NCJ Number
139798
Journal
Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1992) Pages: 43-49
Date Published
1992
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This case report describes the successful treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using eye movement desensitization (EMD).
Abstract
The client, a 40-year-old male, presented with an 8- year history of PTSD following an incident in which he was shot with a handgun. Following the incident, significant psychological distress was evoked in the client by the sight and sound of ambulances, loud noises, media depictions of violent assaults, and the sight of handguns. Cold, damp weather, reminiscent of the climate at the time of the shooting, also triggered PTSD symptoms. Further PTSD symptoms included concentration and memory difficulties, hypervigilance, restlessness, and scanning the environment for signs of danger. The trauma was quickly desensitized using EMD treatment. The first two treatment sessions involved intake and history taking, as well as some discussion of relaxation, deep breathing techniques, and anxiety coping procedures. During the third session, EMD treatment included identifying the central traumatic scene, the associated belief connected to the scene, and alternative beliefs the client would prefer to hold. Two earlier traumas with similar themes later emerged, and they were also desensitized. Test results, taken pretreatment and posttreatment, along with the client's verbatim account of cognitive and behavioral changes 8 months later, converged to document the successful treatment outcome. 16 references and 1 figure