How EFT May Help with PTSD

Mental illnesses such as PTSD cause tremendous suffering and loss of life for millions of people around the world. They are often difficult to treat, with a laundry list of side effects caused by conventional therapies, and to make things even worse there is often a stigma surrounding mental illnesses. But what if there was a natural way to relieve them, that didn't come with side effects and could be used by anyone?

This can be avoided in at least some cases.

There is a way, among others: emotional freedom technique, also known as EFT, tapping or "emotional acupuncture". EFT combines the elements of exposure and cognitive therapies, which have been established in the West for many years, with tapping on acupressure points. In this study, 16 veterans with clinical PTSD experienced a 53% reduction in their symptoms after ten hour-long sessions, and there were significant differences in the expression of six genes. Follow-ups found that participants maintained these gains. In a meta-analysis of seven trials mentioned by the study, EFT resulted in strong treatment effects against PTSD again. Then, in a trial of 764 active duty service members, EFT produced significant reductions in PTSD, depression and anxiety.

So why isn't EFT more widely used? There seems to be a poor level of understanding, with many people thinking there is no way that "simply" tapping on points and talking about your issues could work. However, there has been research conducted on the mechanisms behind EFT. Two studies using EEG testing, one on car crash survivors and one on claustrophobic people, found a regulation of the frequencies associated with fear. In another, fMRI testing found that acupuncture can downregulate the amygdala and limbic system's responses to fear. A triple-blinded controlled trial compared the effects of EFT on psychological symptoms to its effects on cortisol, the main stress hormone. Overall psychological symptoms dropped by more than twice as much in the EFT group, compared to a supportive interview or no treatment. There was also almost twice the drop in cortisol levels among those who received EFT. On top of all of this, EFT has demonstrated effects on the expression of genes controlling the stress response, inflammation and immunity.

If we want total and disability-free life expectancy to continue rising, it may be time to give EFT the recognition it deserves. High levels of perceived and chronic stress has been found to increase oxidative stress and the shortening of telomeres, which are protective caps on chromosomes that allow them to keep dividing. Keeping telomeres long is one way that we can fight aging and live longer. However, women with the highest levels of perceived stress have telomeres shorter to the equivalent of aging ten years, compared with women the same age who report low stress. Just because EFT doesn't look like serious therapy to everyone, doesn't mean that it can't add years to our lives and save millions of dollars in healthcare costs.