Treating Addiction and Compulsive Behaviors with EMDR Therapy

Gerard Ilaria, EMDRIA member, discusses the overlapping areas of trauma and addiction, and how EMDR interventions can help compulsive behaviors.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) for shame related offense trauma in a justice involved individual presenting with active suicidality and self-harm (Journal of Clinical Psychology)

This case study builds on the existing research base and highlights the utility of EMDR for the treatment of offense-related shame, self-harm and active suicidality.

Effects of timing and type of trauma-focused treatment on psychosocial functioning: Secondary outcomes from a randomized controlled trial in patients with co-occurring substance use disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (Behaviour Research and Therapy)

This study examined secondary outcomes from an RCT comparing Prolonged Exposure (PE), EMDR therapy, and Imagery Rescripting (ImRs), delivered simultaneously with or sequentially to SUD-treatment to evaluate treatment responses per type of therapy as well as timing of delivery.

EMDR in the treatment of the spectrum of eating disorders (Oxford University Press, 2026)

This chapter describes the impact of painful life events (trauma), both large and small, on the development and entrenchment of eating disorders, and EMDR as a cornerstone of the therapeutic component of treatment

Timing and type of posttraumatic stress disorder treatment in patients with co-occurring substance use disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder – a randomized controlled trial (Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment)

This study compared effectiveness of simultaneous versus sequential SUD-PTSD-treatment and compared Prolonged Exposure (PE), EMDR, and Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) head-to-head in patients with co-occurring SUD and PTSD.

What Role Can EMDR Therapy Play With Active Medication or Substance Use?

Jo Pioro discusses using EMDR therapy with individuals in active addiction or using medication with complex mental health.

Therapeutic effects of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for substance use disorders: A meta-analysis of addiction-related and emotional symptoms (Frontiers in Psychiatry)

This meta-analysis identified the effects of EMDR on both addiction-related symptoms (e.g., craving, addiction severity) and comorbid emotional symptoms (e.g., PTSD, depression, anxiety), in substance use disorders (SUDs).

Addiction focused EMDR therapy to treat sexual addiction in an individual with a sexual offense history: Self-report and wearable device report in a single case design (Sexual Health & Compulsivity)

This study investigated the efficacy of Addiction Focused EMDR (AF-EMDR) therapy interventions in patients struggling with sexual addiction, and aimed to determine if AF-EMDR therapy reduced craving for explicit content and other symptoms of sexual addiction.

Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing as a potential treatment for substance use disorders: Study protocol (European Journal of Psychotraumatology)

This study aims to investigate the efficacy of EMDR in substance use disorder (SUD) patients with comorbid psychological trauma.

Effectiveness of treating post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with co-occurring substance use disorder with prolonged exposure, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing or imagery rescripting: A randomized controlled trial (Addiction)

Three different PTSD treatments were compared, added simultaneously to SUD treatment, with SUD treatment alone in patients with co-occurring SUD-PTSD: Prolonged Exposure (PE), EMDR therapy, and Imagery Rescripting (ImRs).

Targeting craving with EMDR therapy: Future directions (Addictive Behaviors)

This paper discusses the effects of addiction-focused EMDR therapy based on insights from working memory, and evidence of underlying EMDR mechanisms.

Consideraciones para el Tratamiento de Adicciones desde la Terapia EMDR

Explora cómo la terapia EMDR aborda los fundamentos neurobiológicos y emocionales de la adicción, ofreciendo herramientas prácticas para la recuperación.