PTSD and Trauma Therapy in Alpharetta When One Event Keeps Replaying, and How EMDR Can Help

Jeremy Fox, LPC, CPCS EMDRIA Approved Consultant · Published in the Journal of EMDR Practice and Research · Alpharetta, GA

Maybe it was a crash on GA-400, a break-in, a frightening diagnosis, or a call you took at work that you still cannot shake. Weeks or months later, your body still reacts as though it is happening now. You sleep badly, you jump at small noises, and you steer around anything that brings it back. If that sounds familiar, you are not weak and you are not imagining it. This page explains what post-traumatic stress looks like, how EMDR works with a traumatic memory, and how to start care with Jeremy Fox, LPC, at the Authentic Answers office in Alpharetta or by secure video anywhere in Georgia.

A Normal Reaction, or Something That Has Settled In?

Shaken sleep, replaying the moment, and feeling on edge are expected after a frightening event. According to the National Center for PTSD, most people start to feel better within a few weeks. When the reactions last longer than a month, feel very upsetting, or get in the way of work, school, or family life, it may be post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and it is worth talking with a mental health professional. Symptoms can also show up months or even years after the event, which surprises many people.

PTSD is not rare. The National Center for PTSD estimates that about 6 out of every 100 people in the U.S. will have PTSD at some point in their lives, and that it is more common in women than in men. Only a licensed provider can diagnose it, and a diagnosis is not required to ask for help.

The Four Kinds of PTSD Symptoms

Clinicians group PTSD symptoms into four clusters. Everyone experiences them a little differently, but they tend to look like this:

• Reliving it. Nightmares, flashbacks, or a sudden rush of fear when a sound, smell, or sight reminds you of what happened.
• Avoiding reminders. Skipping the highway, the hospital, crowds, or conversations, or staying constantly busy so there is no room to think.
• Darker thoughts and feelings. Feeling numb or cut off from people you love, losing interest in things you enjoyed, or carrying guilt and shame about the event.
• Feeling keyed up. Trouble sleeping or concentrating, a quick temper, being easily startled, or always scanning for danger.

What Brings People In

Many clients who reach out describe one event, or a short stretch of events, that changed how safe the world feels. Common examples include car accidents, physical or sexual assault, a medical emergency or difficult surgery, a sudden death, a natural disaster, combat, or line-of-duty incidents for police, firefighters, EMTs, and dispatchers. Some people come in right after the event. Others wait years before the memory finally demands attention. Either way is fine.

If your history involves repeated harm over a long time, especially in childhood or in a close relationship, the picture is often different. That longer pattern is described on the Complex PTSD therapy page, and the treatment is paced differently.

How EMDR Works With a Traumatic Memory

A traumatic memory can stay stored in a raw, unprocessed form, so everyday cues set it off as if it were happening again. In EMDR, you bring the memory to mind in short sets while paying attention to a back-and-forth movement, sound, or tap. Between sets you simply notice what comes up. Over time the memory tends to feel less charged, and a more accurate belief, such as "it is over, and I survived," can feel true.

A few things often ease people's worries before they start:

• You do not have to tell the whole story out loud. You will be asked to think about the memory, but sharing the details is up to you.
• There is no homework between sessions.
• You stay awake and in charge, and you can pause or stop any set.
• Early sessions focus on history and on calming skills, so you have ways to settle yourself before any memory work begins.

For a step-by-step look at the eight phases, see What Is EMDR Therapy?

Where EMDR Fits Among PTSD Treatments

The National Center for PTSD lists three trauma-focused psychotherapies as the most effective treatments for PTSD: Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and EMDR. Certain medications can also help, and some people combine therapy with medication prescribed by their doctor. The VA/DoD clinical practice guideline for PTSD includes EMDR among its recommended individual psychotherapies.

Research on these therapies describes how groups of people respond on average, so it cannot tell you exactly how your own treatment will go. Some people need more time or a different approach. If EMDR does not seem like the right fit for you, Jeremy will say so and talk through other options.

Working With Jeremy

Jeremy Fox is a Georgia Licensed Professional Counselor who has practiced EMDR since 2014. He is an EMDRIA Certified Therapist and Approved Consultant, which means other EMDR clinicians seek him out for consultation, and his research on EMDR has appeared in the Journal of EMDR Practice and Research. His caseload centers on trauma, PTSD, Complex PTSD, and dissociation, so a single-incident trauma and a more tangled history are both familiar ground.

Sessions take place at 314 Maxwell Rd, Suite 400, in Alpharetta, or by HIPAA-compliant video for anyone located in Georgia. Veterans, service members, and military families can use their TRICARE benefits here, and the cost and insurance guide explains how coverage usually works. People who want concentrated work over one or more days can ask about EMDR intensives.