EMDR and Psychosis

EMDR and psychosis are search terms that appear together throughout the literature. Here I will talk a little bit about EMDR treatment and psychosis. Does it work? Also, I present a case study that I recently read that got me very excited!

EMDR and Psychosis – The Study

I recently read a study titled “Remission of Schizophrenia after an EMDR Session” which prompted me to write this article! EMDR and psychosis have appeared in the literature together in the past. And I have to say this one was interesting!

EMDR is a trauma-focused psychotherapy intervention. Click to learn more here. I go into detail about treatment phases of EMDR and how it works.

This article is a case study. It presents a man whose symptoms of psychosis went into remission after an EMDR session. This means his symptoms disappeared! Let’s explore it a bit more and unpack it together.

Remission of Schizophrenia after an EMDR Session

Remission of Schizophrenia after an EMDR Session is a case study about a man whose symptoms of psychosis disappeared after a session of EMDR.

The article states that he had been on many anti-psychotic medications over the course of 4 years. Despite his constant follow up with providers, his symptoms continued to worsen over time.

brainspotting vs EMDR

It is common for people who experience psychotic symptoms to be hospitalized. Their psychosis can cause them to get into situations that are unsafe for themselves or others.

This person appeared to be a “frequent flyer” in the hospital because of his symptoms. Because of this, his providers decided to have him try EMDR therapy.

I am going to offer a trigger warning for the next sentence. The person in the study reported to a therapist that he had viewed an incestuous sexual assault between his father and his sister.

With EMDR processing, he was able to reprocess and adaptively store this trauma.

After he left the hospital He reported no symptoms of schizophrenia at this time. Even now, the article states that he is currently 22 months symptom free of psychosis. So he recovered really well!

Antonio Siciliano, LMSW

My Thoughts

There is absolutely a lot here. First, I want to make one thing clear: THIS ARTICLE IS NOT SAYING EMDR CAN CURE SCHIZOPHRENIA. Because of how it is written, I can understand how this message may be taken from this article if you decide to read it.

The article is trying to point out is that symptoms of schizophrenia and trauma can look very similar. In fact, psychosis is one of many symptoms of trauma. So why would this be important?

The authors say that the person may never have truly had schizophrenia. So they suggest he had post-traumatic stress with psychotic symptomology.

The treatment of schizophrenia and trauma are different. Because of this, it is important to know what you are treating.

Schizophrenia is shown to be best managed by a consistent medication regiment with supportive psychotherapy. You manage trauma with trauma-informed psychotherapy interventions. Medications do NOT work long term for survivors of trauma experiencing symptoms of post traumatic stress.

Investigating trauma is always important because it will change the way we look at the treatment that somebody may need. This is what the article wants us to see. Therefore, it is important to screen for trauma early and rule it out before attempting to throw medications at the problem.

EMDR and Psychosis – Conclusions

If you found this summary interesting, feel free to read the article ver-batum! It’s written well and easy to understand. It can also show us how EMDR and psychosis may continue to be in discussions together in the future.

If you have other questions or thoughts about EMDR and psychosis, feel free to use my contact form to reach out!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *