Sadar Psychological :: Depression

Neurofeedback impacts on the basic mechanism by which the brain controls physiological arousal. The training appears to be effective regardless of the pathway by which the person has become depressed, whether this results from a genetic pre-disposition, early childhood trauma, or a subsequent traumatic (physical or emotional) experience, or simply a physiological change of unknown cause.

The training has also been found to be helpful in cases of depression caused by specific traumatic events, such as rape, and by other insults to the brain such as chemotherapy, or general anesthesia in the elderly. EEG biofeedback training is also indicated for those patients who do not respond favorably to medical management, and for those who are counseled to avoid certain medications by their doctor. This includes, in particular, pregnant women.

There is evidence that once a person experiences a depressive episode, subsequent episodes are more likely. Hence, training the brain to remediate depression may have the beneficial effect of tending to make subsequent recurrences less likely. The training also appears to be effective for a variety of conditions that are seen concomitantly with depression, such as alcohol dependence or violent behavior.

Expected Results
As the training proceeds, the patient may find that anti-depressant or stimulant medication will no longer be needed. Hence, the person should be under continuing medical care if medicated, so that the medication dose may be monitored. It is generally observed that the requirement for anti-depressant medication will be reduced or eliminated entirely as the training proceeds.

Remedies for depression are accompanied commonly by the recollection of prior traumatic memories, which may have been totally suppressed over the years. It is therefore important that counseling be available in the event of such traumatic recall, and for other profound emotional changes which can be elicited by the training.

Asking how many session will be required is like asking how much time will it take to lose weight. The necessary number of sessions depends on the severity of the disorder (how much weight you hope to lose), the complexity of the situation (why excess weight is being maintained), and the dedication of the supporting family and/or friends (to accommodate the training and make any complementary lifestyle changes).