you’re in a fog. Sleep becomes elusive, leaving you irritable and restless.

These symptoms can significantly hinder your performance and relationships, making even simple tasks feel overwhelming.

The physical and emotional toll of anxiety can be exhausting and lead to emotional distress.

How Can EMDR Therapy Help with Anxiety?

Originally developed for the treatment of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), EMDR therapy has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of many anxiety-related disorders.

Think of anxiety as your body’s alarm system — it’s trying to warn you about potential danger. With EMDR, you and your therapist become anxiety detectives, uncovering the root causes of your worries.

Whether it’s tied to past traumas, current stressors, or future fears, EMDR therapy helps you address these.

Using an eight-phase protocol developed by Francine Shaprio, an EMDR trained therapist will integrate this approach into your therapy.

This approach connects your current anxiety symptoms and triggers to negative beliefs and unresolved stressful events.

Your therapist will tailor the treatment to your specific needs, whether you’re dealing with general anxiety, anxiety in relationships, panic attacks, phobias, or OCD.

They’ll consider your cultural background and personal experiences, ensuring a treatment plan that resonates with you.

Together, you’ll develop coping strategies and process anxiety-fueling events and triggers at a pace that feels comfortable and effective for you.

During EMDR therapy, you’ll explore the root of your anxiety with your therapist.

Read More: “Understanding EMDR Therapy and Ways It Can Support You on Your Healing Journey”

Unlike general talk therapy like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), EMDR therapy incorporates using eye movements or other bilateral stimulation to integrate and process your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations related to your anxiety experience.

By focusing on these memories while engaging in bilateral stimulation, you can reprocess negative associations l leading to a reduction in anxiety symptoms.

It’s normal to doubt that your feelings can change, but EMDR therapy helps transform raw, vivid memories into less distressing forms.

The process also challenges negative beliefs like “I’m not in control” and strengthens positive ones such as “I am capable.”

Your therapist will guide you through multiple sessions, helping you return to a calm state after each.

While it may seem daunting at first, many find EMDR an effective tool for processing anxiety-inducing experiences and building resilience.

So, can EMDR help with your anxiety? The research suggests it just might.

While it’s not a magic cure, EMDR has shown promise in assisting many people to manage their anxiety symptoms.

If you’ve tried other treatments for anxiety without success, it could be worth giving EMDR a shot.

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Our clinicians at Denver Metro Counseling are EMDR trained and have seen first hand the positive impacts this approach to working with anxiety has on reducing anxiety symptoms for many of our clients.

In addition to EMDR therapy, our clinicians are trained in other helpful therapy approaches for anxiety including: Brainspotting, somatic therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and polyvagal informed approaches.

Visit our website to learn more about each of our therapist on our clinical team, and to learn more about EMDR therapy.

Follow us on instagram at @denvermetrocounseling for more helpful tips, education, and helpful articles.