Effectiveness of Neurofeedback
Many insurance companies will pay for a 30-day traditional addiction treatment for those recovering from drug and/or alcohol abuse. Many individuals believe that this is “enough” and that they can get clean and sober in the 30-day period. Although this treatment can be helpful, for most individuals, it is not enough. Relapse often occurs, leaving individuals discouraged and depressed. 30-day treatment programs generally aren’t long enough to address all of the needs of an addict and help individuals acclimate back into everyday living without their addiction.
Another possible treatment option is a process called neurofeedback. Through a retraining process, neurofeedback treats addiction in the brain. Through neurofeedback, the brain is taught to be calm, focused, and relaxed and can aid in allowing individuals to think more clearly and rationally. Many relapses are caused by stress in people’s lives. Learning to relax and calm the brain through neurofeedback can help block relapses in addiction recovery. Learning these strategies neurologically can lead to long term recovery. In addition, many facilities prescribe medication to treat addiction. Some see this as problematic—solving the problem of pill addiction with more pills. Neurofeedback treatment is a great option because it doesn’t involves medication. It is a non-invasive therapy that has been shown to have no negative side effects.
Neurofeedback works by helping to correct dysfunctional brain patterns that contribute to addiction. Using brain mapping, a plan can be created that targets and trains certain areas/regions of the brain that may be malfunctioning. Treatment facilities have seen much success with neurofeedback and find that individuals struggling with addiction can break the vicious cycle they fight against.