Traumatic experiences can cause a drastic disturbance in a person’s energy system, leading to long-term psychological, physical, and emotional consequences if left untreated.  Post traumatic stress disorder can develop in someone who has experienced a traumatic event such as war, natural disaster, rape, kidnapping, physical abuse, torture, or serious accident, and those who have witnessed death or acts of violence towards others.  The energy disturbance results in a variety of physical and psychological symptoms accompanied by uncontrollable emotions.

Some of the symptoms of PTSD include flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive memories, emotional numbing, behavioral changes, insomnia, and depression.  EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) using meridian tapping eases deep-seated negative emotions by unblocking energy with the simple method of tapping two fingers on strategic points in the body.

How Does Meridian Tapping for PTSD Work?

People with PTSD such as war vets, rape victims and other victims of violence can benefit from energy healing methods such as EFT.  Tapping is a technique that anyone can easily learn and self-apply.  This healing method has been used successfully countless times to cure or manage phobias, fears, negative thoughts, and traumatic memories.

Trauma creates stress which blocks the body’s energy, causing emotional and behavioral problems that can linger long after the trauma event has taken place.  The blockage can be removed by stimulating acupressure points in the body through finger tapping.

Meridian tapping is based on the ancient healing method of acupuncture used by the Chinese.  Acupuncture uses needles in certain points of the body to correct the flow and restore balance to the life energy or Chi.  Instead of using needles, tapping uses the fingers to apply pressure on specific meridian points in the body to eliminate the negative side effects of PTSD.

Meridian tapping is an effective energy healing method for the treatment of PTSD symptoms.  The technique is easy to learn and you can apply it on yourself to eliminate negative emotions and behavioral issues.

EFT involves tapping on a sequence of meridian points while focusing on the symptom that you wish to eliminate.  It takes practice to do this effectively, but even beginners can experience positive results immediately.  As you tap on each point, you should also say key words and phrases to help you focus on your specific problem.

How Effective is Tapping for PTSD?

A recent study conducted by the Foundation for Epigenetic Medicine revealed that Emotional Freedom Techniques using meridian tapping therapy is highly effective in treating post traumatic stress disorder and related psychological problems.  The study involved 59 US military veterans with PTSD.  The test subjects were split into two groups with one group receiving tapping therapy and the other group receiving standard treatment.

The result of the study showed that 90% of those who received EFT treatment no longer met the clinical criteria for PTSD.  In comparison, only 4% of those receiving standard treatment were able to overcome their psychological disorder.  The official report was published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease.  It confirms that EFT is an effective treatment method for post traumatic stress disorder.

Beneficial for PTSD

EFT as a treatment for PTSD has very promising results.  Tapping releases negative emotions that disrupt the body’s energy system and can provide instant relief.  The rounds of sequential tapping has been shown to completely discharge the intense negative emotion associated with the memory of the traumatic experience.  The memories remain, but they no longer carry the negative feelings.

One advantage of EFT is that once the core issue is resolved, the problem does not come back.  Another advantage is that it is drug-free and works without exposing the patient to another traumatic or uncomfortable experience.

There are hundreds of recorded cases where EFT using meridian tapping has effectively treated war vets, firemen, paramedics, policemen, survivors of horrific accidents and natural disasters, and victims of rape and childhood abuse.  Given its track record, this new and “alternative” therapy could be the best and most effective treatment for PTSD sufferers.

 

The effectiveness of EFT tapping is well known, but did you know that you can also perform EFT on behalf of somebody else?  This practice is called surrogate or proxy EFT.  It’s used for those who cannot tap for themselves, including children and animals.

Surrogate tapping is a relatively new practice but it’s attracting a lot of attention.  Naturally, everyone wants to know how to do it and if it’s really effective.

What Is Surrogate EFT?

Surrogate EFT involves performing Emotional Freedom Techniques or tapping for the benefit of another person.  It can be done for a variety of issues such as allergies, fears, discomfort or distress.  Parents may do it for a child who is afraid of flying or misbehaving.  Some people even use it for their pets or plants.

How To Do Surrogate Tapping

If you look around, you will find many occasions where proxy tapping is likely to be useful.  If you are on a plane with someone who is afraid of flying, you can tap on their behalf and help them lose their fear.

Before starting a proxy tapping session, make sure you are clear of negative issues and feel good about yourself.  Your EFT setup phrase may go something like this: Even though (name of person) has this problem, I completely accept him/her.  You can imagine a golden thread connecting you to the person (or animal) concerned.

Some people find it helpful to “be” the other person.  Image that you are the other person.  Your EFT setup phrase could go like this: Even though I have this problem, I completely accept myself.

Surrogate tapping proceeds just like any other tapping session.  Tap on the recommended meridian points while saying words of acceptance and affirmation.  Don’t worry about trying to find all the right words to say.  Believe in yourself and trust that what you are doing is best.

After the tapping session, give thanks for the healing and remove any connections you may have made to the person’s energy.  For example, you can imagine cutting the thread connecting you to the person.

How Effective Is Surrogate EFT?

Numerous cases of successful surrogate EFT have been reported, especially when using it to relieve physical pain and discomfort.  This method is also useful for releasing negative emotions as well as beliefs and decisions that are holding a person back.

Proxy tapping is not an easy task and should not be undertaken unless you are confident in your tapping skills.  You should also make sure you are free from negative issues yourself.

For successful surrogate tapping, you must learn to set your ego aside and focus on the needs of the other person.  You’ll get better at it the more you practice.  Keep in mind that you are only a channel or vessel for the healing process.

Some EFT experts recommend the use of NLP tools with surrogate EFT.  Role-playing is a strategy that people sometimes use in NLP, and it can also be used in proxy EFT.  Role playing allows you to take the viewpoint of another individual involved in the process, as well as the role of an outside spectator.  Viewing the issue from different perspectives can help resolve the problem more quickly.

Surrogate EFT Concerns

People may be reluctant to perform surrogate tapping, arguing that it may be “unfair” to the person concerned.  As long as your intentions are good, there should be no problems at all.  Proxy tapping should be done in a non-judgmental way, with the ultimate goal of releasing negative emotions and alleviating pain and discomfort.  Surrogate EFT is done not to control but to heal.

 

EFT tapping is simple and easy to learn, but did you know that it’s still possible to make mistakes?  Here are some of the common mistakes people make when tapping:

1. Not Tapping Often Enough

Tapping should be done on a daily basis.  Experts recommend at least 5 minutes of tapping three or more times each day.  At the very least, do some tapping in the morning before getting out of bed, and again at night before falling asleep.  A few issues can be cleared up with a minute of tapping, but the majority will require more time and attention.  More frequent tapping can also clear bigger problems more quickly.

2. Not Tapping Long Enough

Many people stop too soon during a tapping session.  Too often, beginners tap for few rounds and give up when they feel they’re not getting the results they were hoping for.  Tapping should take 10-30 minutes, or even longer.  Devoting enough time to tapping will make a lot of difference.

Some people will also stop when they begin to feel better.  Don’t settle for a bit of relief; keep on tapping until the energy starts flowing and you feel really good.

3. Not Being Specific Enough

Global or general statements can help get you started in the right direction while tapping, but after that you have to be more specific.  You can setup with a statement like “Even though I feel anxious right now, I deeply and completely accept myself.”  After doing a couple of rounds of the general statement, you can go down to specifics such as “Even though I feel anxious about my upcoming job interview, I deeply and completely accept myself.”  You’ll get better results when you’re focused on a specific issue.

4. Wanting To Do The Tapping Perfectly Right Away

Some people want to be “perfect” and may put off tapping until they feel they are able to do it correctly.  As a result they only try the technique a few times, or not at all.

Getting started on tapping is more important than being perfect.  You can still get good results even if you think your technique is less than perfect.  Start with the basic tapping points and be sure to tap daily to develop your EFT skills.

5. Not Tuning Into The Feelings

Don’t forget that tapping clears emotional energy from your body.  Hence, it’s important to tune into your feelings and not merely “think” about them.  If your psychological difficulties these days are the result of embarrassing childhood memories, try to recall how you felt at the time.  Old feelings of shame, hurt and anger will sometimes resurface when you tap.  Try to resurrect these feelings and you will get more out of your tapping sessions.

6. Expecting All Results From Tapping To Be Permanent

You can’t expect 100% positive results all the time, and this is true not only for EFT but for all healing methods as well.  Don’t get frustrated or discouraged if an issue or part of it comes back.  Some people do get permanent results but in many cases you may have to do more tapping to get rid of the issue completely.

If you have a problem that keeps coming back, this could mean that other aspects or a root cause needs to be uncovered and addressed first.

7. Sticking To EFT Basics Only

In order to master EFT and reap its full benefits, you have to invest time and effort to gain skill and develop your intuition.  It’s not enough to “go through the motions”.  Harness your intuition and use it to seek out the most effective tapping techniques and peel away the emotions and root causes of your problems.