submitted by Dr. Maria DiDonato, D.Ed .Psychologist, Achievement & Wellness Center
Shelly (not her real name) a college student from Hamilton, entering her Senior year reported ongoing anxiety and depression. She struggled socially and was unable to make meaningful contacts throughout her school career. High school was a struggle as she was unable to establish good peer relations.
She reported being irritable, angry, sad, moody, lacking motivation, worrying, shyness and fearfulness. She had been through several therapies and several medications, none of which seemed to help to her. Difficulty included making small talk, having low energy, being easily bored, and difficulty concentrating. Her parents were concerned with her ability to move on to a professional career. She had difficulty sustaining eye contact, felt nervous and tense frequently, and was fearful of losing control. She did not compete with others and was easily embarrassed
Shelly was referred by a friend for neurofeedback while on summer break. During the evaluation, the specific type of brainwave imbalance was identified. The type of imbalance was easily addressed and with treatment she immediately began to feel better emotionally. These included improvements in sleep, having more energy, feeling calm and relaxed, being less hyper, having better concentration, feeling happier, more awake and alert. She commented that she did not know why she did not start neurofeedback sooner. She was encouraged by the results and fortunately to her satisfaction, a neurofeedback center close to her college was located.
It is expected with her current success, she will continue with treatment and will make significant progress in improving her success in life.
Neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback that rewards the positive brainwaves. Often the brainwaves are out of balance and dysregulated. These changes disrupt cognitive, emotional and behavioral functions. Once the biofeedback helps reregulate the brainwave balance, the functions of the brain are normalized. Over time, the positive results are generalized for a happier lifestyle.