subject: Understanding Biofeedback Therapy For Drug Addiction [print this page] Successful drug addiction treatments must address the physical, mental, and neurological bases of drug abuse. In many treatment facilities, the most successful and widely-used treatment methods include counseling sessions and group therapies in which patients talk about their problems and develop coping mechanisms for their cravings. However, biofeedback therapy can be extremely useful in helping patients address the physical problems associated with drug addiction.
Rehabilitation clinicians who use biofeedback therapy seek to help patients increase their mind-body awareness. During active drug use, addicts often ignore their deteriorating bodies. They lose their abilities to recognize physical stressors and properly associate them with mental patterns and future behaviors. Here are a few examples of the ways in which biofeedback therapists remedy these problems.
Peripheral Biofeedback
Peripheral biofeedback therapies teach patients to use mental techniques to control bodily processes. These processes are often related to psychological states. For example, stress and low body temperatures are closely related. A rehab patient who is connected to a biofeedback machine might display a drop in body temperature when asked certain questions or engaged in a stressful conversation. Such patients would then practice the relaxation methods they have learned in order to raise their body temperatures and calm their minds.
Some biofeedback machines can also measure perspiration rates. High rates of perspiration indicate high levels of stress, so addicts who begin to sweat can similarly employ relaxation techniques. By aiming to alter the data the biofeedback machines put out, addicts are actually learning to keep themselves calm under pressure the same kinds of pressure they will inevitably experience once they complete their treatments and return to society. In fact, many lie detectors use this same mechanism. Those who are able to fool polygraphs are actually controlling their bodily responses to stress.
Neurological Biofeedback
Also known as EEG feedback, neurological feedback involves measuring addicts brainwaves with specialized machines. While peripheral methods focus on immediate stress management, EEG focuses on the constant fight or flight response in addicts brains. Similar to hunger or sex, drug cravings activate the brains survival mechanisms; treatments designed to deter addicts from using these drugs exacerbate the problem. EEG machines help normalize brainwaves and keep patients calm.
This is crucial for two reasons. First, addicts cannot successfully engage their counseling sessions and other therapies when they are still subconsciously devoted to seeking their next highs. They may desire to get better, but they cannot make much progress when their brains are stuck in survival mode. Second, patients whose brainwaves indicate high stress levels are especially likely to abandon their treatment programs altogether. With EEG technology, clinicians can determine which patients may be planning to leave and then act accordingly with interventions and extra peer-group support.
Peripheral and neurological biofeedback are just two of the many therapies available at rehabilitation clinics across the country. Addiction is a gravely serious neurological condition which requires holistic clinical treatment. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, please follow the links below for a toll-free consultation with one of our dedicated addiction specialists. The first step in recovery is seeking help.
