Best Kept Secret in Mental Health, Part 4

By Anna Raab, M.A. Counseling, BCN

In my last three articles I’ve been able to explain some of the key aspects of Neurofeedback Therapy.  I’ve brought to the forefront that the brain is electrical, that brain wave balance is at the foundation of mental health, how brain wave activity can be mapped, and the basic concepts of how Neurofeedback can normalize brain wave activity to lead to reduction or resolution of mental health issues.

In this edition I would like to use the foundation of what I have explained and now begin to apply it to specific mental health issues that Neurofeedback can help resolve. I will begin with one of the most well researched applications of Neurofeedback which is ADHD.

ADHD is marked by failure to pay close attention, making careless mistakes, poor listening, lack of follow through, inability to sustain attention, misplacing items, being easily distracted, having difficulty filtering out external stimuli, and forgetfulness. Hyperactive symptoms include fidgeting, roaming around, restlessness, loud or obnoxious behavior, being driven as with a motor, and excessive speech.  In addition, some individuals may also have symptoms of impulsivity which include speaking before thinking, impatience, interrupting, and intrusive behaviors.

There is much debate about ADHD, whether it is over-diagnosed, if it is just a “boy-thing” that will be outgrown, or if it’s the inevitable outcome of asking kids to sit still for hours on end.  All of these thoughts are valid and understandably confusing.  From my vantage point as a Neuro-therapist, however, I can definitively say ADHD is clearly illustrated in client brain maps and has very real signatures of abnormal brain wave activity which I have seen consistently in hundreds of client maps, and has been well documented in QEEG research.

As I explained in part 2, the brain map illustrates brain wave activity in the cerebral cortex (the outer layer of the brain) a little bit like a traffic map.  All the major types of brain wave activity are shown in terms of how the client map compares to a person with no abnormal symptoms.

One of the major measurements included in the map is called “magnitude” and demonstrates how much of each type of activity is present in the individual and whether they have too much or too little in any of the measured locations.  Without exception, individuals with ADHD produce too much slow (delta and/or theta) activity in the frontal and sometimes temporal regions of the brain.

This excessive slow wave activity begins to create what I call a traffic jam that can impede normal processing, specifically in the executive centers of the brain which control attention, cognitive inhibition, working memory, cognitive flexibility, reasoning, and problem solving.

Think of it like the larger, slower brain waves getting in the way of the more concentrated, faster processing transmissions.  This causes transmissions to be slower, or sometimes fall off completely, resulting in the very real and frustrating symptoms of ADHD.

In conclusion, as I explained in my last article, with Neurofeedback intervention the brain can be trained through operant conditioning feedback to normalize.  Hence, in the case of treating ADHD, overwhelming headway can be made to train the brain to reduce the production of slow wave activity and increase faster speeds so issues like focus, attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity can become a thing of the past.

Grief: When the Unthinkable Happens

By Anna Raab, M.A., BCN, Abundant Living Neurofeedback and Counseling

This article is dedicated to the victims and survivors of the recent I-35 tragedy.

I write this with tears and a pure heart hoping to say something that will help give words of comfort to anyone who has or is experiencing the unthinkable.   I am a 41-year-old mother of a blended family with 5 children.  I drive a seven seat SUV that is constantly full of children.  When I told my husband about the tragedy on I 35 he immediately got sick.  It could have been us.  It is a nightmare beyond nightmares.  It is beyond comprehension, so it is with deep respect and overwhelming empathy that I write and dedicate this article to those personally affected by this tragedy.

As I have prayerfully considered what to say, my friend Karen recently posted about the grief of her father’s loss.  It resonated so powerfully that I asked permission to quote her.

I remember crying until I was physically sick.  Feeling like my heart was going to burst out of my chest… hoping it would so I could just get the indescribable pain out of me.  And anger… much of it misplaced.  In the blurry days that followed, I so often wanted to scream, ‘YOU DON’T KNOW HOW THIS FEELS, QUIT TRYING TO COMFORT ME,’ even though I deeply needed every single word of comfort I received.  I didn’t think I would ever stop feeling anything other than mind-numbing pain.  And here’s the thing, the pain didn’t stop. I got stronger.  I learned to cope.  This is what I now know to be true:  You have to open yourself up to the people who refuse to let the darkness consume you.

Karen, thank you for your vulnerability and honesty.  The truth is, the pain never stops with losses like these, it only gets bearable as we allow others to love us and help carry our pain.

When the wounds of tragedy are so fresh and deep for those we love, we fear saying anything and yet, we fear saying nothing at all.  When the unthinkable happens, we desperately want to help but often worry about doing or saying the wrong thing.  However, in times like these people desperately need to know that we care, even though they may also feel that no one could ever care enough; no one could possibly understand their grief and unrelenting pain.  In many cases they are right, especially in cases like these. All we can do is love unconditionally, without questions, without expectations, and long past the aftermath.

If you are one of those personally affected by this recent tragedy, please know you are loved beyond what you could ever know. Thousands who you will never meet have wept with you.  Our hearts break with you and we pray for peace that surpasses knowledge to consume you as you grieve.  We hold our own closer and love deeper in honor of you.

For help finding grief assistance in your area please call 918-933-4455.