Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing as a Treatment for Substance Use Disorders

The first session consists of recording the patient's history. In the second session the therapist evaluates the presence of coping mechanisms of the patient and, if necessary, suggests extra coping techniques. The following sessions are devoted to the reprocessing process. During these sessions, a target memory is identified and processed using EMDR. After a total of 8-10 sessions, it is expected that the patient will have achieved physiological reconciliation, relieved distress, and the ability to reformulate negative beliefs.

treatment as usual for substance use disorders