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When people come into the addiction clinic where I am the chief medical officer, they sometimes hit roadblocks with their treatment.
In many of those instances, it’s not the treatment itself that’s the issue. Rather, the person may not be ready to move forward, so the treatment isn’t as successful as it can be.
Why aren’t people ready? Many times, it’s because patients arrive in an agitated state. Even after they navigate through the detox period, patients often remain anxious or depressed. They have a hard time focusing, they’re restless, and many just want to leave.
Neurofeedback therapy is an important tool we use to help people in this situation. For some patients, it’s a game-changer. It calms them down, improves their mood and focus, and helps them sleep (that last benefit is absolutely key for people in early recovery).
In short, neurofeedback therapy allows many patients to truly start their addiction recovery.
Basics of neurofeedback therapy
A person receiving neurofeedback wears a small headset that places electrodes against their scalp. These electrodes pick up brainwave activity that is shown visually on a monitor as a series of patterns the patient can view.
A technician who is present takes the patient through various scenarios that elicit mental and emotional responses.
Negative responses, such as anxiety and agitation, create a certain type of pattern on the screen. Positive responses, such as calmness or increased focus, create their own distinctive patterns on the screen.
With practice over several neurofeedback sessions, patients can learn to regulate their responses—thus changing the patterns on the screen they’re viewing. By focusing on the patterns and manipulating them, they can teach their brains to react more positively to certain stimuli, rather than negatively.
The visual cues they see on the screen can also help people recognize reactions they weren’t even aware of, which helps them identify unhelpful emotions. With practice, people develop more helpful, positive responses, and are able to sidestep the unhelpful ones.
Eventually, after a number of neurofeedback sessions, many patients no longer need the neurofeedback technology to help them regulate their responses. They can do it on their own.
Our experience with neurofeedback
We see good outcomes with this therapy. It helps people become more focused, calm, and positive, so they’re more receptive to addiction therapies and medications.
Neurofeedback is especially beneficial to the population of retired professional athletes we treat. Many come to us in a restless state, and some are dealing with chronic pain issues. Neurofeedback can help in those areas, and others besides.
When patients leave us, those who benefitted most from neurofeedback therapy will often ask if they can continue it. That’s when we include it in their aftercare plan, and help them find a neurofeedback clinic where they live.
Final thoughts on neurofeedback therapy
The longer I’m in the field of addiction, the clearer it becomes that most people who struggle with addiction are also struggling with a co-occurring condition or some other psychiatric challenge.
Many times, that’s depression, anxiety disorder, PTSD, ADHD, or an eating disorder. Other times, and probably even more commonly, it’s something that doesn’t reach the “clinical” level, such as acute restlessness, lack of focus, irritability, or difficulty sleeping.
All of those conditions can complicate addiction treatment, and that’s where neurofeedback can help. It targets those secondary issues, and helps bring them under control.
At that point, addiction treatment has a significantly better chance to succeed.
To find a therapist near you, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.
