Want to treat social anxiety. EMDR therapy?
I have a mild social anxiety and feel a little bit depressed. The part of my social anxiety that is bothering the most right now is my fear of public speaking. I have full blown panic attacks when put in situations that involve public speaking and feel an enormous sense of dread leading up to the occasion. I have read a book on public speaking, tried an anti-depressant, and xanex. None of these really seem to fix the problem.
I have heard about EMDR and someone told me how fantastic it worked out for them. From what I have read is that EMDR really focuses on a very specific traumatic event or memory and then tries to desensitize you. If I have more of a general anxiety will this work for me?
EMDR has roots in exposure (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) thereapy. Research on EMDR suggests that there’s little correlation of the eye movement with resolving the traumatic event, but rather the cognitive sensitization/desensitization that occurs as one thinks/focuses on events during the rapid-eye movement.
A more generalized anxiety (specifically speaking to your public speaking) can be addressed through basic CBT therapy and exposure therapy. A competent therapist will have you work with associating thoughts with public speaking and taking ’subjective units of distress’ ratings and work from association, to visualization to in vivo all while taking SUDS. You’ll be able to graph your success.
Additionally, if you’re seeking psychpharmacological intervention – see a psychiatrist and ask about Lexapro and or a Beta blocker. Lexapro addresses mood symptoms and anxiety (as it is an SSRI that’s targeting affective and anxiety symptoms). A beta blocker will not decrease your anxiety symptoms, but rather interferes with your brain and recognizing the physical sensation of being anxious…moreover, it does not cause drowsiness like xanax may (vicious cycle: anxious, drowsy = less likely to be 100% so any errors made while drowsy will increase anxiety as self doubt increases).
Hope this helps.
Social Anxiety:EFT and EMDR therapy
Tags: anxiety, emdr, health, psychology, ptsd
