ReWind Technique

Rewind Technique is often used for PTSD, phobias, anxiety, and other emotional disturbances. It helps the brain “unhook” the emotion from the memory, allowing you to remember what happened without feeling overwhelmed.

ReWind Technique is, essentially, a therapeutic method that helps people reprocess traumatic memories. It’s all about rewiring the way your brain processes certain experiences. The idea is that your brain can become “stuck” in patterns of pain or stress due to past events, and the ReWind Technique helps “rewind” these patterns—sort of like pressing rewind on a tape recorder.

Memory reconsolidation is key to understanding how the ReWind Technique works. It’s the brain’s natural ability to modify a memory when it’s recalled, and that’s what makes it possible to shift how we feel about past experiences. Essentially, our brains are more adaptable than we think!

Normally, when you recall a painful or traumatic event, it’s like your brain gets stuck in a loop, reactivating the emotions tied to that memory. This is why flashbacks can feel so horrifyingly real - the brain is reliving the event forcing the body to relive it too. This is why physical symptoms like panting, sweating, feeling sick, muscle tension and jaw clenching can be experienced. The body is propelled into an adrenaline-fuelled fight or flight response when the brain recalls recalling the traumatic memory.

But with ReWind Technique, you’re able to stop that cycle by “rewriting” the memory in a way that makes it less distressing. It’s like hitting a mental “refresh” button. It also detaches the emotions from the memory of the event. So, once ReWind Technique has been completed on a traumatic memory, the reprocessing and reconsolidation mean the event memory can now be recalled without experiencing distress.

The ReWind Technique was developed by Dr. David Muss, a UK doctor, who wanted to find a faster, more effective way to treat people dealing with trauma and anxiety. Talk therapy is helpful, but it doesn’t always provide quick relief. Dr. Muss realized that many people didn’t need to revisit painful memories over and over again—they needed a way to process those memories differently, almost as if they were pressing "rewind" on the memory itself.

So, in the early 2000s, Dr. Muss came up with a process that uses guided techniques to help people mentally “rewind” the memory, reducing the emotional charge attached to it. The result? A method that’s effective for helping people heal without having to dive deep into the past over and over again.

The Rewind Technique has shown high success rates, especially for treating PTSD, phobias, and trauma-related anxiety — though it’s important to note that formal large-scale studies are still limited.

References

Astill Wright L, Barawi K, Simon N, Lewis C, Muss D, Roberts NP, Kitchiner NJ, Bisson JI. The reconsolidation using rewind study (RETURN): trial protocol. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2021 Jan 28;12(1):1844439. doi: 10.1080/20008198.2020.1844439. PMID: 34377356; PMCID: PMC8330760.

Andrews, I. (2012). The rewind technique: A fast cure for phobias and trauma? Human Givens, 19(4), 34–38.

Andrews, I., Twemlow, C., & Church, D. (2012). The rewind technique: Evaluation of treatment for trauma and phobias. Human Givens, 19(2), 20–25.

Brown, J., & Waite, P. (2023). A pilot randomized controlled trial of the Rewind Technique for post-traumatic stress disorder delivered via video. Depression and Anxiety, 40(7), 401–410. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.23452

James, E. L., Bonsall, M. B., & Holmes, E. A. (2024). Imagery-based memory manipulation reduces intrusive memories: Evidence from a laboratory analogue study. Memory, 32(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2023.2174568

Smith, A. (2018). NOVA project trauma service evaluation. Anglia Counselling Ltd. [Unpublished internal report].

Young, J. (2012). A review of the effectiveness of the Rewind Technique for post-traumatic stress. Victim Support Service Evaluation. [Unpublished report].

If you feel that Rewind Technique would help you,

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