Several years ago, I was fortunate to have the chance to barter via a local time bank for some sessions with a NeurOptimal brand neurofeedback practitioner. It's not the typical neurofeedback process I'd been used to reading about, but at the time I was offered it, I was struggling like a mofo in both my professional and personal life and had exhausted most all the typical methods of seeking insurance approved professional help, experiencing the unfortunate effects of being made much worse instead of better, so I would have tried any damn thing at that point....and am damn glad I did.
It doesn't train the brain via doing exercises and such and there's no homework to do in addition to the sessions. All you do is get comfortable (I use a zero gravity chair with a blankie over me and an eye mask on), get connected (1 ground wire clip on right ear lobe, an electrode clip on the top of each ear, and two head electrodes placed on each side of your head in a specific area...using electrode paste to secure them), put the ear buds in, and start the program on what I call the brain machine (it's a laptop). You hear music that intermittently stops and gets a subtle squelch-like noise throughout the song. The sessions are either 35 minutes or 90 minutes long. I've only done the 35 minute sessions as sitting still for that long isn't my scene. I like to set an intention before I hook up by silently bringing attention to and requesting help in making some forward progress in an area I'm struggling the most with at the time of my session.
The practitioner I worked with had the professional set-up and had been professionally trained in using it to help others, so when I used hers, she was able to share with me the brain patterns feedback on a screen as I was hooked up, which I found fascinating, especially in how different they were each time. However, I tried not to get too caught up in the technical aspects as I was more interested in actual application of how my life was or wasn't changing as I used it.
There were no big "A-Ha!" moments when I used it...ever. But there were many subtle yet very significant improvements over a period of time (I did 6 sessions in about a 3 month span) that would just happen on their own and then I'd realize it after the fact. I did a few more sessions after that and was blown away at the ongoing results, albeit slow and subtle. I had also started learning more about the gut/brain connection right after bartering for brain machine time and began my food experimentation, which started with eliminating gluten, so that naturally played a big part in bringing more positive changes, too.
Areas I noticed a total transition in were things like no longer eating ice cream and other junk late at night, no more sodas and sweet tea, no longer biting someone's head off in response to being annoyed/frustrated/triggered/etc., no longer slamming doors and drawers, no longer staying up with my face glued to a screen until the sun came up, no longer kicking my own ass via self-talk as harshly as I used to, etc.
I've heard this particular neurofeedback technique be described as more of a brain enhancer than "fixer", so to speak...prompting and initiating it to do what it already knows rather than trying to teach it new tricks, so to speak. I don't explain things very well in my own words at times, so please forgive me if it sounds like a jumbled mess.
Here's a couple videos that explain it much better than I do. I'm not affiliated with these folks at all, have never reached out to them for more info, and this is not the place I discovered the machine at, but their process is very similar to the way it was used with me via the assessment tools and such and I feel they do well in explaining it:
NeurOptimal Neurofeedback Introduction Part 1
NeurOptimal Neurofeedback Introduction Part 2
NeurOptimal Neurofeedback Introduction Part 3
It helped me so much that my hubby graciously bought me one the following x-mas....a personal version that doesn't have all the data readouts/data collection/etc. At the time he bought mine, the cost was $5,000. It came with 300 sessions on it. As with most of the tools I have for self-care, I don't treat myself to them nearly as much as I should. Still working on that in my head and heart space.
I tend to wait until damn near crisis mode before I feel I'm worth the effort in many areas of my life. I've started making an appt. on the calendar to remind myself to use the tools I have right under my nose and it seems to help. It's almost like I'm saving up the sessions just in case....but now o'clock is the best time ever to get thy ass in gear, or should I say brain...lol. Thanks for the reminder and for prompting a great discussion about it.
