POINT: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: Is Psychiatry Missing the Point

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common and disabling condition. Recent estimates of the lifetime prevalence range between 6% and 15%, making this condition possibly more common than major depressive disorder (Breslau et al., 1998; Kessler et al., 1995). In addition, many patients who have been the victims of directed violence, such as rape or assault, continue to meet PTSD criteria 10 years after the incident (Breslau et al., 1998).