Mental health is extremely crucial and a sensitive topic that is often left unaddressed because of societal pressures. Consequently, it sometimes turns into a very serious health issue, which if left unreported, may lead to disastrous outcomes. The lifestyle today has left very little space for mankind to pay attention to the body’s need for physical and mental well-being. Both of them need synchronized support for a healthy and successful life.
Understanding Acute Mental Crisis
It is very important to realize what is an acute mental crisis to develop a clear understanding of the effectiveness of its treatment using EMDR. Both the causes and symptoms of it are very much related to each other. The signs of acute mental crisis develop over a sustained period of time or may appear suddenly. This is the main reason that such complications often go unnoticed which eventually mutates into a serious affair.
Acute mental crisis or illness is a situation in which a person inculcates tendencies to hurt himself or others under the impulses of his feelings and subsequent behaviors. The person may suffer from fatigue, panic, trauma, depression accompanied by inconsistencies in physical and mental actions, mood swings, reduced efficiency, frequently changing sleeping and eating patterns, etc. Such tendencies are caused due to the following-
- Some painful events like loss of a dear one in an accident, business losses, etc.
- Continuous or persistent illness.
- Misguidance and ill-treatment or ill-behavior of near and dear ones.
- Sustained use of drugs, alcohol, and wrongful company, and many other related factors.
What Is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR therapy is known as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy. It is an interactive psychotherapy technique that was developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in the year 1987. This type of therapeutic treatment is gaining fast acceptance in the medical fraternity. EMDR is basically an integrated approach that enables the patients to relieve the agonizing events or circumstances and simultaneously the movement of the patient’s eyes is directed by a trained medical professional.
How Is EMDR Helpful for Patients with Acute Mental Crisis?
Treating a mental disorder is a very challenging task. A host of medicines and therapies are prescribed depending on the intensity of the density. However, under acute mental crisis, a patient might try to put an end to his life or similarly pose a threat to the other person’s well being too. EMDR therapy is a very promising treatment for such patients because of the following reasons-
- The treatment is conducted in a phased manner. It consists of 8 basic steps for proper and complete scrutiny of the patient as outlined below-
o Phase 1– Understanding the existing condition of the patient and the reasons (incidents, memories, images, etc.) that trigger symptoms associated with acute mental illness.
o Phase 2– Patient is trained in various stress management techniques to counter the psychological and emotional impulses.
o Phase 3– the therapist examines the patient closely and identifies all the physical and emotional impulses associated with the exposure of the patient’s mind to all the reasons for distress.
o Phase 4-7– It involves a very structured approach consisting of 4 layers of subsequently intensive therapeutic sessions, wherein, the therapist guides the movement of the patient’s eyes in response to targeted memories.
o Phase 8– Both therapist and patients evaluate the progress of the therapy together.
- EMDR reduces the dependence of the patients on heavy doses of medicines which otherwise interferes adversely with the natural biochemical processes in the human body causing damages, especially to the liver.
- The most interesting part of treatment through the therapy is that it enables the patients to face their problems with sustained guidance, so as to re-adjust the mental patterns that used to afflict the peace of mind of the affected person.
- EMDR can also be used in conjunction with other commonly used therapies such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Rational Emotional Behavioral Therapy (REBT). Such combinations have been reported to have influenced the treatment positively.
- Besides treating the symptoms associated with acute mental crisis, it also helps to revitalize the soul of the person along with the mind so that the person treads on the path of ethical life.
- The person undergoing this therapy is not subjected to excruciating pains and sessions. The duration and the number of sessions are very well planned as per the requirement of the patient.
Read More: Shocking Ways Chronic Stress Affects your Mental Health
EMDR therapy has been lauded for its effectiveness and sustained improvement in the patients who are being treated and who have been treated with it. It is being now accepted globally with open arms by the medical fraternity and the patients. including by Dr. Evan Fewsmith over at Orange County Therapy. There is a host of scientific data associated with the brain mapping prior to EMDR treatment and post-treatment affirming the effectiveness and efficiency of the treatment process for an illness with no confirmed cure through the practice of medicinal courses.
