Do Quick Fixes Work?
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anonymous Asks ...
Would you recommend EFT? I have problems with anxiety and phobias and I often self medicated with alcohol and valium as a way to deal with my anxiety. I am interested in the way EFT seems to cure people of their anxieties quite quickly because I have not had much luck with CBT. It sounds a little weird though and I am not sure if I should take it seriously or not.
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David Johnson Says ...
I have no experience or knowledge of Emotional Freedom Technique. My experience with any sort of quick fix is that it may work for minor symptoms or for reasons unrelated to the technique itself. Quick fixes like alcohol and Valium can lead to addiction and a worsening anxiety problem. Your lack of success with CBT is familiar. In my experience, CBT is effective with limited symptoms in otherwise healthy people. Most CBT practitioners are focused on "thoughts over behavior" interventions. Anyone who has tried to succeed at New Years resolutions knows that promises, positive thoughts, intent to break old habits is seldom successful. A recent survey found eighty percent New Years resolutions were unsuccessful.
There is no replacement for hard work. Emotional problems require emotional work. See a therapist who is skilled in interpersonal, emotion focused and/or psycho-dynamic therapy. Such therapists are more interested in better understanding you and helping you master your life and so are more flexible in their approach.
I'm very suspicious of a technique claims to remove negative emotions. We have negative emotions because they are important for survival. Without negative emotions you may be handicapped from protecting yourself and making good judgments.
EFT seems to be based on tapping parts of the body while receiving positive affirmations. Repetitive self-affirmations are likely just as effective. Humans have been impressed by magical cures for thousands of years by shamans and Witch Doctors. Part of what works about therapy is that the therapist and the client believes in what they are doing. If the treatment seems magical, beyond logic, or an intuitive fit, I think that's a good reason to look somewhere else.
