Many people are over being prescribed medication after medication that may or may not help them deal with mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Perhaps you have stumbled over this article looking for a natural treatment option to help heal your mental health. Maybe you have had no luck in your previous attempts at healing. No matter what brought you to this article, we are here to inform you that you do not have to continue to suffer through doctor after doctor and medication after medication. Fortunately for many of us, there are more holistic options out there than the typical prescription medications that can help our brains down their path to healing. One option that has been shown to be an effective mental health treatment is neurofeedback therapy. Neurofeedback therapy is a non-invasive therapy option designed to measure your brain waves and then reinforce them to regulate better.
To those who are new to the concept of neurofeedback therapy, this option may sound strange and, to be frank, quite scary. The more you learn about neurofeedback therapy, though, the better it will begin to sound as a treatment option for you. In this article, we are going to help you develop a better understanding of just what this neurofeedback therapy is, how it can help you, and how it works.
What is Neurofeedback Therapy?
Neurofeedback therapy is a form of biofeedback therapy, which is a form of therapy used to teach an individual how to develop stronger self-control of their own brain functions through the process of measuring brainwaves and providing feedback through visual and auditory reinforcement.
This idea might sound a bit confusing at first, so let me better explain. Neurofeedback therapy allows your neurofeedback therapist to find involuntary body processes and brain functions that are not benefitting you. The therapist then helps you retrain these functions in order to help your brain be happier and healthier. In other words, neurofeedback therapy helps subjects brains function better and respond better to their environments. During neurofeedback therapy, the client will begin to notice changes and improvements in their daily functioning.
How Can This Help You?
Neurofeedback can help you heal from mental health issues, such as
- Attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Anxiety
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Bipolar Disorder
- Depression
- Addiction
- Conversion Disorder
- & other mental health disorders
Many mental health issues arise when our brain waves are not working together in a healthy balance. Because of this imbalance, the brain is unable to function correctly, leading to issues with our cognitive functions and mental health.
For example, neurofeedback therapy can help heal the mental health conditions of anxiety by encouraging the frontal lobe to regulate better. Those who suffer fromanxiety are riddled with constant negative thoughts and thought patterns, intensifying their depressive and anxious symptoms. Neurofeedback helps regulate the frontal lobe so that the brain has a more balanced reaction than constantly beating negative thoughts in the mind. Neurofeedback also helps calm the brain when it may be experiencing anxiety or an overreaction by helping us become conscious of the overreaction and training the brain to calm down.
Another example of how neurofeedback can improve your mental health and cognitive functioning is how neurofeedback therapists treat ADHD. Neurofeedback therapy works to train our brains to increase high-frequency brain waves, which help to strengthen attention and encourage self-control.
How Does It Work?
Neurofeedback therapy works by sending visual and auditory reinforcement to the brain to help raise awareness of positive and negative brain functions, training the brain to follow positive brain functions more often than not. Neurofeedback therapists provide feedback for training through treating the subject’s senses with the use of things like sound and light.
At the beginning of neurofeedback therapy, the therapist will measure their brain through the use of quantitative EEG (qEEG). Understanding the map of the brain allows the therapist to develop a plan for your therapy by finding the areas of the brain that have fallen out of alignment and are needing to be put back on the right track. When the therapist has developed their map and identified the areas that need work, they may now begin to execute their plan to get the subject’s brain regulating better.
During the sessions, the therapist will place sensors on specific areas of the head that are being targeted in therapy. These sensors are used to observe the brain and compare its functions to how it should be working. In our agency we have clients watch something on a streaming service that interests them. Then we put a dimmer over the screen that will blink light and dark. Because clients want to watch the show their brain will figure out what it has to do to get the screen brighter. The subject will also be given headphones in which sounds will be played to encourage your brain to enter a better regulated state.
Are There Any Risks Involved with Neurofeedback Therapy?
Neurofeedback therapy, when executed by a professional, poses little to no risk for patients seeking healing for their mental health. Therefore, as long as you are seeking a mental health professional who has gone through all of the necessary training and certification to perform neurofeedback therapy, the risk of being harmed are very small if there is any at all.
Any potentially adverse side effects you may experience during neurofeedback therapy will be addressed in your next session, as your therapist works to figure out what caused it and adjusts your treatment plan accordingly.
Most of the side effects are related to not drinking enough water. The side effects that may be experienced during neurofeedback therapy include headaches, nightmares, mind cloudiness, insomnia, or anxiety. There are no dangerous potential side effects, and every side effect that one may experience is not a permanent side effect.
Final Thoughts
Neurofeedback therapy is a non-invasive, natural treatment option that has been shown time and time again to be a powerful tool for healing mental health issues like anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD, and more. With little to no risk and such promising potential results, it is a great option for those who are tired of being prescribed medication after medication with no luck in healing.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4892319/
https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/eeg-neurofeedback-treating-psychiatric-disorders
