Neurofeedback for depression can improve brain waves resulting in minimization of symptoms. Depression is both a brain disorder and state of mind and is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States.
What is Depression?
Depression is a serious medical condition characterized with symptoms such as melancholy, loss of pleasure, loss of energy, difficulty in concentrating, and suicidal thoughts. Possible causes include a combination of biological, psychological, and social sources of distress. Research suggests these factors may cause changes in brain function, altering activity of certain neural circuits in the brain.
Neurofeedback for Depression
Neurofeedback has proved to be an effective treatment for depression. Advancements in brain science have shown when the left frontal area of your brain is more active than the right frontal area, your mood is positive. This is beneficial for neurofeedback training as the left side of the brain can be trained to be more active than the right.
Unlike medication, which has been reported to have numerous side effects, Neurofeedback therapy essentially has no side effects. The most common side effect reported from clients is feeling tired after a session. Side effects for medications for depression include, but aren’t limited to the following:
- nausea
- increased appetite and weight gain
- loss of sexual desire and other sexual problems, such as erectile dysfunction and decreased orgasm
- fatigue and drowsiness
- insomnia
- dry mouth
- blurred vision
- constipation
- dizziness
- agitation
- irritability
- anxiety
Testimonial for Depression Client at Morningstar Neurofeedback
“I can’t say Neurofeedback treatments gave me my life back, because I’d never had life. It instead has given me a life I never thought was possible, full of emotion and joy, rich and fulfilling. My mind after Neuro has the ability to process and understand so much better. There is clarity instead of noise. I can concentrate. I can think about a problem, situation, whatever, and reason it through. I am not constantly having recurring thoughts. I haven’t had a major PTSD flashback (one that takes me ‘back there’) for more than a year. I like being the person I am. A huge change for me is this feeling of confidence I have in myself.
Before Neurofeedback I didn’t feel emotions, just depression and anxiety. I constantly had voices in my head. I don’t remember feeling anything other than pain. I feared sleep because of nightmares. I mostly stayed home, afraid to even go out my door and terrified of going to the grocery store. I never took freeways. I couldn’t go into an elevator or be with a crowd. I was scared. I detested being in my own skin. I was a cutter and enjoyed selfinjury. The abuse I’d suffered had control of me.
My diagnoses included being suicidal (hospitalized under the 5150 law multiple times), Major Depressive Disorder, PTSD, Major Anxiety Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Multiple Personality Disorder and others I can’t think of. I was on large to maximum doses of several antidepressants and antipsychotics and an antianxiety medication, all of which caused significant side effects. I am now on a significantly lower dose of one antidepressant and an antianxiety, and no antipsychotics at all. I physically feel better now due to fewer meds.”
READ MORE OF THE DEPRESSION TESTIMONIAL HERE
Related Research & Publications
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