Depression robs sufferers of all the joys of life and leaves them a shell of what they once were. In addition to the despair, loneliness, and overwhelming sadness, it can even be fatal as some people can become so desperate to end their pain they attempt suicide to escape the prison of depression.

Traditionally, depression has been treated with therapy and medication, both of which have limitations, and medications may have significant side effects.

Even with medication, countless depression sufferers continue to struggle. Medications don’t teach the brain how to get out of the unhealthy brain pattern of depression. While drugs can serve some positive benefits, there are numerous problems with these medications, including:

  • Uncomfortable side effects
  • Reliance on medication
  • Inability to manage mood
  • Medication tolerance
  • Insomnia
  • Anxiety
  • Panic attacks
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Pain
Neurofeedback is designed to restore healthier brain patterns and potentially eliminate depression by teaching the brain to get “unstuck” and better modulate itself. 

Brain training can be an effective method of treating depression, and for people taking medication when they start neurofeedback, reducing or stopping their prescribed drugs needs to be done with their doctor’s supervision as their brain becomes more stable over time.

After brain training with neurofeedback, people with depression often report they are better able to stabilize their moods and that their motivation improves.

Neurofeedback training works on the root of the problem to address the brain patterns affiliated with depression. Neurofeedback may bring lasting brain changes, is non-invasive, and produces no undesirable side effects.

Feeling down or depressed from time to time happens to most people, but usually passes, and the person can improve his or her mood naturally.

However, some people cannot break out of a depressed state over an extended period of time. In those cases, a person is considered to have clinical depression, a psychological diagnosis.

In reality, there is much research demonstrating that depression is also neurological, not only psychological. Specific brain patterns are linked to depression, as illustrated by qEEG brain map patterns.

Neurofeedback intends to retrain the dysfunctional brain patterns associated with depression, making it a powerful treatment tool.

With neurofeedback training, the brain practices healthier patterns of mood regulation under the supervision of a qualified neurofeedback clinician. Sessions can range from once a week to several times a week and average 30 minutes each. Those with depression often notice improvement after only a few sessions, but for the brain to fully learn to make healthier patterns consistently, a number of brain training sessions are required.

With sufficient practice, the brain learns to make these healthy patterns on its own and regulate mood independently. Neurofeedback may help depression sufferers get their lives back. Your brain changes when you are depressed, and neurofeedback may help it relearn healthier patterns, giving those who suffer from depression potentially a way out of the prison of their minds.

Content courtesy of www.aboutneurofeedback.com.

Recommended Reading