As holistic treatments become more and more popular, we’ve seen a rise in questions about the clinical effectiveness of neurofeedback and biofeedback for mood or anxiety disorders in adults. Usually, the first question on everyone’s mind is: How can these solutions be used as an anxiety treatment in Denver? What are the evidence-based guidelines regarding the use of neurofeedback or biofeedback for the treatment of anxiety disorders in adults?
Let’s answer those pressing questions today and outline all the things you need to know about this holistic treatment for anxiety disorders.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety disorders are chronic mental health conditions that cause people to worry excessively about things they cannot control. Often the terms stress and anxiety are used interchangeably in everyday language and in conversations surrounding these disorders.
Prolonged stress and anxiety can have a negative impact on one’s health marked by increased adrenaline (epinephrine) release. The decreased production of certain growth hormones, and the abnormal activation of the immune system and inflammatory mediators in the body.
All these things can worsen existing health conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and increase cardiovascular risk factors. Chronic stress, along with other chronic illnesses (including cancers and pains) can increase morbidity and lower the quality of your health.
How Neurofeedback Works as an Anxiety Treatment in Denver
Neurofeedback has been shown to improve brain function by enhancing the connectivity between the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) and the amygdala. These areas of the human brain work together to analyze and respond to social and environmental cues, which helps us adapt to our surroundings. When you experience a potentially dangerous situation or a stressful one, the amygdala sends signals through the rest of the body and triggers the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex to help you deal with the situation appropriately.
When anxiety takes hold, it makes it harder for the vlPFC to communicate with the amygdala, which means you’re less likely to act rationally when faced with a threat or tense situation. Neurofeedback can help strengthen the connections between these parts of the brain. Once the connection between the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and the amygdala has been reinforced, the amygdala can effectively provide the ventrolateral prefrontal cortical region with an appropriate, rational, and logical reaction to potential threats.
In summary, this non-invasive and holistic treatment can help reduce the impulsive, hyperactive reactions commonly associated with anxiety and help you get a better handle on your anxiety disorder.
Biofeedback for Anxiety
Biofeedback has also been shown to help people who suffer from anxiety disorders. While neurofeedback works to improve brain function, biofeedback works to address physiological reactions or symptoms. For example, you might not know how your breathing patterns change when you’re feeling anxious. By using biofeedback techniques, you can learn to better manage your anxiety levels by gaining greater awareness of your breathing habits and learning how to slow them down in stressful situations.
Sometimes anxiety doesn’t have an identifiable source. Your worry or anxious feelings may be due to an unknown outcome or lack of control over a situation.
Biofeedback can help you learn how to tell when you’re feeling anxious or are about to experience a wave of symptoms, which could give you a better idea of what’s causing your anxiety and how to cope with it.
It might also be helpful for you to understand how to better handle stress, which could potentially give you more command over your emotions when dealing with anxiety-provoking situations.
Book Your Appointment for a Holistic Anxiety Treatment in Denver
Are you looking for a way to improve your quality of life? Then you’ve come to the right place.
At Braincode Centers, we have several experienced specialists on staff who work with all types of anxiety. We’ll create a customized treatment plan for you to help address your anxiety disorder and your associated symptoms by integrating a number of holistic treatments or therapies, like neurofeedback or biofeedback.
Contact us today to book your consultation and learn more about our drug-free options for anxiety treatment in Denver.
