Tapping is a technique that is easy to learn and apply to help yourself or another person. It has been around for a few years, and even though it looks like one of those new age (woo woo ) things, there are many mental health professionals who use and teach it.
It works for me when I am anxious– when I remember to use it. It is quite mechanical in the way it is done, which I don’t relate to so well, but that is also it’s strength, because once you have learned and practiced it a bit, it is literally at your finger tips. I found it particularly helpful in stressful/high anxiety situations. So it can be used like first aid, but if you like the technique there are many ways to use it therapeutically to work more deeply with an issue. And yes there are applications for chronic pain in particular.
In the image you can see the points that commonly get tapped. Go to The Tapping Solution to read the instructions. There are also a number of videos available. To learn more about EFT and pain there’s currently a recording, and text pdf available at the same website.
The current thought on why tapping works, is that it calms down the Amygdala and the fight flight freeze response, helping us access other parts of the brain to address an issue. Just feeling calmer after tapping is a great way to start.
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