anxiety

Anxiety is a negative mood state characterised by physical tension and apprehension about the future. Symptoms of anxiety include restlessness/edginess, fatigue, impaired concentration, irritability, muscle tension and disturbed sleep. In small doses anxiety can enhance and drive physical and intellectual performance. In large doses, however, these same functions can be seriously hindered. Anxiety comes in many guises, including panic disorder, agoraphobia, phobias, generalised anxiety disorder and post traumatic stress disorder, and is quite common within the general population.

Specific patterns of brainwaves, evident via QEEG, can indicate the root causes of specific anxiety problems. Neurofeedback can address anxiety issues, and is usually used in conjunction with some form of relaxation training. Nutritional supplementation can also be of use in alleviating anxiety.

:: Research evidence

Neurofeedback, as treatment for a variety of psychiatric problems, has an abundance of supportive research evidence.

Recently, a special issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America was devoted to emerging interventions concerning brain function. Seven of the ten chapters in the volume included Neurofeedback. The editors, in providing a summary and clinical perspective on all the featured approaches, concluded in relation to Neurofeedback:

“EEG biofeedback meets the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry criteria for clinical guideline (CG) for treatment of ADHD, seizure disorders, anxiety (OCD, GAD, PTSD, phobias), depression, reading disabilities, and addictive disorders.

This suggests that EEG biofeedback should always be considered as an intervention for these disorders by the clinician."