EMDR, cravings
and recovery

More than a passing urge

A craving may arrive as a thought, a sensation in the body, an image, a remembered feeling or a powerful sense that something needs to happen now. It might be connected to a place, a particular time of day, conflict, loneliness or even a moment of celebration.

Not everyone experiences cravings in the same way. For some, they are brief and manageable. For others, they can feel intrusive, exhausting or difficult to interrupt. A craving does not, by itself, mean someone has failed in recovery.

Understanding a craving is not the same as having to act on it.

How memory can keep the pull alive

Experiences that have been repeated, especially those linked with relief or reward, can become associated with particular feelings, cues and expectations. Sometimes a person understands the consequences of a behaviour very clearly, yet still experiences a strong pull towards it.

That is one reason recovery cannot always be reduced to willpower. Emotional learning, personal circumstances, availability of support and current stress can all matter. It is also why therapeutic work may involve both practical recovery strategies and attention to the memories and meanings attached to a behaviour.

Where EMDR may have a role

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It is an established trauma-focused psychotherapy, and clinicians have also explored its application to cravings and addiction-related memories.

In addiction-focused EMDR, the target may be a distressing memory, a powerful trigger, an anticipated reward or a remembered experience associated with the behaviour. The aim is not to erase memories or guarantee that urges disappear. Rather, carefully selected processing may help reduce how intensely certain memories or cues are experienced.

In my work, I have seen clients describe a shift in the emotional pull attached to experiences they previously found difficult to move away from. Those observations matter to me, while remaining distinct from what controlled research can establish.

What the research suggests

A 2024 meta-analysis involving 266 participants reported reductions in craving among people with substance use difficulties following EMDR interventions. This is encouraging, particularly because cravings can remain challenging at different stages of recovery.

However, the evidence base is still developing. Studies vary in their methods, the types of substances involved, the protocols used and how outcomes are measured. Promising results do not mean that EMDR is proven to work equally well for every addiction or behavioural difficulty, or that benefits will necessarily last for everyone.

Research involving substance use cannot automatically be assumed to apply to gambling, gaming or other harmful behaviours. These areas require their own careful investigation.

Different approaches to craving-related memories

EMDR clinicians may consider specialised approaches including DeTUR, CravEx and FSAP. These have different emphases, including triggers, craving-related experiences and memories of anticipated or experienced reward. Standard EMDR may also be used where distressing experiences or trauma memories are clinically relevant.

The choice is not simply about selecting a protocol because someone has an urge. It requires assessment, formulation, appropriate training, collaboration and an understanding of what is happening in that person's recovery.

It is important not to assume that trauma underlies every addiction or harmful behaviour. For some people trauma is central; for others, different factors may be more relevant.

Why safety and stabilisation come first

Timing matters. Within my practice, I prioritise safety, stabilisation and readiness before undertaking targeted memory processing. If someone is in crisis, at immediate risk or experiencing unstable harmful use, the priority is appropriate support, risk management and a collaborative plan for greater stability.

Stabilisation is not a rigid rule that everybody must achieve complete abstinence before any EMDR work. Readiness is assessed individually, including the person's capacity to remain safe and supported during treatment.

Where alcohol or other substance withdrawal may be medically dangerous, specialist medical assessment is important. EMDR is not a substitute for detoxification, addiction treatment or crisis care.

The changes that matter in everyday recovery

Recovery may include noticing a craving without immediately following it, recognising a trigger sooner, or finding that a particular memory no longer carries quite the same intensity. These changes are not always dramatic, and they do not follow a straight line.

I remain humbled by the therapeutic process and by the ways clients have described their changing relationship with urges and difficult experiences. EMDR can be one part of that work, alongside practical strategies, supportive relationships and other forms of recovery care.

For me, this is a valuable area for continued research and thoughtful clinical practice, without promising more than the evidence can currently support.