The Hidden Challenge in Alcohol and Drug Abuse

“Alcohol and drugs are essential to my creative process” is a thought, sometimes a confession made, usually privately, by millions of creative people, many of them at the pinnacle of success in their fields. Yet, I have heard very little serious discussion by substance abuse professionals about the profound implications of this phenomenon.

Some say that psychoactive drugs will be with us forever and maybe they will. However, my life improved immensely and was probably saved by my liberating myself from the pleasures, enthusiastic bursts of creativity and agonies of alcohol and smoke.

In fact, our society has declared a “war” on drugs and a sort of “police action” on alcohol. Humorous, isn’t it since far more damage is done in the aggregate by alcohol than by all other drugs combined? As a society we believe that we must solve this catastrophic problem; or at least understand it enough so that we reduce the destructive pressure on our culture. Having come from a family of beautiful people who have been tragically impacted by alcohol and other drugs, I have had an intense interest in how and why this disaster happened to my dearest loves and beyond that to our civilization as a whole. What is the most effective way to heal the damage already done and reduce the problem in the future?

This led me into one of the most fascinating investigations of my life. I delved deeply into all of the conventional wisdom I could find… and I did most of my investigation while continuing to drink and smoke. I was what you call a highly functional substance abuser. In fact, my problem was never diagnosed by a professional or even a friend. I had to come to the realization that I had a substance abuse problem through self study.

Self study which involved a lot of EEG biofeedback and meditation.

In the course of these studies I had what I think is at least a relatively original insight. This insight enabled me to walk away from the substances that had become so integrated with my own intellectual, creative, even spiritual life. This personal discovery made by many millions of others before me was that I must quit all by myself. Another critical aspect of the discovery provided the burning sense of mission required to be successful as well as the realization that I must discover how to do this as though it was being done for the first time ever. The path to success came to me in a number of progressive meditative reveries.

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Neurofeedback Training For Traumatic Brain Injury

 

Brain injuries can be caused in many different ways.  Whether they are diagnosed or not can depend on how severe they are, where they happen, who is around when they happen, and whether the injured person seeks medical care.  Some of the sources of brain injuries include car accidents, sports injuries, slip and falls, physical fights and assaults among other things.  When the brain is injured the electrical activity and function of the brain is affected.  Biofeedback training Miami is a way to help to normalize the electrical activity of the brain which in turn helps improve function.

Some of the problems that may develop with a head injury include problems with memory, difficulty focusing, anger, and diminished self-control.    Some of these problems are similar to what normal teenagers struggle with.  This is often attributed to incomplete development of the front of the brain.

Interestingly, many people who suffer these symptoms also show abnormal EEG when tested with neurofeedback equipment.  One of the patterns that is common is high amplitude delta and theta in the frontal areas of the brain.  This seems to interfere with normal functioning and can be part of the cause of some of the symptoms.  By using neurofeedback equipment to measure and feedback EEG information on a computer screen clients can learn to regulate their brain activity.  After a series of training the EEG is often normalized and symptoms decreased.

Besides rest, there are relatively few effective treatments for brain injury.  Neurofeedback training seems to be a good non-invasive therapy for brain injury.

How does it work?  Sensors are placed on the patient’s head.  These sensors measure the electrical activity that is produced by the brain as it transmits signals across neurons.  The electrical signal is separated into the different frequencies which include Delta, Theta, Alpha, SMR (Sensory Motor Rhythm), Beta, and Gamma.  The signals are displayed on a computer screen.  Goals are set for each frequency that we want to reduce or increase.  Visual and or auditory feedback is presented when the goals are met that signal the brain that it is producing the desired pattern.   In the case of brain injury when there is excess delta and theta activity the feedback would be given when the power in these frequency ranges decreases.  Over time this tends to improve the symptoms.  Depending on the type of protocol, frequency of sessions, and the individual anywhere from 10 to 40 or more sessions of neurofeedback training might be needed to achieve lasting results.

Increasing numbers of medical and mental healthcare providers are beginning to offer this as a service to their clients.

Harry L. Campbell

President, Biofeedback Resources International Corp.

Author of What Stress Can Do, Available on Amazon.com

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