You wake up early. You show up to work. You hit deadlines. Maybe you even raise kids, run a company, or take care of aging parents.
From the outside, you look fine. From the inside?
You’re exhausted.
You’ve been quietly drinking more than you admit.
You tell yourself it’s just stress. That you’ve earned it.
That you’re still in control.
Until one day, you’re not so sure.
At Waterside Behavioral Health, we work with people who are “doing well” by every traditional standard—except emotionally. The ones who keep the plates spinning, but feel like something inside is slowly fraying. And when the wine stops working, or the pills blur into routine, or the sense of control becomes a performance… that’s usually when the real question surfaces:
What am I actually running from?
Often, the answer is trauma—unspoken, unacknowledged, and long-dismissed. And for many, EMDR therapy is the first treatment that doesn’t just name the pain… it helps release it.
High-Functioning Addiction: The Problem That Hides in Plain Sight
Let’s start with something important: addiction doesn’t always look like rock bottom.
Sometimes, it looks like:
- Getting promoted while hungover
- Numbing with pills after a 14-hour workday
- Joking about your “daily unwind” even though you’re not laughing
- Functioning in public, unraveling in private
We call this high-functioning addiction, and it’s real. It’s often missed—by doctors, therapists, family, and even the person living it.
But underneath the productivity and self-sufficiency, there’s usually a history. A wound. A moment or season of life that shifted something deep and never quite got repaired.
That’s where EMDR comes in.
Why Trauma Often Hides Behind “Success”
Trauma doesn’t always scream.
Sometimes, it whispers:
- “You have to be perfect, or you’ll be abandoned.”
- “You’re only safe when you’re in control.”
- “If you stop moving, the memories might catch up.”
Many high-functioning clients have complex trauma—often not one singular event, but a pattern of emotional neglect, betrayal, abandonment, or chronic stress that shaped their nervous system early on.
They learned to survive by becoming competent. By performing. By fixing.
And substances became the thing that made the performance bearable.
Until it didn’t.
EMDR Therapy: What It Is and Why It Works
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a highly effective, evidence-based trauma therapy that helps the brain process unresolved memories that continue to trigger the body’s stress response.
Here’s how it works:
- You don’t need to retell every detail of your trauma.
- With a licensed EMDR therapist, you focus on distressing memories while engaging in bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements or tapping).
- This helps “reprocess” the memory in a way that allows it to integrate safely into your story—without activating fight-or-flight every time it’s remembered.
Think of it like this:
The trauma file in your brain never closed. EMDR helps it finally move to the right shelf.
Unlike talk therapy alone, EMDR doesn’t require you to explain your pain to death. It gives your brain a tool to resolve what words couldn’t.
The Link Between Addiction and Unprocessed Memory
Here’s what we often hear:
“I’ve been in therapy before—it helped, but I still drank.”
“I don’t have trauma—I had a good childhood.”
“I’ve moved on, but my body hasn’t.”
When trauma is unresolved, the nervous system stays in survival mode. That shows up as:
- Restlessness when things get quiet
- Overreaction to minor stress
- Difficulty sleeping or relaxing without substances
- Emotional flatness or disconnection
- A constant undercurrent of anxiety or guilt
And often, addiction enters not because someone wants to escape life—but because life feels like something that needs escaping from.
EMDR helps break the loop between emotional flashbacks and self-medication.
You Don’t Have to Fall Apart to Ask for Help
Let’s name the fear:
You’re afraid if you stop drinking, you’ll fall apart.
That if you let the pain in, you’ll lose your edge.
That you’ll go from high-functioning to dysfunctional.
But healing doesn’t mean collapse. It means integration.
You can still be you—ambitious, responsible, sharp—while also addressing the pain that’s been quietly running the show.
At Waterside Behavioral Health, we offer EMDR as part of a customized mental health and addiction care plan that:
- Honors your responsibilities
- Protects your privacy
- Treats you as a whole person, not just a diagnosis
You don’t have to disappear from your life to recover your life.
Why EMDR Therapy Works for High-Achievers
Many of our clients are:
- Physicians
- Attorneys
- Business owners
- Parents of teens
- Educators
- First responders
These are people who are good at holding it together. Who can function under pressure. Who can fake “fine” for a long time.
But EMDR allows something they’re not used to:
Letting go. Safely. Systematically. Without needing to explain or justify every feeling.
It gives the high-functioning mind something it craves: a structured process with measurable impact.
And often, it’s the first time they experience relief without needing to earn it or chase it.
What EMDR Feels Like (According to Our Clients)
You won’t be hypnotized.
You won’t have to “relive” your trauma.
You will feel in control the entire time.
Here’s what EMDR clients often report:
- A sense of emotional weight being lifted
- Fewer cravings and triggers
- Clearer thinking and sleep improvements
- Greater capacity for joy and connection
- Less emotional reactivity to things that used to feel huge
The work is real. But so are the results.
And if you’re still skeptical? That’s okay. Most people are—until they feel the shift themselves.
Real Questions, Real Answers: EMDR + Addiction
What if I don’t think I have trauma?
Trauma isn’t always about “what happened.” It’s about how your nervous system responded. If something in your life made you feel unsafe, unseen, or unloved—and it still lingers—you may be carrying trauma.
Do I have to stop drinking before starting EMDR?
We’ll meet you where you are. Some clients begin trauma work early in treatment; others stabilize first. Our team will assess when it’s clinically appropriate and safe to begin EMDR.
How long does EMDR take?
It varies. Some clients experience significant shifts in a few sessions. Others use EMDR as part of long-term therapy. We’ll tailor your plan based on your needs and goals.
Can EMDR be combined with other therapy?
Absolutely. EMDR often complements individual talk therapy, group work, medication management, and other modalities.
Is this confidential?
Yes. We understand the sensitivity of your position—professionally and personally. Our team maintains strict confidentiality and offers discrete scheduling.
You don’t have to keep coping. You can start healing.
Call 774-619-7750 or visit EMDR Therapy in Plymouth County, MA , Bristol County to learn more about.
