Specializing in Anxiety Treatment, Depression, ADD/ADHD, and so much more
Anxiety
The cause of anxiety and anxiety disorders is not fully known, however, brain chemistry, genetic predisposition, and environmental stressors can all play a role in the development of anxiety. For example, anxiety may be associated with abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters (chemicals which transmit information from one brain cell to another in the brain). Research has also demonstrated that problems with anxiety tend to run in families and may be passed on from one generation to another. Finally, traumatic or stressful events such as abuse, the death of a loved one, divorce, or a change in job or school can all trigger anxiety.
Neurofeedback can help a person regulate their own nervous system so they can have an appropriate anxiety response when it is necessary and keep them calm when it is not.
Depression
Depression is a medical illness that involves both the mind and the body. It affects your thoughts, feelings and behavior. Depression is a more common disorder than many people realize, in fact depression has been referred to as the “common cold” of mental illness. About 12% of men and 20% of women will experience a major depressive episode in their life-times. Additionally, 50% of people who have experienced one depressive episode are vulnerable to experiencing another. While the exact cause of depression is not known, researchers believe that it is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain.
Some people seem to be vulnerable to depression because of their genetic make-up. In addition, stressful life events, such as the loss of a job, divorce, or loss of a loved one can trigger a depressive episode. Depression usually results from a combination of factors. It is important to keep in mind that depression is not a weakness, but a sign that there is an imbalance in your life. It is a serious medical condition, not just a “bad mood” that you can snap out of spontaneously. It is very important to take steps to reduce your risk for depression and to find good treatment when depression occurs.
Symptoms of depression vary from one person to another and include: sadness, irritability, a sense of hopelessness, loss of interest in activities, loss of pleasure, negative thinking, difficulty sleeping and fatigue. If you are feeling depressed, the world can seem dark and gloomy. You may experience difficulty getting out of bed and have trouble doing normal day to day activities. When depression becomes severe, it can even cause you to feel that life isn’t worth living.
ADD/ADHD
When most people concentrate, their brain speeds up. This helps them plan, organize, and direct their thoughts, attention and feelings. Unfortunately, for people with ADHD the more they try to concentrate, the more their brain slows down making it even harder to pay attention and organize their thinking. Neurofeedback solves the problem by giving people the experience of using their brains more effectively. They learn to speed up their brainwaves, which is associated with increased activation of the brain. This cannot be done by just telling a child to “pay attention.” Talking about it is different from actually having the experience. For example, talking about riding a bicycle is vastly different from actually riding a bicycle. Neurofeedback can greatly improve the behavior and learning abilities of children and adults. It is noninvasive and it doesn’t hurt. In fact, most children actually like it and look forward to their therapy sessions.
Neurofeedback monitors the child’s brain activity and gives the information back to the child in an array of computer games, lights, and/or sounds. This information is nonverbal and nonintellectual. After Neurofeedback therapy children with ADHD usually make much better grades in reading, math and conduct. They sleep better, and they get along with their family and friends better.
Based on the current research, the American Academy of Pediatrics listed Neurofeedback as a level one, best practices intervention for children with ADD/ADHD and put it in equal standing with medication. However, treating ADD/ADHD with neurofeedback has no side effects and unlike medication, it continues to work when the course of treatment is complete.
Insomnia
Insomnia, or sleep cycle dysregulation, is a sleep disorder that has a variety of symptoms. People with insomnia may have difficulty falling asleep, waking up often during the night, or having trouble going back to sleep. Sleep cycle dysregulation may also cause a person to wake up too early, feel tired upon waking, or fatigue during the day.
A dysregulated sleep cycle is caused by a wide variety of factors including emotional or physical stress, life adjustments, illnesses, and or physical issues. It can cause depression or anxiety, chronic stress, daytime fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.
Infra-Low Neurofeedback can help by regulating the nervous system, thus, regulating the sleep cycle. ILF neurofeedback helps people fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up feeling refreshed. It can also help other things that prevent a person from getting a good night’s sleep that include restless leg, bruxism, and nightmares.
Autism
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a lack of appropriate eye contact, facial expression, social interaction, communication, and restricted repetitive behavior. Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, represents a group of disorders, including Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-nos, Rett’s Disorder, Child Disintegrative Disorder, and Asperger’s Disorder. About 1 in 88 children has been identified with an ASD according to estimates from Center for Disease Control’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network.
Research has shown that related symptoms of ASD are the result of brain dysfunction in multiple brain regions. Functional neuroimaging and electroencephalography research have shown this to be related to abnormal neural connectivity problems. The brains of individuals with ASD show areas of both excessively high connectivity and deficient connectivity. In other words, some areas of the brain are chatting excessively with themselves, while failing to communicate normally with other relevant regions.
Neurofeedback seems capable of balancing out connectivity deficits in the brain, whereby relieving symptoms of autism and enhancing the function between the brain and behavior.
Migraines
The most current theory of migraine considers the cause to be an underlying central nervous system (CNS) disorder. The CNS consists of the brain and spinal cord. Migraine triggers launch a series of neurologic and biochemical events, which affect the brain’s pain and vascular system. Until recently, the general theory on the migraine process rested solely on the idea that abnormalities of blood vessel (vascular) systems in the head were responsible for migraines.
Migraine headache is often localized in a certain area of the head (varying from person to person) and is sometimes accompanied by a pronounced sensitivity to light and sound. Other common migraine symptoms include nausea and vomiting. Migraines are usually gradual in onset, progressively more painful and then undergo a gradual resolution. When migraines are mild-to-moderate, they are usually described as being dull, deep and steady. When severe, migraines are throbbing or pulsating. It is possible to have a migraine episode without the actual head pain, only the pre- and post-symptoms. Migraine may have a strong family history. They are episodic in nature, with some patients experiencing one attack annually and others experiencing attacks several times a week. In any case, migraine headaches can be a debilitating condition. While chronic head pain may not rise to the clinical level of migraine, it can be as debilitating.
The pain in either case is very real. Therefore, the debilitating symptoms have been the focus of migraine and chronic head pain treatment. While a true migraine cure would be the best news, it’s not here yet. Migraine relief that reduces the likelihood of migraine symptoms occurring is the next best thing.
Scientists have long recognized that certain illnesses produce distinctive brain-wave patterns. Neurofeedback is thought to reset these patterns, so that the brain performance can re-normalize. Ongoing migraine relief can occur in as few as six sessions. Permanent, lasting change – meaning a reduction or elimination of symptoms – usually take hold within 20-40 sessions with the individual brain’s structure and history determining the length of time for response.
Neurofeedback is simply making the central nervous system more internally efficient.
PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that stems from a life-threatening event or psychological trauma. When the event gets “stuck” in the nervous system, PTSD may develop. PTSD can manifest as nightmares, intense remembrances of the event, challenges in falling or staying asleep, feelings of unreasonable anger and constant edginess. In children, PTSD may appear as headaches, stomach aches, anxiety, fear, and acting out behavior. Sufferers often avoid situations that may produce thoughts or recollections of the traumatic event.
Although PTSD is often associated with soldiers or police officers involved in life-threatening situations, the disorder can be triggered by any overwhelming experience. Chances for developing it are greatest if an incident is extreme, long-lasting or repeated over time. Premeditated, human-inflicted trauma, such as rape or physical attack, tends to be more closely linked to PTSD than impersonal accidents and disasters. The level to which the distressing incident was unforeseen and out of a person’s control also plays a role.
The fear felt during traumatic events can have lifelong consequences. Individuals who experience sudden, unprovoked and disturbing memory flashbacks or find themselves having repeated nightmares may be suffering from PTSD.
Many individuals will silently suffer with PTSD, and seek to minimize its effects through self-destructive activities, such as medicating traumatic memories with drugs, alcohol, food or sexual behaviors.
Infra low frequency neurofeedback can help!
Peak Performance
Peak Performance Neurofeedback clients are those who seek to enhance their performance in areas where they are already skilled. Do you consider yourself a high achiever, focused and driven? All performers, whether it’s in athletics, music, drama or business; are determined to work their hardest to be their best. In order to be the best “you” at your performance choice, it’s important to work your mind along with working on the physical speed, agility, strength, etc.
Neurofeedback is a cutting-edge technology. With any type of performance it’s important to not only focus on your “game” but on every aspect of you that effects your game. Imagine having the ability to ignore the mental chatter, to remain focused and attentive when the pressure is on and to be able to recognize failure and not dwell on it. Neurofeedback helps to calm your mind, maintain focus, reset after an error and keep from getting “stuck” in a negative spiral. It assists with improving control over emotions such as anger and frustration as well as reduce any anxiety or nervousness before or during performance. Neurofeedback has also been shown to improve balance as well as improve timing and control of fine motor skills utilized in a variety of sports, music, drama, dance, etc.
If you are in business, neurofeedback can help you manage stress, improve focus and memory, improve organizational skills and increase mental acuity.
If you are a student or performer, neurofeedback can help relieve performance or test anxiety, increase sustained attention and focus, increase language and math processing, as well as increase memory and recall.
The overall goal of neurofeedback and peak performance, is to eliminate any mental barriers and enhance the skills you already have. This will lead to achieving your highest potential.