\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of course, you are going to think I\u2019ve lost it on this one, but it shows some merit.\u00a0 And it makes some sense logically.\u00a0 Researchers in England\u00a0 say that flashbacks from traumatic events can be moderated through playing Tetris So the thought is this: by playing a video game after a serious traumatic incident, you are stimulating your eye movement and concentration and that causes the brain to not be able to spend all its time to store long term memories, thus it doesn\u2019t keep coming back into your head as much.\u00a0 In fact, in the medical journal called Molecular Psychiatry in March of this year told of a study that gave people Tetris after a traumatic incident and others were given a placebo or basically nothing.\u00a0 The Tetris group had 9 flashbacks the next week while the nothing groups had 23 flashback the next week.\u00a0 Pretty significant!\u00a0 Oxford University in England and the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden said just 20 minutes of Tetris right after a traumatic incident was all that was needed to greatly reduce all PTSD effects. \u00a0Scientific America reported the same effect in their study.\u00a0 In fact, case studies are cropping up all over saying that Tetris therapy is great at reducing flashbacks if given in the hospital after car accident, witnessing shootings and even rape.\u00a0 Let me get this right, (doctor calls out to nurse):\u00a0 scalpel\u2026suture\u2026bandage\u2026Gameboy.\u00a0 This doesn\u2019t make sense to me, but let\u2019s look at it a little closer\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n One of the treatments that is put forth by some practitioners in police psychology for trauma, including my buddy Roger Solomon, is EMDR or Eye Movement Desentization Re-Processing.\u00a0 Essentially in its original form, it is about focusing the eyes on an object or finger moving back and forth while concentrating.\u00a0 There is some decent research on this technique that it work to overcame visual images of an event.\u00a0 Sounds like Tetris to me, at least in some basic elements.\u00a0 Should we be surprised that concentrating on a visual stimulus might reduce flashbacks?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One of the earliest treatments for trauma was staring at a bubbling vat of animal fat, a visual stimulus.\u00a0 It was done by Mesmer and birthed the term \u201cmesmerized.\u201d\u00a0 Maybe he wasn\u2019t so much a quack as he was called by the French commission led by Antoine Louis Guillotine (yes the head chopper guy).\u00a0 We also know that concentration relaxes people.\u00a0 Calms them down.\u00a0 Could this be the effect causing less flashbacks?<\/span><\/p>\n In another study, they found if people were given the beta blocker propranolol seem to reduce flashbacks.\u00a0 The drug reduces the epinephrine and norepinephrine in the system by binding it.\u00a0 They are heavily involved in the fight-flight response.\u00a0 Can this be related?\u00a0 Stop the fight-flight response very early and it reduces flashbacks, make the PTSD less pervasive. \u00a0Sure, would make sense.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Flashbacks can be very devastating to people who have been through a trauma.\u00a0 People having flashbacks can get transfixed on them and feel the fear like they were going through the event again.\u00a0 In terms of rape, I have seen girls lose track of who they were with in the room or even get shakes when approach by their own fathers.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen grown men break down with fear on their face and cry when they flashback to times in Iraq or Vietnam.\u00a0 In terms of police, I have seen officers stare into the distance shaking with car accidents or shootings past.\u00a0 It is a scary thing when they get reminded by some small cue like a bird hitting a window, a car crash on the side of the road, or even just a smell and it send them into a flashback, a reliving of their incident.\u00a0 Flashbacks can become so scary that people go into depressions or anxiety attacks just on the thought that one might occur.<\/span><\/p>\n One of the ways to counteract when a flashback happens is to get the person in the present as quickly as you can.\u00a0 Get them grounded in the present.\u00a0 Sometimes you put ice on their face or in their hand, or spray lemon scent around, or put the lemon in their mouth, or make them smell peppermint.\u00a0 Long term reduction techniques include EMDR and practicing mindfulness.\u00a0 Those are more for future articles.\u00a0 For now, we are looking at preventing them in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n If excess of visual images seems to work, we should practice this as a matter of course.\u00a0 This is an area that is begin for research particularly with police officers, and it doesn\u2019t necessarily have to be done by psychologists.\u00a0 In fact, it could be done by people going through an incident, a superior officer, or perhaps a person could use it on a friend.\u00a0 Self-protection, self-help, and the help of others is much quicker and more consistent than help applied by your department or waiting for a psychologist to respond.<\/span><\/p>\n So, if Tetris while you or your friend are in a hospital right after an incident can reduce the flashbacks, pass the Gameboy or IPAD or whatever.\u00a0 Who knows, we all might be better for it down the road.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Site Administrator:\u00a0 Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D. ABPP<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Please share this article from down below.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Please join the email list on the top of the sidebar and you can get these sent to your email.\u00a0 Also follow me on Twitter (https:\/\/twitter.com\/ThinBlueMind<\/a>) for other articles and ideas, and YouTube at\u00a0https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCfjNw0510ipr3bX587IvAHg<\/a> .<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Police Psychology | PTSD 4:\u00a0 Flashbacks Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D.\u00a0 ABPP \u00a0 Of course, you are going to think I\u2019ve lost it on this one, but it shows some merit.\u00a0 And it makes some sense logically.\u00a0 Researchers in England\u00a0 say that flashbacks from traumatic events can be moderated through playing Tetris right after the event […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17168885],"tags":[17168996,17168797,17168831],"class_list":["post-5895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-stress","tag-flashbacks","tag-police-psychology","tag-police-stress"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6517,"url":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=6517","url_meta":{"origin":5895,"position":0},"title":"Police Psychology: The Folly of Fear","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"September 26, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"This is a PTSD technique used by a colleague of mine from Detroit, Michigan using a work of art from Francisco Goya found in Museo del Prado in Spain.\u00a0 I have seen this work of art live a couple of times in Madrid and never would have made the connection\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mastering Emotions"","block_context":{"text":"Mastering Emotions","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17165629"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/policepsychologyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Folly-of-Fear-300x217.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1865,"url":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=1865","url_meta":{"origin":5895,"position":1},"title":"Police Psychology | PTSD Part 1: What You Hear is What You Get","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"April 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | PTSD Part 1:\u00a0 What You Hear is What You Get Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D. ABPP I have seven PTSD cases in my office right now at different stages.\u00a0 Being hit by a car while working highway, a car accident with the leg shattered, a car accident during\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Police Stress"","block_context":{"text":"Police Stress","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168885"},"img":{"alt_text":"Police PSychology ear","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/policepsychologyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Untitled-300x216.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3979,"url":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=3979","url_meta":{"origin":5895,"position":2},"title":"Police Psychology | An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"August 30, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure Robert John Zagar PhD MPH and Brandon Northern Current ways of finding challenges like trauma and stress miss 61% of at-risk. Conventional approaches of interviews, background checks, and short paper and pencil tests are less than chance\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Police Stress"","block_context":{"text":"Police Stress","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168885"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1007,"url":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=1007","url_meta":{"origin":5895,"position":3},"title":"Police Psychology | EMDR for LEOs","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"January 26, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | EMDR for LEOs By Tammy McCoy-Arballo, Psy. D. The Counseling Team International, San Bernardino, CA \u00a0 No, it is not hypnosis. That is how the conversation usually starts when I talk to my clients about treating their trauma with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Doc, if\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Stories"","block_context":{"text":"Stories","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=1"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3148,"url":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=3148","url_meta":{"origin":5895,"position":4},"title":"Police Psychology | PTSD 2: Crash and Burn","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"June 28, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | PTSD 2:\u00a0 Crash and Burn by Gary S. Aumiller, PH.D.\u00a0 ABPP Have you ever had the chance to be in a drunk driving simulation or even play a game on a drunk driving simulator?\u00a0 You try to keep the car on a straight path, but it keeps\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Police Stress"","block_context":{"text":"Police Stress","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168885"},"img":{"alt_text":"gears in head","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/policepsychologyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/gears-in-head-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5317,"url":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=5317","url_meta":{"origin":5895,"position":5},"title":"Police Psychology | PTSD 3: Car Accidents","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"February 2, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | PTSD 3:\u00a0 Car Accidents by Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D. ABPP \u00a0 Of course, they\u2019re driving around 24 hours a day, non-stop.\u00a0 The problem is there are other people on the road.\u00a0 The cops have lights on the car and fancy writing, but that just attracts people who\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Police Stress"","block_context":{"text":"Police Stress","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168885"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/policepsychologyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/car-accident-md.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p60sbO-1x5","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5895","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5895"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5895\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5954,"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5895\/revisions\/5954"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5895"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5895"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5895"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/policepsychologyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/tetris-md.png?resize=144%2C297\")
right after the event occurs.\u00a0 That\u2019s Tetris, the video game where you move puzzle pieces in all directions to make lines or blocks. etc. Makes you wonder if Candy Crush can be used for Ragin\u2019 Anxiety and Donkey Kong and the Mario brothers could be used to sew up Open Heart Surgery!<\/span><\/p>\n