CBT and EMDR A revolution in war-stress UK solutions

A revolution in war-stress solutions
By KATE WIGHTON

Published: Today

TWO shocking stories this week highlighted the struggle many of our brave Forces' personnel face AFTER they leave the battlefield - but revolutionary help is at hand.
Victoria Cross hero, L/Cpl Johnson Beharry revealed how he tried to commit suicide in 2008 by crashing his car at 100mph after battling depression triggered by the horrors of Iraq four years earlier.

Meanwhile, ex-soldier Michael Fong admitted trying to take his own life last month after suffering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from his time in Ulster and Iraq.

PTSD is thought to affect one in 20 UK troops and can cause horrendous flashbacks and traumatic nightmares.

But there are now incredible treatments offered to soldiers to help them overcome the ordeals of war, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprogramming (EMDR).

In a session of EMDR, a patient is asked to talk about a traumatic incident while a therapist sends their mind into a similar state to dreaming. The patient is completely awake and aware.

While talking about the incident, their eyes follow a dot moving left to right on a computer screen.

They do this for around three minutes and repeat ten times in a session.

This helps to reprogramme the memory, so a patient can think about an incident without getting upset.



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