Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of psychotherapy used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by processing traumatic memories. It was developed by Francine Shapiro and uses eye movements combined with recalling a traumatic memory to reduce the emotional intensity of that memory. The therapy process involves identifying a disturbing memory or event, developing negative and positive beliefs about it, and using sets of eye movements while focusing on the memory to install the positive beliefs. EMDR addresses past, present and future aspects of traumatic memories over multiple therapy sessions to fully process the memory.

2. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing ( EMDR ) is a form of psychotherapy that was developed to resolve symptoms resulting from disturbing and unresolved life experiences

3. It uses a structured approach to address past, present, and future aspects of disturbing memories . The approach was developed by Francine Shapiro to resolve the development of trauma -related disorders as resulting from exposure to a traumatic or distressing event, such as rape or military combat .

4. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

5. The three groups of symptoms that are required to assign the diagnosis of PTSD are recurrent re-experiencing of the trauma (for example, troublesome memories, flashbacks that are usually caused by reminders of the traumatic events, recurring nightmares about the trauma and/or dissociative reliving of the trauma), avoidance to the point of having a phobia of places, people, and experiences that remind the sufferer of the trauma and a general numbing of emotional responsiveness, and chronic physical signs of hyperarousal , including sleep problems, trouble concentrating, irritability, anger, poor concentration, blackouts or difficulty remembering things, increased tendency and reaction to being startled, and hypervigilance to threat.

6. Although EMDR is established as an evidence-based treatment for PTSD two main perspectives on EMDR therapy. First, Shapiro proposed that although a number of different processes underlie EMDR, the eye movements add to the therapy's effectiveness by evoking neurological and physiological changes that may aid in the processing of the trauma memories being treated. The other perspective is that the eye movements are an epiphenomenon , unnecessary, and that EMDR is simply a form of desensitization

7. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an emotional illness that usually develops as a result of a terribly frightening, life-threatening, or otherwise highly unsafe experience. PTSD sufferers re-experience the traumatic event or events in some way, tend to avoid places, people, or other things that remind them of the event (avoidance), and are exquisitely sensitive to normal life experiences (hyperarousal

8. According to Francine Shapiro 's theory when a traumatic or distressing experience occurs, it may overwhelm usual ways of coping and the memory of the event is inadequately processed; the memory is dysfunctionally stored in an isolated memory network .

9. When this memory network is activated, the individual may re-experience aspects of the original event, often resulting in inappropriate overreactions. This explains why people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic incident may have recurring sensory flashbacks , thoughts, beliefs, or dreams. An unprocessed memory of a traumatic event can retain high levels of sensory and emotional intensity, even though many years may have passed.

11. anhedonia

13. The therapy process and procedures are according to Shapiro

22. The three groups of symptoms that are required to assign the diagnosis of PTSD are recurrent re-experiencing of the trauma (for example, troublesome memories, flashbacks that are usually caused by reminders of the traumatic events, recurring nightmares about the trauma and/or dissociative reliving of the trauma), avoidance to the point of having a phobia of places, people, and experiences that remind the sufferer of the trauma and a general numbing of emotional responsiveness, and chronic physical signs of hyperarousal , including sleep problems, trouble concentrating, irritability, anger, poor concentration, blackouts or difficulty remembering things, increased tendency and reaction to being startled, and hypervigilance to threat.