Can EMDR Cause Temporary Mood Changes?

Can EMDR Cause Temporary Mood Changes?

Short Answer: Some people may notice temporary changes in mood during or after Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), although many people do not. You might feel a little more emotional, thoughtful, irritable, relieved, calm, or simply different for a while after working with a meaningful memory or experience. When mood changes happen, they do not necessarily mean anything went wrong. EMDR involves focusing on memories, thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations, so it is possible for how you feel to shift during or after a session.

Key Takeaways

• Some people may notice temporary mood changes during or after EMDR, while many do not.
• A mood change does not necessarily mean feeling worse. You might feel relieved, calmer, thoughtful, emotional, or slightly irritable for a while.
• Your mood may shift as different thoughts, memories, or feelings come up during a session.
• Emotions connected to the material you worked on may sometimes remain noticeable after the session ends.
• You do not need to experience a mood change for EMDR to be meaningful.
• How you feel immediately after a session is not a simple measure of whether EMDR worked.
• With self-guided EMDR, you can pause, take a break, or adjust the pacing based on how you are feeling.

What Do Temporary Mood Changes After EMDR Feel Like?

There is no single type of mood change associated with EMDR.

If you notice a change, you might feel:

• More emotional than you did before the session
• Quieter or more reflective
• Slightly irritable
• Relieved
• Calmer
• More sensitive than usual
• In a different mood without being able to explain exactly why

The change may be subtle.

You might simply notice that you feel a little different when the session ends than you did when it began.

For example, you may finish working with an upsetting memory and feel quieter for a while. Or you may notice that something that bothered you earlier does not seem quite as important afterward.

Many people do not notice a significant mood change at all.

Why Might Your Mood Change During EMDR?

EMDR involves bringing a particular target to mind while using bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, alternating sounds, or tapping.

As you focus on the target, what you notice can change.

A memory may bring up sadness at one point and frustration at another. You might remember a different part of an experience, think about it in a new way, or notice that something that previously bothered you does not feel quite the same.

Because thoughts and emotions can shift during the process, your overall mood may sometimes shift as well.

This does not mean a mood change has to happen.

Some sessions may involve noticeable emotional changes, while others may feel relatively steady from beginning to end.

Can Your Mood Change After the Session Is Over?

Yes, some people may continue to notice a different mood for a while after the session ends.

You may finish feeling reflective, quiet, relieved, somewhat emotional, or simply not quite ready to immediately switch your attention to something else.

Other people may finish EMDR and feel much the same as they did beforehand.

There is no particular post-session mood that everyone is expected to experience.

Your response may also vary from session to session.

One session might leave you feeling thoughtful for a while, while another may have little noticeable effect on your mood afterward.

Does a Mood Change Mean You Will Feel Worse?

No.

The phrase “mood change” can sound as though it automatically means a negative reaction, but that is not necessarily the case.

A change simply means that you notice yourself feeling somewhat different.

For example, you might feel calmer after working with something that had been bothering you.

You might feel relieved.

You might become thoughtful or quiet.

Or you may notice some temporary irritation or sadness connected to what you were focusing on.

It is more accurate to think of mood changes as possible shifts in how you feel rather than assuming that EMDR will make your mood worse.

Can You Feel More Emotional After EMDR?

Some people may.

EMDR can involve focusing on memories and experiences that already carry emotion. It is therefore possible to notice those emotions during the session or for a while afterward.

For example, if you were working with a sad memory, you may still feel somewhat sad when the session ends.

If you were focusing on something frustrating, you might notice some lingering frustration.

You might also notice a different emotion than the one you expected.

A memory that once mainly brought up sadness might now make you feel frustrated, relieved, or thoughtful.

That does not necessarily mean EMDR created the emotion. The feeling may be connected to the material you were already working with and what you noticed during the session.

Many people, however, do not experience noticeable emotional changes afterward.

Can You Feel Irritable After EMDR?

Some people may notice temporary irritability, although it should not be treated as something everyone experiences.

You may have spent time concentrating on an uncomfortable memory or issue and simply feel less patient or more sensitive for a while afterward.

There can also be ordinary explanations unrelated to EMDR. Your mood naturally changes throughout the day, and many different circumstances can affect how you feel.

The fact that irritability happens after an EMDR session does not necessarily mean EMDR caused it.

For some people, irritability or emotional shifts may also be connected to experiences they are working through related to depression.

It can be useful to notice the change without immediately assigning a specific cause to it.

Can EMDR Leave You Feeling Calmer or Relieved?

Yes, some people may notice positive mood changes as well.

You might finish a session feeling calmer about something you were working on.

A memory may feel less immediate, a thought may bother you less, or you may simply feel relieved to have spent time addressing something that had been on your mind.

Sometimes the change may be subtle. You may not feel dramatically happier or calmer, but you may notice that the issue seems to have less emotional pull than it did before.

You might also notice that your mood has not changed much at all.

None of these reactions is required.

The purpose of EMDR is not to produce a particular mood immediately after every session.

Can Your Mood Shift More Than Once During a Session?

It can.

Emotions do not always move in a straight line.

You might begin a session feeling frustrated, become sad when a particular detail comes to mind, and later feel calmer.

Or you may start out feeling nervous and eventually notice that you are more thoughtful than anxious.

You might also move back and forth between different feelings.

These shifts do not necessarily need to be analyzed individually.

EMDR includes paying attention to what comes up as you work with the target. If your feelings change, you can simply notice the change along with the thoughts, memories, images, or physical sensations that are present.

Emotional changes may also come up while working with memories or reactions connected to childhood trauma.

There is no particular sequence of emotions that you are supposed to experience.

What If Your Mood Changes Without an Obvious Reason?

Sometimes you may notice that you feel different without immediately knowing why.

You may finish a session feeling quieter, lighter, more reflective, or slightly irritable without being able to connect the feeling to one particular moment.

You do not necessarily need to find an explanation.

Not every change in mood has a clear cause, whether or not you have just done EMDR.

It can be enough to notice how you feel and continue with your day.

If a connection to the material you worked on becomes obvious later, you can notice that too. But you do not need to search for hidden meaning in every temporary emotional change.

Do Mood Changes Mean the Session Was Intense?

Not necessarily.

A noticeable emotional shift does not automatically mean that an EMDR session was unusually intense.

You might experience a mild change in mood while working with something meaningful.

Likewise, you could work on an important memory without noticing much change in your mood at all.

People respond differently to memories, emotions, and EMDR itself.

It is better not to use the presence or absence of a mood change as a way of judging how intense a session was.

Does a Mood Change Mean EMDR Is Working?

Not by itself.

How you feel immediately after a session is not a simple test of whether EMDR worked.

Feeling calmer does not automatically mean that everything related to the target has been resolved.

Feeling emotional does not mean that the session was especially effective.

And feeling much the same as you did beforehand does not mean that nothing happened.

You do not need to look for a specific emotional reaction after EMDR.

Instead, you can notice whether your response to the target changes over time.

For example, a memory may eventually feel less upsetting, a negative thought may feel less convincing, or you may notice that you react differently when something reminds you of the experience.

Those broader changes can tell you more than whether you happened to feel happy, sad, irritated, or calm immediately after one session.

What If You Feel Completely Normal After EMDR?

That is also a normal response.

Not everyone experiences noticeable after-effects from EMDR.

You may finish the session and go back to the rest of your day without feeling especially emotional, tired, restless, spacey, relieved, or different.

There is no requirement to have a post-session reaction.

It is also possible for the same person to respond differently to different sessions.

You may feel thoughtful after one session and notice almost nothing afterward the next time.

How you feel after one EMDR session does not predict exactly how you will feel after another.

How Long Can a Temporary Mood Change Last?

There is no exact timeline that applies to everyone.

If you notice a mild mood change after a session, it may shift as you return to your normal activities and move through the rest of your day.

The duration can depend on what you were working on, how you felt before the session, and other ordinary factors affecting your mood.

Some changes may be brief enough that you barely notice them.

Others may remain noticeable for a while before gradually fading or changing.

It is important not to create an expectation that you will feel emotionally different for a particular number of hours or days after EMDR.

Many people may notice little or no post-session mood change.

Can Your Mood Continue to Shift Between Sessions?

You may occasionally notice thoughts or feelings connected to what you worked on after the session has ended.

A memory might come to mind again, or you may think about the experience differently later.

If that happens, your mood may briefly change along with it.

That does not mean you need to constantly monitor your emotions between sessions.

People naturally continue thinking about meaningful experiences after many kinds of focused activities and conversations.

You can simply notice what comes up without feeling that every emotional shift needs to be analyzed.

What Can You Do If Your Mood Feels Different After EMDR?

You usually do not need a complicated post-EMDR routine simply because your mood feels a little different.

You can give yourself some time to transition back into your normal activities.

If you feel reflective, you might allow yourself a few minutes before moving on.

If you feel like getting up and doing something else, you can do that.

If you simply want to continue with your day, that is fine too.

There is no single correct way to respond to a mild temporary mood change.

The goal is not to monitor yourself constantly after EMDR. You can simply notice how you feel and respond in whatever ordinary way works for you.

Should You Change Your Next Self-Guided EMDR Session?

Not necessarily.

A temporary mood change after one session does not automatically mean you need to change how you use self-guided EMDR.

If you felt comfortable with the session overall, you may decide to continue in the same way next time.

If you notice that a particular session length or pace does not work as well for you, you can adjust it.

You might choose a shorter session, take an additional pause, or schedule your session at a different time.

These adjustments can simply be part of learning what pacing works well for you rather than signs that anything went wrong.

Mood Changes With Virtual EMDR

Virtual EMDR is a specific self-guided online EMDR program. Because you manage the session independently, you can adjust the pacing based on what you are experiencing.

If your mood shifts during a session, you can continue if you feel comfortable, pause for a moment, or take a break.

You can also decide when you want to end the session.

There is no expectation that Virtual EMDR will produce a particular emotional response. You may notice changes in mood, or you may finish a session feeling much the same as you did beforehand.

The important point is that you can respond to your experience as it happens rather than trying to produce or avoid a particular mood.

Conclusion

Some people may notice temporary mood changes during or after EMDR, although many people do not.

A mood change does not necessarily mean feeling worse. You might feel more emotional, thoughtful, irritable, relieved, calm, or simply a little different for a while after focusing on a meaningful memory or experience.

Your mood may also shift more than once during a session as different thoughts, memories, or feelings come up.

These changes do not automatically mean that the session was unusually intense, and they are not a measure of whether EMDR worked.

You also do not need to experience any noticeable mood change at all.

If you are using self-guided EMDR, you can pay attention to how you feel and adjust the pacing when useful. As with other possible experiences during or after EMDR, there is no single emotional reaction you are supposed to have.