Does EFT Work Better Than Drugs ?

by Vlasta Kuster

EFT tapping does work, but does EFT work better than drugs ? Some recent researches do say so.

The negative feelings and emotions that arise in certain situations have their purpose and are like symptoms that remind us of something within us that needs our attention.

EFT tapping works by releasing the negative memories and beliefs that are attached to these symptoms, whereas for example a pill works in a completely opposite direction - by suppressing these symptoms.

This can be explained by the case of aspirin, which may be taken by a person for a chronic headache for an extended period of time, rather than identifying the true cause of these headaches and eliminating it once and for all (Heitler, 2016 ).

For example, if we have started taking medication for anxiety, we will not be able to manage the symptoms of anxiety without medication and we will always be dependent on pills.

In certain serious conditions such as clinical disorders that have been diagnosed, a combination of both medication and psychotherapy are nevertheless recommended.

However, even when pills are prescribed, it is advisable to include techniques for overcoming anxiety after completing medication, since symptoms will always appear when stressful periods or major changes in life occur (Wehrenberg, 2018).

Many systematic studies of the effects of tapping have shown its effectiveness for both psychological and physiological symptoms.

However, much research in this area has focused on the effects of EFT on anxiety and depression up to the present.

They checked which therapy patients would best respond to in a sample of 5000 patients who were seeking help for anxiety problems.

They performed

  • (a) cognitive behavioral therapy with medication, including medication if needed, or
  • (b) tapping therapy without any medication.

The results showed an improvement in symptoms in

  • 90% of patients receiving tapping therapy, and only
  • 63% showed improvement in patients receiving cognitive behavioral therapy with possible medical treatment (Bach et al., 2019).

These results show us that

  • EFT is a reliable,
  • non-invasive and
  • non-pharmaceutical method that
  • catalyzes profound changes in an individual
  • without negative side effects (Bach et al., 2019)

On the other hand we know that traditional drug treatments have some side effects.

The use of medication and psychotherapy can also be explained in the case of depression. Different types of depression require a different approach. Sometimes, in the case of a milder form of depression, the symptoms can disappear after a few minutes of tapping.

However, this does not happen that often, since in many cases depression occurs as a result of several unresolved emotional problems, such as guilt, shame, fear, grief or anger.

In this case, we need an expert who can help us identify those emotional issues that are crucial in our case.

In even more complex and long-lasting forms of depression, where biological components are suspected, sometimes psychotherapy is also supplemented with medication (Eden, Craig, & Feinstein, 2011).

Literature:

  • Bach, D., Groesbeck, G., Stapleton, P., Sims, R., Blickheuser, K., Church, D. (2019). Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) improves multiple physiological markers of health. Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, 24 , 1-12.

  • Eden, D., Craig, G., & Feinstein, D. (2011). The healing power of EFT and energy psychology. London: Hachette Digital.

  • Heitler, S. (2016). Prescriptions without pills: For relief from depression, anger, anxiety and more. New York: Morgan James Publishing.

  • Wehrenberg, M. (2018). The 10 best-ever anxiety management techniques workbook. New York: WW Norton & Company.

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Vlasta Kuster, holds an MA degree in Basic Medical Sciences and uses her 3-month EFT therapy in her work to help people to do away with panic attacks and anxiety for good. She has more than 10-year experiences in EFT therapy and achieves at least 90% success in permanently eliminating anxiety and panic attacks. You may contact her through her website freeofpanic.com