E.M.D.R. - The Science Behind a Story

My new Novella Reckoning is due out in the next month by KnightLand Books. I asked a very good friend of mine named Don Self to write a forward to the story since it was his scientific explanation of a newer therapy technique that inspired it.

Here is what he wrote: And as always thanks for taking the time to read this.

My name is Don Self and I have been asked to write the foreword to the new science fiction novella, Reckoning. Which makes sense because, in my own way, I’m a Reckoner. Well, actually, I’m a mental health counselor. To make any sense out of that statement, you need to read the story. And I highly recommend that. But, first, R. M. wanted me to talk about some stuff.

A little about me…I have been a counselor for over twenty years. I began my professional career the usual way as an “eclectic” counselor who engaged clients using “talk” therapy. I was eclectic in the sense that I used a hodgepodge of techniques, drawing from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Freud, Jung, whatever I could get my hands on. And I used talk therapy, which meant we talked. A lot. As I grew as a counselor, I became disillusioned with talk therapy. My clients did not seem to get better. I was doing my job as a counselor; obviously my clients were slackers.

I met R.M. Willis back in 2008 when he was first hired by the facility where I worked (I know him as Roy – we’re on a first name basis). I was impressed by his sense of humor – he laughed at my jokes. R. M. was working on his degree in psychology (my fave) and criminal justice. We both played World of Warcraft and watched the same kind of movies. We’re truly Nerds in Arms.

Having moved on from talk therapy I’m now a practitioner of a trauma resolution treatment known as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR), a long and complicated name for an odd therapy that really works. I introduced R.M. to EMDR back when we first met. My training was fresh and I wanted everyone to know what it was, how it worked, and what it looked like. Back in those days, I used a light bar with clients. It’s a long narrow metal box with a single line of blue LED lights that run the length of the box. The box has a mount that allows the use of a tripod. In addition to the lights, it also has headphones and buzzers for auditory and tactile stimulation.

Anyway, I demonstrated the light bar for R.M. I showed him the LED lights and had him follow the lights with his eyes. I put the head phones on him and demonstrated. I then gave him the buzzers and demonstrated them as well. Not satisfied, R. M. asked to be hooked up to all three simultaneously. And so we cranked that baby up. At its highest setting, the entire LED light string appears to be continuous and blinking. The auditory and tactile stimulation also appear to be continuous. I have yet to meet someone who can keep up with the movement, sound, and buzzing, including R.M. Sorry, R.M.

I later learned that R.M. was a writer, and he was kind enough to allow me to read the first and second drafts of a short story he was working on titled, Reckoning. I thought that both of them were good; with the second draft, I wanted more. It seemed incomplete. When I pointed out my misgivings about the second draft, R.M. let me in on his secret: My explanation of and experience with EMDR inspired the story. With that knowledge, I had a better understanding of where R.M. was going with the story. When I read the third draft, all of the pieces fell into place and its connection to EMDR made complete sense.

So how does EMDR work? To answer that, we have to explore how the memory process works. Normal memories are processed simply. If your brain decides that this paragraph that you are reading is important, then sometime tonight when your mind drifts into the lowest levels of sleep, you will dream. To the outside world, you are lying peacefully. Except your eyes. They move rapidly back and forth, underneath your eye lids. We call this REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. This is the process by which we believe long term memories are created. Thus, the information in this paragraph will translate into long term memory and will be accessible to you years from now.

Simple memories require simple processing. Trauma memories are a different breed. Trauma events are global events. They affect us from head to toe and activate our “fight or flight” response. Most of us know about fight or flight responses. There are two other possible responses – freeze and faint. When our rapid response systems are activated, we are prepared for danger. When our rapid response systems are repeatedly activated by life stressors, we begin to experience detrimental effects such as those identified with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. We have found that repeated trauma can actually cause brain damage by atrophying certain portions of the brain. In addition, the person affected develops core negative beliefs that affect their everyday lives.

That person might believe that they are weak or powerless or worthless or damaged. These core beliefs then affect the way they approach their daily lives. With EMDR, we work to dig out these core negative beliefs and replace them with healthier, positive core beliefs. We do this by replicating the natural REM sleep process, while awake and in a controlled setting. For many people, EMDR allows them to reprocess the traumatic memories and heal from their pain.

I’m not just a practitioner of EMDR, I’m also a consumer. To make a long story short, stuff happened to me as a kid, things that should never happen to a kid. As a result of this stuff, my adult life has been less than functional. I have some of the symptoms that one would associate with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. And it has affected my relationships with friends and family. For the past three years, I have worked with a counselor using EMDR. And we have successfully reprocessed several trauma/abuse memories; I’m not the same person that I was three years ago. I’m a better person, better father, better husband, and better counselor.

Reckoning is a multifaceted tale that explores questions like nature versus nurture, rehabilitation versus punishment. In addition, it introduces technology that, at this moment, is out of our reach. And, yet, like all good speculative science fiction, brings us a future with technology that could be right around the corner. Enjoy!

For more information about EMDR, check out the EMDRIA website at www.emdria.org and the EMDR Institute at www.emdr.com.