Eye movement desensitization/reprocessing: its use in resolving the trauma caused by the loss of a war buddy

EMDR resulted in the rapid relief of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in refractory traumatic imagery in a Vietnam veteran. The results were maintained at nine-month follow-up. EMDR appears to be a viable technique in anecdotal reports but the limitations of a single-case study and the lack of adequate large controlled studies prevent generalization beyond a case-by-case assessment. Despite controversial reports, it appears that more rigorous evaluation of EMDR needs to be done to document the factors that operate in the use of EMDR.