Anxiety disorders were already the world’s top mental health condition before the digital age began. The rapid, pervasive introduction of computers, smartphones, and the like shifted the playing field to become even more fertile ground for distorted thought patterns. So much so, that we now regularly use the term “digital anxiety” to describe the specific outcomes.
The omnipresence of online life has ramped up the likelihood that just about everyone will struggle with some version of anxiety problems. So, until we can collectively rein in our daily habits, what can be done? For many, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).
What Is Digital Anxiety?
Like all anxiety, this definition can vary from person to person. Still, in a general sense, digital anxiety lives up to its name. When devices rule the day, they can also rule our thought life. Our social skills erode, we’re overwhelmed by notifications, and anti-social behavior is normalized on a minute-by-minute basis. Despite all this, many folks live in stark fear of what they’d miss if they logged off for a while.
Digital anxiety blends elements like:
- Artificially imposed loneliness, competition, envy, and inadequacy
- Repetitive fear programming in the name of getting clicks
- Meanness disguised as humor
- Easily accessible pornography and violent imagery
- Separation anxiety when we’re not on our phones
How Can EMDR Help You with Digital Anxiety?
For starters, this process will involve the basics when it comes to EMDR treatment. Let’s refresh our memories:
- Unlike standard talk therapy, EMDR utilizes hand, finger, and eye movements to induce a state in which negative thoughts can be processed without being triggered. The therapist does the hand movements while the client follows such movements with their eyes.
- A particular thought or image is chosen as the focus of the client. For example, if digital anxiety has caused someone to be hyper-vigilant, they may opt to focus on events that sparked this mindset.
- The clients focus on the preselected memory while following the therapist’s movements with their eyes. Over the course of relatively few sessions (about 4 to 12), the unhealthy belief is replaced with a positive image — resulting in a drastic decrease in digital anxiety symptoms.
But How Does EMDR Work?
Any type of anxiety disorder will cause your brain to undergo some measurable changes. Some parts may grow in size and influence (e.g. amygdala) while others get as overwhelmed as the person to whom they belong (e.g. hippocampus). An imbalance like this can prevent anyone from sustaining rational perspectives and expectations of the world they live in — very much including the digital world.
By guiding people to dramatically decrease the negative influence of distorted beliefs, EMDR can help reverse changes in the brain and ease clients into a place of greater and calmer discernment. Neurological patterns return to their natural state and even the powerful pull of smartphones and social media can be effectively countered.
A Few Powerful Reasons to Try EMDR for Anxiety
- Understanding and accepting that you can indeed create positive change in your life
- Taking back control of your daily and hourly patterns and behaviors
- Reminding yourself that you’re resourceful and resilient
- Recognizing the root causes of your current beliefs
- Creating new perspectives that decrease the odds of you falling victim to digital anxiety again
- Achieving sustainable results in very few sessions
- Side effects are rare and when they arise, tend to be very minor
EMDR is unusual. No one should expected to “get it” after reading one post. For that reason, I invite you to reach out about EMDR therapy today. Let’s connect and have a conversation about the possibilities. Digital anxiety can be managed and addressed, and there’s no time like now to make that happen.