Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
As I've discussed before, trauma can have a devastating effect on the mind and body. EMDR is one of the most widely used and successful treatments for addressing this kind of impact.
However, you do not have to undergo an overtly distressing event for it to affect you. An accumulation of smaller “everyday” or less pronounced events can still be traumatic: conflict in relationships, an emotionally distant parent or partner, racial / sexual discrimination. EMDR can help you overcome experiences like these, which may lead to persistent negative beliefs such as, "I don't belong," "I have to be perfect," or "I'm worthless."
EMDR is related to the process that happens when we dream, known as REM sleep. Learn more about how we activate this bilateral stimulation in the brain.
Read MoreLove addicts focus almost completely on the person to whom they are addicted. At the beginning, this feels fantastic. Eventually, as Love Addicts try harder and harder to manipulate the other person to live up to the mental image they have created -someone who will care for and love them the way they long to be cared for and loved- they experience repeated disappointments, because no one can satisfy these insatiable desires.
Tragically, Love Addicts are usually drawn to Love Avoidants, who tend to avoid commitment and healthy intimacy because they believe that they will be drained and engulfed by it. Unconsciously, however, both the Love Addict and the Love Avoidant have the same two fears: intimacy and being left. Read on for a deeper explanation.
Read MoreThe term narcissism gets thrown around a lot and, since it exists on a continuum, some cases are more obvious than others. For example, not all narcissists command the spotlight with their bold, brash personalities. Some narcissists demand the attention of the room by playing the victim or describing their problems as greater than anyone else’s problems. You may not immediately resonate with the idea of having a narcissistic parent or it may be uncomfortable for you to think of them in this way. However, as you begin to explore your childhood through a different lens, a more nuanced picture may emerge, which can help you understand yourself better.
Read MoreHave you wondered where your internalized message of "I'm not good enough," comes from? Do you feel you give life your best, work hard, try hard, but still can't give yourself credit? Are you constantly beating yourself up and thinking that somehow you should be more, do more, be better, and you don't measure up in your own mind?
Read MoreWhen a person experiences traumatic events, the aftermath can be extremely debilitating. Trauma not only affects the mind, but can have lifelong effects on the body. For survivors, their bodies feel deeply unsafe, so the enemy that was once living outside is now living within. So they need to befriend their bodies, safely go inside and experience themselves. There is too much emphasis on the capacity of the cognitive rational brain to conquer our irrational survival brain. You can't rely on reason, you need rely on mastery of your body, safety of your body, finding peace in your body. You need to find some way where your body once again feels like "I am in control of myself."
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