By LYLE R. FRIED, CAP, ICADC, CHC In Uncategorized
Posted November 12, 2013
What is Neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback is a non-invasive, drug-free treatment approach to changing the existing frequency in the brain wave pattern to allow the brain to work more efficiently. Neurofeedback retrains and rebalances the brain by interrupting the inefficient patterns identified by the brain mapping assessment and helping the brain to re-establish healthy brain patterns for optimal efficiency.
The Shores treatment & Recovery utilizes a neurofeedback system which can help restore the brain to optimum levels of Delta, Theta, Alpha and Beta and rebalance the brain with the proper frequencies. Over time, the brain learns to make these optimal patterns. This neurofeedback technology entrains the brain using visual and audio stimulation. When the brain is functioning, the body responds.
Who can benefit from Neurofeedback?
The brain is amazing and can be re-trained to improve performance. Research has shown that retraining unhealthy brainwave patterns may improve symptoms of:
ADHD, Addiction, Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia, Chronic Fatigue, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, Memory Loss, Fibromyalgia, Migraines, Autism, and other psychological or neurological conditions.
One benefit of neurofeedback is that the therapeutic effects occur unconsciously. Virtually no effort is needed. There are no supplements to take, no lifestyle changes to put in place, major shifts in dietary regimens or unpleasant therapies. For the very young and the older folks, who are less capable of taking responsibility for these interventions, neurofeedback is a simple solution. Also, for those who are unable or unwilling to work through their problems in psychotherapy, which often includes most of those in the younger and older age brackets, neurofeedback is a great option because it requires very little effort or active participation of the patient.
So can you imagine what happens when the effects of neurofeedback are added to the benefits of our other treatment approaches?
How Does Our Neurofeedback System Work?
Well, do you have trouble relaxing after work? Does it take you more than 15 minutes to fall asleep? Do you struggle to focus on a specific task during the day?
The various things we do during a normal day require different levels of consciousness and awareness. Your brain needs tremendous flexibility to shift from one “mode” to another. The heightened state of awareness necessary to complete a work task is obviously not the best state for sleep. That’s why brain flexibility is so important.
It trains your brain to be more flexible and resilient. Without pushing it in any specific direction, the neurofeedback interacts with your central nervous system in a way that improves neural plasticity. A mind that is more flexible adapts and responds quicker and more appropriately to changes in your environment. The more easily your brain adjusts to changes encountered in a normal busy day, the better you feel. A lack of brain fitness, on the other hand, can leave you drained and stressed at the end of the day.
Neurofeedback can also help build brain resilience, or an increase in the central nervous system’s ability to “bounce back” from a negative event. Negative feelings associated with a personal conflict or bad day at work can hover hours after the actual event has passed. The destructive effect of nervousness, repetitive or self-critical thinking is magnified in more severe events such as physical or emotional trauma or the loss of a loved one. Instead of staying stuck in the negativity of these events, the resilient brain will snap back and return to its normal baseline more quickly. Individuals with a more resilient brain report feeling happier and enjoying a more profound sense of peace.
THE PARTICULARS
Our system monitors your brainwaves and alerts your central nervous system when it is not functioning smoothly.
When brain activity shows signs of turbulence, the music within the neurofeedback software is momentarily interrupted. This subtle cue alerts your brain that it is operating inefficiently. With repeated training sessions, the brain learns to “reset” itself and function more smoothly. All of this learning is non-invasive and happens outside your conscious awareness. Over time, the system adjusts itself automatically in response to your brain’s activity, individualizing the training microsecond by microsecond to your own brain’s functioning.
As you get better, the level of brain training difficulty increases automatically. With practice, your brain fitness (i.e. brain flexibility and resilience) naturally improves and becomes more natural and efficient. As a result of the training, you can maintain a healthy brain and become more effective in your personal and professional life.
Feel free to contact us for more information.
