Neurofeedback - A Cure For Addictions?

If you or someone you know suffers from an addiction, whether to illegal drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, or any other addictive substance that can damage your mental and physical health, you know what it is to cycle through periods of recovering and periods of crashing back down again. People who struggle with anorexia or bulimia, which are types of addiction as well, are also familiar with this agonizing cycle.

For decades, scientists and therapists have tried to find ways to help people overcome their addictions. They have created nicotine patches for smokers, rehab programs for drug users, twelve step programs for alcoholics, and counseling for people with eating disorders. Many of these treatments do offer some relief. Unfortunately, most of them don't work over the long term. This is because these treatments do not completely resolve the underlying issues that cause the addiction.

Neurofeedback, however, is an emerging new therapy that may help alleviate or even eliminate addictions and eating disorders. This promising treatment actually works to change how the brain functions by giving it positive feedback when it moves along the right brainwaves for any given life situation.

Regardless of what form their addiction takes, most substance abusers also find themselves having to cope with other problems, including anxiety, difficulty sleeping, malnutrition, and depression. While it is difficult to discern the root cause of all of these issues, it is commonly believed that stress is a major factor. Neurofeedback therapy has been found to work especially well for disorders that are caused, or made worse, by stress.

Most addicts turn to their substance of choice as the only way they know to deal with the emotions caused by stress; an alcoholic's craving for a drink will typically intensify during stressful times. This leads to a cycle where their body begins to need the alcohol just to function normally. Bulimics and anorexics, on the other hand, deal with anxiety by developing a false sense of control. Being able to control what they eat and what their bodies look like gives them a feeling that they have some measure of control over the rest of their lives.

When you realize that stress is at the core of these addictions, it's easy to see why it can be so difficult to overcome them. Who among us has never wanted a quick way to relieve stress or to take control over our lives? These issues are so deeply rooted in human nature that it can be extremely challenging to help an addict to permanently free themselves from their addiction.

Neurofeedback, however, brings about long lasting changes in the way an addict's brain functions. Neurofeedback sessions are comfortable and non-invasive. Through an EEG device that reads brain waves, your brain can control what is happening to a visual display on a monitor. The brain interprets this activity as a reward, and will strive to stay within the desired wavelengths. After several sessions, the brain will learn to remain within this range for longer periods, thus reinforcing these patterns until they become longer lasting.

Neurofeedback therapy can help patients break free from many of the underlying anxiety and stress issues that cause them to make poor decisions about how to cope. In this way, therapists can help clients to find more constructive ways to deal with anxiety, easing their recovery and paving the way for them to make healthier choices.

If would like to learn more details about how neurofeedback works, check out my new book, 'Neurofeedback: Transforming Your Life with Brain Biofeedback'.