Excerpts from fox32chicago.com:
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first responderspolice officers, firefighters, and EMS workers in the US lose their lives to suicide than in the line of duty, according to a study by the Ruderman Foundation.Locally, a little known treatment for depression and PTSD is helping those desperate to find help for themselves. The treatment almost looks like hypnosis, but the patient is entirely awake and able to tap into traumatic memories like never before. It can start to relieve symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD in as little as one treatment
EMDR therapy or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing attempts to mimic the rapid eye movement of deep sleep to stimulate the brain. During a therapy session, the patient recalls a traumatic memory and the therapist guides them through the memory while keeping their eyes moving in a back and forth or bilateral pattern. No one really knows why this type of therapy works. The EMDR Foundation is located in Chicago, and they are hoping more research will crack the case.
Broadview Fire Chief Tracy Kenny and Deerfield Firefighter Jon Vaccarello have had very different life experiences but they both agree that EMDR has dramatically changed their lives.
There are many MDR therapists in the Chicagoland area. Each session is an hour, and it is covered by insurance.
