What Happens if You Can’t Remember Past Trauma During EMDR Therapy?
One of the most common worries people have when considering EMDR is that they won’t be able to uncover or recall the root-cause memories related to their trauma. Our bodies release a powerful cocktail of stress hormones in response to trauma, and those hormones cause changes to how we form and retain memories. The part of your brain responsible for storing memories in an orderly manner, is also “offline” during times of heightened stress or trauma, which certainly doesn’t help! It’s reasonable to be concerned that you won’t get much from therapy without knowing where to start. Thankfully, EMDR is excellent at treating cases precisely like those.
EMDR & bilateral stimulation
EMDR therapy utilizes rapid eye movements in order to trigger areas of the brain where unconscious memories are stored. During an EMDR session, a trained or certified EMDR therapist instructs the client on certain eye movements or sounds, in an attempt to trigger and isolate the physical symptoms and sensations associated with their trauma. This process is called bilateral stimulation.
As an example, one patient may have a deep-seated traumatic memory related to their mother or father. Although they can’t consciously recall it, they experience a general sense of anxiety connected to that memory. This anxiety may present through physical symptoms like nausea, light-headedness, quicker heart rate, and so forth. During EMDR therapy, the guided movements of the eyes are designed to trigger and isolate the positions of the eyes that activate the areas of the brain where those memories are stored.
Whether or not the client can recall a specific memory is somewhat irrelevant. Once EMDR has uncovered an active link of that sort, it can be processed and cleared. This process of bilateral stimulation is the prelude to helping re-establish the sense of safety and security that is necessary to re-wire that instinctual fight-or-flight response.
You don’t have to remember the trauma in order for EMDR therapy to be effective. Begin Intensive EMDR treatment in Ohio for trauma and PTSD symptoms.
Other avenues of approach
When a client has trouble specifically recalling their traumatic memory, certified EMDR therapists have other tools at their disposal to allow them to help. Some of those may include:
Processing negative thoughts
Focusing on physical symptoms & sensations
Exploring childhood memories
During this process, a therapist can work with you to help understand and explore those emotions, and examine those negative thoughts in a secure, judgment-free environment.
How can EMDR help?
Even without having uncovered specific memories or traumatic events, EMDR can help relieve the impact of trauma-related symptoms on your daily life. Some of the most common symptoms that EMDR is used to treat include:
Anxiety
Depression
Panic attacks
Sexual concerns
Grief & loss
Medical concerns
Sleep disturbances
Performance anxiety
After EMDR Therapy, many clients report a sense of relief from prior trauma, greater ease in navigating their day-to-day concerns and relationships, and a feeling of freedom from the past.
Holistic approach
While EMDR is a powerful tool on its own, it can also be combined with other forms of therapy to improve effectiveness. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy works very well in coordination with EMDR as a goal-oriented, action-driven form of therapy.
In coordination with other types of therapies, EMDR is able to relieve people of intrusive thoughts and unhealthy behaviors. Another option for those with issues recalling traumatic memories is to participate in an EMDR Intensive. Intensives allow for more time to explore thoughts and memories and move through therapy in a quicker, more succinct manner.
Scheduling a consultation
Please feel free to reach out to learn more about EMDR Therapy. You don’t have to struggle with the ghosts of the past.
Whether you’re carrying the weight of trauma, navigating pain and shame around intimacy, or feeling buried under the mental load of daily life, you don't have to keep doing it alone. Profound healing is possible, intimacy is worth fighting for, and the right support can change everything.
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