Neurofeedback for Anxiety: How it Empowers Inner Peace

Does Neurofeedback Work for Anxiety?

Neurofeedback therapy offers a promising avenue for managing anxiety in children as it provides a non-invasive and drug-free approach to mental wellness. This therapy can target the root cause of anxiety at its core – the brain. 

Neurofeedback works on a deep, unconscious level, influencing most brain processes. Training the brain to produce relatively pure brain signals, such as alpha, theta, and beta waves, teaches children to regulate their emotions and experience lasting relief from anxiety.

Neurofeedback harnesses the brain's ability to learn and adapt. Providing real-time feedback on brain activity allows children to recognize and modify their brain wave patterns to reduce their anxiety symptoms.

My extensive experience in clinical psychology has shown that neurofeedback training can benefit a wide range of anxiety disorder patients, from those with severe anxiety to children struggling with chronic PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) or panic disorder, which involves extreme fear. The beauty of neurofeedback for anxiety and depression lies in its ability to target the root cause of anxiety in the brain without relying on drug treatments. 

I remember Emily, a 10-year-old girl who had been battling crippling anxiety for years. Traditional treatments offered little relief, and her parents were desperate for a solution when they came to me. That's when they discovered neurofeedback therapy and decided to give it a try.

After just a few sessions, Emily's parents noticed a remarkable difference in their child’s interaction and performance tasks. Her anxiety decreased linearly, her muscle tension eased, her blood pressure normalized, and, most importantly, her depression and anxiety symptoms began to subside. It was a turning point for the entire family.

How Neurofeedback Works

Neurofeedback’s ability to target the brain's central nervous system directly differentiates it from other therapies or medications. It doesn’t just address the symptoms. Think of it as reprogramming a faulty circuit. It identifies and corrects brain wave patterns associated with anxiety, allowing us to rewire the brain, which leads to long-lasting relief. 

Neurofeedback training involves a Quantitative EEG or QEEG brain map as its first step. It is a non-invasive and painless process that measures the brain's electrical activity through sensors placed on the head.

The EEG Biofeedback data from this is statistically analyzed to determine brainwave patterns and diagnostic information, allowing practitioners to design a personalized protocol to address specific issues. In addition, this computer analysis highlights any variations from the norm and shows brain areas with too much or too little EEG activity.

After designing a customized protocol to address anxiety disorders or other mental disorders, neurofeedback therapy begins. Using computer technology, patients are reinforced for changing their brainwave activity from a dysregulated pattern to a healthy one. 

Visual and auditory stimuli, such as movies and dings, reinforce the brain whenever a pre-set goal is achieved. As a result, the therapy is enjoyable, and the brain quickly responds to the reinforcement. As a result, the brain begins to regulate, reducing symptoms over time.

The number of neurofeedback sessions varies from person to person, such as for healthy and anxious subjects. However, most individuals require two sessions per week. At the same time, some may notice a reduction of symptoms after the first session, but most experience a gradual decrease over time (Luctkar-Flude et al., 2017). 

Neurofeedback training, combined with psychotherapy, helps manage stress response and address nervous system dysregulation, underlying feelings, negative thinking, and behaviors, resulting in lasting change. Research shows the effectiveness of neurofeedback therapy for anxiety and depression, and it has been proven to be minimally invasive with minimal side effects (Hammond et al., 2016).

For children and teens with anxiety, neurofeedback focuses on reducing anxious brain activities and improving brain function. It allows children to concentrate, manage their anxious thoughts, and alleviate physical symptoms such as stomach aches, headaches, and sleep disturbances. 

Regulating the brain's structures and communication between different areas allows neurofeedback to mitigate the overstimulation that leads to anxiety disorders. The root cause of anxiety disorders is the hyperactivity of the brain caused by internalized anxious thoughts and bodily sensations. In other words, the brain gets stuck in a pattern of over-communication.

Natural Solutions for Kid's Anxiety

While neurofeedback is an effective tool to calm the brain and produce long-term changes, it is not a magic wand that can make anxiety and depressive disorders disappear. Therefore, other natural treatment solutions should be carried out to address anxiety, depression, and behavioral issues. Learning new behaviors that support healthy coping skills to manage frustration and stress is essential. 

Aside from neurofeedback, the child also can benefit from PEMF, cognitive behavioral therapy, nutrition, magnesium, and other dietary supplements. These methods are vital in creating an effective treatment plan for your child. 

Get guidance from qualified health professionals to know the ideal neurofeedback protocol and the estimated number of sessions required to promote positive mood and behavior in your child while improving their cognitive function. Most mental health conditions need two to three weekly sessions over five to six months. 

Besides anxiety and depression, neurofeedback is also helpful for children with autism spectrum disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and other psychiatric disorders. In addition, it can help address negative emotions, panic attacks, and poor executive function.

Ready to Get Started with Neurofeedback?

In our BrainBehaviorReset™, we work with children and their families. We begin with a strategy session and a QEEG or a brain check to see how the brain functions. Then, a carefully crafted custom care plan is incorporated with the best of science that works in changing the brain and behavior. Take the Solutions Matcher to get started.