Neurofeedback as a means of treatment for ADHD is becoming more and more commonplace. Is it effective? Yes! Randomized controlled trials suggest Neurofeedback to be as effective as stimulant medication in the treatment of ADHD without the significant negative side effects that can come with the use of prescription drugs.
Hyperactivity (ADHD) and underactivity (ADD) can be detected and diagnosed with an electroencephalograph (more commonly known as a “brainmap”) and treated properly through neurofeedback brainwave training. You or your child’s brainwave activity is measured and compared to a database of similar aged/gendered people who don’t suffer from any of the ailments that can make life with ADHD difficult.
Through this “brainmapping”, practitioners see how you or your child’s brain deviates from this database and through neurofeedback, your brain can get trained towards it often resulting in reported improvements in concentration, executive functioning, impulse control, hyperactivity, brainfog/fatigue, ability to attend to speech, etc.
The effects of neurofeedback treatment for ADHD/ADD reportedly last. While medication treatment can help people with ADHD/ADD get through their day to day and form better habits, the underlying brain dysfunction still exists. When one stops taking the medication, they may find it easy to slip into old patterns. Neurofeedback detects and treats the underlying brain dysfunction, often times reportedly minimizing or negating the need for medication.
Following up with clients years later after neurofeedback, reported improvements in symptomology or in Electroencephalography/brain mapping results often remain.
Neurofeedback increases neuroplasticity- the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. A lot of times, people with ADHD/ADD have developed bad habits or work ethic and are stuck in their ways. The longer these habits have existed, the more engraved they are in the brain and the harder they are to change- often times leading to feelings of helplessness. Neurofeedback’s ability to increase neuroplasticity allows change to be a possibility.
You can finally feel empowered and motivated enough to make the changes you’ve always wanted to and overcome the patterns that are common to ADHD/ADD that have been holding you back in life.
So does neurofeedback alleviate symptoms of ADHD/ADD? The data shows that it is a very powerful intervention for the diagnosis. The sooner the intervention, the sooner dysregulated ADHD/ADD patterns that don’t serve you can be improved upon.
Like anything, it is another tool in the toolbox but a very powerful one. It is reportedly often most powerful in tandem with other forms of treatment like combined therapy/neurofeedback treatment, although lasting significant improvements will still reportedly occur for ADHD/ADD without therapeutic intervention. If you are on medication when wanting to start/starting neurofeedback you should come up with an appropriate plan with your doctor on what the next best step forward is. Medication should not be stopped immediately without medical supervision upon starting neurofeedback.
Train your brain, become disciplined and improve your life. Remove yourself from the negative connotations that come with the ADHD/ADD diagnosis and have room to finally focus on the strengths that it gives you.