Should I Consider Neurofeedback On My Growth Journey?
5 Benefits of Neurofeedback from an expert!
By Deborah Hopkins, MS ALC and IASIS Certified Provider
Anxiety was shutting her life down, she had a hard time leaving the house because panic attacks happened so frequently, home felt like her only safe place. She came to see if neurofeedback treatments might help, she was desperate, she’d tried everything else. Her husband brought her and wrote copious notes as I explained how the technology worked and how I thought it would help her. She struggled with confusion and brain fog too, hence his many notes to help her remember what we discussed. Louisa is just one of many coming in with these symptoms..
What is Neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback therapy is a safe and highly effective treatment that offers symptom relief from neurophysical disorders like ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression, PTSD, insomnia, and beyond.
Neurofeedback has been around since the 60’s and while traditional versions are helpful, the advances in technology mean faster results for clients. And the results are often life changing. This has been the case for Louisa.
Dr. Steven Porges’s Polyvagal theory is a helpful tool in describing the different states of being from calm (ventral vagal) to activated (fight or flight) to frozen (dorsal vagal) and the implications for each of these categories. Having a resilient system is one that moves between the calm and activated states based on the need of the moment while returning to the ventral vagal state as a default.
Unfortunately, so many of us battle chronic stress which means we often find ourselves living in a state of activation or dysregulation.
Living in fight or flight has implications for our health, both mental and physical. God designed our bodies and brains with the ability to engage and flex with all kinds of demands but we are not designed to live with a constant stream of stress hormones flooding our system.
So many of us live tense, anxious, pressured lives and our systems are trying so hard to take care of us. We can only ignore them for so long. The good news is that we are also hardwired for healing.
As Louisa progressed through treatments, she would share the changes she was experiencing. Unable to leave the house for years, the first indicator of improvement was when she noticed the *desire* to leave. This was a fresh experience and she took note. The next session, she shared that she went to the coffee shop and placed an order without anxiety or any sign of panic. Part of the reason she had been afraid to leave the house was that interactions with strangers or being in unfamiliar surroundings left her feeling deeply unsafe which often triggered a panic attack. As treatments continued, her life began to open up. A few weeks later, she and her husband started attending the bible study from their church. She’s reading again and comprehending without brain fog, another victory. What had once been a source of frustration was now a source of joy!
We see stories like this everyday.
People often start treatment skeptical and unsure. It can be taxing to hope. The good news is, 85% of clients see some kind of positive response after just one treatment. They pretty quickly realize how good it feels not to live in such an activated state.
We see people who are stuck or shut down, living wound up or debilitated by anxiety or depression. As they progress through treatment, they report feeling anxiety dissipate, depression recede, better sleep and digestion. Mental fog lifts and their ability to focus improves. People who have struggled with addiction see improvement in cravings and the return of joy.
When people live with less activation and more resilience, they find a greater capacity for living the life they really want.
Less energy spent reacting means more energy is available to dive into the lifegiving experience of connecting with family and friends, engaging and living fully. Doesn't that feel like living abundantly?
As a counselor, I recognize this technology as one of many tools to help people move toward full brain and body health.
Sometimes, even when people want to process in therapy, they are so dysregulated, they feel blocked, unable to make progress.
Neurofeedback is one of the tools we can access to help people “get unstuck”.
Here are 5 Benefits of Neurofeedback:
Decreases Depressive Episodes
Reduces Anxiety Symptoms
Diminishes ADD/ADHD Symptoms by improving attention and focus
Increases Emotional Stability and Resilience
Improves Symptoms of PTSD
I always recommend people who come for treatment also have a counseling relationship to make the most of their healing. We all need safe places to process our story, our wounds and the stressors we face as a part of living in a broken world.
We like to say that this technology isn’t healing anyone, it’s reminding the brain how to heal itself.
…. Yet another evidence of loving kindness and healing the Lord has embedded in His creation.
As Louisa continued treatment, she stopped having panic attacks and no longer felt housebound. She and her husband started making new friends and doing more and more activities that, not too long ago, were too overwhelming to consider. As Louisa’s brain remembered how to regulate again, she began reclaiming parts of her life she worried might never be the same. She and her husband recently joined a club where they are learning to play bridge!
As I work with clients day after day, seeing transformation and healing happen, I can’t help but thank the Lord for this work. I want to embrace His invitation to abundance. He gets the credit and the glory for any good thing that happens for the clients I treat. And bearing witness is the good gift I get to open daily.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
John 10:10
Deborah Hopkins is an ALC and IASIS Certified Provider in Fairhope, Alabama. Learn more about her services and if Neurofeedback is right for you by visiting, Neurofloursh.
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