Depression is one of America’s most common mental health disorders. Depression affects nearly 18 million people each and every day. Approximately 64% of people who suffer from depression report having had at least one major depressive period during their lifetime. As such, many people will explore options for depression therapy in Denver.
To properly treat mental health, you need to address the root of the problem that exists in your brain. Neurofeedback can help you address those needs.
What is Neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback, or EEG biofeedback, is a type of brain training; it is essentially biofeedback therapy that is tailored to brain functions. This treatment is a safe, non-invasive, and natural way to address the imbalanced state of your brain that may be contributing to mental health issues.
This type of brain training program uses real-time feedback to train people to regulate their own brain wave patterns to alleviate symptoms. To fully grasp how neurofeedback works, we must first gain an appreciation for how brain waves function.
Understanding Brain Waves
Brain waves are the electrical impulses that occur when neurons in your brain send signals to each other. Brain wave patterns can give us a lot of insight into our thoughts, feelings, and mental health.
There are five different types of brain waves:
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Gamma waves (>40 Hz): These are the fastest moving brain waves. They relate to exceptionally high mental activity, consciousness, and spiritual emergence.
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Beta waves (13-39 Hz): These relate to active thinking, processing, concentration, and cognition.
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Alpha waves (7-13 Hz): These brain waves reflect a relaxed, but alert state.
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Theta waves (4-7 Hz): These are most commonly associated with deep meditation or relaxation, also found in REM sleep.
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Delta waves (<4 Hz): These often occur during deep and dreamless sleep, resulting in loss of all body awareness.
In your brain, different areas are functioning all at once constantly, but one region can become dominant than others in certain situations. The most dominant brain waves at any given time will determine your current mental state.
A healthy, balanced brain will have brain wave frequencies consistently falling within normal ranges. However, people with depression may experience abnormal brain wave activity. In many cases of depression, alpha waves tend to be less active than others. Neurofeedback can identify these patterns and help aid your mental health by providing effective depression therapy in Denver.
Neurofeedback for Depression
After receiving a depression diagnosis, patients can choose which type of treatment(s) they want to undergo. Some may follow a conventional medical approach with prescription medications; however, others will explore alternative natural treatments. At Braincode Centers, we leverage neurofeedback for depression therapy in Denver because of its ability to naturally train your brain.
Neurofeedback is an easy and medication-free method for breaking the cycle. Through iterative trainings, this therapy helps balance out the brain’s electrical activities and return the brain to a more normal state.
The human brain is complex, but research has shown that more activity in the left frontal lobe leads to a more positive mood. Conversely, abnormal activity in the right frontal lobe may contribute to a lower mood.
If this is the case for you, your clinician can train your left frontal lobe to be more active, which can likely lead to long-term symptom relief. With this training, neurofeedback may help you become happier by encouraging you to think more positively.
Neurofeedback for depression can be used to train your brain to make this switch on your own naturally. The training will basically use principles of operant conditioning (a type of behavioral psychology) to change your brain waves and cognitive behaviors so they’re better able to help you cope with any depressive symptoms or episodes. Eventually, this type of brain training can help you automatically respond to your symptoms and enjoy a better quality of life.
Take Control of Your Mental Health with Braincode Centers
If you’re ready to begin retraining your brain, contact us at Braincode Centers for more information about our depression therapy in Denver. We can design a customized treatment plan for you to help alleviate your symptoms in the short and long term.
Schedule your consultation today to explore neurofeedback for depression or other mental health conditions today.
