Understanding EMDR therapy: Miley Cyrus's journey to overcoming stage fright
Miley Cyrus conquered stage fright with the of EDMR therapy.
Image: Bang Showbiz
If you’ve ever been so nervous before speaking in public that your heart raced and your hands went cold, you’re not alone.
Even global superstars like Miley Cyrus have dealt with serious stage fright.
Cyrus recently opened up about how EMDR therapy helped her overcome the anxiety that used to hit her before going on stage.
What is EMDR therapy?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing.
That sounds like a mouthful, but it’s basically a type of therapy that helps people heal from emotional distress, especially if it’s caused by traumatic or overwhelming experiences.
It was developed in the late 1980s by an American psychologist named Francine Shapiro.
The idea behind it? When something traumatic happens, our brain sometimes struggles to process it properly.
The memory can get “stuck,” and that can lead to anxiety, flashbacks, or emotional reactions that don’t seem to match the situation.
EMDR helps “unstick” that memory and file it away correctly, so it doesn’t cause distress anymore.
How does it work?
EMDR is different from traditional talk therapy. You don’t have to dive deep into your trauma or talk about it in detail if you don’t want to.
Here’s the basic process:
You think about a troubling memory or feeling.
While doing that, your therapist leads you through a series of rapid eye movements (or sometimes tapping or sound cues).
This back-and-forth stimulation seems to help the brain reprocess the memory in a healthier way.
It’s kind of like helping your brain “digest” emotional experiences it couldn’t fully process before.
Miley’s experience
Cyrus has never been shy about being open with her fans, and she recently shared that EMDR was one of the tools that helped her beat her stage fright.
After years of performing in front of thousands, she admitted that anxiety sometimes made it hard to even step onto the stage.
In an interview, she said EMDR helped her face the root of that fear and change how her brain reacted to it. Instead of feeling frozen, she was able to feel grounded and confident.
Who is EMDR for?
EMDR was originally used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), especially in war veterans and abuse survivors. But over the years, it’s also proven helpful for:
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Phobias (like fear of flying or public speaking)
- Depression
- Grief and loss
- Performance anxiety
Whether you're dealing with something big or just trying to get through your next work presentation without breaking into a sweat, EMDR could be worth exploring.
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