For those who have served in the military, the journey back to civilian life is often challenging, marked by new and complex hurdles to overcome. Military experience and exposure to combat can have profound and lasting effects on veterans, impacting them physically, psychologically, and socially. For many veterans, the invisible wounds of war can be felt long after they’ve returned home, manifesting in mental health concerns that can make it difficult for them to transition back to their day-to-day routines.
Veterans may develop conditions like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression as a result of their military experience. And while common among former military members, these concerns can impact each person differently, which is why it’s important for veterans to receive holistic care.
At Mirror Lake Recovery Center, we acknowledge the multifaceted nature of a person’s military experience and provide access to highly effective psychological support services, including various types of talk therapy, that suit their unique needs.
What Is EMDR?
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of trauma-focused talk therapy that can help people process upsetting or distressing memories and reframe the negative beliefs associated with them. Since its development in the 1980s, EMDR has evolved into a widely utilized therapy for people who are struggling with the effects of trauma, like veterans who are living with PTSD and other mental health concerns.
The most distinctive feature of EMDR is the use of bilateral stimulation, which may include side-to-side eye movements, auditory tones, or tactile sensations, to facilitate the processing of traumatic memories.
Targeted Trauma Processing for Veterans
At our treatment center, veterans can begin to process traumatic memories in a safe, confidential, and controlled setting. Reprocessing unsettling memories through EMDR can help clients regulate the overwhelming emotions tied to them and reduce symptoms like flashbacks, hypervigilance, and nightmares.
Veterans who take part in EMDR therapy can experience benefits such as:
- Empowerment: Engaging in EMDR can give veterans a sense of agency over their own healing journey, which can decrease feelings of hopelessness. Individuals can learn coping skills and techniques that they can implement in their daily lives to improve overall functioning.
- Reduced negative beliefs: Trauma can cause those affected by it to develop negative beliefs about themselves, others, and the world. Through EMDR, veterans can identify and challenge unproductive beliefs while learning to replace them with healthier ones. This type of cognitive reframing can improve how individuals perceive themselves and their surroundings and lead to enhanced well-being.
- A decreased need for medication: Though medication can be an essential part of mental health treatment for some individuals, EMDR may complement or even reduce the need for pharmaceutical drugs. By addressing the root causes of trauma, EMDR can lead to lasting changes that go far beyond symptom management.
- A better quality of life: In short, EMDR therapy can help veterans reclaim their happiness and independence, rediscover a sense of peace, and begin to heal. Developing effective coping strategies can help them improve their relationships, daily functioning, and wellness.
Like many therapies, EMDR is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and not every person will respond to it in the same way. However, research has demonstrated the efficacy of EMDR, specifically in both intensive daily sessions and a weekly treatment format. To learn more about the benefits of EMDR and to determine if it’s the right fit for your needs, reach out to the team at Mirror Lake Recovery Center today.
Veteran Programming at Mirror Lake Recovery Center
At Mirror Lake Recovery Center, we strive to provide optimal mental health support for our veterans, helping them make meaningful progress toward lasting healing. We offer a comprehensive program for veterans that is tailored to the needs of former military members who are struggling with addictions and co-occurring mental health concerns. We believe that by shedding light on the value and efficacy of innovative treatments like EMDR, we can help more veterans heal from the invisible wounds of war and move forward with hope and resilience.
