Over the last few years there’s been a wealth of research undertaken in the area of post-traumatic stress disorder, and studies have shown the overriding role of emotions in the condition. When a traumatic or emotionally-charged event occurs the brain is often unable to cope with it-it finds itself unable to process information in the way it usually does, effectively leaving the memory “stuck” and rendering it incredibly powerful to the individual.
The distressing event is almost frozen in time and can be recalled over and over again in its raw form, leading to the flashbacks and nightmares that are so common in PTSD, with emotion having a lot to answer for. In this sense, the emotional filter usually present when the brain processes information can be completely overwhelmed and is simply ineffective, and this unprocessed memory will remain emotionally-charged unless something can be done to get the filter working again. That’s why it’s so important to look for new treatment options, and knowing the role that emotions play could go a long way to helping treat the condition.
EMDR therapy, for example, works by helping the brain to re-process traumatic memories and ultimately help to lessen the impact of emotions during recall, meaning the memory is no longer painful. Undertaking EMDR courses could therefore be a great option for those looking to help clients overcome this debilitating condition-PTSD can render life almost unmanageable for sufferers but with better understanding of emotions, effective PTSD training and new treatment options it could be possible to give sufferers their quality of life back.
