Debra Wesselmann, EMDR Expert, Says Treating Trauma at Its Root Can Help Break the Cycle of Self-Medication
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Boundless Media
August 10, 2026, 16:29 GMT
Debra Wesselmann reveals how unresolved trauma can drive self-medication and unhealthy coping—and why EMDR therapy may be the key to lasting change
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, August 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Trauma can be devastating. But when left untreated, it can become life-altering and, in some cases, life-threatening, leaving people struggling to find a way forward. For some, the pain can lead to self-medication as they search for relief from overwhelming emotions and memories. Yet, there is help. A recent KOLD 13 News “Tucson Now” interview with Sallie Tyrrell from Cottonwood Tucson Treatment Center examines EMDR therapy and the negative effects of self-medication, raising a critical question: What happens when people try to manage the effects of trauma without addressing the trauma itself?
For Debra Wesselmann, an author and EMDR therapist with more than 35 years of experience, the conversation reflects a fundamental principle she has witnessed throughout her career: when trauma remains unresolved, people may struggle to make healthy choices as their brains and bodies remain focused on protection and survival.
“I listened with interest to the interview on ‘Tucson Now,’” says Wesselmann. “Ms. Tyrrell highlights EMDR as her ‘favorite therapy’ because it effectively activates the parts of the brain needed to process difficult memories and store them in an adaptive form.”
