[PasDeDeux]

I am intrested in it to reduce anxiety. Has anyone in here been there, done that ? Would you please share?

Yes I have and you will find more threads here on this topic because this tpic keep coming up here.

I still do a form of it and have benefitted greatly from it.

to find the other threads - at the top of the page click on advanced search

type in - biofeedback in the seach bar
in the newer slot leave empty and make sure it says years not days in that second slot

In older put 1 days

then submit and you will have a whole page list of threads having to do with boifeedback.

[ErinBear]

Hi PasDeDeux,

I've done biofeedback in the past, but not for the treatment of anxiety. I did it to treat chronic pain. I found it very educational and also helpful. I would think it could also be extremely helpful in terms of dealing with anxiety. It gives you feedback on your body systems (thus the name) and how to learn to calm them better, or gain better control of them in various ways. The biofeedback technicians I've met so far (2-3) were extremely kind and caring people, and were eager to be helpful. I would sure recommend giving it a try. It's nice to have extra things one can try that will help you when needed, plus this is a non-drug alternative that you can try anywhere, anytime, as often as needed. If it is something that helps you, it will be another tool in your toolkit to help you cope better and have a better quality of life. :-)

Take care,
ErinBear

[kimmydawn]

Yes, it was the best move in my life. I went from almost continual panic daily, to maybe one panic attack per year. That was 9 years ago too!

Best thing I ever did... I helped my intellectual mind work with my emotional mind, that eased my physical symptoms. It was a coming together of sorts.

KD

[PasDeDeux]

Thank you to Myself, ErinBear and KD, I will check the search out tomorrow Myself I hope people gave some detail. ErinBear I could not agree more , I need and want something else in my arsenal against this damn anxiety. I can go long periods of time Kim and all without any anxiety or panic then bang it strikes me out of nowhere. Talk therapy is OK I may quit. I do not want to live my whole life on drugs and know the things I have tried close to biofeedback have helped a good deal. I just feel with a T to guild me and the machines I would do really well. That is my hope anyhow

[Rhapsody]

I may need to look into this as well.... I found a doctor over in Tampa (45 minutes away) that deals in this type of treatment.

Rhapsody -

[ErinBear]

Hi PasDeDeux,

I hope it will prove helpful for you - did you end up contacting a biofeedback technician today? I hope you'll let us know how things go for you. I'm sending you lots of good thoughts!

Take care,
ErinBear

[(JD)]

Biofeedback is just another tool that the T can use to help you cope. It doesn't take away the reason for anxiety, for which talk therapy is still good.

[Rhapsody]

Here is a link that will help you find a Biofeedback doctor in your area..... just enter the STATE and then click the submit query button.

LINK: http://www.resourcenter.net/Scripts/...r/search.html?


LoVe,
Rhapsody -

[PasDeDeux]

WOW, thank you everyone. I have to look into it I will mostlikely MOVE on it come mid fall. I haven't done much on it since I last posted because I have been so busy and going to bed earlier

[allthegirls6]

Biofeedback? sounds like a yoghurt to me lol

Im going to do neurofeedback soon. I'll let you know how it goes. My psychologist raves about it. She thinks it helps anxiety alot. FYI Neurofeedback is different than biofeedback.

[Rhapsody]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
esthersvirtue said:
FYI Neurofeedback is different than biofeedback.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

What's the difference........ ? (and) YES - do let me know how it goes.

The only difference in both neurofeedback and biofeedback is that on the machines the neurofeedbback machines have a brain wave monitor. The process of doing them is the same.

Copied from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia -

Neurofeedback (NFB), also called neurotherapy, neurobiofeedback or EEG biofeedback is a controversial therapy technique that presents the user with realtime feedback on brainwave activity, as measured by electrodes on the scalp, typically in the form of a video display, sound or vibration. The aim is to enable conscious control of brainwave activity. If brain activity changes in the direction desired by the therapist, a positive "reward" feedback is given to the individual, and if it regresses, either a negative feedback or no feedback is given (depending on the protocol).

Biofeedback is a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) which involves measuring a subject's bodily processes such as blood pressure, heart rate, skin temperature, galvanic skin response (sweating), and muscle tension and conveying such information to him or her in real-time in order to raise his or her awareness and conscious control of the related physiological activities

The process for both is controling your body funtions to control your thoughts.

For example relaxing your muscles and and heart rate and breating rate lessons the abount of brain activity

and the more erratic your clenching and releasing muscles, heart rate and breathing rate the more activity there is in the brain.

Its just that some people prefer learning how to control their thoughts by watching a machine that monitors their brain waves (neurofeedback machines) and others prefer learning to control their thoughts by watching their heart rate and breathing rate (boifeedback machines)

Still others like me can't afford the expensive machines so instead of a visual aid like machines I was taught to put my hand on my heart or pulse spot while doing relaxation visualizations to slow my breathing and heart rate in times of panic.

Anything that focuses on learning to control thoughts and body rates is using biolfeedback and neurofeedback.

and the process of doing both is the same- relaxing and controling thoughts and body funtions.

the difference is what the person is focusing on to learn to control their thoughts and body funtions - their brain waves or heart rate, breathing and muscle reactions.

This topic keeps coming up so I decidied to do some searching around and found out all kinds of info for example did you know that when a person is taking their temperature they are using biofeedback?

http://www.psychotherapy.com/bio.html

so then I got to thinking about all the ways in which I and others that I know that have encountered biofeedback in use. I don't usually post my blog entries here but I thought others would find this interesting what I learned and so on.

What is boifeedback?

“bio” is anything that has to do with the whole body and anything physical to do with the body - the organs - heart, lungs, brain, eyes, musles tissue, skin you name it.

Feedback is getting information about something.

So together biofeedback is recieving information about how the body is funtioning.

How do people get this feedback?

They get it in many ways.

Have you ever gotten on a pair of scales and checked to see how much you weigh? you just used biofeedback. you obtained information about your biological body and how you did it was by using a set of scales.

Have you ever taken your temperature? if so you have used biofeedback - you obtained information about your biological body by using a thermometer.

Have you ever had your blood pressure taken? if so you have just used boifeedback - you obtained information about your boilogical body by using a blood pressure cup.

Have you ever put your fingers on your wrist at the pulse point and counted the heart beats? if so you have just used Biofeedback - you obtained information about your biological body by using your fingers as a pulse taking intrument.

Have you ever put your hand on your stomach or chest and counted and or sped up and or slowed down your breating rate? you have just used biofeedback - you obtained information about your boilogical body by usig your hand to count your breaths and or slow or quicken your breathing rate.

Have you ever sat somewhere quiet and took a few minutes to purposesly relax your muscles rubbing your arm or leg? If so you have just used used biofeedback - you obtained information about your biological body by using your hands as an instrument to gage muscle tightness.

There are other ways in which boifeedback is used -

EEG (electroencephalography) is used to measure brain activity while a person goes from various states of sleep and wakefulness.

EKG (Electrocardiogram) is used to obtain information about a persons heart.

Respirators and flowmeters measure breathing quantity and rate.

Audiograms are used to obtain information about a persons ears and their hearing abilities.

Electromyogram (EMG) is sensors that measure muscle activity.

Galvanic Skin Response Training measures sweat gland activity.

peripheral Skin Temperature measures the surface temperature of the skin.

The police use biofeedback in their jobs - lie detector machines which are machines with electrodes placed on a person to obtain information about the persons body specifically breathing rate, heart rate, muscle activity, and blood pressure during questioning.

These are just a few ways in which biofeedback is put to use. Boifeedback is everywhere. And one of the most common uses of boifeedback is in the therapy field where clients are taught to focus on either breathing, heart rate or muscles by using relaxation techniques that focus on slowing the rates down and relaxing the muscles and calming their thoughts down.

Some people learn how to do boifeedback without the use of the machines that keep track of the breathing rates, heart rates, muscle tightness and brain waves of thoughts and others are taught to use biofeedback by using the machines so that they have the visual aid to focus on.

There are many types of machines used for biofeeback some are the separate units previously mentioned and other machines combine the various equipment into one for example like the lie detector machine.

Now what is Neurofeedback -

Neuro is anything that has to do with the brain activity.

Feedback is obtaining information about something.

So Neurofeedback is obtaining information about the brains activities.

With neurofeedback the person is just focusing on controling their thoughts which will control their brain waves. someone who is calm and relaxed has less brain wave activity then a person who is under stress, anxious or panicy.

The person is taught to do this by either using an EEG (electroencephalography machine) or by using relaxation techniques and focusing on other areas such as their breathing and heart rate.

A calm person has a slower breathing and heart rate then a person that is under stress, anxious or panicky. so calming the heart rate and breathing rate also slows down the brain wave activity.

So when I had the choice to do either Neurofeedback or Biofeedback I chose doing Boifeedback. Biofeedback does the same thing that neurofeedback doesand is actually the same thing. The only difference is the type of machines used if using a machine, and the process is the same - relax and calm down either by watching a machine or by having another focus area.

Neurofeedback? hey I already was an expert so to speak at calming and controling my brain activity - so much so that I have the ability to dissociate myself completely away mentally to the point where I have DID.

But to learn to remain aware hey THAT was a challenge that required me to learn how to focus on how my body feels during times of panic and upset.

It was biofeedback hands down for me.

[Rhapsody]

WOW!!! - Thanks........ good read.

LoVe,
Rhapsody -

Thank you and you are welcome

[PasDeDeux]

Lmao may feel like it too. Not that I go around feeling yogurt

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
allthegirls6 said:
Biofeedback? sounds like a yoghurt to me lol

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

[PasDeDeux]

Thank you all and Myself thanks a lot for all the info

You're welcome.