Today I had my first session of Neurofeedback. Three weeks ago, my husband and went for the initial consultation and history intake. I had been on a waiting list for over four months to see the only person within two hours of where we live that practices Neurofeedback and also qualifies for Medicare.
Starting today I will go to Asheville weekly on Tuesdays for a 2 p.m. appointment in the hopes that this might be a crucial piece of the puzzle of rebuilding my health.
The longer I have lived with Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, the more problems I have had with my sleep patterns. My sleep studies show that in essence, I rarely go into the state of deep sleep. Every medication I have tried has done more harm than good and I have tried many. This is one of the major reasons for doing the Neurofeedback treatments, but there are other issues, like my inability to stay focused, and the increasing depression over the past several years that we also hope it may help.
Neurofeedback addresses problems of brain disregulation. This includes the anxiety-depression spectrum, attention deficit, behavior disorders, various sleep disorders, headaches and migraines, PMS, and emotional disturbances. It is also useful for organic brain conditions such as seizures, the autism spectrum and cerebral palsy.
Neurofeedback is the direct training of the brain, which then learns to function with greater control and stability. It is a gradual process. Neurofeedback is also called EEG biofeedback because it is based on electrical brain activity, the electroencephalogram, or EEG. Neurofeedback involves "operant conditoning" of the EEG. Neurofeedback is training in self-regulation, biofeedback applied to the brain directly. It is not yet taught in most medical or psychology graduate school courses.
In Neurofeedback treatments, electrodes are applied to the scalp to record brainwave activity. The brainwave signals are processed by computer to provide information about certain key brainwave frequencies. The key is to promote some frequencies and diminish others. This is done by the person being treated "playing specific video games" with his or her brain and being given feedback by Neurofeedback practitioner.
It is hard to explain. Today, during my first treatment, I watched a computer screen with a "pac-man" like disc in a maze. As I focused on the screen, I got positive reinforcement beeps when the disc moved in the right direction with good speed. If I produced an incorrect brain wave, the disc would stop or turn black. At the same time I was trying to influence the screen with my brain, the doctor was measuring several types of brainwaves. He showed me print outs of my brain waves after each round. It was very interesting, but much more complicated than I could fully comprehend. Luckily I like and trust this doctor.
The frequencies which are targeted and the specific locations on the scalp where the brain frequencies are recorded are specific to the conditions being addressed and each individual person. There is a lot of trial and error involved.
I have tried so many things, so many drugs during the long course of this illness that has restricted my energy and severely limits my ability to work and to participation in so many activities. It may take over a year or more of treatments, but we'll know long before that whether it is making a positive difference.
I have a friend with a similar immune illness who has been doing Neurofeedback treatments for the past year. She says she feels like she has her life back for the first time in 11 years. I'M HOPEFUL.
For more information on Neurofeedback, check out EEG INFO.
and others from my husband's aunt; and, a few unusual ones I have bought at antique stores. 
and 
dining room table 
on the front screened porch, a "July 4 vase" with red bee 
and also an arrangement of multiple different hydrangeas, 
both mopheads and lacecaps.
in living room and dining room
(we have two areas planted with them) 
in an old silver teapot in the sun room
in the guest bath
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