I have now completed 15 NeurOptimal® Dynamical Neurofeedback sessions and am eager to do more! I have struggled with depression and anxiety for years. I’ve witnessed a lot of pain and trauma in my nursing career which has caused me to ruminate on all the things that could go wrong with the health of my family. In the last 10 years I’ve gotten married, been through two graduate school programs, and had two beautiful children. No matter how blessed I have been in life, the chronic stress has made my emotions difficult to regulate and I’m often tired and irritable. I’ve been on and off medications hoping for relief, been to counseling, exercised, improved my diet, and done life coaching (HIGHLY recommend if you want a referral), but I still couldn’t shake the roller coaster of emotions.
Photo credit: Kevin Wenning (intentionallylost.com)
A few days later I did my second session of NeurOptimal® training. This time, very early on I felt that same convergence in the front of my head—if you’re a yogi, you’ll appreciate the “third eye center” and it gave me a whole different appreciation for this part of my brain—and a few longer pauses in the music in addition to the normal brief skips. Later that evening, I relayed to my friend Jessica Travis (she introduced me to NeurOptimal®) that I had a good day, but that evening I was feeling really tired, foggy, and had a dull pressure (not painful) at the front of my head. She asked if I had ever had a concussion—and yes, I had! She explained it that for all these years the pathways have been flowing around that area of injury, like a river flowing around a boulder in the middle of it, and NeurOptimal® was encouraging the brain to assess the ineffective areas and train them to come back online. The fatigue and fogginess I felt was likely due to the “workout” my brain had just had.
I gave myself a few days of recovery to allow my brain time to adjust and by day 3, I could feel my brain searching for NeurOptimal®. I called up Jessica and asked for another session. This time, I felt that same pressure in the front of my head very early in the session, and then suddenly, it was gone. There was no physical or audible “pop,” but that’s the only way I can explain it. When the 33 minutes was up, I opened my eyes and felt energized. I slept very well that night and the next day I told my husband, “I feel amazing.” Ladies and gentlemen, I have never said that in our entire marriage, so you KNOW something good was trained in my brain.
Ever since that third session, I have had less and less pauses in the music, and increasing clarity and focus in my everyday life. I didn’t even realize that I had brain fog until after it cleared after that 3rd session. I have less squirrels running around in my brain! Am I still irritable at times? Sure—I have a husband and kids, financial stress, patients, chores, etc.! However, I feel like I am getting better at thinking before reacting and that is creating a more peaceful household.
It is difficult for children to describe what they are feeling and if anything is different for them, but I can watch to see if there is improvement in behaviors. In other words, kids aren’t trying to change themselves and placebo-effect is not part of the equation because they aren’t aware that their brains need to be re-trained to work better. After 1 session with NeurOptimal® each of my kids were asking for their “brain training” the next day. Kids are not going to ask for something that they didn’t see benefit from.
My 7-year-old son is a ball of energy, like all boys, and can be quite the handful with defiance and irritability, especially when it comes time to get ready for bed. He has done five sessions in the last 2 weeks, and he has been more agreeable to pick up toys, get ready for bed, patient with his younger sister, and has been more affectionate towards me. If my son was told he was hyperactive or inattentive in class and that he needed medication, I would try to find something else to help him first. If NeurOptimal® trained his brain to work optimally and we were able to avoid medication, placebo-effect or not, that time and money spent on NeurOptimal® would be 100% worth it to me. NeurOptimal® is not a treatment—it is a training device—and you should work with your healthcare provider to find the best avenue of care that is unique to your family.
Everyone will respond to NeurOptimal® training differently and I encourage you to try it out and listen to your body. As I did after session 2, I allowed myself a few days before my next session because I sensed my brain needed to rest and digest what it had been signaled to do. It’s like weightlifting at the gym: if the muscles are not used to lifting weights, they will be sore the next day and it’s really hard to do another workout until some of the soreness is gone. However, over time the muscles become more adapted to the training regimen, and they don’t get as sore. It’s the same with NeurOptimal®, at first the brain needs more time to rest before sessions, but eventually you feel like you could do it every day!
We suggest 1-2 times a week for adults, and for kids, you’ll want to watch their behaviors. If he/she starts acting out more after a session—that’s OK!—but you should wait until he/she calms down a bit before doing another session. Speak to his/her teacher to let him/her know that NeurOptimal® is training your child’s brain and ultimately, they will have better control over their emotions.
Curious about learning more about NeurOptimal® Dynamical Neurofeedback and how to incorporate it into your life? Call us up to ask how to start a neurofeedback package in office (patients of Balance Health only--and if you're not a patient yet, sign up and you will have access to this amazing benefit)!