Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States, affecting nearly 18 million Americans every year. Approximately 64% of people with depression say they have experienced at least one major depressive episode which led to severe impairment. And even those without severe impairment from depression can struggle to complete daily tasks. All that’s to say, depression is difficult to manage, even with medication and talk therapy. If you’re looking for natural depression treatment in Denver, CO, you may want to try neurofeedback.
What is neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback, or EEG biofeedback, is a type of brain training; it is essentially biofeedback for the brain. This therapeutic treatment is a completely natural and non-invasive way to address the imbalances that are occurring in your brain.
Neurofeedback uses real-time displays of your brainwave activity to help teach self-regulation. To fully understand how neurofeedback works—and why it’s so beneficial—we first need a clear understanding of how brain waves work.
Understanding your brain waves
Brain waves are the electrical impulses that are produced when your brain cells communicate with one another. Brain waves can tell us a lot about how you feel and function; they can provide great insight into your thought habits, underlying moods, stress levels, and overall brain function.
There are five different types of brain waves:
1). Gamma waves (>40 Hz): These are the fastest moving brain waves. They relate to exceptionally high mental activity, consciousness, and spiritual emergence.
2). Beta waves (13-39 Hz): These relate to active thinking, processing, concentration, and cognition.
3). Alpha waves (7-13 Hz): These reflect a relaxed, but alert state.
4). Theta waves (4-7 Hz): Deep meditation or relaxation, also found in REM sleep.
5). Delta waves (<4 Hz): Deep and dreamless sleep, loss of all body awareness.
All of your brain waves work together simultaneously, but one brainwave can be more dominant than the others. Whichever brainwave is dominant will determine your current state of mind. In a healthy, balanced brain all of your brain waves would fall within those normal ranges. But in people with depression, their brain waves often fall outside of the normal ranges. In many cases of depression, alpha waves tend to take a backseat. Neurofeedback helps correct that.
How neurofeedback works
Neurofeedback begins with the completion of a qEEG brain map. Electrodes will be placed on your scalp to measure the activity occurring in your brain. This will help your specialist identify the areas that are underperforming or out of balance. The information gathered during your brain mapping will be used to guide your personalized neurofeedback treatment plan.
During a neurofeedback session, electrodes will be placed on your scalp again and you’ll be able to see your brain waves in real-time. When they are within normal ranges, a movie or song of your choice will play, which functions as a “positive reward.” When your brainwaves fall outside of that normal range, the movie or song stops.
Similar to how physical exercises train and develop specific muscle groups, the more you train your brain to function optimally, the better it gets at it. It just takes time and practice.
Learn more about our natural depression treatment in Denver, CO
There are many reasons to opt for more natural depression treatment. Not only are there virtually no side effects, but neurofeedback can also lead to long-lasting relief. Here at Braincode Centers, we know how frustrating it can be to try treatment option after treatment option with no success.
If medication and talk therapy aren’t giving you the relief you need, contact us today to learn more about this natural depression treatment in Denver, CO
