Neurofeedback?

Has anyone here tried neurofeedback for anxiety?

My T is looking into it for me. I don't want to take any meds right now because I'm trying to keep my body clean for some future babies that haven't been conceived yet. I took Lexapro for a short period of time last year and it was terrific. I don't have nonstop anxiety anyway... it comes and goes due to everyday life stressors. I am not against meds in the least, but I do think that getting my anxiety under control is within reach for me. It doesn't stop me from doing anything, but it doesn't feel good, either.

So anyway, she's looking into neurofeedback, even though it primarily seems to be used for ADHD/ADD. I'm not clear on the difference between neurofeedback and biofeedback, aside from the facts I've read on the internet about peripheral vs central nervous system, and that neurofeedback is easier and more permanent.

I bought some biofeedback software a few months ago, called Journey to Wild Divine. You put sensors on your fingers and it monitors your body temp and heartbeat. Sounded good in theory. However, I found the format to be really frustrating because you have to play a computer game to "find" objects on which to practice the biofeedback. I just want to cut to the chase (gee, do you think I'm impatient? good candidate for learning how to relax, mebbe?). It's like going on an easter egg hunt on 5 acres and realizing that there are only 2 eggs to be found on the entire property. I spent 45 minutes on it last night and never found any of the dang objects. I was more frustrated after 45 minutes than I was to begin with.

Yoga does help me a lot, but it takes me a very long time before my mind will relax - usually not until the very end of the class. And two hours later, I'm as wired as I was to start out with. I'm trying different methods and instructors because I do feel confident that yoga is a good long-term solution for me, but I'm not quite there yet.

Anyway, back to neurofeedback... has anyone tried it? Opinions?

Neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback, to my knowledge. I hear what you're saying, but hear what I'm saying: you can't cut to the chase, as the learning IS the chase!

You can't control your mind by skipping the learning to control your mind! hehehe ((((LMo))))

yeah, I know... but doesn't mean that sitting through a dumb video game is a good way to accomplish mind/body control either...

eh...

Then it might not be for you... and perhaps the "plain" biofeedback would suit you better? Retraining the brain, "playing" with the brain waves so to speak, needs to be welcomed. Since you have resistance (i.e. the game) to reprogramming, redirecting brain waves, then it won't work for you, and you need not invest any more time and energy into it, imo.

They use the video game to help reprogram the brain... help YOU to do that. Alas, resistance isn't futile, it will not work if there's resistance. You will not be able to trick your own brain while refusing to trick your own brain.

Find another way, if you can. It's ok. Not all therapies work for/with me... even though I think they "should" because I understand them.

Well, I keep looking forward to the actual brain work. It's the slow navigation that's bothering me about the game. If I could just get to the biofeedback part, I'd be happier. But I hate to buy more software ... this one was expensive. You're right about the resistance part.

I think its the same as biofeedback not sure though. I do a form of it. I don't use machines and so on too expensive but do put my hand on my stomach or over my heart and I slow my breathing down which slows my heart rate down. It really helps during panic attacks. I also use this when I have muscle spasms. my first instinct when one happens is to tighten up and hold by breath through the pain so I instead pay attention to remaining loose and then even looser in that muscle and slowing my heart rate out of the panic/pain mode.

Thanks Myself - I try to do that as well, but even though I can get my heartrate down, it really doesn't do much to stop my mind from racing. I really saw this work for me when scuba diving - I was afraid that I'd panic, but since the whole principle is slow and steady breathing (which is measurable since your air tank is limited in capacity), I've managed not to panic and I've done 14 dives so far, including a deep dive. However, I haven't come anywhere close to reaching the same level of anxiety in scuba diving as I have with some of the limbs I've had to go out on for my career lately. UGH.

WOW scuba diving how cool.

I know slowing my breathing doesn't slow my thinking I have to have a focus point for that so what I do is self hypnosis type of relaxation where I start with my head and work my way down instead of paying attention to the racing thoughts I think about how a ray of sunshine on a warm-hot summer day would feel on my hair forehead all down to my toes The whole process usually takes me about a half hour to an hour because I move that ray of sunshine very slowly so that every detail is included and its funny but sometimes this works so well that it fools my brain into feeling the warmth because I have at times layed out in the sun on a summer day doing this exercise so I just think about when I did it for real laying in the sun. Because my brain is actively thinking about the relaxation process in minute detail the racing thoughts stop. expecially if I am doing it with my eyes closed so that everything around me isnt triggering and thoughts, and I am listening to a relaxation recording so that I am hearing what I am doing instead of the other sounds around outside my body. and so on basically shutting all my senses off to my surroundings so that my memorys won't get triggered into replaying and I am focusing on the total relaxation stuff.

You're avoiding taking meds for anxiety and you scuba dive, despite being anxious? I'm impressed. (I hope that didn't sound condescending. It wasn't supposed to). I don't know anything about the neurofeedback but I hope it helps you.

We're not talking paralyzing anxiety in most cases with me. I didn't even realize I was anxious until I got a new T a few years ago (although my friends and family said "well DUH!"). I thought I was just... energetic and stressed at the same time. Sometimes it does block me from being at my best, but since it isn't severe but instead uncomfortable, I don't think it's something I should risk meds for.

I've heard some really promising things about nuerofeedback, but just like anything else, it won't work for everyone. Also, it seems to depend a lot on the clinician. Anyone can buy one of those expensive machines, but it takes some specialty training to understand enough about the brain to really know what you're doing.