Neurofeedback and PTSD: A New Approach to Healing Trauma
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that affects close to 10 million adults in the United States every year. It can significantly impair a person’s ability to hold down a job and engage in meaningful relationships (National Institute of Mental Health). For PTSD sufferers, neurofeedback has become more widely accepted as a viable therapy. Here’s what you need to know.
Whether it’s a car accident, a medical emergency, or the loss of a loved one, most of us will experience at least one traumatic event in their lives. Most of the time, we are able to process these events and move forward. However, sometimes the stress can last long after the event itself, leaving us unable to cope in the aftermath.
When we experience enough chronic stress or a singular, extremely stressful event, it can change the ways our brains operate. When that stress doesn’t get resolved, it can develop into traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a condition where the brain essentially gets “stuck”, reliving the traumatic event over and over again. This can cause symptoms like hypervigilance, dissociation, flashbacks, intense anger, and sleep disturbances. Currently PTSD is treated with a combination of interventions including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Eye Movement, Desensitization and Restructuring (EMDR) and medication (Schrader et al, 2021).
However, traditional therapies are not always enough.
A 2022 study found that among veterans who received treatment for their PTSD, two thirds still had the disorder post-treatment. Only 40% of veterans who completed treatment went into remission (Levi, et al, 2022). The reasons for this disparity are still unclear but newer, brain-based therapies like neurofeedback may be able to stand in the gap and provide long-term relief from PTSD.
Trauma has very real, measurable effects on the brain. Using a brain imaging technique called electroencephalography (EEG), we can now see the ways our brains rewire after a traumatic event.
An EEG measures the electrical signals coming from the cortical surface of the brain. These signals indicate how our brains are functioning, revealing the patterns left over from extreme stress and trauma. Using EEG brain mapping, we can develop a picture of how the brains of how PTSD is showing up in the brain, as well as how to retrain the brain to function better. The brain’s ability to change unhealthy patterns even after significant trauma is the basis for neurofeedback therapy.
Neurofeedback is a non-invasive therapy that involves using positive reinforcement to teach individuals to control their brain waves. Over time, this process forms new neural pathways, leading to healthier brain behavior. Sessions are typically 20-50 minutes long, with individuals often noticing improvements in a matter of weeks. Neurofeedback is used for a variety of conditions ranging from ADHD, to TBI recovery, to chronic pain. For many, its impact on PTSD can be life-changing. Brain-based therapies like neurofeedback are currently being used across the world to improve brain function and reduce PTSD symptoms.
In 2016, a study led by Bessel van der Kolk (author of The Body Keeps the Score) found that just 24 sessions of neurofeedback reduced PTSD symptoms in participants enough that many no longer met the criteria for the diagnosis (van der Kolk, et al., 2016). The European Journal of Psychotraumatology found that nearly 80% of participants with PTSD who underwent neurofeedback training went into remission (Askovic, 2023). While more research is still underway, neurofeedback has been shown to be a safe, effective intervention in PTSD recovery. It is important to note that when undergoing neurofeedback training for PTSD, it is often most effective when done in tandem with talk therapy.
As a neurofeedback clinician, I have seen the benefits of neurofeedback for PTSD, time and time again. Often, our clients have tried many other therapies and medications in the past but are still dealing with persistent symptoms. Neurofeedback can lead to new breakthroughs, allowing individuals to fully process and recover from past trauma. One client reported sleeping better than he had in years after just 5 sessions of neurofeedback. Neurofeedback doesn’t just help people feel better in the short-term. The process creates lasting neural pathways that help our brains work better life-long.
To quote a past client who had suffered from PTSD since she was a child, “The brain trainings (neurofeedback) not only helped with my symptoms but also paved the way for deeper inner healing to become possible.” If you or a loved one is struggling with PTSD, recovery is possible. If you feel like you have tried everything, it may be time to see if neurofeedback is right for you. Contact Mind Body Neuro by phone, email, or through our website to learn more and start your healing journey today.
Written by Colleen Longua, BCN-T, QEEG-T
References
Askovic, M., Soh, N., Elhindi, J., & Harris, A. W. F. (2023). Neurofeedback for post-traumatic stress disorder: Systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical and neurophysiological outcomes. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2023.2257435
Levi, O., Ben Yehuda, A., Pine, D. S., & Bar-Haim, Y. (2021). A sobering look at treatment effectiveness of military-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Clinical Psychological Science, 10(4), 690–699. https://doi.org/10.1177/21677026211051314
Schrader, C., & Ross, A. (2021). A review of PTSD and current treatment strategies. Missouri medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8672952/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd
van der Kolk, B. A., Hodgdon, H., Gapen, M., Musicaro, R., Suvak, M. K., Hamlin, E., & Spinazzola, J. (2016). A randomized controlled study of neurofeedback for chronic PTSD. PLOS ONE, 11(12). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0166752
