Here is a fact that may surprise you: Anxiety related
disorders are the most prevalent type of mental health disorders in America.
This includes general anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder,
agoraphobia, separation anxiety and more. It is far more common in younger aged
adults and lower in those over 50. With todays societal pressures, such as
making money, raising a family and having enough for retirement, this should
come as no surprise.
The good news is that there are more options available now for proper care and treatment than in the past. This is because the disorder is more understood and there is substantial research available. To understand how to address this issue, we need to dig in deeper on current methods for treatment.
Western medicine’s approach to anxiety in the past has been
problematic- the class of drug most often used is tranquilizers, which are a
temporary solution at best, and can actually cause anxiety as they wear off.
These drugs can also cause dependency, which is why they are listed as
controlled substances that come with a no driving or operating heavy machinery
warning.
Neurofeedback has been successfully researched as an
alternative therapy choice for anxiety disorders. In a recent study neurofeedback was shown to effectively reduce
anxiety in 26 healthy subjects with high anxiety. A protocol was designed to
enhance connectivity between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala in the
presence of a threat. Subjects showed a subjective reduction in anxiety as well
as an objective change in neural pathway regulation, all positive signs.
Best of all, continued positive regulation was observed
even in the absence of neurofeedback, meaning participants were able to
regulate their own brains in the presence of a threat stimulus without using
neurofeedback. This suggesting permanent, positive brain changes resulted from
the neurofeedback training.
There are many more positive case studies relating to
neurofeedback and anxiety, which can be found in the research section of this
site. The research all suggest that
neurofeedback may be a permanent, non-invasive solution for anxiety disorders.
The journey to a healthier brain begins with a non-invasive qEEG brain map
A brain map allows us to accurately identify the problem areas in the brain and determine the right path forward to help address them. Call or email Fort Wayne Neurofeedback to make an appointment or ask more questions. We look forward to helping you!