EMDR Treatment of Trauma-Related Recurrent Nightmares: A Case Report: EMDR Treatment of Trauma-Related Recurrent Nightmares

Ekin Deniz Gümüştaş

doi:10.63175/tjts.58

Authors

Ekin Deniz Gümüştaş Yozgat Bozok University https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8746-9851

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63175/tjts.58

Keywords:

EMDR, Traumatic Stress, nightmares, sleep disturbance

Abstract

Recurrent nightmares are a distressing manifestation of trauma-related disorders and can persist even in the absence of full post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This case report describes the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) treatment of a 31-year-old male presenting with a recurring nightmare involving an identical scenario. The nightmare was characterized by intense fear, helplessness, and autonomic arousal and was linked to adverse adolescent experiences in a military high school. Although the patient did not meet full DSM-5-TR criteria for PTSD, the nightmares were conceptualized as a trauma-related sleep disturbance within the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) framework. EMDR therapy was delivered using the standard eight-phase protocol across three weekly sessions with bilateral eye movements. Trauma-related emotional distress associated with the targeted memories and nightmares was substantially reduced following treatment. Nightmare frequency markedly decreased within one week and ceased entirely thereafter, with symptom remission maintained at three-month follow-up. This case highlights the potential utility of EMDR in treating isolated trauma-related nightmares rooted in adolescent experiences.

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EMDR Treatment of Trauma-Related Recurrent Nightmares: A Case Report