Parents naturally want to shield their children from life's difficulties. That is why it is nerve wracking for parents to see their kids struggling and to not be able to do anything to help them. Fortunately, neurofeedback has profound effects as it taps into the brain’s inherent self-regulation ability.
In today’s episode, we’ll be joined by Alex who is the reason why I started doing neurofeedback. We’ll dive deep into the effects of neurofeedback as Alex shares his life changing journey with us as his life took an unexpected turn toward empowerment and healing through the power of neurofeedback.
Alex’s introduction to the world of neurofeedback.
The first time I tested Alex, I thought he was a real genius as his brain processing was so fast. We were able to get support for Alex in a public school but then, his mom made him try medications. His mom had to stop medicating him as it was making him so sick and opted for many other alternative treatments.
Alex’s mom decided to give neurofeedback a try considering that nothing was working well for Alex. She asked me what I know about neurofeedback and thankfully, I know enough about it since I wrote a paper about it back in graduate school. And that’s how Alex was introduced to the world of neurofeedback.
However, neurotherapy wasn’t at all appealing for Alex during such a young age. He preferred doing anything else other than sit in front of a screen and stare at it for quite some time. This is understandable considering that the unfamiliarity of the process may be a bit daunting for them.
What is neurofeedback and how does it work?
Like what I always say, medication should not be the first line of defense. Thankfully, neurofeedback has been proven to be effective, especially for struggling kids, in improving cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning. It trains the brain at a higher level and helps the brain start behaving in a natural, healthy way. It doesn't provide a quick fix; rather, it offers a pathway to long-term growth.
There are several reasons as to why the brain is unfocused. For Alex’s case, he had a lot of hypercoherence insofar as his brain was overcommunicating. This means that there are a lot of unfocused brainwaves and 50% of the time it’s not even genetic; it could be caused by environmental toxins.
In medication and stimulants, there is no regulation and control whereas in neurofeedback, it amplifies your own assets. Since neurofeedback makes your brain sharper, many people, particularly athletes, are doing neurofeedback treatment as an investment.
The importance of staying on top of your game.
Being a mom to a struggling kid is challenging yet remarkable as parenting struggling kids requires unwavering support while also fostering independence and growth. This becomes even more crucial when it comes to raising kids who are struggling with mental health issues.
Staying on top of your game means improving your communication skills, actively listening to your children, and finding ways to connect and understand them. As parents, you have to be able to adapt to constant changes and to recognize when to provide guidance and when to step back, allowing your children to be more independent.
One of the recurring mistakes that I have observed parents do is that they give up too early. What usually happens is that when parents don’t see instant change, they think what they’re doing is already a failure. However, we shouldn’t always expect 100% change immediately. In fact, even a 25% change is already a significant amount of change.
Although this decision to give up may stem from a combination of frustration, exhaustion, and a desire for immediate relief, we have to understand that progress takes time. Always remember that there is no magic transition from struggling kid to zero symptoms. We just have to keep moving forward because the change is not going to happen overnight. You can't just rely on one path.
Why should parents consider using neurofeedback?
As compared to other alternatives, neurofeedback has a bit of permanent or lasting results. Neurofeedback trains your brain and builds neural pathways around the difficult areas affected by the symptoms. Once the brain gets into a healthy rhythm, it will continue as long as you don't have a physical or emotional trauma or you're not taking medication that interferes with your brain activity.
The positive effects of neurofeedback are indeed long lasting but we also have to keep in mind the importance of taking care of our health. Keep in mind that every day that your kid doesn't get help is another day your kid and your family suffer.
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