EFFICACY OF EYE MOVEMENT

EFFICACY OF EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION AND REPROCESSING BEYOND COMPLEX POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: A CASE STUDY OF EMDR IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

Objectives: To demonstrate the efficacy of EMDR in complex multiple
psychological trauma after failed drug treatment from selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
(SSRI) in a diagnosed case of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Method: Single
participant of this case study, a sitting session judge of judicial governmental scaffold reported
to this mental health tertiary care facility at his own accord with features of intense anxiety,
depression, maladjustment issues and post- traumatic stress for a duration of several months.
As a partial responder to full trial of SSRI he was enrolled for EMDR therapy to address his
symptoms of intense anxiety, panic attacks, being overwhelmingly fearful, depressed, low selfesteem,
inappropriate feelings of guilt, flashbacks, avoidance, nightmares, hyper-arousal and
inability to perform as a judicial head in active war stricken area of northern Pakistan. Complete
psychiatric evaluation was carried out and after the discontinuation of SSRIs he was scored
on Impact of Event Scale (IES). He fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for PTSD as evaluated by the
English version of the PTSD module of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV administered
once before commencement of EMDR. Safe place of the client was established and 8 staged
protocol of EMDR was started with him. Multiple EMDR sessions were conducted. Result:
The case presented in this paper had multiple psychological trauma forms and failed drug
treatment and yet it was observed that EMDR provided marked improvement in all the domains
of his deficits and this was at a prompt speed as compared to cognitive behavioural therapy
(CBT) which usually takes longer duration of therapy to achieve similar results. Conclusions:
EMDR provides marked improvement in all domains of complex mental trauma and traumatic
memories. Improvement attained was prompt and enduring as compared to other forms
of established therapies and drug treatment indicating permanent changes happening at
neurobiological levels of brain.