What is Neurotherapy?
Mental disorders like anxiety and depression are often left untreated or unmanaged. Oftentimes, this is due to an individual not being able to find a form of therapy that is effective for them. However, advances in modern medicine and progressive technology have allowed medical professionals to create innovative new therapies for individuals suffering from a number of mental afflictions.
Neurotherapy is an innovative and effective approach to treating psychiatric issues like anxiety, depression, brain fog, addiction, and fatigue. This method of therapy works by changing, or retraining, a patient’s brain state. The process includes biofeedback and neurofeedback, which helps improve a person’s ability to develop new skills as well as increase brain fitness and performance through exercise. Additionally, Neurotherapy utilizes brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), audio-visual entrainment (AVE or AVS), and cranial electro-stimulation (CES).
This type of therapy focuses on how thoughts, feelings, and actions are reflected in a person’s physiological functions, specifically in the brain and nervous system. When the brain gets stuck in maladaptive states and patterns, individuals can develop issues such as depression and anxiety. Oftentimes, these negative thought patterns are somewhat learned behaviors. In response to this, Neurotherapy provides patients with the opportunity for learning and creating more positive brain pathways. Since the process promotes learning, the changes it induces will continue on even after therapy is over. Additionally, this approach is safe and only slightly invasive, making it an extremely attractive method of behavioral treatment.
Benefits of Neurotherapy
Neurotherapy is an innovative form of treatment for a variety of mental illnesses and disorders. Simply put, the main goal is to increase brain performance, allowing a patient’s symptoms to lessen.
Common benefits that patients receive from Neurotherapy include:[1]
- Stress relief as well as anxiety and panic management
- Improving overall mood and building emotional resilience
- Improving attention, concentration, focus, and other aspects of executive function
- Improved cognitive performance and learning abilities
- Boosting motivation and energy
- Learning to manage cravings, habit problems, substance use disorders, and addictions
Overall, Neurotherapy provides patients suffering from mental illnesses or substance use disorders with the ability to self-regulate their emotions while learning new coping mechanisms. Patients will be able to focus solely on self-improvement as a result of lessened symptoms of their mental illness. In addition, the benefits of therapy continue to develop long after treatment ends. This method of treatment improves brain function and abilities, allowing these issues to continually improve over time.
How Does Neurotherapy Work?
Neurotherapy’s strategy is to stimulate neuroplastic change in structure or function on a cellular level in the brain. To explain, neuroplastic change is often referred to as the act of rewiring neurons. This change is conducted either internally or externally, meaning the trigger comes from within the brain itself or stem from outside stimulus. Neurotherapy is known to have five elements of healing, however, not every patient will require to undergo each element. Generally, the following will outline every five aspects of Neurotherapy, explaining how each one works.
1. General Cellular Healing
This stage of therapy is for patients who are receiving therapy as a treatment for traumatic brain injury or heavy metal toxicity. General cellular function needs to be restored in both support cells of the brain, (neurons and glia).
2. Neuro-Stimulation
Neuro-stimulation is the idea that dormant brain circuits need to be revived through stimulus. This is done by utilizing low-intensity laser lights and intentional thinking and behaviors known as internally-driven neuroplastic change.
3. Neuro-Modulation
The brain has the ability to modulate its own functioning. This stage of Neurotherapy includes teaching patients how to quiet excess brain functioning in order to eliminate negative emotions, feelings, and responses. This is also known for improving the brain’s “signal-to-noise ratio”.
4. Neuro-Relaxation
Developing a healthy sleep schedule is extremely important in improving brain function. Neuro-relaxation is the stage where Neurotherapy incorporates the idea of deep sleep invoking a sort of “cellular clean-up process”.
5. Neuro-Differentiation and Learning
At this stage of therapy, the brain is now ready to begin re-learning lost functions. For example, patients who suffer from anxiety will start learning to self-regulate their feelings of stress or panic.
Types of Neurotherapy
To begin, the first type of Neurotherapy is based on learning, conditioning, and training. This is referred to as internally driven neuroplastic change, meaning the solution is found within a person’s brain. Skill development and increasing brain fitness are methods of treatment used in this type of therapy. Additionally, this type of therapy mainly incorporates neuro-differentiation and learning, with contributions from the neuro-modulation and neuro-relaxation stages.
On the other hand, Neurotherapy based on brain stimulation is the external form of neuroplastic change. This second form of therapy involves the method of neuro-stimulation, meaning the neuroplastic change is brought about by reviving dormant brain circuits through laser stimulation. Most of the time, patients will receive both types of therapy throughout the course of their treatment. However, the treatment process is individual to each patient with the methods varying depending on personal symptoms and their severity.
These methods are successful because brain stimulation pulls the brain out of learned, negative patterns. As a result, the brain’s ability for self-regulation is restored, allowing patients to heal naturally. For example, malfunctioning areas of the brain connected to anxiety, depression, arousal, or impulsivity will begin to heal themselves. Neurotherapy has been found effective in the treatment of addiction and psychiatric disorders. In other words, the stimulus allows the brain to heal from maladaptive patterns, therefore, creating positive and healthy brain functioning.
Neurotherapy Treatment for Addiction and Mental Health
Recovering from a mental illness or an addiction can seem like a daunting or impossible task. However, with the help of medical professionals and a sense of personal dedication, recovery is possible. Many substance abuse rehabs and mental health treatment centers have begun to include Neurotherapy in their treatment approaches, making recovery attainable. If you or a loved one are suffering from symptoms of mental illness or addiction, Neurotherapy can help regulate your symptoms and allow you to begin recovery. If you or a loved one is ready to take back control over your life and your symptoms, contact our medical providers in Fort Lauderdale today to see how we can help.
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