Prince Harry recently opened up about his journey with post-traumatic stress disorder following the loss of his mother, Princess Diana. In a candid discussion, he revealed his exploration of a groundbreaking therapy that helped him.
The therapy is called eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) to address the debilitating effects of his anxiety attacks. This revelation offers a glimpse into the royal’s personal struggles and his proactive approach towards mental health care, shedding light on the significance of seeking innovative treatments of traumas.
In a video, Prince Harry can be seen undergoing EMDR therapy, where he taps his shoulders and moves his eyes rapidly. This therapy is relatively new and is used to treat PTSD. Prince Harry shared that he decided to try EMDR to deal with severe anxiety attacks he was experiencing.
Prince Harry mentioned that he was open to trying EMDR because of the therapy and work he had done over the years.
During a therapy session with UK-based psychotherapist Sanja Oakley, Prince Harry demonstrated how EMDR helped him feel better about returning home. He described feeling scared and helpless before, but the therapy helped him cope with those feelings.
Prince Harry’s openness about his experience with EMDR therapy sheds light on alternative treatments for post-traumatic disorder and mental health struggles. It shows that seeking help and trying different therapies can make a difference in managing mental health conditions.
EMDR is a therapy made in 1987 to help with emotional traumas. It’s a structured therapy where you think about a tough memory while moving your eyes back and forth. This helps lessen the strong feelings tied to the memory.
EMDR works on a theory called Adaptive Information Processing (AIP). It says that trauma sticks around because it hasn’t been dealt with properly. So, when something reminds you of the trauma, those memories can come back strongly.
Unlike other therapies that try to lessen your reaction to trauma, EMDR tries to change how your brain stores those tough memories. Sometimes, instead of eye movements, you might listen to alternating tones. Usually, EMDR happens once or twice a week for about six to 12 sessions. But it can vary depending on the person.
Benefits of EMDR therapy
- EMDR is a structured therapy and usually needs fewer sessions than ongoing therapies.
- You don’t have to keep going back to the tough memory for a long time.
- You don’t have to talk a lot about what happened to you.
- There’s no homework to do.
- EMDR doesn’t try to change your thoughts and beliefs.
Disadvantages of EMDR therapy
- While EMDR is known to help with PTSD, it hasn’t been studied as much for other mood or mental health problems.
- If you’re avoiding talking about a tough event, EMDR might not be the best choice. Other types of talk therapy might work better.
- EMDR can sometimes make you feel worse at the start of treatment. The person who created EMDR warns that this could be dangerous for people who have gone through really tough things.
The process of EMDR
EMDR is a structured process with eight phases, each aimed at helping you deal with traumatic memories:
- History taking: Discuss your past with the therapist to identify which memories to focus on.
- Preparation: Learn about EMDR and how the therapist will use bilateral stimulation.
- Assessment: Identify your negative and positive beliefs related to the trauma.
- Desensitization: Use bilateral stimulation while recalling the memory.
- Installation: Focus on positive beliefs while processing the memory.
- Body scan: Talk about how you feel emotionally and physically.
- Closure: Prepare for what may happen between sessions.
- Reevaluation: Assess your progress and decide if more sessions are needed.
As you go through EMDR, you may start feeling less overwhelmed by the trauma. It’s normal for other painful memories to surface, indicating that suppressed memories are being processed.
When grappling with deep emotional traumas, it’s crucial to seek out specialists who can provide the appropriate form of treatment tailored to your needs. Whether it’s EMDR therapy or other therapeutic approaches, finding the right professional can make a significant difference in your healing journey.
Preview photo credit Good Morning America / YouTube
Visual test: Only those with the eyesight of a hawk can find the 7 animals hidden in the image
Every day, our eyes and minds are bombarded with images, writings, and lights of all kinds.
And at the end of a long day, it would be good to let them rest and recover, especially since many of these stimuli can be harmful.
Today, we want to propose a test that will allow you to train both your eyes and your brain.
In fact, thanks to this visual test, you can put your observation skills to the test.
Only those with the eyesight of a hawk can find the 7 animals hidden in the image.
In this test, you won’t have a time limit because the challenge is not based on speed but on the ability to identify the 7 hidden animals.
Only those with a particular skill can find all seven intruders. If you’re ready, let’s start the visual test.
Here’s the image. As you can see, there’s a climber, but there are also 7 animals hidden with him.
Observe every detail carefully and discover where the little friends are hiding.
To increase the fun, you can challenge friends and family to see who finds the most animals in the least amount of time.
Tests like this allow our eyes and brains to work optimally.
Despite the effort, they are not overloaded or damaged.
And just like in a gym, every time, we have to do a little more to get results.
With today’s training, you can see truly optimal results.
But, going back to our test, even though there are no time limits, we are sure that many of you will want to know the solution to the visual test.
So it’s time to reveal where the 7 animals are hiding in the figure.
Here they are, circled in red. Many have found it productive and advantageous to flip the image so they can see them in the correct direction.
Flipping the image makes it easier to distinguish the different little animals hidden in the figure.
If you managed to find all the intruders, congratulations, you have truly impressive eyesight.
If, on the other hand, you couldn’t find all 7 little ones, don’t worry, you can find many other tests like this that will allow you to continue your training.
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