Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured form of psychotherapy that helps people process distressing memories and experiences.
Although it is best known for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), EMDR is also used to address addiction and the emotional difficulties that may contribute to substance use.
Researchers have investigated whether EMDR can help people experiencing alcohol addiction, also known as alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Some studies suggest that EMDR may help reduce alcohol cravings and trauma-related symptoms. However, findings about its effects on drinking behavior and long-term recovery are mixed.
Understanding what researchers have found can help explain where EMDR may fit into alcohol addiction treatment and which questions remain unanswered.
How Might EMDR Help With Alcohol Addiction?
Alcohol addiction involves more than the physical effects of drinking. Emotional experiences, learned behaviors, memories, and environmental triggers can also influence a person's relationship with alcohol.
For some people, drinking becomes associated with relief from anxiety, stress, sadness, or distressing memories. Others may develop strong associations between alcohol and particular situations, such as social gatherings or stressful experiences.
EMDR may help address these connections by focusing on memories and emotional responses associated with substance use.
During EMDR, a person briefly focuses on a selected memory or experience while engaging in bilateral stimulation, which commonly involves guided side-to-side eye movements. Other forms, such as alternating sounds or tapping, may also be used.
The process is intended to help the person process distressing memories and reduce the emotional reactions connected to them.
For someone experiencing alcohol addiction, EMDR may focus on past trauma, difficult emotions, or memories associated with drinking. Some approaches also target alcohol-related cravings and learned associations directly.
What Is Addiction-Focused EMDR?
Addiction-focused EMDR is an adaptation of standard EMDR therapy that targets memories and experiences associated with addictive behaviors.
Traditional EMDR often focuses on distressing memories connected to trauma. Addiction-focused approaches may also address memories of substance use, anticipated rewards from drinking, and situations that trigger cravings.
For example, someone might associate alcohol with relaxation after a stressful day. Over time, this association may become strong enough that stress automatically brings up an urge to drink.
Addiction-focused EMDR may be used to work with the memories and emotional associations behind this response.
The goal is not necessarily to eliminate every desire to drink. Instead, it is to reduce the influence of certain memories or triggers that contribute to unwanted drinking patterns.
Researchers have examined whether this approach can reduce cravings and support changes in alcohol consumption.
What Have Clinical Studies Found About EMDR for Alcohol Addiction?
Several studies have investigated EMDR as an addition to established alcohol addiction treatment. Their findings provide useful information, although they have not all reached the same conclusions.
A 2008 Study Found Reductions in Alcohol Cravings
One early randomized study was published in the Journal of EMDR Practice and Research in 2008.
Researchers Michael Hase, Sabine Schallmayer, and Martin Sack examined EMDR treatment in 34 people with chronic alcohol dependence.
Participants were assigned to one of two groups. One received treatment as usual, while the other received treatment as usual plus two EMDR sessions targeting addiction-related memories.
Researchers measured alcohol cravings before treatment, after treatment, and one month later.
The group receiving EMDR reported a significant reduction in cravings after treatment and at the one-month follow-up. The treatment-as-usual group did not show the same pattern.
These findings suggested that EMDR might help reduce cravings associated with alcohol-related memories.
However, the study included only 34 participants and had a relatively short follow-up period. It did not establish whether the reduction in cravings would lead to sustained changes in drinking behavior over time.
A Larger 2020 Study Found No Additional Improvement in Drinking Behavior
A larger randomized clinical trial published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research in 2020 examined addiction-focused EMDR among 109 adults receiving outpatient treatment for alcohol use disorder.
The study compared two groups:
55 participants received regular addiction treatment plus seven weekly addiction-focused EMDR sessions.
54 participants received regular addiction treatment without the additional EMDR sessions.
Researchers examined drinking behavior, alcohol cravings, and other recovery-related outcomes. They followed participants for up to six months.
The study did not find that adding EMDR produced better drinking outcomes than regular treatment alone.
Some individual findings suggested that participants receiving EMDR were more likely to experience meaningful reductions in cravings. However, the overall analysis did not demonstrate a significant additional benefit from EMDR.
The researchers concluded that the particular addiction-focused EMDR approach tested had not demonstrated an added effect on drinking behavior.
This study is important because it used a larger sample and a longer follow-up period than the earlier 2008 study. It also highlights a distinction between reducing cravings and achieving measurable improvements in alcohol consumption.
What Does the Latest Meta-Analysis Say?
A meta-analysis combines findings from multiple studies to examine broader patterns in the evidence.
In September 2025, researchers Ji-Woo Seok, Kahye Kim, and Jaeuk U. Kim published a meta-analysis in Frontiers in Psychiatry examining EMDR for substance use disorders.
The analysis included 14 studies involving different forms of substance use, rather than alcohol addiction alone.
Researchers examined outcomes including cravings, addiction severity, PTSD symptoms, depression, and anxiety.
The results showed statistically significant improvements in several areas:
Cravings: A moderate overall improvement was found.
PTSD symptoms: Participants showed improvements in trauma-related symptoms.
Depression: The analysis found reductions in depressive symptoms.
Anxiety: Improvements in anxiety symptoms were also reported.
However, the analysis did not find a statistically significant overall improvement in addiction severity.
The researchers also noted that many included studies had methodological limitations and that evidence of long-term benefits was limited.
These results suggest that EMDR may be useful for certain emotional and addiction-related symptoms. However, they do not establish that EMDR consistently reduces alcohol consumption or prevents relapse.
Because the analysis included several substance use disorders, its findings cannot automatically be applied to alcohol addiction alone.
Can EMDR Help Reduce Alcohol Cravings?
Alcohol cravings are urges or desires to drink. They can arise in response to emotions, memories, physical sensations, or environmental cues.
For example, someone may experience cravings when feeling anxious or when visiting a place strongly associated with drinking.
Some EMDR approaches attempt to reduce the influence of these associations by processing relevant memories.
The 2008 study by Hase and colleagues found reduced cravings among participants who received EMDR in addition to regular addiction treatment.
The 2025 meta-analysis also found an overall improvement in cravings across the substance use studies examined.
However, the larger 2020 alcohol-specific trial did not find a statistically significant overall advantage from adding EMDR to regular treatment.
Taken together, the evidence suggests that EMDR may help reduce alcohol cravings for some people, but the results are not consistent across studies.
It is also important to distinguish cravings from actual alcohol use. Someone may experience fewer urges to drink without necessarily changing how frequently or how much they drink.
Does EMDR Help When Alcohol Addiction Is Connected to Trauma?
EMDR may be particularly relevant when alcohol addiction occurs alongside trauma-related difficulties.
Some people use alcohol to manage anxiety, distressing memories, sleep difficulties, or other symptoms associated with PTSD.
In these circumstances, treating the trauma-related symptoms may be an important part of recovery.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) explains that people experiencing both PTSD and substance use disorders can benefit from trauma-focused treatments, including EMDR.
The VA also notes that treatment for PTSD and substance use disorders can take place concurrently. A person does not necessarily need to complete addiction treatment before beginning trauma-focused care.
For example, someone who drinks to manage distress associated with a past traumatic experience may benefit from treatment that addresses both the drinking behavior and the emotional effects of that experience.
Although the evidence supports treating co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorders, the benefits of trauma-focused treatment should not automatically be interpreted as proof that EMDR directly reduces alcohol consumption.
Can EMDR Help Prevent Alcohol Relapse?
Relapse refers to a return to alcohol use after a period of reduction or abstinence.
Emotional distress, alcohol-related memories, cravings, and environmental triggers can all contribute to relapse risk.
EMDR may help address some of these factors, particularly when they are connected to distressing memories or learned emotional responses.
For example, reducing the emotional intensity of a memory associated with drinking could potentially make a related trigger easier to manage.
However, research has not yet established that EMDR reliably prevents alcohol relapse.
The 2020 randomized trial did not demonstrate an additional benefit from addiction-focused EMDR on drinking outcomes over its follow-up period.
Similarly, the 2025 meta-analysis identified insufficient evidence to draw firm conclusions about long-term addiction outcomes.
This means that EMDR may have a role in addressing factors associated with relapse, but its effectiveness as a relapse-prevention treatment remains uncertain.
How Does EMDR Fit With Other Alcohol Addiction Treatments?
Alcohol use disorder is commonly treated through a combination of approaches that address physical dependence, drinking behaviors, emotional well-being, and ongoing recovery.
Treatment may include behavioral counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, medications, mutual-support programs, and other forms of assistance.
EMDR may complement these treatments by focusing on distressing memories or emotional patterns associated with alcohol use.
For instance, cognitive behavioral therapy may help someone recognize situations that encourage drinking and develop alternative responses. EMDR may address past experiences or emotional associations contributing to those situations.
These approaches focus on different aspects of recovery and may be used together.
For people with significant physical alcohol dependence, medical treatment can also be important. Alcohol withdrawal sometimes requires medical management, which EMDR does not replace.
The VA supports access to evidence-based treatment for both PTSD and substance use disorders when the conditions occur together.
What Are the Main Limitations of the Research?
Although EMDR is used in addiction treatment, several questions remain about its specific effects on alcohol addiction.
One challenge is that studies use different EMDR approaches. Some focus on trauma-related memories, while others target addiction-related experiences and cravings.
The studies also differ in the number of sessions provided, participant characteristics, comparison treatments, and outcomes measured.
Another limitation is the relatively small size of several studies. Smaller studies can provide useful information, but their findings may not apply to everyone experiencing alcohol addiction.
Long-term outcomes are also important. Improvements immediately after treatment do not necessarily mean that the benefits will continue months or years later.
Finally, researchers need to distinguish improvements in emotional symptoms from changes in drinking behavior.
A treatment may help someone feel less anxious or experience fewer cravings without producing a measurable reduction in alcohol consumption.
These are all meaningful outcomes, but they answer different research questions.
Is EMDR Worth Considering for Alcohol Addiction?
EMDR may be worth considering as part of a broader recovery approach, especially when past trauma, distressing memories, or emotional triggers play an important role in someone's drinking.
People whose main difficulties involve alcohol-related habits, physical dependence, or other influences may find different treatment approaches more directly relevant to their needs.
The available evidence suggests that EMDR can help with some emotional and craving-related symptoms, although its effects on drinking behavior are less certain.
For someone experiencing both PTSD and alcohol use disorder, EMDR may also provide an established trauma-focused treatment option while alcohol-related concerns are addressed through appropriate addiction care.
The most useful approach depends on the person's circumstances and the particular difficulties they want to address.
The Bottom Line
EMDR is used in alcohol addiction treatment to address distressing memories, emotional triggers, and associations that may contribute to drinking.
Research has produced mixed findings. A small 2008 study found reductions in alcohol cravings, while a larger 2020 randomized trial did not find that adding addiction-focused EMDR improved drinking outcomes compared with regular treatment alone.
A 2025 meta-analysis found improvements in cravings and several emotional symptoms across substance use disorders, but no statistically significant overall effect on addiction severity.
The evidence suggests that EMDR may help with certain aspects of alcohol addiction, particularly cravings and trauma-related distress. However, it has not been established as a stand-alone treatment for reducing alcohol consumption or preventing relapse.
For people whose drinking is connected to trauma or difficult emotional experiences, EMDR may be a useful part of a broader treatment approach that addresses both emotional well-being and addiction recovery.
References
1. Hase, M., Schallmayer, S., & Sack, M. (2008). EMDR reprocessing of the addiction memory: Pretreatment, posttreatment, and 1-month follow-up. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 2(3), 170–179. https://doi.org/10.1891/1933-3196.2.3.170
2. Markus, W., Hornsveld, H. K., Burk, W. J., de Weert-van Oene, G. H., Becker, E. S., & DeJong, C. A. J. (2020). Addiction-focused eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy as an adjunct to regular outpatient treatment for alcohol use disorder: Results from a randomized clinical trial. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 44(1), 272–283. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.14249
3. Seok, J.-W., Kim, K., & Kim, J. U. (2025). Therapeutic effects of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for substance use disorders: A meta-analysis of addiction-related and emotional symptoms. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16, 1660046. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1660046
4. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. Treatment of Co-Occurring PTSD and Substance Use Disorder in VA. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/cooccurring/tx_sud_va.asp
