Neurofeedback - worth serious discussion, imo...

[Laynelove]

Hi kizzie,

Just wondering how your neurofeedback is going? Hopefully I will start mine in the next month or so
Hope all is well!

[Kizzie]

Sorry, I forgot to post here about how the session went     This is a repeat of what I wrote in the book club thread:

The session went well however I just was in touch with my insurance carrier and I do not have as much coverage as I thought so I won't be able to do too many more sessions this year. ARGH!   

Anyway, we started on the neuro training yesterday, getting different areas of my brain to connect better,  bringing down hyper-aroused areas and stimulating under-aroused areas for various symptoms I experience.  Yesterday the focus was on my tendency toward addiction that showed up in the brain mapping.  It's really quite interesting - much like the biofeedback except it's your brain you're trying to use differently (versus breathing and relaxing your body).  Basically there was a green circle and some music that I simply had to try and keep going - don't ask me how the brain is able to do it (even he and other psych's can't quite explain the actual process), but apparently it gets better by simply having the intent to make the light and music stay on. 

I honestly don't now what to expect from all of this, but I'm hoping it  gets my brain to "fire on all cylinders" so to speak.  I have another session on Tues and have a bunch more questions to ask.   It will be interesting to compare notes once you start yours   

[Kizzie]

I've had three more sessions since my last post and another three before my health care runs out, but it's going well. There are subtle changes (like not reacting to things in the same way I would have in the past - small things, but big in the sense that I feel like more of my brain is working and not just certain parts if that makes any sense).

According to the complicated graphs and stats the area(s) of my brain that showed problems dealing with addiction are learning how to connect with areas that are protective.  If we get the numbers where they need to be, we will move onto anxiety which is also showing up in the brain mapping (what a surprise lol).   

I think I will budget a bit and keep going even after the health care funds run out.  It is expensive but I feel some changes already - subtle and hard to describe but like I am doing a good thing for my brain.

More to come 

[Dutch Uncle]

Congratulations! And well done of you! 

Please keep the news flowing. It's quite intriguing, interesting and fascinating to hear your experiences. 

[Dutch Uncle]

How's progress? I recently viewed a video where it was mentioned (alongside EMDR and other treatments) which reminded me of you doing this. 

[Kizzie]

Apologies for not posting in a bit, but I'm finished teaching, all the marking is done and the grades are in so I can get caught up here now.

I think I've had about 5 more sessions since I last posted.  We worked on addiction because I am so prone according to my results. I was not 'using' anything but food especially carbs and sugar.  My H and I were able to switch to fresh food, no processed and just fruit for something sweet.  It went incredibly well, no real difficulties switching which is amazing as I really have struggled with food cravings all my life.   I also smoked and drank to excess in the past.

Anyway, then I went through a really bad time after learning about needing surgery for both knees (angry, scared, not sleeping well, etc), and boom  back came the food cravings, very upset younger me needed comfort.  However, the cravings themselves were nowhere near as intense as they have been in the past, and I did not drive to the store and load up on junk food as I would have in the past.  I also found I thought about taking a drink here and there but then  thought about withdrawal and that melted away.  So I would have to say it does work - my T explained it as using a muscle you haven't used before, and it does feel as though more of me is available to combat cravings.   

I won't be doing any more NF for a bit as I am moving back to our home inland to escape the humidity of the coast and to be available for surgery whenever it happens (can't give me a date much less a month due to the way OR time is dolled out here  ).   The results of my brain mapping indicated that another big area to work on is anxiety (well no kidding  ), so that's what I'd like to target next.  My T has a colleague in a city closer to where we live inland so I'll be seeing him when I do start up again.

Happy to answer any questions! 

[89abc123]

Hi kizzie,

I am interested in neurofeedback, how many sessions have you had all up and how long did it take for you to start noticing the change?

Sounds like your moving in a positive direction!

How amazing science is!

[Kizzie]

I had about 8-9 sessions total and noticed it about midway - it's sort of subtle though, nothing you can point to like a bigger muscle when you work out at the gym 

I recently came across a clinical book about NF and dissociation - see http://www.amazon.com/Neurobiology-Treatment-Traumatic-Dissociation-Embodied/dp/0826106315#reader_0826106315.  Not light reading by any means, but perhaps something to ask a practitioner about if you or anyone is thinking about doing some NF  (i.e., are they trained/familiar with using NF for dissociation/ CPTSD?). 

[Kizzie]

So I had a fairly intense EF last week, got stuck in trauma time, couldn't get out of it or even dissociate and ended up drinking some wine which 'helped'.  Until I woke up that is, such shame and fear the next day.  The reason I'm posting here is that I my neurofeedback sessions focused on additive behaviour as I've posted above and I'm not sure what to think about drinking when I had the EF (I hadn't had as bad a one as that in a long time).  Would it have been worse if I hadn't done the NF (i.e., would I still be wanting to drink which I don't?).  Did the NF not work or not I guess is the question?  I kind of feel like my rational brain kicked in when I woke up and I started thinking about why I had an EF, trying to be mindful of what I had been and was feeling, how to reduce or deal with the various stresses that had brought on the EF, etc.  And I have no desire to drink - I want to deal with EFs before they get to the point I am stuck in trauma time.

So, I'm thinking the NF and recovery efforts in general did kick in, but it's hard to know for sure what works and doesn't.   

[89abc123]

Hi kizzie,

Sorry to hear u were struggling. You said above that you have only done 8-9 sessions. Maybe it was enough to make a small change but not enough to stop addictive behaviour completely.

I had a meeting with a nf clinic and he said minimum 20 sessions and as regular as twice a week for me. Did ur practitioner give u a approx time frame for nf?

It sounds like u are handling the efs much better than before so I would say it would be a combination of ur hard work and the Nf

[89abc123]

I'm about to start Nf next week. Maybe we could start a new thread for people who are currently doing nf so we can update each other on progress etc? I think there might be a few people on here doing it

[Kizzie]

Mine suggested 10 sessions which is all I had insurance for so that's it until 2017 for me unfortunately. That said, we only worked on addiction and didn't move on to anxiety which is another area my brain mapping suggested needed work so I would imagine it could easily be 20 sessions 2 times a week.  I haven't talked to the T as we moved so he's not my NFT anymore, but I will given what happened. 

By all means start another thread if you'd like or just continue on here.  If you use a title like "Anyone Else Doing Neurofeedback?" you'll likely attract the attention of any members who are doing it. I know of one other member  but I think s/he has left the forum.