Tapping is a mix of modern psychology, Chinese medicine, and neuroplasticity. Many people believe that tapping your body’s energy can be used to heal your emotional wound. This topic is actually controversial and different people have different opinions about this technique.
This is commonly used in EFT, which means Emotional Freedom Technique in which a person taps on the meridian points. However, there is very less to no scientific evidence behind this technique. There are many reasons why tapping should be avoided at any cost.
Moreover, I will be speaking about facts here, not any baseless theory. So if you want to know the truth behind EFT and why it should be avoided, keep reading.
Table of Contents
What is EFT?
First and foremost, let us start by understanding what EFT is all about and why people are hyping it. According to belief, if you tap on certain meridian points, it helps keep you calm or bring life back into your body. Many people believe that this is great for emotional healing. This technique uses your own body’s energy to heal you and calm you down.
When people tap on certain meridian points, it sends a calming signal to the brain that helps deal with anxiety. So, when your brain activates the fight or flight mode then, this can help in calming it down.
With that being said, let me tell you that you should not start following anything blindly, and you should always do your research. Moreover, there is very less to no scientific evidence for this technique. Here are some reasons why tapping should be avoided.
1. It has no evidence
For any therapy or treatment, there has to be some scientific evidence on which it’s based. But in this case, there is no scientific evidence that says that tapping can help in reducing stress or anxiety. This is one of the major reasons why you should avoid tapping. People are hyping EFT so much, and in many cases, people are seeing results only because of the placebo effect.
However, there is nothing wrong with the placebo effect till its giving results. However, one should not promote any treatment or therapy that lacks scientific backing. The placebo effect might work for some, but it doesn’t mean that this will necessarily work for you. So, you must avoid tapping.
2. Its results cannot be observed or measured
Another reason why you should avoid tapping is that there is absolutely no way to measure the results. So, you dont actually know if this works for you or not. You can’t measure the difference after using the EFT. however, if there is any physical issue, there are many ways to measure it, and you can also feel it. Whereas it’s really difficult to tell the difference and efficacy for mental issues or stress. How will you measure the stress and anxiety levels? How can you measure emotional healing?
There is no way you can actually tell if this works or if it’s just the placebo effect that you are feeling. However, you might feel better after the EFT, but it doesn’t mean you are actually healed, or your issue has been solved. It can be a placebo as well.
With this being said, let me tell you what I have experienced while following this technique myself. I feel the breathing technique for anxiety and stress is much more effective for me. But EFT won’t harm you, and it won’t have any side effects. So, you can use it, but the results will not be very promising.
3. There are better alternatives with promising results
In my opinion, EFT is all about the mindset and a mix of placebo. Whereas there are many alternatives that show the significant result in calming your anxiety and healing you emotionally. However, tapping and EFT has become really popular method, and people are just following this blindly without actually measuring their effects.
There can be many things that can trigger your anxiety, and simply tapping some points doesn’t make sense to me. Instead, there are people who need medical attention and need to consult a professional. Anxiety and stress can be a lot to deal with, and there can be many underlying causes of it. So make sure to know when to seek professional help.
Tapping is not reliable, and it can even make the situation worse. If someone is tapping and thinks everything is going to be fine, well, trust me, this is not how things work. You need to face your issues and see a professional if things are going out of your control. On a regular basis, to keep your mental health in check, you can do meditation.
4. It doesn’t resolve the issue
If you are dealing with severe mental issues, tapping will not help in resolving that in any way. Although some people might feel better after tapping, it doesn’t do anything to solve the root cause of the issue. This feeling is just temporary and will go away. So how does it resolve the underlying issue?
So, if you are dealing with some serious mental issues like stress and anxiety, you must take professional help and should not rely on tapping. Tapping can also misguide you and, in some cases, might even trigger your anxiety even more.
This might give you temporary relief but will not solve the actual issue. This is why you should avoid tapping and should seek professional help if you are suffering from anxiety issues and stress.
However, you can also opt for techniques like meditation and practice mindfulness, as this will help you deal with the actual cause of your condition. Instead of treating the symptoms, you should focus on treating the underlying cause of the problem.
5. It’s not for everyone
I have seen tapping might give temporary relief to some people, but it’s not for everyone. There are many people, including me, who have tried tapping and still have to take some alternative therapy to deal with their mental health issues and stress.
However, if you have also experienced positive outcomes after tapping, this doesn’t mean that you will not require any other treatment in the future. Mental issues require long-term treatment, and tapping doesn’t provide any long-term relief.
The worst part is that there is no way through which you can find out if tapping is going to work for you or not. Everyone reacts differently to different types of therapy and treatment. In this case, it is really hard to observe and measure the effect of the treatment.
However, if you still want to try tapping, I would recommend you do dont follow this technique blindly. First, try to see the result and try it for a few weeks, and if it doesn’t work for you, then you can switch to another way of treatment.
6. Tapping doesn’t give any long-term benefits
Mental health is all about long-term benefits, and tapping will only give you a temporary solution. If it shows any results, it will be short-term and will not help you in dealing with the underlying cause of the symptoms.
Even the experts that believe in the practice of EFT say that you can do tapping for quick relief from anxiety and stress. However, your stress will bounce back, and this technique will not give you any long-term benefits. Moreover, you should try to follow treatments that will help you create a positive lifestyle.
7. It can trigger your past traumas
Mental health is complex, and tapping can have different effects on different individuals. Some might find it effective, while in some cases, tapping can lead to trigger your anxiety and make you remind your past traumas. This can intensify your anxiety and make the situation worse for you.
Most people are waiting for it to work, and that curiosity can make them even more anxious. In my experience, when this wasn’t working for me, I felt that there was something wrong with me. I started overthinking why it was not showing up any effect, which triggered my anxiety even more.
The Bottom Line
Mental health is very subjective, and different people react differently to therapy. Thus, it is better for you not to follow any trend blindly, as it can deteriorate your mental health even more. Always rely upon scientifically proven methods and treatments.
Never take your mental health for granted, and you should follow a more holistic approach to your treatment. I would advise you to do meditation and follow mindfulness.
