Published in July 5th, 2010
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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is becoming more prevalent as men and women who have been serving in the armed forces in the Middle East begin coming home. Even though they have left the war behind physically, they are left with disturbing memories and emotions, which can leave them depressed and debilitated. For those of us who have never fought in a war or lived through another experience traumatic enough to cause PTSD, it may be difficult to comprehend the intensity of the feelings they are dealing with.
PTSD sufferers continually relive their worst memories, recreating the same devastating scenarios, but instead of experiencing them from a third person, or detached perspective, as most of us do, PTSD patients are back “inside” the memory in a very real sense. They experience all the emotions that those memories originally brought up, and their bodies physically respond to the fear or anger they feel. Imagine dealing with that kind of raw emotion on a daily basis, and you can see why it is easy for people with PTSD to suddenly “snap,” or engage in dangerous or destructive behavior.
Although veterans of previous wars have also had to deal with PTSD, it was not widely recognized or treated until recent years. Today, however, many soldiers receive counseling to help them cope with PTSD as soon as they arrive home from overseas. While such counseling is helpful, it may not be the only therapy available.
Neurofeedback therapy, also known as biofeedback for the brain, is a relatively new treatment that has helped many PTSD sufferers to find long lasting relief from the constant reliving of traumatic experiences.
Neurofeedback therapy uses the power of the brain to change its own patterns of functioning. Whether your brain is working consciously or unconsciously, it is continuously transmitting electrical waves to the rest of your body so that it can react properly. These brain waves can be read and interpreted by a device known as an EEG, or electroencephalogram.
During neurofeedback sessions, thin leads are comfortably attached with a special gel at various locations on the scalp, allowing the EEG machine to read your brain waves and transfer them to an image on a computer monitor. When your brain is functioning within the desired wavelength, the image, perhaps a “spaceship” or a “robot,” will begin to move about on the screen. The brain perceives this activity as a reward, and will strive to remain within the desired frequencies.
After several sessions, neurofeedback therapy can actually change the way your brain operates. These changes may become long lasting as your brain falls into new and healthier patterns. Some patients may need as few as twenty sessions; others may require up to forty or more to reinforce the new patterns.
Through neurofeedback, therapists can help PTSD patients detach from their troubling memories and view them from a distant perspective, almost as if they were watching a movie. Although the memories may still arise from time to time, the emotions that come with them will no longer be as intense, or create the same physical reactions they once did.
If you know someone with PTSD and would like to learn more about neurofeedback as a means of treating the disorder, my book, Neurofeedback: Transforming Your Life with Brain Biofeedback will give you further insight into this promising new treatment.
For more information about Neurofeedback, go to http://www.NeurofeedbackBook.com Dr. Clare Albright is a psychologist (CA License PSY11660) and a Neurofeedback practitioner and can be reached at (949)454-0996
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