EMDR Therapy for Grief and Loss: 4 Ways It Heals

 In the aftermath of trauma, people can experience a range of emotions. One emotion which often emerges following a traumatic event or loss, is grief. Many people associate grief with the loss of a loved one, and while this is an accurate assimilation, grief can be associated with any physical or emotional loss. If you have experienced trauma, it is normal to mourn what might have been, what could have been, or the loss of what was taken or missed out on. Even after events and situations that accompanied the trauma have passed, grief tends to linger and can transform into PTSD if it is not released and supported in a healthy and healing way.

 If you feel like you have tried everything to heal from your loss and are still struggling to resolve your grief, Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a proven form of psychotherapy that has been especially healing for people who have experience deep grief. What is EMDR therapy?

Here are four ways that EMDR can provide healing as you cope with grief.

1.      EMDR Therapy reconciles your mind and body.
Trauma can sever the connection between your brain’s ability to process information and your body’s ability to successfully act on that information for the purpose of self-preservation and the facilitation of joy. When there is a disconnect between your ability to reason and your ability to act emotions, intrusive thoughts, and difficult memories can seem uncontrollable and overwhelming. EMDR reforges the severed connection between the mind and the body by stimulating different sides of the brain while actively engaging movements of the body through eye tracking, hand-tapping, or audio/visuals. In this way, EMDR therapy can sooth traumatized individuals by allowing them to process grief in a way that alleviates the internal disconnect. As a result, grief is comforted and distress fades.

2.      EMDR Therapy provides clarity.
EMDR Therapy’s gentle approach allows grief-stricken patients the support needed to address any guilt, shame, or debilitating sorrow that surrounds their grief. By freeing themselves of the judgements and unhelpful feelings that often associate grief patients are free to explore other more helpful feelings about their grief. As a result, participants of EMDR therapy often experience a sense of empowering clarity as they navigate through the grieving process towards healing and recovery.

3.      EMDR Therapy releases suppressed grief
When grief is especially consuming, the mind can sometimes attempt to protect itself by “locking-in” the grief. This suppression can look like denial, avoidance, or even anger, but grief is natural and essential for healing. If grief is kept “locked-in”, it can have a severely negative impact on mental health and overall wellbeing. Regardless of if the trauma behind the grief occurred last week, last year, or twenty years ago, there is a natural process of grief, and EMDR Therapy allows that natural process to continue.  EMDR Therapy focuses on the exact mental and emotional needs of the individual patient so that when the grief is released it is supported and processed in a healthy and healing way.

4.      EMDR Therapy fosters inner peace.
Time can heal many wounds, but some losses need some extra compassion, care, and support. EMDR Therapy does not turn back the clock, and it does not make you forget what happened. No therapy can do that. Rather, EMDR Therapy allows patients to grieve in such a way that they can safely complete the cycle of grief and experience a sense of closure, purpose, and inner peace.

Explore other benefits of EMDR Therapy. 

EMDR therapy in Cincinnati

Working with a compassionate, trauma-informed, and certified EMDR Therapist such as our certified EMDR Therapists at Therapy Cincinnati, you can take a healing step towards resolving your grief and many of the other symptoms and emotions associated with trauma and loss. If you would like to learn more about how EMDR Therapy can help you find comfort and healing, please contact us today for a free, 15-minute phone consultation.

Learn more about us and how we work.

The Feelings & Emotions of Trauma (Part 2):

Trauma is intensely physically and psychologically upsetting, and the emotional effects of trauma can be equally distressing. When the brain’s ability to protect itself and process information becomes hijacked through a traumatic experience, the mind can become emotionally dysregulated. As a result, many trauma survivors experience extreme difficulty understanding and processing the intensity of the emotions that their trauma elicited. The more frightening or unexpected a traumatic experience is, the more extreme and complex the resulting emotions surrounding the trauma will likely be. In this article, we will take a closer look at the emotional effects of trauma.

Anger – I feel repulsed. This isn’t fair. I should just move on from this, but I can’t! I’m too angry about it.

You have every right to be furious. Anger is a very common, normal, and valid emotion to have following a traumatic experience. Trauma triggers anger because trauma is violating in every sense, and it is completely justifiable to be outraged about vulnerability being exploited. While anger can initially be a healthy reaction to trauma, anger can become a traumatic emotion in and of itself. This is because anger often reminds the mind of the reason behind the anger, and in this way long-term anger can lead to re-living and re-experiencing the trauma mentally. If you are experiencing long term anger from trauma, know that re-traumatizing your mind will only make it harder to find healing. Through recovery, that anger can be processed and transformed into acceptance, advocacy, and ultimately, healing.  

Shame & Guilt – I should never have trusted them. I must have done something to deserve this. Was it my fault? Could I have done something different?

The dehumanizing and degrading nature of trauma can distort someone’s self-identity and self-worth and leave victims of trauma. The idea that the trauma is the fault of the victim is one of the myths of trauma. The reality is that what happened to you was not your fault at all. There is absolutely nothing you could possibly have done that would warrant or justify what happened. No one ever deserves to be traumatized, over-powered, or have their no or resistance not respected entirely. Learn more about the truth behind this myth by seeing my earlier blog post Trauma vs. Truth – Myths About Trauma (Part 1) 

Fear – I can’t trust anyone ever again. I’m scared of being alone, but I am also scared to be with someone. What do I do?

There is a very strong link between trauma, anxiety, and PTSD, and that link is fear. When trauma overpowers your natural ability to protect yourself, it is normal to feel powerless and afraid. Fear is a natural reaction when coping with the aftershock of a traumatic experience. You were not safe, but you can become safe again. Healing from trauma requires courage, so please do not lose heart. The fear will subside, and there are trustworthy people who are safe to partner with on your journey towards healing and recovery. You might be tempted to withdraw into isolation, but this will make things worse. If you are struggling with intense paralyzing fear, please do not suffer alone. Please contact us and we will help you re-establish and re-build your sense of security and safety.

Confusion – I can’t remember what happened, but I think something happened. I don’t remember much. I just have brief vague memories.

Confusion is another extremely common emotion to have after experiencing trauma. When a traumatic experience is specifically extreme, the mind can “shut down” as form of survival, and the mind can physically block memories it is unable to process as a form of psychological protection. If you suspect that “something” happened to you, then that is enough to work with. You do not need to remember or recall the details of what happened in order to experience healing. Whether your mind remembers what happened or not, the body has other memory functions. Your body remembers what happened even if your brain does not, and in this way, trauma memories can manifest itself in your life even if you don’t have many or any memories about what happened. Where you remember what happened or not, your body deserves the opportunity to heal.  

How to emotionally heal from trauma

Trauma can leave invisible scars on the body, mind, and soul. These scars can manifest emotionally distressing feelings that can perpetuate the sense of powerlessness you might be experiencing. The road to trauma recovery takes time, and there is no one path that is right for everyone. Traumatic emotions are very complex and unique to each individual, but through specialized trauma recovery treatments that are therapists are trained in you have the power to transform each of these painful emotions into a more useful, helpful, and hopeful one, even if you cannot remember what happened. Healing and reclaiming power over your body, mind, and emotions, is possible. Please contact us for a consultation and take the next step towards healing today.

How Exercise Can Help With Anxiety

Your mind and body function in repetitive patterns that are instinctual and routine, and all of your biological processes are rhythmic by nature. (IE: Breathing, digestion, sleeping, etc.) When you become anxious that sequence is disrupted, and you become dysregulated with a fight or flight survival response. Everyone feels some degree of anxiety, but when that dysregulated fight or flight response becomes your normal or all-too-frequent state of being, that can lead to chronic anxiety or an anxiety disorder. The only way to calm anxiety is to return to a regulated state of being, and exercise is a very effective way to recalibrate your nervous system and restore your mind to its healthy baseline.

The connection between anxiety and exercise is strong, so if you are considering anxiety therapy you might also consider the benefits of exercising.

Benefits of exercise and how exercise helps with anxiety.

Exercise improves your mood. There are many physiological side effects to anxiety such as increased heartrate, rapid breathing, and sweating, and exercising hijacks and repurposes those symptoms for a healthier cause. By rechanneling the anxiety symptoms the nervous system recalibrates, and instead of releasing stress and anxiety hormones like cortisol, it releases endorphins – chemicals the nervous system creates to cope with pain and stress. As a result, your mood is enhanced and your body and mind regulated. 

Exercise leads to confidence. Confidence is a feeling the mind loves because it is one of the antidotes to fear and anxiety. It is very hard to become stuck in a dysregulated state of fight or flight when you are feeling strong and confident. Working out burns calories and builds lean muscle, and the result is that you look – and feel! – your very best.

Exercise helps you sleep better. For people who cope with anxiety sleep is often a struggle, and it is not uncommon for people with an anxiety disorder to also have a sleep disorder. Many credible institutions such as John Hopkins Center for Sleep have proven a strong link between exercise and quality sleep, and research has shown that exercising consistently decreases insomnia, reduces fatigue, and promotes deep sleep.

Exercise increases cognitive function. Countless studies have been done that prove a vital connection between physical fitness and mental fitness. Not only has research concluded that exercise improves focus and concentration, but it is also an incredibly healthy way to take your mind off worrisome thoughts. Simply put, exercise is an effective and healthy way to manage anxiety symptoms, improve your overall well-being, and focus your mental energy on something healthy and productive.

Best exercises for anxiety

Any exercise that forces you to control your breathing and work up a sweat is great, but some are more calming and anxiety-reducing than others. For example, body combat and running are both excellent aerobic activities, but if you struggle with severe anxiety then those styles of exercise may not be the best options for you. When it comes to choosing a form of exercise, the important thing is to be consistent and choose something you genuinely enjoy. The exercises featured below are some of the best exercises for reducing anxiety.

·        Hiking – There is something to be said about being nurtured by nature. Studies have consistently proven that nature is healing and can provide symptom relief for multiple physical and mental health issues like depression and anxiety. If the wilderness is not for you, then take a walk in your neighborhood or in a park. The rhythmic pattern of walking and breathing in nature is extremely mentally cleansing and if practiced consistently can help reduce anxiety.

 ·        Dancing – Dancing is much like movement meditation and has been a ritual practice for thousands of years. Music and moving your body in sync with the rhythm is powerfully healing and regulating, so turn on your favorite music and dance in private or else experience the positive energy of a social Zumba class. Chances are you will ease your anxiety, work up a sweat, and have a great time.

 ·        Yoga – The benefits of Yoga are profound because it is one of the few exercises that focus on the mind, body, and soul connection. Not only does yoga focus on beneficial core exercises, detoxifying stretches, and meditation, but it also teaches you to control your breathing, a key element for coping with anxiety. Your breath is your lifeline and number one grounding practice, and yoga celebrates and strengthens your breathing in a way that many find very healing.  

Wrapping Up: Include Exercise as Part of Your Anxiety Treatment Plan

Anxiety can negatively impact your body’s ability to regulate itself and can leave you feeling crippled. If you find that you are struggling with intense feelings of worry, know that you are not alone. Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health issues affecting our world today, and there is a lot of research and resources available to help you on your journey towards healing and recovery.

If you are ready to take the next step towards relief from your anxiety and develop strong stress management techniques, our Anxiety Therapist at Therapy Cincinnati will create a support plan uniquely curated to your specific needs. Therapy Cincinnati is ready to partner with you on your journey to finding comfort and healing. Please contact us today for a free, 15-minute phone consultation.

The Feelings & Emotions of Trauma (Part 1):

Trauma vs. Truth – Myths About Trauma

Trauma is experienced when our ability to protect ourselves is overpowered in a shocking, frightening, overwhelming, and abusive way. When someone experiences trauma in a place they had thought they were safe or through the actions of someone they thought they were safe with, the long-term side effects of trauma can feel completely confusing and debilitating. While some people are able to find healing over time and re-establish a sense of security, the impact of trauma often results in long-term conditions such as PTSD, Complex PTSD, and anxiety.

While the world is increasingly becoming more trauma-aware, the unfortunate reality is that traumatized people often struggle to find healing because of the myths and feelings that surround trauma. Let’s discuss a few of the more common myths that someone who has experienced trauma might think, feel, or believe.

4 Myths about trauma and why they are completely false.

1.      Myth: It was my fault.
Fact: It was not your fault. 

Shame is one of the most damaging trauma side effects, and that shame belongs to the perpetrator. Not you. Your mind is programed to identify and neutralize threats through the predominant survival modes of fighting or fleeing. But because a traumatic experience is by nature usually very shocking, a third survival mode may become activated: freezing. Because the survival mode of freezing is not often talked about or collectively understood, many people struggle to process WHY they froze, and this can lead to intense feelings of shame. Freezing is a legitimate, brain-triggered survival mode, and it is not a reflection of some form of deficiency, moral or otherwise.

 2.      Myth: I must have done something to deserve this.
Fact: There is absolutely nothing you could possibly have done that would warrant or justify what happened. No one ever deserves to be traumatized, over-powered, or have their no or resistance not respected entirely. 

Unfortunately, because some traumatic experiences can involve someone you know, it can be  difficult to assign fault to someone you used to care about or trust. As a result, it is common for a victim of trauma to distort the image they have of themselves in order to make sense of why something happened, but this is not an appropriate or accurate judgement. The fault is the perpetrators. Not yours. You did not deserve the pain, betrayal, or loss of control that you experienced.

3.      Myth: I am dirty.
Fact: You are not dirty. You are wholesome.

 Trauma is repulsive in many ways, in particular because it is so overwhelmingly overpowering. The hormones that “fear” produces can have similar side effects as other hormones, but rest assured: you are not dirty. You were afraid, confused, and overpowered, and this was not your fault. One of the saddest side effects of trauma is that people who experience trauma (especially if they were children when the trauma happened) might feel completely baffled. As they struggle to problem solve and make sense of what happened, they might wonder if they wanted what happened.  

Take comfort in the truth that no one ever wants to have their control taken from them; that is not a desire the human mind could want. Rather our brains are programed to want control, authority, and protection over itself. When someone’s natural ability to keep themselves safe is challenged or overpowered, the individual’s perception of their own identity and self-worth often becomes compromised. The truth that is you are still you, and you are worthy of safety and protection.  

4.      Myth: I will feel damaged/traumatized forever.
Fact: Trauma is NOT a life-sentence.

 Trauma can feel all-consuming, and it is completely normal for you to feel emotionally “stuck” after experiencing trauma. Trauma exploits vulnerability, and the amount of confusion and fear that is associated with surviving trauma can prevent survivors from experiencing healing and recovery. The truth is that Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) is possible. Even if you don’t remember what happened, your can still experience joy, a renewed sense of personal strength and security, and deep internal healing.

 You are worthy of healing.

Traumatic experiences transcend your body and mind’s natural ability to cope with confusion and pain. It is for this reason that many survivors struggle to integrate, rationalize, and process the emotions involved with a traumatic experience – which is completely understandable and normal. There are many false narratives surrounding trauma that are perpetuated by myths. Whether your trauma happened to you recently or many years ago, it can take time to personally and internally abolish the myths associated with trauma. The first step to deconstructing the myths that surround trauma is to be open and curious to the truth about trauma.

The truth about trauma.

It was not your fault. There was nothing you did to deserve what happened. You are not dirty. You are wholesome and worthy. What happened to you is not a life-sentence. You are not permanently damaged. Your sense of safety and wellbeing has been hurt, but the good news is that reconciliation with your internal sense of self-worth and self-security is more than possible – it is achievable. If you would like the support of a highly trained, experienced, and empathetic therapist, please contact our office today.

This article is part of a three-part series about trauma.

5 Ways to Get a Better Night’s Sleep with Anxiety

If you’re experiencing stress in your life or have been living with anxiety, there’s a chance that you might struggle to fall asleep at night. If you lay in bed and your brain just won’t turn off, don’t worry - you’re not alone. Over 40 million people in the United States have some sort of anxiety disorder accompanied by sleep disruption.  

Sleep and anxiety often go hand in hand. If you’re wondering what comes first – anxiety or insomnia – it can be either, it can be both. Their relationship is bidirectional. 

Here are five ways to help you get the restful sleep you deserve:

1 -Create a relaxing bedtime routine:

Create boundaries around your bedtime routine. It can entail anything that helps you settle in for the night. Change into a comfy pair of sweatpants or pajamas. Take time to wash your face and brush your teeth. The activities you do before bed will help your body and mind recognize that it’s time to wind down and sleep.

Make your bedtime routine personal to you. Find out what helps you relax the most and incorporate them. The key to a bedtime routine is to remain consistent with what you’re doing to create a habit.

2 - Establish good sleep hygiene.

 This goes along with creating a relaxing nighttime routine. Be clear and stick to waking up and falling asleep at the same time each day, even on weekends. Keeping to a sleep schedule will help create a pattern, and your body will begin to instinctually know when it’s time to wake up and get to sleep.

  Keep your bedroom cool, turn the thermostat down or crack a window. The cooler temperatures will help you sleep much better. Try setting your thermostat anywhere between 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit.  

  Keep your bedroom tidy. Clean sheets will make any bed more inviting. If you’ve found a scent that helps you relax, try adding it to the washer when you clean your bedding.          

  Limit your screentime before bed. The blue light our screens emit keeps our minds stimulated. If you must be on your phone, invest in a pair of blue-light blocking glasses. They will help reduce eye strain and allow your body to produce melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone that naturally starts releasing into your system a couple of hours before bed.  

3 - Practice meditation and mindfulness.

 Meditation and breathing techniques can lead to significant reductions in anxiety before bedtime. Try one of the free meditation apps that are available these days. Meditation relaxes your body and mind, which increases melatonin for a more restful sleep.

Journaling is known to help those with anxiety and sleep issues. It doesn’t need to be this serious or grand thing - just grab a piece of paper and write down your thoughts and worries. Getting them into a tangible space will help ease your anxiety before bed.  

4 - Exercise.

Getting out of your head and into your body can help relieve stress. Regular exercise helps people fall asleep faster and more soundly. Even taking a walk outside will do wonders for your sleep. Getting outside helps reset our circadian rhythm, our body’s biological processes that happen over 24 hours, partly in response to light and dark. So, grab a friend, your dog, or even just your headphones and your favorite podcast and head outside.

 5 - Avoid stressful activities before bed. 

Ask yourself what stresses you out during the day. Self-reflect on what you find yourself doing that keeps you awake and doesn’t make you feel good (e.g., checking work emails, scrolling social media). Whatever it may be, limit it or avoid it. It may be difficult at first but avoiding stressful activities will get easier once you lay out a bedtime routine for yourself.  

Are you struggling with anxiety and sleep issues? Reach out to us today to get help and start feeling better.

How To Find An EMDR Therapist

Each organ in our body fights hard every single day to ensure we are happy and healthy, and the brain is no exception. The goal of EMDR therapy is to help your brain’s natural healing process along by helping you to cope with trauma, intense emotions, and internal conflict. This is where an EMDR therapist comes in to help you achieve your interpersonal goals and alleviate suffering.

 What is EMDR Therapy? 

According to the EMDR Institute, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy treatment that was originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories. EMDR therapy works by recalling traumatic images, senses, emotions, and thoughts, in a safe environment where the trauma is then redirected to a physical stimulation (hand tapping, controlled eye movements, etc.) to help the brain process the trauma and heal from it. After EMDR therapy, the physical, mental, and emotional effects of the trauma are lessened. 

How Does EMDR Therapy Work? 

An EMDR therapist will work with you to revisit your trauma in a safe space in order to process it, heal, and move forward. It’s important to feel comfortable in your sessions to reap the full benefits of EMDR therapy.  Usually, your EMDR therapist will ask you a series of questions to recall the specific traumatic incident and then redirect it with gestures such as hand tapping, hand movements, controlled eye movements, or other physical stimulation. As the physical stimulation occurs, your brain will take the cue to move forward with the memories, thoughts, and emotions tied to the incident. This is how the brain processes the trauma and heals itself mentally and emotionally. EMDR therapy will continue until either the effects of the trauma are lessened or pain and suffering are no longer tied to the incident. EMDR therapy is generally divided into five different phases.

 1.)   History of the trauma and coordinating a treatment plan

2.)   Preparation for EMDR

3.)   Assessment of specific memories

4.)   Treatment

5.)   Evaluation 

What is EMDR Therapy Good For? 

EMDR therapy is proven to be effective for treating post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic life events. It is also believed to help anxiety, depression, and panic disorders, and it is a largely safe and effective treatment. While you may experience heightened emotions and memory recollection during EMDR therapy, that’s a sign that it is working. It is often used as an alternative for medication.  

Where Can I Find an EMDR Therapist Near Me? 

At Therapy Cincinnati, we believe that EMDR can play a vital role in any patient’s therapy sessions. We pride ourselves on the highest quality EMDR and trauma therapy with our highly trained and expert therapists. If you feel like negative memories are constantly hindering your quality of life, EMDR therapy is a surefire way to help alleviate suffering and painful memories that you can’t stop thinking about. Instead of feeling trapped and hopeless in your memories and psyche, EMDR therapy can help you regain control of your life by winning your power back over setbacks in life and traumatic events. We offer EMDR therapy for clients of all backgrounds and history.

 To find an EMDR therapist near you, you can begin by searching the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) website to find certified EMDR providers in your area.

 What Should I Expect from EMDR Therapy? 

The number one thing in EMDR is to feel comfortable with your therapist. At Therapy Cincinnati, it’s our mission to go above and beyond to make our clients feel seen, heard, and comfortable as they confront some of their most painful moments and memories head on. As they say, you grow through what you go through, and that is our promise to our clients. Gain your power back today with EMDR therapy.

How College Students Can Manage Anxiety

For many, the college years often supply some of a student's most memorable times in life. While the independence and new horizons can be exciting, college can also be anxiety provoking for students. In fact, research has shown that up to 60 percent of U.S. college students are struggling with symptoms of anxiety. High course loads, being away from home, sleep deprivation, social pressure, and figuring out your major and career can all be anxiety triggers. On top of this, there is the very real concern about student debt, getting used to living on your own, and building friendships and connections in your new environment.

 Throw in a pandemic that is affecting all of us, and college life can be more confusing than ever.  As a time of major change, lots of students experience anxiety in college. With the serious amount of stressors students face, here are some ways you can manage your anxiety:

 Get Enough Sleep

 It’s no secret that sleep is integral for optimal cognitive, behavioral, mental, and emotional functioning. Since college students usually spend all day in classes and study into the late hours of the night, it can be hard to get enough sleep, especially with social activities and extracurriculars. Getting enough sleep is important to avoid burnout, which can lead to stress, which can lead to anxiety. Your brain can’t function properly without enough sleep, which can leave your mental health to suffer.

 Eat a Nutrient Rich Diet

 Always on the go, the last thing college students often think about is food. When you’re cramming for finals, it can be hard to think about making something nutritious. Eating enough protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates are important for not only your body, but your brain! Make sure to drink enough water to stay hydrated, too.

 Take Deep Breaths

 Fight or flight is your body’s natural response to anxiety. When this kicks in, it’s important to take deep breaths. Focusing on deep breathing can alleviate anxiety by helping the body along with its natural relaxation response. The best part of deep breathing is that it can be done anytime, anywhere! 

Practice Self-Care 

When balancing what seems like an infinite amount of duties in college, it can be hard to practice self-care. Simply doing things like taking a bubble bath, reading, watching your favorite show, or meditating can allow your body and brain to wind down and enjoy the moment. Practicing self-care and taking a moment to wind down can help you avoid burnout and high stress levels. 

Talk to a Friend, Family Member, or Loved One 

If you’re feeling the weight of college taking a toll, remember you’re not alone. Talking to a friend, family member, or loved one can help provide good insight and quality advice. Chances are if you’re experiencing it, someone else you know has to.

 Get Organized 

Organization can prevent procrastination. Setting aside time and prioritizing organization can help you workload and social commitments become more manageable. This can be as simple as making a to-do list or time blocking. Getting organized helps you to succeed and avoid bouts of anxiety.

 Go to Therapy 

At Therapy Cincinnati, we believe in the power of therapy to get your life back on track. An anxiety therapist can work with you to healthily process, deal with, and tackle the emotional exhaustion and mental burnout that lead to anxiety. We know anxiety is a powerful feeling, but we believe that you’re more powerful than it. You deserve help, reassurance, and confidence, and anxiety therapy in Cincinnati can do exactly that. Reach out today, and we would be happy to help you get back on track to creating the life you deserve.

Complex PTSD and Attachment

Everyone has an Attachment Style. People with a Secure Attachment Style generally find security and fulfillment in their relationships. Someone with an Insecure Attachment Style may experience tremendous anxiety in their relationships, or they might even avoid relationships all together.  

Your Attachment Style is most often formed from your first human bond. Those who had a positive connection with their primary care giver as an infant typically will develop a Secure Attachment Style, but if your first human connection involved abandonment, fear, trauma, abuse, or severe neglect, an Insecure Attachment Style likely developed. The quality of the first attachment you ever experienced is often what lays the foundation for all your future attachments.  

Complex PTSD Attachment Style

Because an Insecure Attachment Style can be the result of a traumatic relationship, it is possible for someone with an Insecure Attachment Style to also have Complex PTSD. Complex PTSD is trauma from something that repeatedly occurred or else happened over a long period of time. If you at any point in your life were in an unhealthy relationship where continuous trauma was experienced, you may have Complex PTSD Attachment Style. 

If you find yourself avoiding commitment, intimacy, or deep connections, or else if your relationships cause you intense anxiety and distress, you may have Complex PTSD Attachment Style.  

Recovery from Complex PTSD Attachment Style is Possible 

Coping with Complex PTSD Attachment Style can feel overwhelming and isolating, but the good news is that you can heal from Complex PTSD and develop a Secure Attachment Style. Supportive and loving connections with others can be very therapeutic. Engaging in healthy relationships with people who have a Secure Attachment Style can help you overcome the pain and damage caused from past traumatic relationships. Fortunately, secure relationships come in many forms such as with friends, family, romantic connections, and therapists. By finding healthy ways to have meaningful interactions with trustworthy and secure people, you can your broken bond and feel whole and secure again.  

Reflect – Making Sense of the Past will Inspire a Better Future

 The first step to recovery involves deep reflection of your past. Processing through the root cause of your Complex PTSD and identifying the “why” behind your Attachment Style can be upsetting at first, but with the support and guidance of a compassionate therapist you can obtain the clarity you need in a safe place. By facing the impact of your past relationship trauma and understanding how it influenced you, you can break free from unhealthy, Complex PTSD-influenced habit patterns.  

You can break free from the cycle of trauma to ensure that what happened to you does not ever happen to you again. As you reconcile with your past, you will gain valuable self-awareness which will impact your future relationships in a positive way. For those who have struggled to find peace and security in their relationships, recovering from Complex PTSD Attachment Style is life changing and empowering. 

Incorporate – Rewiring and Healing Your Mind
When we are traumatized, our brains react with a fight or flight response to adapt to the situation. In the moment of trauma, this adaptation likely saved your life. However, people who have Complex PTSD may end up becoming stuck in fight or flight mode. Navigating life and relationships through a traumatized mindset is exhausting and painful and will not help you build the secure attachments you crave.

 There is hope. What happened to you was not your fault, and you deserve to heal. With support, it is possible to create new neural pathways so that your nervous system can process triggering moments without causing you unnecessary panic or anxiety. By reprogramming your nervous system and adopting new thought patterns, you can make the shift from Complex PTSD Attachment style to Secure Attachment style.  

Connect – Recover Through Secure Connection
Our ability to form healthy bonds and Secure Attachments can be both disrupted and repaired by relationships. In other words, relationships can be both the cause and the answer. Unhealthy relationships can leave you traumatized, but through healthy relationships you can experience healing and develop a Secure Attachment Style. To build healthy and secure attachments, you must first cultivate an emotional resilience in an environment where you feel safe.   

By experiencing healthy interactions in safe environments with reliable people, you will develop the capacity to express yourself authentically with others in your life. Through the supportive bonds of healthy friendships, romantic relationships, and/or therapeutic interactions you can achieve secure and healing connections. Overcoming Complex PTSD Attachment Style is a process that requires patience and committing to therapy is a great place to start. Therapeutic connections can help you develop past the narrative that caused your Complex PTSD and put you on the path of recovery. 

Healing and Recovery from Complex PTSD Attachment Style is Possible and Worth the Effort.

 Recovery requires time, space, and compassion. Our highly trained and certified trauma experts are ready to work with you. Through supportive, healing, and appropriate interactions, we will help you identify the triggers and perspectives that influence your reactions and teach you grounding techniques to help you develop security in your relationships with others.

 If you are someone with Complex PTSD who struggles with an Insecure Attachment, know that there is hope. You are not your complex PTSD or your attachment style. What happened to you compromised the way you form attachments, and this was not your fault at all. You are not what happened to you, and finding security in meaningful and safe relationships where your needs are valued and cared for is possible.  

We hope that you decide to move forward and find peace. At Therapy Cincinnati we believe you deserve to feel safe, worthy, and supported in your relationships. If you would like the support of qualified, compassionate, and trauma-informed licensed therapist on your journey towards healing, please contact us for a free 15-minute consultation.

EMDR Treatment: What Makes It So Successful

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psycho-therapy treatment that was originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories. (Shapario’s, 1989a) adaptive information processing model posits that EMDR therapy facilitates the accessing and processing of traumatic memories and other adverse life experience to bring these to an adaptive resolution. After successful treatment with EMDR therapy, affective distress is relieved, negative beliefs are changed, and stress is lower. During EMDR therapy the client focuses on emotionally distributing material in small amounts while simultaneously focusing on an external stimulus.

Most therapists use directed laterally eye movements as the external stimulus but a variety of other stimuli including hand-tapping and audio stimulation are often used.

(Shapiro, 1991) hypothesizes that EMDR therapy facilities the accessing of the traumatic memory network so that information processing is enhanced, with new associations forged between the traumatic memory and more adaptive memories or information processing, new learning, elimination of emotional distress, and development of cognitive insights.

EMDR Therapy Uses a Three Pronged Protocol.

•       The past event that have laid the groundwork for dysfunction is processed, forging new  links with adaptive information.

•       The current circumstances that cause stress are targeted and internal and external triggers are desensitized.

•       Future events are imagined and worked on, to assist the client in acquiring the skills  needed for to best function.  

EMDR has been found to be successful more than other forms of therapy like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in post-traumatic stress disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent in children, adolescents and adults, and it can occur alone or along with other disorders.  A broad range of psychotherapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) have been developed for the treatment of PSTD. 

EMDR is one of the best remedies of PTSD as per World Health Organization (WHO) and there is a mounting number of studies reporting the effectiveness of EMDR has an effective role in reducing anxiety and depression in PTSD patient.

Method

Seven out of ten studies have shown that EMDR therapy require fewer sessions and /or is more effective than trauma-focused CBT. Only 1-2 hours of EMDR therapy targeting anxious memories can be enough to result in a decrease of anxiety.

In recent years, the scope for the use of EMDR has been expanded. Research has indicated potential applications for patients with stress-related disorders as well as those suffering from wide range of physical condition. Several studies have shown that EMDR can decrease the emotional intensity of anxiety, not only in cases of PTSD but also with regular anxiety. EMDR has also been applied to treat panic disorder and a variety of adverse life experiences.

FIVE REASONS WHY EMDR TREATMENT HAS BEEN FOUND SO SUCCESSFUL.

•       EMDR is a process that helps integrate your entire nervous system.

People who have experienced trauma may find that if remains with them in the form of disruptive emotions, sensation, or response. The nervous system may not be able to return to its natural resting space because the trauma is being stored in the body. EMDR allows you to deal with these emotion, sensation, and responses directly, with an impressive amount of accuracy.

According to the EMDR theory, ‘The goal of EMDR therapy is to process completely the experiences that are causing problems and to include new ones that are needed for full health. ‘Processing’ does not mean talking about it. ‘Processing’ means setting up a learning state that will allows experiences that are causing problems to be digested and stored appropriately in your brain. That means that what is useful to you from an experience will be learned, and stored with appropriate emotions in your brain, and be able to guide you in positive ways in the future.

•       EMDR therapy takes advantage of our brain’s natural inclination toward healing.

Often, there are mental blocks that get in the way of healthy trauma treatment. EMDR therapists believe there is no reason to assume that healing from trauma necessitate a long recovery time. If a block exists, you will likely find that stress and anxiety will dissipate due to EMDR. The method has been forward to help clients regain the metal process and reasoning unaffected by other treatment.

•       EMDR gives you the tools to make important mental connections.

Through bilateral stimulation, emotional responses are transformed and resolved. EMDR standardized treatment strategy hones in on past memories, current challenges, and helpful future action that can lead to healing.

Impressively, the result of recent research show that more than 80% of single-trauma victims experience freedom from PTSD following just three, 90-minutes session.

•       EMDR has been shown to yield results in as few as 3-5 treatment during office sessions.

You and your therapist will spend time in the session redirecting your brain and nervous system’s reactions to your trauma through simple bilateral tapping and the therapy is focused and unambiguous. Clients find that the insight and relief gleaned through EMDR are clearly their own, and not those arrived at with the help of their therapists.

•       EMDR trauma treatment elicits immediate relief which bolsters further recovery.

Trauma is devastating because it leaves the victims feeling out of control or helpless. EMDR trauma treatment empowers the client. Participants experience a sense of openness and emotional awareness that allows for improved outlook and decision-making. This leads to better, healthier, and a more permanent recovery moving forward.

With the help of EMDR therapy you can receive clear, effective trauma treatment, and finally, move a difficult past experience out of your present life.

Anxiety vs. stress: Understanding The Difference And When to Get Help

Stress and anxiety are normal reactions and emotions that everyone experiences at some point in their life. However, if stress and anxiety become unmanageable, both can result in severe mental and physical health issues. The good news is that anxiety disorders and chronic stress are both 100% treatable. Our Anxiety Therapists at Therapy Cincinnati specializes in providing therapeutic support for those struggling with stress and/or anxiety. Understanding the difference between stress and anxiety and knowing when to request professional support are the first steps towards finding relief and developing effective emotional management.

What is stress?

Stress is our body’s normal response to any situation that is not pleasant or normal. The stress response can be physical, mental, or emotional, and everyone responds differently to different stressors. Heavy workload, demanding home responsibilities, traumatic experiences, or major life changes such as a death, job loss, or divorce are all common triggers that can activate a stress response. Although stressful situations are challenging they are typically manageable, and a small dose of stress can motivate us in positive and productive ways to accomplish a task. However, if stress becomes overwhelming or persists then side effects such as depression, physical pain, digestive issues, heart disease, weight loss/gain, and insomnia can put your mental and physical health at extreme risk.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is another normal reaction that most people experience. Important events, life moments, tests, high-stake assignments, social interactions, pandemics, or traveling can all elicit nervous sensations of fear and worry. The symptoms of anxiety can be the same as the side effects of stress, but anxiety has a unique type of paralyzing symptom. Anxiety can leave people physically unable to respond to a text or phone call, go to work, or even breath. People who struggle with anxiety might miss out on events, avoid social interactions, and be absent from work more often than normal. Anxiety can render someone completely powerless to perform even mundane tasks. Chronic anxiety, or anxiety that consistently reoccurs over an extended period even in the absence of stressful situations, may indicate an anxiety disorder.

The difference between the two

More often than not stress tends to be an external issue, for example a critical and high-profile work project with a tight deadline. If you are not coping with externally stressful situations yet you still feel emotionally distressed, you are likely dealing with anxiety. Additionally, stress triggers tend to have a universally shared stress response meaning that most people will experience a stress reaction in response to a stress trigger. Anxiety tends to be experienced at a more personal level, and someone coping with anxiety might have trouble explaining why they are worried or fearful. In this way, someone struggling with anxiety might have a reaction that seems unusually excessive and outsized for the reality of the situation.

When to get help

Fortunately, anxiety and stress are completely treatable. If you are reading this wondering if you might need help, then chances are you would benefit from anxiety and stress therapy. However, if you are still unsure if you need professional support, then the checklist below should help you. If you answer yes to even one of the questions below, then Therapy Cincinnati wants to help you find relief. Our Anxiety Therapists offer effective anxiety therapy and can provide helpful stress management support. Have you had a significant life change recently such as a death in the family, a trauma, a divorce, car accident, or other major event?

1.      Has your stressful situation negatively influenced one or more of your relationships?

2.      Are you experiencing chronic headaches, insomnia, depression, suicidal thoughts, digestive issues, physical pain, or changes in your weight?

3.      Is your day-to-day life typically high stress?

4.      Do you miss more than one day of work each month on account of stress or anxiety?

5.      Do you fear or dread things that haven’t happened or are nonexistent even when you are not stressed?

6.      Have you missed out on an event or social interaction recently on account of high levels of anxiety?

7.      Have you recently had a panic attack?

8.      Do you avoid social interactions on a regular basis due to feelings of worry or fear?

9.      Do you experience emotional distress even when there is no stressful situation going on?

If you are ready to take the next step towards relief from your anxiety and developing strong stress management techniques, our Anxiety Therapists at Therapy Cincinnati will create a support plan uniquely curated to your specific needs. Therapy Cincinnati is ready to partner with you on your journey to finding comfort and healing. Please contact us today for a free, 15-minute phone consultation.

6 Surprising Benefits of EMDR Therapy

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing or EMDR, is a successful form of psychotherapy in which stimulation, commonly through eye movements, is used to help individuals cope with traumatic memories and emotions. The memories and emotions of the past also affect present experiences. Over the course of multiple therapy sessions, a licensed therapist guides the client through a total of eight phases.

As EMDR slowly gains more popularity and recognition in successful therapeutic interventions, there are many benefits of the therapeutic methods that may be surprising for potential therapy clients. Utilizing EMDR therapy is based on the idea that negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are the result of unprocessed memories. Let’s explore six of the most surprising benefits to EMDR therapy.

Encourages Communication

Traumatic experiences tend to move a person more inward, as a reaction or response to dealing with the threat of reliving the traumatic events. It is more common than not that people who have gone through trauma tend to keep their experiences to themselves. This is especially true for those who may feel that communicating their trauma experience will cause them to be judged, targeted, or burdensome on others.

EMDR encourages individuals to communicate their experiences step-by-step with a therapist. It challenges individuals to finally be able to verbalize their physical responses, thoughts, and memories. When these things can be communicated, it opens opportunities for true healing. Individuals may become empowered by knowing that they are survivors, and they have the power to assist others in their experiences through communication and connection.

Reshapes Past Events

With the trauma and mental health concerns that EMDR is used for as an intervention method, the history of EMDR began with helping people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). EMDR helps build connections between the physical body and the psychological mind, improving cognition. As traumatic events are broken down with a therapist during sessions, individuals can take a step back and see another viewing angle of the incident or incidents and reshape what occurred.

Creating a different vantage point or a new lens to see past events can be just as life altering as the traumatic events. This different view provides individuals control over the current life adaptations the trauma has created. Understanding how trauma has a daily effect on life can help reduce symptoms related to PTSD.

Relationships and Boundaries Change

Tapping into traumatic events or memories and processing them with a licensed therapist can be a challenge. On the other hand, the aftereffects of having processed and identified memories can lead individuals to feel empowered. With trauma keeping others at bay and being more closed up mentally and emotionally, opening back up from the therapeutic process can lead to other life changes.

Relationships and boundaries may change for the better. Suddenly there may be more confident energy and emotional incentive to relate differently with others in life. Having more self-assurance in dealing with other people, expressing viewpoints more openly and having stronger limits in boundaries are all positive relational outcomes. While some relationships can be improved, others are better left at their stuck point while moving on and exiting is the best outcome for continued growth.

No longer feeling burdened or burdensome and no longer being consumed with the idea that limits are destined to be breached can spark expectations for setting boundaries. EMDR helps find clarity and balance. Collaborating with a therapist, the therapeutic relationship can help place safe zones and boundaries to change relationships and set new boundaries with confidence.

Changes Reacting to Rationale

EMDR treats different conditions tied to panic or anxiety. Working through traumatic events and stress responses gives individuals the perspective needed to resist reacting and instead create rationale. Trauma triggers such as noises or smells that would have led to reexperiencing a trauma can now lead to minimizing the reaction and being able to examine the real safety threat from the stimuli. Essentially when the brain and body’s survival instinct (fight, flight, or freeze) is triggered, the reaction overpowers any rational thought or response.

Rather than allowing anxiety and survival instincts to kick in, EMDR can help desensitize. The freedom to face life’s problems with less grief, depression, and anxiety improves the quality of life. Therefore, EMDR therapy benefits include providing the ability to stay more present and engaged in everyday challenges.

Acceptance Creates Mental Strength

Getting better means coming to terms with identity, self-esteem, and the internal narratives that become the life story experiences lived each day. EMDR and guided therapeutic processing provides a calm, quick, and confident environment to learn to accept the past and move forward. Going through the therapeutic process helps individuals feel more powerful and eager to face anything else that keeps them from feeling their best.

After acknowledging the past and coming to terms with acceptance, the mental strength gained from the process can lead to no longer feeling intimidated. Traumatic memories are no longer repetitive, intrusive mental bullies. No longer having mental bullies can lead to finally feeling capable to leave the past in the past.

The negative feelings connected to the past lose power to sneak up and destroy the rest of a perfectly good day. Being aware of the past without leading to a sudden reaction or response which occurred previously can be empowering. No longer living with so much anxiety or panic provides empowerment to face uncertainty with courage and resilience.

The Brain’s Ability to Heal and Remember

A common EMDR therapy benefit is more accessible memories and an active dream state. EMDR therapy may awaken the brain, stimulating access to vivid detailed memory and REM sleep. Many EMDR clients report clear memories of their childhood including sights, smells, and sensations, all lost prior to therapy intervention.

Dreams and REM state can also be affected by making dreams feel real and often tapping into memories of relationships and experiences. The content in the new dreams can then be explored and used for increasing self-awareness. With triggering different dreams and REM sleep changes, individuals also realize the power of the brain’s ability to heal itself.

The brain can update old, negative perceptions with positive resolutions. The brain can heal and change in real time. With the brain’s ability to heal itself and update, EMDR seems to offer quick results. Therapy utilizing EMDR has proven to work quickly in those who include it in their interventions. This is a huge benefit for those who are struggling with the effects of PTSD and other types of anxiety, as living day-to-day without relief can be crippling.

Final Thoughts

EMDR therapy can improve the lives of those who utilize it in their therapy. The greatest benefit of all is that EMDR therapy helps to improve the lives of people who were negatively affected by mental triggers. As with any other type of therapy, the benefits that a person will see because of their participation in EMDR will be reflective of the effort they put into it. However, continuing the work allows for individuals to work through their trauma in a faster, less painful manner.

Looking for a licensed therapist in the Cincinnati area who incorporates EMDR to therapeutic interventions? Therapy Cincinnati has been using EMDR to help clients process traumatic events and empower a healthier, happier life experience. Feel free to contact us through our website and skip the phone tag.

5 Ways to Cope with PTSD By Yourself

Those who are struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) know how intrusive and powerful a trigger can be. One moment everything is fine, and then a situation, sound, or smell can be the catalyst that initiates a terrifying episodic reaction. These flashbacks can feel paralyzing. Fortunately, in this struggle between the past and present there is hope. Therapy Cincinnati considers a self-regulating strategy to be an essential part of a successful PTSD treatment plan. With the appropriate support, those coping with PTSD can overcome the traumatic experiences of their past and ultimately find healing and peace.

Managing Trauma – 5 Ways to Stay Grounded

“Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence.” – Peter A. Levine

1.      Activate your present senses.
PTSD is a reliving or re-experiencing of the emotions felt during a past traumatic experience. When your PTSD is triggered, ground yourself in the present reality by tapping into all five of your senses. For example, if you are in public and you feel a panic attack starting, think 5-4-3-2-1 and observe your surroundings. Can you identify five things you see? Perhaps a puddle, tree, store window, traffic light, or park bench? Listen. Do you hear wind, people talking, your own breathing, or your heartbeat? Become aware of what you might be holding. What different textures can you feel? Your hair, your jean pockets, or a cool breeze? Can you smell the nearby restaurant or freshly cut grass? Can you taste anything? Perhaps a mint or a drink? Triggers are usually the result of only one or two senses being activated in a reminiscent way that incites fear. By focusing on the 5-4-3-2-1 method your mind will reconcile the past with the new current information to keep you grounded in the present reality.

“The best way out is always through.” – Robert Frost

2.      Practice a specific anxiety-inspired breathing technique.
Breathing is essential for regulating fear, but anxiety can cause lungs to tighten and restrict your ability to take a proper deep breath. This is why telling someone to breath when they are stressed is very rarely effective. When attempting to counteract a panic attack, breathing can feel physically impossible. One of our favorite breathing techniques for anxiety that we teach at Therapy Cincinnati includes three back-to-back very quick, short, and shallow inhalations followed by one single long exhale. Try it: quick tiny breath in, two, three… and exhale. Those struggling with PTSD and anxiety may not be able to breath normally, so relying on this breathing technique of three short inhales followed by one long exhale can help maintain oxygen flow in a regulating and supportive way.

“Rhythm is regulating.” ― Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D.

3.      Move.

There is a reason why people pace when they are nervous. Finding a rhythmic way to move can release trauma. Movement therapy has proven to be very effective with counteracting the negative effects of PTSD. For example, many who cope with PTSD-inspired nightmares report experiencing more restful nights of sleep after spending an evening dancing, running, or working out. Finding your rhythm by walking, tapping your foot, or rocking back and forth can help you keep control over your body’s physical reaction to the traumatic trigger.

“Even the smallest steps move you forward.” – Oprah Winfrey

4.      Self-sooth with muscle relaxation exercises.

Muscle memory is real. When triggered, muscles can immediately tense as the body’s fight or flight response is activated. While this survival instinct may have served you in the past, you can ground yourself by relaxing your muscles through a sequence of muscle relaxation exercises. To do this, carefully tighten and raise your shoulders up to your ears. Hold for three seconds and then release and relax. Next, make a strong fist and tense your arm muscles. Hold for three seconds and then release and relax. You can practice this on any part of your body such as scrunching up your face, curling your toes, or clenching your leg muscles, and then releasing and relaxing. Repeat this tense-release muscle therapy exercise until you feel that you have gained control over your muscle’s reaction. When finished, gently massage your hands to continue grounding yourself in the present reality.

“I’m still coping with my trauma but coping by trying to find different ways to heal it rather than hide it.” – Clemantine Wamariya

5.      Listen to music.

Music therapy is profound in its ability to help us cope with pain. At Therapy Cincinnati, we have some patients who intentionally and proactively find ways to incorporate soothing music in every aspect of their life. If you are sensing rising panic turn on some calming music and sing along. If you do not have immediate access to music you can always whistle, hum, or sing to yourself. 

Making recovery your reality.

For those who struggle to stay grounded, know that you are not alone. It is estimated that nearly 10% of the world’s population will experience a trauma resulting in PTSD. The good news is that there is so much hope. PTSD has been extensively studied and researched by trauma therapists, and many experience recovery by finding healthy ways to leave the past in the past. If you are ready to take the next step towards developing a trauma therapy plan uniquely customized to your specific needs our trauma aware PTSD specialized therapists at Therapy Cincinnati are ready to partner with you on your journey to finding comfort and healing. Please contact us today for a free, 15-minute phone consultation.

Learn more about us and how we work.

Ways to Overcome Anxiety: Therapy, Medication, and More

Anxiety is your body’s natural response to feeling under threat. It can cause you to feel worried, afraid, stressed, or apprehensive about what is yet to come. Giving a speech, going to a job interview, or the first day of school may cause you to feel anxious.

Anxiety is a completely valid and normal part of the human experience. Yet, for some of us it can seriously interfere with our daily lives, cause to us to avoid certain situations, and feel depressed.

When Anxiety Becomes a Problem

It’s natural to think about the outcomes of experiences we deem important. However, if you find yourself constantly worrying about the potential of negative outcomes, overtime, your anticipation of things to go wrong can turn into avoidance.

If you start avoiding places, situations, or people due to being constantly worried and fearful of what could go wrong, you may develop an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults over the age of 18, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

Symptoms of Anxiety

Some symptoms you might be experiencing can include:

·       Fatigue

·       Tense muscles

·       Trouble with sleeping

·       Irrational fears

·       Panic attacks

·       Irritability

·       Difficulty concentrating

·       Feelings of isolation

·       Shame

·       Nausea

·       Intrusive thoughts

Through plenty of research and experience, I’ve come up with several ways to help you overcome anxiety, ranging from traditional methods of medication and therapy to other lifestyle changes.

How to Overcome Anxiety

Despite being such a commonly shared experienced amongst Americans, overcoming anxiety is a deeply personal journey. What works for me might not work for you, and vice versa.

The good thing is, anxiety disorders are highly treatable and can be managed with medication, psychotherapy, other remedies, or a combination of the three.

Here are a few ways to overcome anxiety that might work for you.

1.    Therapy

There are multiple therapeutic approaches in treating anxiety. Each approaches’ goal is to help you understand, manage, and overcome your anxiety. Whichever treatment you seek should be tailored to your unique needs and diagnosis. Some of the different types of therapy include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Somatic Therapy, and EMDR.

2.     Medication

There are various types of medication that may be prescribed by your mental health professional. Some forms of medication offer immediate relief from anxiety attacks while others are more long-term. Here are three forms of medication suited for anxiety treatment:

·       Benzodiazepines: Typically used to treat panic attacks, benzodiazepines affect the central nervous system by slowing down the body’s functions by increasing the effects of the brain chemical gamma amino butyric acid.

·       Beta blockers: used to reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as sweating, fast heartbeat, and trembling.

·       Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): Typically used for chronic anxiety problems that require ongoing treatment, SSRIs block the action of the serotonin transporter in the brain which increases level of serotonin, improving generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorders, and social anxiety.

It’s important to remember that certain types of medication might not be best suited for you and to talk to your mental health professional about your unique needs. Make sure you take the medication exactly as your mental health professional prescribes it and be aware of potential side effects.

3.    Other options for anxiety relief

There are many lifestyle changes you can make to help you overcome your anxiety, such as:

·       Exercising often. Research shows that adults who exercise regularly experience significantly fewer anxiety and depressive symptoms. Exercising can also increase your self-esteem and make you feel strong mentally and physically.

·       Develop a well-balanced diet. Since a large percentage of serotonin receptors are found in the lining of the gut, some research suggests the importance of eating a balanced diet with omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, magnesium, B vitamins, antioxidants, and probiotics to help keep your blood sugar stable, and lessen feelings of anxiety.

·       Mindfulness and meditation. Mindfulness is a skill that is developed through a consistent practice of meditation. Being mindful involves learning to keep our attention focused on the present moment, and refrain from being reactive. It can teach you how to regulate your thoughts and emotions.

·       Decreasing consumption of alcohol, caffein and smoking. Certain substances like alcohol can have serious consequences if you’re being treated for anxiety and can negatively impact any medications you may be on. Alcohol changes levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain, ultimately worsening anxiety.

Anxiety disorders are highly treatable through therapy, medication, lifestyle changes, or a combination of the three. If you are experiencing anxiety, you’re not alone. You deserve to feel happy, relaxed, and healthy, and the therapists at Therapy Cincinnati can help you get there.

Healing From Trauma with EMDR

Sexual violence, which affects one in three women worldwide, can result in people feeling overwhelmed and struggling with things like sleep disturbances, flashbacks, emotional detachment, depression, and anxiety. Although more than 500 brands of psychotherapy exist, many of these practices require months to years for full healing to occur, and many women do not achieve full recovery due to high drop-out rates and high costs of healthcare. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapeutic alternative targeted at patients who develop symptoms from traumatic events. Since its development in the 1980s by Francine Shapiro, EMDR has helped people alleviate distressful and painful memories. The therapy has been used by clinicians for decades, but has become an increasingly popular and sought-after treatment to deal with traumatic or adverse life experiences.  

What makes EDMR different from traditional therapeutic methods? EMDR therapy does not require talking in detail about the distressing issue or completing homework between sessions like other exposure-based therapies. By accessing and processing these traumatic memories, patients are able to feel better much more quickly. Rather than focusing on changing emotions, thoughts, or behaviors resulting from the painful memory, EMDR helps the brain resume its natural healing process in fewer sessions than other psychotherapies. Therapists can utilize EMDR to facilitate rapid recovery in as little as three to four 90-minute sessions. 

Stress responses are part of our natural fight or flight instincts. When a woman experiences a sexual trauma, memories of the experience can become locked in her neural memory network. When distress from a disturbing event remains, the upsetting images, thoughts, and emotions may create an overwhelming feeling of being “frozen in time”. Our brains have a natural way to recover from traumatic memories and events, though. EMDR therapy helps stimulate this healing process by connecting traumatic memories with new information and blending distressing emotions with positive ones. After successful treatment with EMDR, distress is relieved, negative feelings are reshaped, emotional symptoms are reduced, and a peaceful resolution is achieved.  

So, how does EMDR work exactly? During EMDR sessions, patients relive triggering experiences in brief doses while their eye movements are directed by their therapist. The therapist moves their fingers back and forth in front of the patient’s face and asks them to follow their hand motions with their eyes. At the same time, the therapist leads the patient through the recall of the traumatic event(s) they experienced. The patient focuses on a troubling memory and identifies the belief he or she has about himself connected to this negative memory. The individual then formulates a positive belief he would like to have about himself to replace their negative belief with.  

EMDR is thought to be effective because recalling distressing events is often less emotionally upsetting when the patient’s attention is diverted. The method of bilaterally stimulating both sides of the brain, which mimics our natural REM sleep cycle, causes activation of an adaptive information processing (AIP) system. This stimulation bypasses the area of the brain that has become stuck, preventing the left side of the brain from self-soothing the right side. In turn, patients are able to learn how to be exposed to their unpleasant thoughts and memories without having a strong negative response. 

Ultimately, EMDR therapy results in increased insight regarding both previously disturbing and long-held negative thoughts about the self that have grown out of the original traumatic event. For example, it can help an assault victim come to realize that they were not to blame for what happened. They can finally achieve relief from understanding that the event is truly over and that they can feel a sense of safety again. EMDR therapy has been proven to be effective in treating trauma and PTSD, especially for victims of sexual violence. A 2012 study of 22 people found that EMDR therapy helped 77% of individuals with psychological disorders and PTSD. It found that their hallucinations, delusions, anxiety, and depression symptoms were significantly improved after treatment. An older study from 2002, which compared EMDR therapy to typical prolonged exposure therapy, found that EMDR therapy was more effective in treating symptoms and had a lower drop-out rate from participants. Although there is still much to learn, EMDR is an effective therapy which can promote psychological healing for sexual violence victims.

 If you’ve been struggling with the aftereffects of trauma, it’s important to know there is professional expert help available. Please reach out to me if you think EMDR therapy may be right for you. It’s time to let go of your fears that are rooted in the past and move forward towards a happier, calmer life.

Anxiety: What’s Normal, and When You Should Consider Therapy

Anxiety—as unpleasant as it can be—is a very real and completely normal part of the human experience. It’s our natural defense to potential threats or dangerous situations. And while most of us view anxiety as an unpleasant emotion, it’s also one of the biggest reasons why people seek therapy.

Ultimately, anxiety serves a valuable purpose in our lives.  So, how can you tell the difference between normal anxiety and when you could benefit from therapy?

What's Normal for All

Anxiety can be a sign that something is important to you. For example, if you’re worried about an upcoming exam, it’s likely because you care about your studies and want to do well. If you didn’t, you probably wouldn’t be as worried or stressed about it.

Think of anxiety as your body's alarm system. Biologically speaking, it's helped the human race survive for a long time. And because it's been around for so long, it's released very quickly with little to no effort, making it, in many ways, automatic.

When we're in danger or at risk of potential harm, we don't have to think, "I should probably protect myself," thanks to this response.  The alarm system goes off, activating our fight-flight mode. The increased heart rate, loss of appetite, and difficulty breathing are all designed to help us respond to that danger if we need to flee, freeze, or fight the potential "threat."

If the body perceives something as potentially threatening, this response gets activated whether we want it to or not. The main difference between ordinary and problematic anxiety is between the source and the intensity of the experience.

When Does Anxiety Become a Diagnosis?

Despite its beneficial purpose, it doesn't mean anxiety doesn't have its downside. As humans, we also have vivid imaginations. Our ability to think and use our imagination can ultimately lead to an excess of "what if" or worst-case scenarios if we let it.

Think about it this way: if you have a first date, or you're preparing for a big speech at work, you're probably going to think about the way those experiences are going to turn out. One thought like "I'm going to blow it" or "this is going to go wrong" can quickly turn into "I have to cancel" or "I'm going to quit my job."

This is the downside to our creativity and imagination. Going down that negative spiral of thoughts tells the body that "this is happening"-even though an adverse outcome hasn't occurred. Thus, the body's natural alarm system becomes activated even though there's no real threat present.

Over time, our anticipation and expectations of things to go wrong can turn into avoidance. For example, if we expect the first date to go badly, we may avoid going out or meeting new people altogether. On the other hand, the same worry or expectation takes us out of the present moment. If you're worried about every word you say on the date or overthink your outfit choice, your anxiety ultimately prevents you from connecting and engaging with that person. These decisions interfere with our ability to build meaning and joyous lives.

When To Consider Anxiety Therapy

Anxiety can potentially interfere with our daily lives. If we start avoiding certain people, places, or situations because of our consistent worry, anxiety becomes problematic and may become an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety plays a role in the following conditions:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: People with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) may predict disaster and be overly concerned about money, health, family, work, or other issues.

Panic Disorder: Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear that may include shaking, sweating, shortness of breath, numbness, or a feeling that something terrible is about to happen. Panic attacks can occur at any time, even during sleep.

Phobia: extreme or unreasonable fear of a specific thing, circumstance, or activity.

Social Anxiety Disorder: intense and excessive fear of being judged by others in social situations.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: OCD involves recurrent thoughts and behaviors that can be both challenging and tiring for those affected by it.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): anxiety following a traumatic event.

Therapy For Anxiety

Although there are multiple therapeutic approaches in treating anxiety, these approaches' ultimate goal is to help you understand, manage, and overcome your anxiety. Your treatment is tailored to meet your specific needs and diagnosis.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT helps people identify and change destructive or disturbing thought patterns that influence behavior and emotions.

Exposure Therapy: ET is one the most common ways of treating anxiety and phobias. Your therapist will work with you to overcome specific situations that cause anxiety or panic by gradually exposing you to them.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: EMDR is usually used to help people recover from trauma. By utilizing sensory input such as eye movements, you can essentially reprogram your brain and heal from the emotional distress you've experienced in the past.

Somatic Experiencing works to improve the mind-body connection. SE is a mindful approach to increasing body awareness, regulate emotional and physical reactions, and gain insight into your anxiety or traumatic experiences.

Bottom Line

Anxiety disorders are highly treatable and can be managed with medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two. For those who experience mild symptoms, treatment may not be necessary.

Working with a therapist can help you learn tools and strategies to cope with symptoms and ultimately live a happy, healthy life.