Triggered:  Understanding Warning Signs of PTSD

By Anna Raab, Abundant Living Neurofeedback and Counseling

“I’m so triggered!” is a statement I started hearing my teenagers say a couple years ago, usually in a joking manner.  However, PTSD is no laughing matter and affects many people who aren’t even aware that their symptoms are trauma related.  In addition, many people do not know that the onset of PTSD can occur within a few months or even years after a traumatic event, which can make it very difficult for individuals to pinpoint.

As a result, patients may present with severe anxiety, depression, attention or sleep issues and not even relate these issues to the original trauma.  I have had many patients present with these types of issues only to discover that they are actually part of a syndrome perpetuated by a traumatic, or series of traumatic events.

Traumatic events that lead to PTSD are typically events that instill a sense of intense fear, helplessness, or terror.  Moreover, PTSD can be caused by witnessing such an event happening to another person and in some cases simply by hearing about such an event occurring.  In the context of our modern world, with endless news about violence and murder, I believe this is a more widespread problem than has been previously understood.

I have treated many patients who were first hand victims, but I have also treated multiple people who developed PTSD by merely being exposed to the knowledge of trauma.  Not surprisingly, none of the individuals were aware of the root cause until we began to track the onset of traumatic symptoms and frequent triggers.

So, what are the symptoms of PTSD?  Many of the symptoms may be surprising and seemingly unrelated.   You or a loved one may be affected and unaware.  For instance, physical pain can be a symptom of PTSD.  Headaches, digestive Issues, physical pain and a weakened immune system can all be warning signs.  More common are issues of hyper-arousal, which include insomnia, edginess, being easily startled, panic attacks, or generally finding it impossible to relax. Having excessive emotions, angry, irritable outbursts, or being emotionally shut down are also symptomatic.

Some people may begin to avoid any semblance of places or people who consciously or subconsciously remind them of trauma.  They may have generalized anxiety, depression or guilt that do not seem to connect to their actual life. Others may have overwhelming obsessive thoughts, not only of trauma happening to them but even seeing themselves become perpetrators of things they’ve seen or witnessed.

Memory problems are extremely common, not only having gaps in memory but developing general, wide-spread memory lapses.  Many of these symptoms can lead to severe attention deficits that are often misdiagnosed.  Sadly, some people turn to addictive behaviors to try to self-regulate and may find themselves completely out of control.

If you recognize yourself or a loved one in this article, please reach out.  I have helped so many people who have become captive to a traumatized brain. You don’t have to be captive any longer.

What a Narcissist!

By Anna Raab, M.A. Counseling, BCN

In an age of ever-increasing drama and selfie centered lives, the word Narcissist is being heavily thrown around! But what is a Narcissist, really? Is every person with an inflated ego or posting a few too many selfies a Narcissist? No, they aren’t. Yes, some people with these traits may have narcissistic tendencies, but a person with true Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a different animal altogether.

I’ve chosen to write on this subject not only because of some of the over-use of the term, but also because there may be someone reading this who really needs to know if their loved one suffers from this  (I would say they or their loved one but it’s doubtful a true Narcissist would ask themselves such an honest, insightful question).

True Narcissistic Personality Disorder is characterized by very predictable characteristics, behavior patterns, and background.  In my experience most people with NPD were raised in an environment where healthy ego development did not or could not occur, often because of recurring trauma. Because of their lack of healthy ego identity being formed, individuals with NPD actually have extremely fragile egos for which they are in constant need of garnishing what we call supply.

Supply is anything which gives the NPD individual a sense of being superior or more powerful than those around them.  Ironically, they are typically very outgoing, charismatic, likable, and even witty, but their jokes will often turn on you and you will find yourself being laughed at instead of laughed with. They may say very hurtful things and say they are just kidding, or they may gaslight you altogether.

Gaslighting is when someone with NPD deflects any attempt to communicate your pain with them by flat out denying the event happened, twisting the event, or figuring out how to blame you for their actions or simply firing off a dart that has nothing to do with your plea for communication or sympathy.  Gaslighting is the Narcissist’s go-to for protecting their wounded ego.

Because they cannot handle the thought of being wrong or questioned, they must retaliate by gaslighting you to protect the very fragile ego inside.  Narcissists will rarely apologize, or if they do you will find it is to keep you in their good graces as they are inevitably getting something from you that they need.

They are notoriously entitled and often expect to be treated in ways which they have not earned or deserve, many times expecting material endowments they have no real entitlement to but have no issues whatsoever receiving.

People with NPD thrive on making others feel small while inflating themselves. They will often lie or exaggerate the truth in order to secure their position in social first place.  You will often hear them making judgmental statements or making caustic remarks about others with no awareness of how cold, mean, or cruel they may be, and sometimes very subtly or covertly.

You see, those with NPD do not and often cannot feel empathy or compassion.  Interestingly, they may be able to mimic it or fake it very well, but it does not come from the heart and when backed in a corner their true motives will be unveiled, and oftentimes it is these individuals who get caught in very telling actions or lies that eventually they may not be able to escape.  At this point they will typically discard the individual or group and move to another place where they can practice their schemes once again.

My interest in writing about this subject is the very high chance that someone reading may have been or is deeply affected by a Narcissistic person.  Oftentimes, it is the most caring and empathic people who are preyed upon because they are most susceptible to being manipulated or give the NPD individual too much grace.

Grace is good, but giving grace to the NPD individual will be a black hole of never-ending investment into their wounded inner world, leaving the loved one feeling like nothing is ever good enough to earn their approval, or feeling like their feelings are never going to matter… because they won’t.  If you are suffering from an NPD relationship, please reach out for help and support.  There are people who truly care very deeply and want to help.

If you live in the Tulsa, OK, area and are interested in learning how neurofeedback can help a loved one with narcissism, click here.

The Perfect Storm of Pain

By Anna Raab, M.A. Counseling, BCN

A few months ago, I wrote an article called Transcending Fear.  The quarantine had just begun, unknowns, fears, and shutdowns were paralyzing to many.  In the article I wrote about how we would ultimately have two choices as to how to respond.  Would we be better or broken; would we transcend fear and build on our human ability to love, or would we give way to the animalistic instincts of fear, fight, or flight.

I had no idea when I wrote that what else we would soon face as a nation. I had no idea that not only would we potentially turn on each other out of fear and pressure of the unknown, but that the pandemic would become the perfect storm of pain which would rattle our country to its very core.

It’s as though we were ripe and ready in a hotbed of unknowns, stress, and isolation.  So that in that hot bed, embers started to surface, vigilance was riding high, infections were coming to the surface…and the worst came out in us as the gasoline of fear and strife turned embers into a raging forest fire of pain and traumatic responses.

And here we are.  A nation divided on so many levels.  Issues that have been in the healing process have been ripped open and I fear we have been set back decades as a nation who stands for and has fought so hard for equality.  The fear response in our brain is activated by our instinct for survival.

If you read the article I mentioned, you may remember I stated we will have the choice to respond like animals in fight or flight, or like humans bridging the gap with love. Again, as humans we have the unique ability to choose love even when we are afraid, because “perfect love casts out fear.”

I have seen exceptions, however.  On a local level and personal level for sure I have seen churches and local leaders rise up and organize overwhelming aid and help.  Victory Christian Center has mobilized well over a million bags of food for local families, no questions asked. They were able to have drive in services where people could still assemble together and had testimonies of people deciding not to end their lives because they drove by and were drawn to the life and love there.

In all this I have experienced joys as I watch leaders rise up in love, yet I have also cried many tears as I have watched trauma and emotional responses rip through our country like a tornado.  I have wept for our country and for the division and strife, and I have prayed and prayed for healing and restoration to come.

One thing I know we can all agree on and has the ability to center and to heal us, is that we NEED each other and CONNECTION and MUTUAL RESPECT is essential for us to weather this storm together and truly come through with the spirit of Americans.

The absolute worst thing we can do is hide behind the news, gossip, and social media as though behind the wheel of our own private car honking and yelling for others to get out of the way and heed to our exclusive perceptions and desires.  Wisdom comes through a multitude of counsel, and if we can come to a place of peace and resolve to listen and to learn from our pain and our mistakes we can still heal, in time, we can still be better.

Individually, stay connected.   Seek out the faces who bring you love and joy, even if its Face Time or Zoom.  Send pictures and videos to love ones.  Post positive and loving videos on social media to remind us that we are in this together and ultimately love and respect will be our banner of recovery.

I know in this time there are many who are suffering greatly from isolation, fear, panic, and sadness.  If you need help, tell someone!  Do not suffer alone, do not let darkness take over, get help, reach out.  We are here and so are the many people who love you… some you may not even know. You are NOT alone!  You are loved.

Transcending Fear

By Anna Raab, M.A. Counseling, BCN

As I’m sitting here writing this article I am, like most of you, isolated and uncertain.

I am aware that this article will run in about 30 days, after the stay at home measures will likely be lessening, and we are slowly emerging back into a world that will be forever marked by suffering and loss.  Loss of life, loss of employment, loss of identity… it is not going to be easy.

I have considered deeply what to say… and the themes of love and fear keep circulating.

Fear is a gnawing foe at present.  Unknowns, uncertainty, insecurity… it’s all brewing.  In this pandemic fear is valid, it is normal, and it is real.

Sadly, however, fear can bring out the worst in people.  We hoard and we pit against each other looking for someone to blame or someone to shame. Social media demonstrates these fault lines of instability through an ever-increasing discord and divisiveness which is deeply troubling.

The fear is real, it is founded, and it is a normal human reaction to stress and uncertainty.  In our brain it is meant to keep us alive, yet it can bring out our most animalistic instincts, as I mentioned… less than human; less than kind.

So where will we be in 30 days?  Will we be better, or broken?  I personally fear the loss of life through mental illness or suicide could parallel the virus itself.  Fear and stress are mounting daily.

The message I long to share today, but will be no less pertinent in 30 days, is hold onto your humanity.

This virus has leveled the playing field.  Each of us is undeniably human at present.  So, what part of our humanity will arise?

The thing that makes us uniquely human is our ability to not respond to fear as an instinct but to rise above it as a response.  Do not react, respond.

Our ability to rise above fear I believe is founded in our ability to transcend to love instead.  In a fearful situation, we as humans can choose to love.  We can choose to lay our lives down for our friends.  We choose to stay home and stay safe as we rally those who cannot. We can choose to reach out instead of reach in.  We can choose to tune into friends in need financially, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.  We can use this time to love and lend a hand.  We can be the stability we seek.

My prayer is that we emerge out of this time of stillness enlightened. May we be reminded of what we have that cannot be measured, as we are dealing with the loss of what can be measured being taken away.

What cannot be measured, what cannot be taken away is love.  And how beautiful is it that perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).

The poet Rumi said, “Love is the bridge between you and everything.” As we sit in isolation may we remember love is our highest good and may we grow together in spirit and not be torn apart.

In our fear, may we find that love is our human ability to rise above the storm.  If we grow in love, we will not have lost.

If you are struggling beyond the point of being able to choose your response, please reach out.  If you cannot find your footing in love, we are here, and so are many others who want to listen and be a hand.  Put yourself in the way of love.  Please don’t suffer alone.  Anxiety, Depression, Panic, and family strife will likely come to an all time high for many.  Let us find our strength in leaning in.  Let us transcend through love and leverage the best of our humanity in order to respond and not react.

Much love and concern from my family to yours.

ADHD

By Anna Raab, M.A. Counseling, BCN

New Year’s Resolution: FOCUS. GET ORGANIZED. FINISH PROJECTS. MASTER TO-DO LISTS. LISTEN BETTER…

“BUT I JUST CAN’T!!!  EVERY YEAR I FAIL… I FEEL LIKE SUCH A FAILURE.  I KNOW I’M SMART; I HAVE THE IDEAS AND THE KNOW-HOW… I JUST CAN’T FULFILL MY POTENTIAL!!”

IF THIS IS YOU, OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE, KEEP READING!!!!

There is a REASON you struggle.  It’s not because you are lazy, unintelligent, or not capable.  I have treated so many extremely intelligent people who have carried the burden of ATTENTION ISSUES for years.  Most often, the burden of carrying the extra struggle, no matter how accomplished they are, has also led to a certain amount of depression or anxiety, which is usually what brings them to my office.  After doing an electrical reading of their brain we find the foundational issue is actually a traffic jam of brain wave activity.  The frontal lobe is full of excessive slow wave activity and often not enough of the fast processing waves.

The frontal lobe is responsible for our higher executive function, and when there is a traffic problem with brain wave activity not flowing as it should, untold frustrations can arise.  Attention, decision making, problem solving, memory, social awareness, motivation, planning, judgement, emotions, empathy, time management, and more can all be a huge struggle.  And it can have NOTHING to do with your desire to be better… it is a REAL issue.

I have seen so many people of all ages who have struggled with this invisible giant their whole lives, and then slowly but surely, they begin to feel their lives have become unmanageable.  Relationships have suffered, attempts at higher education have suffered or failed all together, they have stress disorders, they have emotional control issues… life is just so much harder than it needs to be, but it’s all they’ve ever known.

And, it’s not just adults.  Very often anxiety and depression are the presenting issues for children also.  Because these struggles can be masked by high intelligence and good coping skills it is not unusual for them to fly under the radar undetected.

Even if these issues have been identified and medications are employed, patients are often riddled with side effects and the aid of medication may only be enough to make the limp a little less apparent.  There’s nothing wrong with turning to medications for help, but often patients are left wanting and still feeling very incomplete.

Anyone can miss it.  I missed it myself in one of my own children.  It wasn’t until they had a traumatic accident that I began to do extensive work in their frontal lobe to help with the trauma and anxiety that ensued.  In doing so, I treated their attention disorder that I had not even detected.  They were always in the middle ground (but not loving) school, adored by teachers, happy at home… just a normal, delightful, energetic child.  However, the semester I treated them they went from average to outstanding in school.  I’m so thankful to say that as a result I had them tested last year and they are now in the gifted and talented class with all A’s, loving school.  Potential unveiled!

This may describe you or your loved one.  Does life seem harder than it should be?  Maybe it is.

If you live in the Tulsa, OK, area and are interested in learning how neurofeedback can help a loved one with ADD or ADHD, click here.

Best Kept Secret in Mental Health, Part 1

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

Part 1: The Brain is an Electrical Organ

In this article I am going to begin to explain the mental health technology that literally saves lives.  With this tool I’ve been able to resolve suicidal depression, anxiety, ADHD and so much more.  I have been able to see healing where only the word treatment or coping had been used before.  I am so excited to explain what it is, how it works, and what it can help.

Most people are familiar with biofeedback, right?  With biofeedback a person can learn to control heart rate, body temperature, muscle tension, and other physiological process for which we are usually unaware. Well, with Neurofeedback we can actually learn to regulate our brain wave activity.  That’s right, our brain waves can be trained to normalize.

Most people aren’t even really aware of what our brain waves do, much less that they can misbehave.  But the reality is that our brain is an electro-chemical universe and the patterns of electrical activity have everything to do with our human existence and experience.  There is enough electricity in our brain in our waking moments to light up a small light bulb!  Our brain has an estimated 100 million Neurons and 100 trillion connections.  That’s a lot of traffic!  We are electrical beings!

All these neuron connections are carrying impulses of electrical activity ranging from very slow to very fast electrical currents.  These currents are measured in cycles per second called hertz.  From slow to fast these waves are called Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma brainwaves.  In the waking state all types of activity are working together to accomplish all the tasks of brain processing.

I love metaphors and because I’m a musician I love this one.  Just like a chord of five notes resonates when certain notes are played, electrical patterns also seem to resonate best when in certain relationship to each other.  The reason a chord of notes resonates is because those notes are an exact ratio to another and hence those sound waves resonate and sound beautiful.

On the contrary, if we hit a sharp or a flat it can ruin the whole chord and we hear dissonance because a soundwave is “misbehaving” and is either too fast or too slow and creates discord with the other waves.

Something similar is true with brainwave activity. According to Neurofeedback research and databases that show normal brainwave activity in humans, brainwaves need to operate in a certain relationship to each other in order for optimal brain processing to occur.

When there is too much or too little of any type of electrical activity a type of disharmony can emerge and signals do not resonate and operate the way they need to for optimal effectiveness.  ADHD is a common disorder that has been shown to commonly have a theta to beta ratios that are too high, hence causing a slowing of the electrical traffic and causing symptoms.

Understanding the brain as an electrical organ is the first step in understanding true mental health. It’s not all in your head, but it is all in your brain.

Best Kept Secret in Mental Health, Part 2

By Anna Raab, M.A. MFT, BCN

Part 2:  Mapping the Electrical Universe

In my last article I began an introduction into the world of Neurofeedback by explaining the mechanisms of the brain as an electrical organ. I explained that the brain is an electro-chemical universe, and that in order for that universe to be in unison with itself, the different types of electrical waves must be in balance and in harmony with one another.  In this edition I will explain how we map this electrical universe and make meaning out of the patterns and complexities therein.

Brain Mapping begins with what is called a quantitative EEG or qEEG. This qEEG is taken by way of an electrode cap.   This cap is full of electrodes that can actually capture and transmit the electrical activity being emitted by the brain and through the scalp.

By use of conductive gel this electrical activity is picked up by the electrode sensors and sent to an amplifier that amplifies the signals and makes them readable and recordable by the computer software.  After recording 10 minutes of total activity, five minutes with eyes opened and five minutes with eyes closed, we are able to upload the recording to our database.

This database compares the electrical activity to the normative measures based on age, gender, and the location of the brain being recorded.  The final product is what is called a Brain Map.

The Brain Map then becomes a visible and easily readable representation of brainwave activity.  The map shows how much of each of the types of activity (from slow to fast) is present, the connectivity between hemispheres, the dominant frequencies of each of the types of waves, the left or right hemisphere dominance of the waves, and how in sync the waves are between hemispheres.  Basically, hundreds of variables of brain wave activity are represented in a Brain Map that can be read and explained by a highly qualified clinician.

I like to explain that reading a Brain Map is like reading a traffic map.  There is a lot of information represented that shows what is going on with the roads and highways of the brain.  The actual roads

and highways can be just fine. We aren’t looking for “brain damage.”  We are simply looking at electrical traffic, identifying where the traffic is not flowing properly, and proceed from there to correct the traffic.

One of the greatest values that I see in Brain Mapping is how it validates the mental struggle of individuals. I left my last article saying it’s not all in your head, but it IS all in your brain. I know so many people who have actually been told by practitioners that their problems are all in their head… how very cruel and judgmental to leave a patient feeling like they’ve merely conjured up all their issues.

How sad when clinicians don’t talk about the brain as an organ just as they would any other organ, like it is somehow different and able to be controlled if you just try hard enough.  This is simply not the case and a Brain Map can be one of the most validating experiences on a person’s mental health journey, as they can finally see the face of the invisible giant that has caused them or their loved ones so much frustration or pain.

Please look for my article in the next edition that will explain where we go from here.  I will explain exactly how we go about correcting the “traffic.”

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.