Sunday 23 April 2017

Can Eye Movement Therapy Help with Depression?



There are a number of effective treatments for depression. As a Cognitive Hypnotherapist I know that there is no single treatment that works for everybody which I why I have many treatment options for my clients with depression (and anxiety). I trained in Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT) over five years ago and nothing in my arsenal has been more useful in helping clients quickly and easily recover from this debilitating condition.

By treatment, I do mean treatment. I dont consider anti-depressants to be a treatment. When they work, all they tend to do is allow a little comfort within the shrinking world of the depressive. Anti-depressants temporarily cover the symptoms, they dont address the causes of the depression, they dont teach the client to make the necessary adjustments to their lives to make a full recovery.

So how does Depression start? We arent born depressed, were born inquisitive, excited and energetic. Life and parenting teaches us where to set boundaries on our behaviour by teaching us what behaviour is likely to be painful, unproductive or outside of our skill set. Sometimes the boundaries are appropriate (not touching a hot stove) sometimes they are over-cautious and for many people they often fail to update as our age and competences increase.

The GUILT that we feel about the way we broke-up with out first love, makes us feel unworthy or incapable of being in a loving relationship. After that turbulent flight, the PANIC that we feel about flying makes the idea of a foreign holiday too painful to consider. Being bullied at school filled us with RAGE, the same uncontrollable RAGE that now emerges when somebody cuts us off whilst driving, so now even driving is unsafe. At each stage some behaviour which could add to the quality of our life becomes a cause of pain and our assessment of our own competence is challenged so that we no longer feel capable of meeting the regular challenges of life.

Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT) works by removing the support structures of depression, but undoing the hold of these poorly learnt life lessons. IEMT is one of several Eye Movement therapies, such as EMDR and EMI which are becoming common in therapeutic circles. IEMT fits well within the Cognitive Hypnotherapy treatment methodology and is the only one that incorporates the Three Pillars of Depression model. The Three Pillar Model separates emotions into PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE based emotions. Painful memories from the past (Guilt, Shame, Regret, etc) makes us worry about how we will respond to events in the future (Panic, Anxiety, Worry, etc.) which tends to create distress leading to loss of control in the present moment (Rage, Anger, etc), which leads to incidents that make us feel Guilt, Shame, Remorse and so the cycle continues. Depression and anxiety are often diagnosed separately by doctors and, on the face of it, they seem at opposite ends of the diagnostic spectrum but in my experience, they nearly always appear together in my clients.

The good news is that by treating the Guilt, Shame, Regret, etc. or the Rage, Anger, etc. we remove that pillar from the vicious cycle and start to restore freedom of movement for the client, which restores behaviours they can enjoy and builds their self-esteem. In most cases the client wont know about this emotional conditioning until it is brought out in the therapy session. Whilst some memories are fresh, clients are often surprised about how some earlier and often long-forgotten memories have created a wave of havoc throughout their lives.

IEMT is a great way of treating these learnt emotional responses. We look for an emotional memory associated with one of the stand out emotions (e.g. Guilt) and by holding that memory in mind whilst the eyes are moved in certain precise ways, it quickly disrupts the memory. Within a few minutes a very painful memory can be reduced to something my client is totally indifferent about and this change does not reverse back over time. It doesnt always work but nearly always!

This might not be the only treatment offered but as each painful emotional experience is treated, the freedom is restored, the anticipation of the future becomes brighter and more engaging. The depression and the anxiety just dont work the way they used to. I use IAPT questionnaires which are widely used to assess levels of depression and anxiety. By talking with the client and using these measures in every session it becomes clear how effective the treatment has been and typically a three-four week treatment is enough to restore the client to health. After each treatment, the client will know that something is different, they dont need to worry that something will shift after four weeks their internal experience is different from the start. Some clients need more help or a different treatment and thats easily established from early on in the treatments.

Many people that struggle with depression and anxiety struggle for years or decades and feel their condition is hopeless. Unfortunately NHS mental health treatment are very hit and miss and the standard treatment of using medication wont change the behaviours or emotional conditioning that lies at the heart of these conditions.

If you have any questions about IEMT treatments, please get in touch at simon@freedomhypnosis.co.uk.
Simon.

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