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Advanced Neurofeedback for

Depression.

During the last several decades, depression has emerged as a central mental health issue in our society.  It has been estimated that about 14% of the general population will experience depression at some point in their lives, and that about twice as many women as men will be depressed.

Most people have felt sad or depressed at times. Feeling depressed can be a normal reaction to loss, life's struggles, or an injured self-esteem. But when feelings of intense sadness -- including feeling helpless, hopeless, and worthless -- last for days to weeks and keep you from functioning normally, your depression may be something more than sadness.

Susan’s story.

 “My life was out of control and I could barely function – even with simple tasks. I was constantly reaching for something to make me feel better – coffee, food, alcohol and pills. After every binge I would promise myself it was the last time, but instead I found myself ‘quitting’ my self-destructive habits every week. My mood swings were becoming noticeable to others. The highs were short-lived and the lows seemed to last forever, leaving me feeling hopeless, depressed and anxious. I had a constant, unexplainable underlying tension, putting me on perpetual edge. During my first Neurointegration session my body felt calm and I was able to release deep unconscious material that had been haunting me for years. As my session progressed, I found myself less reactive, the constant ruminations had finally stopped, and I felt more grounded in my body. This new space allowed me to step away from destructive looping patterns that had once dominated my life and gave me the ability to create a new, happier and healthy way of being.”

What is depression?

People with depressive illnesses do not all experience the same symptoms. How severe they are, how frequent, and how long they last varies. It depends on the individual and his or her particular illness. Here are common symptoms people with depression experience:

·         difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions

·         fatigue and decreased energy

·         feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness

·         feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism

·         insomnia, early morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping

·         irritability, restlessness

·         loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex

·         no pleasure left in life any more

·         overeating or appetite loss

·         persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment

·         persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings

·         thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts

A qEEG brainmap can reveal your predisposition for depression.

Compelling research evidence exists that there is often a neurophysiological basis for your depression, particularly in people with a family history of depression. Neuroscientists have discovered a particular brainwave pattern that allows us to identify individuals with a biological predisposition for developing depression.

The left frontal area of your brain is associated with positive emotions and a desire to be involved with other people. The right frontal area of your brain is more associated with depression and fear, accompanied by motivation to withdraw from and avoid other people.

When there is more alpha brainwave activity in your left area, this part of the brain is more inactive and your right area is more dominant, causing brainwave asymmetry. You become depressed more easily, withdraw from other people, and are anxious. This may occur because of family history or because you had a concussion or mild head injury in the left area which produced the slowing.

Part of a brain map from two different people is shown above. The map on the left is from a child with depression. You can clearly see in the left area that there is an excess of slow, alpha brainwave activity (which is colored red). This is the asymmetry pattern that is classically associated with a vulnerability to depression. In contrast, the brain map on the right displays how a relatively normal map would look, without any excess or serious deficit.

Medication is not the answer.

Research has found that anti-depressants do not correct the type of brainwave patterns that we see above on the left. So medication doesn’t seem to cure the underlying biological predisposition for becoming easily depressed when unpleasant life circumstances happen in your life. There is also new evidence that has found that on average, antidepressant medications only have an 18% effect over and above placebo effects. See recent 2008 clinical study.

Advanced Neurofeedback can reverse depression.

Recent clinical research shows that neurofeedback treatments for depression are very promising not only in bringing relief from its symptoms, but in modifying the underlying predisposition for becoming depressed. Neurofeedback focuses on retraining the brain, reversing the brainwave asymmetry, with the goal to produce permanent changes that do not require you to stay on medication indefinitely. See recent 2010 clinical study. Photic lights stimulate the brain to experience more positive emotions immediately.

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