Anyone heard of EFT?

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Miriam_Adelaide

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Hi all,
In dealing with my anxiety I have come across something called EFT = “Emotional Freedom Technique”. It is a method of reducing anxiety (and a host of other issues) by a method that is supposed to aid in rewiring your brain to be desensitized to the negative emotion.
Has anyone ever used this? Also, does anyone know if it goes against Church teachings in anyway?
From what I have read about it, it seems very effective and just a form of self talk, but I thought I would ask.
God Bless,
M
 
looks very new age to me! run away

Try cognitive behavior therapy instead.
 
I just recently learned about EFT and have used it to treat my insomnia. I’m not really sure how it works, but I think it is based on the same principle as acupressure. All I know is that my sleep quality has improved dramatically.
leonie said:
looks very new age to me! run away
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Yeah right…it’s a tool of the devil. Get a clue. :rolleyes:
 
The phrase that is sort of bothering me is “desensitized to the negative emotion” - negative emotions are a part of life and are proper in certain situations. Now, if someone is having crippling anxiety, obviously this is not a proper emotional response and should be treated, but you have to be careful with many of these tecqinues that promise to get rid of negative emotions because suffering is a part of life and when you try and suppress it you may end up with bigger issues.
 
Some of it has its base in acupuncture. I’ve tried it out and it has helped on occasion (with stress headaches, for example). What makes me very sceptic as a professional is their explanation that the method can’t be tested in controlled studies, which is usually the excuse of people who know what the studies would show. 🤷 There have actually been studies that refute their basic principles, namely that in the study, no matter where one tapped, the results were the same.

I have seen some of the DvDs, and it seems to me that very often, EFT works just like certain cognitive therapy techniques - meaning, you’re asked to concentrate on a negative emotion and at the same time, you relax your body. You can’t be relaxed and anxious at the same time.

I think that’s namely what has worked for me - that I relaxed so my headaches got better. I soon noticed that it didn’t work with my migraines which are purely hormonal.

Anyway, I stopped using it when they got to the “We can heal MS! We can heal cancer!” stage 😉
 
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_Freedom_Technique
EFT has been labeled pseudoscience in the Skeptical Inquirer, based on what the journal identifies as its lack of falsifiability, reliance on anecdotal evidence, aggressive promotion via the Internet and word of mouth.[9] Gary Craig, the originator of EFT, has argued that tapping anywhere on the body will manipulate “energy meridians”. There are many pressure points used by acupuncturists not included in EFT methodology; it is suggested that tapping one such point may have incidental effects. Skeptics have asserted that such an argument renders EFT untestable by scientific method and it therefore needs to be categorized as a pseudoscience; however beneficial some may consider it.[9] EFT’s successes are also thought to stem from “characteristics it shares with more traditional therapies”, rather than manipulation of supposed “energy meridians” via tapping acupuncture points. There is no known anatomical or histological basis for the existence of acupuncture points or meridians.[10] Testing of the EFT hypothesis through the use of a placebo group produced the same positive changes in recipients as following the EFT’s standard methodology.[3] A 2007 article in the Guardian suggested that the act of tapping parts of the body in a complicated sequence acts as a distraction, and therefore can appear to alleviate the root distress.[11]
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In my opinion if you already aren’t, you should consult a professional psychologist or psychiatrist for advice about how to deal with anxiety.

If you’re not in any kind of a crisis, you could try EFT and see what it does for you. But if your anxiety is serious and debilitating, you could end up doing harm by spending time on this instead of getting a treatment that’s been scientifically tested (like cognitive behavioral therapy or medication).
 
flyingfish said:
In my opinion if you already aren’t, you should consult a professional psychologist or psychiatrist for advice about how to deal with anxiety.

If you’re not in any kind of a crisis, you could try EFT and see what it does for you. But if your anxiety is serious and debilitating, you could end up doing harm by spending time on this instead of getting a treatment that’s been scientifically tested (like cognitive behavioral therapy or medication).
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That’s a bad idea. I would ask a psychology professional. You don’t want to become desensitized to those emotions. You might as well get a frontal lobotomy if you’d like that sort of effect. Ask a pro, but it’s not safe to try this sort of thing on yourself-especially if there is no proven evidence of it actually working. It sounds more like a fad than anything. Pray for God to help you. 🙂
 
Whenever I read “energy fields,” it clues me into the fact that it’s new age.

Don’t mess around with it.

Probably the part that works is the biofeedback–hich is what they use with cognitive behavior therapy.

Also, it looks like exercise is effective for reducing anxiety and depression.
 
Thanks everyone for your replies. I realized that I defined EFT poorly. I should not have said it “desensitizes you” from the bad emotions. What it seems to do is distract your mind from going into a spiral of panic/anxiety/depression etc… I do struggle with very bad anxiety and this came across to me as a form of Cognitive Behavioraly Therapy. But I liked it because it involves self talk, and I always love to ask God for His strength when I use self-talk. I do agree that some people take it too far - like using it to attain wealth or happiness. But people can use self-talk, meditation, hypnosis etc for the same wrong reasons as well. I have heard that the reason self talk is so effective is because when you involve your senses in trying to change a thought or behavior it gets engrained more deeply in your brain, then for example just thinking something. EFT adds the additional sense of touch.
Anyway, I am rambling. The jury is still out for me. 🙂
 
Yup, consult a real psychologist. Nothing wrong learning to cope but rewiring your brain doesn’t sound that great. 😉 Go to someone who’s trained to provide professional help in accordance with the current state of knowledge. 🙂
 
Miriam_Adelaide said:
Hi all,
In dealing with my anxiety I have come across something called EFT = “Emotional Freedom Technique”. It is a method of reducing anxiety (and a host of other issues) by a method that is supposed to aid in rewiring your brain to be desensitized to the negative emotion.
Has anyone ever used this? Also, does anyone know if it goes against Church teachings in anyway?
From what I have read about it, it seems very effective and just a form of self talk, but I thought I would ask.
God Bless,
M
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I have actually had pretty positive results with EFT. It’s based on acupressure, which is in turn based on acupuncture, for what that’s worth.

I don’t know how it works, but for a lot of people, myself included, it’s been very helpful. It doesn’t eliminate negative feelings, it just provides a way of keeping them from being overwhelming.

For a lot of people suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), the results have been nearly miraculous, far quicker and more successful than traditional psychotherapy.

That being said, the benefit I receive from EFT (I do some tapping now & then) is nothing compared to what I’ve gained since I started attending Mass regularly.
 
srlucado said:
I have actually had pretty positive results with EFT. It’s based on acupressure, which is in turn based on acupuncture, for what that’s worth.

I don’t know how it works, but for a lot of people, myself included, it’s been very helpful. It doesn’t eliminate negative feelings, it just provides a way of keeping them from being overwhelming.

For a lot of people suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), the results have been nearly miraculous, far quicker and more successful than traditional psychotherapy.
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My wife is a psychologist who recommends EFT for mild anxiety. She also stated that it is based on the same principle as acupressure.

A few years ago, during a rather stressful period in my life, I used to suffer from moderate insomnia. In order to help me relax, my wife would perform the tapping on me as I lay in bed. I found it to be strangely relaxing and conducive to sleep. My worries didn’t disappear so much as they faded into the background enough for me to fall asleep.
That being said, the benefit I receive from EFT (I do some tapping now & then) is nothing compared to what I’ve gained since I started attending Mass regularly.
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Well, when I go to mass with my wife, I’m struggling to stay awake by the time they get to the first reading, so I guess that’s an even better cure for insomnia. I’m told, however, that falling asleep during mass is not socially acceptable.
 
srlucado said:
I have actually had pretty positive results with EFT. It’s based on acupressure, which is in turn based on acupuncture, for what that’s worth.

I don’t know how it works, but for a lot of people, myself included, it’s been very helpful. It doesn’t eliminate negative feelings, it just provides a way of keeping them from being overwhelming.

For a lot of people suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), the results have been nearly miraculous, far quicker and more successful than traditional psychotherapy.

That being said, the benefit I receive from EFT (I do some tapping now & then) is nothing compared to what I’ve gained since I started attending Mass regularly.
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Thanks for the feedback! I think I butchered the definition in my initial post. It is good to hear that is has been beneficial for someone. When my anxiety is bad, I do get very overwhelmed, which makes it difficult to be completely rational about my thoughts.
I am going to see a psycologist this week, so hopefully she will teach me some methods to help me. In the mean time, I am trying to offer it up and be trusting. It is very difficult at times.
Thanks again!
 
Hello all,
I am currently in therapy right now and EFT is what we are working with for my childhood trauma of sexual abuse, anxiety and depression. I have been trying to check around about information going against the teachings of the church, but have not found anything. This thread is rather comforting though, i am not alone and that it has indeed worked for others.

God Bless Everyone, have a great day!👍
 
I have a good friend who is a therapist and a Catholic. He has used EFT for a number of years with good results. Through variations intechnique with his clients he came to the same conclusion as the studies mentioned earlier-that there is nothing about the specific EFT process that effects the relief and therefore Craig’s explanation of why it works is bunkum. (which my friend had believed anyhow)

He now uses a similar process, primarily verbal with some manual activities for the cllient, as it seems to be the combinaation of the repeated feedback process and the need to focus on the routine of the physical gestures that is effective. He believes that it is simply breaking the chain of connections in a person’s mind that lead to certain outcomes (i.e. it is difficult for someone to become or remain anxious if they keep getting distracted from anxious thoughts by having a physical routine to do and then evaluating how they feel-it ends up working like a spiral, taking them further out of the anxious state with each repetition.

He has one Catholic client who decided to modify it and replaced the physical motions with saying the rosary. She says a decade then stops to check how she is feeling, then goes on to the next decade. He says she is happy about resolving some of the things bothering her and praying the rosary more often.
 
This is slightly off-topic but it reminds me of some new age types that like to buy from my husbands medical instrument company. They buy tuning forks and charge people lots of money to “heal them” by having the tuning fork vibrate and then putting it next to their hand, leg etc. and calling it “Tuning Fork Therapy”. My husband is a Neurologist and tuning forks work for measuring reflexes but there is no evidence whatsoever that walking around people shaking tuning forks does anything.

Maybe lying down with spa music playing in the background while the “therapist” talks to you in a soothing voice waving tuning forks works as well as any other relaxation technique. Also when someone has just handed $75 over for a “healing session” they want to believe it works!
 
Hi

EFT is a very effective way of dealing with anxiety and depression. I’ve tried all methods including traditional therapy, CBT, Medication, and Exposure Therapy and none of them has worked for me and I spent a ton of money!

Being anxious and having panic attacks is one of the scariest things that can happen to a person, you feel robbed of your peace of mind and serenity.

In the last 4 months I’ve tried EFT and I have to tell you that it does work, but you have to put the work into it. It helps by clearing a negative emotion that is holding you in fear and keeping you from living a good life. It doesn’t “desensitize” (thank you for clarifying your response) you it helps you cope with emotions that you may not even know you had. It is completely safe and I even add Jesus into my tapping sessions by asking him to grant me peace of mind or serenity (even the Serenity Prayer is helpful). I often pray to St. Dymphna to intercede on my behalf with the Lord as well as St. Anthony and all the Saints to pray for me. It is also helpful to pray to the Souls of Purgatory to intercede for you. Anyway, I am finding some relief but it is a long road like any therapy and I think the Lord set up your body to be able to self heal in situations. You aren’t meant to suffer that is not what God intended nor did he intend for you not to feel emotions. I just want to really clarify with people that you still feel any and all emotions it is more of a tool to help you cope such as medication can help others cope (unfortunately none of the other methods helped me). You can even tap on positive feelings to give you the strength to be better at anything.

read up on it before you write or judge it since you really should know what you are talking about before posting. This could be someone’s last hope and by dismissing it and saying Run Away from it isn’t really Christian!

Good Luck and I hope you find as much success as I have.

God Bless you all!

Shan:)
 
I’ve used EFT in the past and it does work, especially with negative emotions/stress. Severe stress can lead to physical illness and even kill you.

I don’t see that taking your health into your own hands with some of these holistic, non-drug remedies is making a “god” of yourself. No more than handing over responsibility of your health over to a medical doctor makes HIM a god.

Some of these self-helps, including EFT, require discipline and follow-through. It’s way easier to take a pill and we all would like an instant fix.

There seems to be a knee-jerk reaction from some on the forums against anything alternative- ‘stay away!’ etc., along with ridicule (lumping it with tuning forks).

I think if there’s a solution for physical or mental ailments that does NOT involve invoking some pagan ‘god,’ and the intention is good, it’s worth a try for chronic stuff. Especially ailments like insomnia, anxiety and depression.

I would avoid anything related to Reiki massage, crystals, auras, past-life regression, transcendental meditation and that sort of thing.

If you’ve tried everything that is permissible, prayed about your health issue and still have it, it would seem God is telling you it’s your cross.

It’s a good idea to ask an informed trustworthy orthodox priest about it too.
 
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