Treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder with eye movement desensitization.
This case report describes the successful treatment of a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using eye movement desensitization (EMD). The client, a 40-year-old male, presented with an 8-year history of PTSD following an incident in which he was shot with a hand gun and left dying. Using EMD treatment, this trauma was quickly desensitized. Two earlier traumas with similar themes then emerged and they too were desensitized. Test results, taken pre-treatment and posttreatment, along with the client's verbatim account of cognitive and behavioral changes 8 months later, converged to document the successful treatment outcome.
Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham 98225.
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RA
Kleinknecht
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MP
Morgan
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic / Q000379:methods*; D005133:Eye Movements; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D013800:Theft / Q000523:psychology; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000523:psychology