Anxiety & Neurofeedback

When we have a test, an interview, or have to perform in front of people, we often get nervous, fearful, and worry we may not perform well. These feelings are often associated with anxiety, as well as excessive worrying, nagging sense of fear, restlessness, overly emotional responses, negative thinking, and defensiveness; which are normal under certain circumstances.  When we start to feel anxious all the time, and about everyday tasks, these feelings can have a huge impact on our lives. This disorder can affect how we feel and behave, and can start to display real physical symptoms. Often times, people who suffer from anxiety will be prescribed medication, which only reduces their anxiety when they take it. This causes them to become dependent on the medication in order to decrease their anxiety.

EEG Neurofeedback for Anxiety

We can reduce these feelings of anxiety by using Neurofeedback. Neurofeedback, which is also known as EEG (electroencephalogram) Biofeedback, is a painless training system which trains the brain to perform more efficiently with the individual’s active participation. We can strengthen the brain and teach it to self regulate. First we need to find which areas of the brain are not performing the way they should be. In order to find these abnormalities, we measure the client’s brain waves by recording these activities while they wear a cap which has 19 different sensors on it.  This process is called EEG. Once we have analyzed the EEG, which is known as qEEG, we will know which areas of the brain we want to train.

Once we identify the area of the brain to exercise, we place a sensor on this location of the head.  Where the sensors are placed is specific to the individual, and the issue we are trying to address. We train these areas by having the client watch a movie, and if their brain waves are not in the parameters we have set, their movie will pause. Our brains want the movie to continue to play, so this reinforces the brain to perform within the parameters which have been set. During this process the neurons (cells in the brain) change. Once we have trained the neurons to perform the way we want them to, the brain will learn to match these parameters without being reinforced by Neurofeedback. You will have a decrease in feelings of anxiety, and an increase in feelings of calmness; which improves your daily life, and after consulting your doctor may allow you to reduce the amount of medication you have to take.