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A Dangerous Obsession
He had reached an advanced stage of anorexia. As a 54 year old construction
worker, he was normally 6' and a well muscled 155 lbs. At the beginning of
therapy he was 118 lbs., eyes sunken, somewhat manic, claiming his diet of
mostly lettuce was making him high and filling him with energy. He was
almost completely isolated as his behavior had destroyed his marriage and
alienated him from his friends. He had not worked for five years at his
trade as he was on disability. He was almost broke even though he earned
between sixty and one hundred thousand per year when he was working. He was
obsessed with a well known cult which had counseled him to distance himself
from his family, and against seeking therapeutic help. He had invested over
$200,000.00, virtually his life savings, in the cults system of "therapy
and enlightenment."
He discussed the possibility of suicide on several occasions in the
beginning and was experiencing many stress related disorders including
sleeplessness, irritability, hyperactivity, intense loneliness, and much
obsessive/compulsive symptomology including going over and over often
unimportant details. He fluctuated between overtly aggressive, hyper
behavior as he tried to convert people to his ideas, and passively
aggressive behavior when individuals attempted to establish relationship
with him. A strong concern at the beginning of therapy was that
irreversible organ damage might have already occurred because of his
complexion, gaunt, haunted appearance and the obviously massive loss of
muscle tissue, even though he continued to exercise vigorously (as is the
case with many anorexics). Biofeedback therapy was for him a desperate last
resort.
Within three weeks of beginning neurofeedback training (adjunctive to
counseling) his demeanor had changed remarkably, he had begun to gain weight
and he entered enthusiastically into the life rebuilding process. He began
sleeping better, felt much calmer and more optimistic, less lonely and
isolated. He began to form new relationships and he was opening up and
talking to people in ways that were impossible before. He wanted to report
on his "Love Stories". An interesting example follows: He would go to
playgrounds and sit and watch children play. This made him feel so happy at
times that he would weep. This appears to be healthy abreactive phenomena
happening hours or days after actual neurofeedback training. People he met
or had known before seemed to be easier to be with. He saw that he had
changed and was giving others the chance to be affectionate and not blocking
them with his rigidity, restlessness and passive aggression. He began to
eat a more balanced diet and gained weight reaching 150 lbs. within the
first year.
Although he had studied "meditation" extensively, he almost never did it
because he felt it was boring and a waste of time. It was suggested that he
forget about meditation as he knew it and just do the EEG work. After the
first week he had learned enough to do his version of the "EEG work"
without hooking up. He said that now instead of forcing himself to meditate
he looks for opportunities to sit and simply make his alpha. He reports
surprising benefits like those he had hoped to receive from meditation are
flowing from these alpha sessions. He realizes now that what he had thought
was meditation was not, because he was merely sitting still and straining to
concentrate, which is why it was boring, unpleasant and flat.
He has since obtained his own EEG home trainer and continues a remarkable
transformation of life style. Interestingly, at first he didn't realize how
important the EEG work was. Like many clients he discounted the
neurotherapy and looked for other things to attribute his improvement to.
This is common and frustrating for NFB practitioners. During the
neurofeedback training he constantly wanted to talk. Instead, he was
encouraged to train first and discuss later. The results spoke for
themselves.
About nineteen months after he began neurofeedback therapy, he looked quite
fit for his 56 years, his complexion was good and his personality, even his
voice seemed remarkably changed. He was working full time and furthering
his education pursuant to changing his profession. A follow up revealed
that at age 60 he was continuing to work (maybe too hard) and he reports
that he has solved his economic problems; and the combination of his working
and investing will generate a considerable net worth within a relatively
short time. He is engaged and intends to marry this year. He continues in
the construction business and is unusually fit for his age. He believes
neurofeedback and the counseling that accompanied it is responsible for
saving and assisting him in transforming the quality of his life.
A Cancer Case
She was a seventy seven year old woman with a diagnosis of multiple myeloma
(bone cancer) and intestinal cancer. Her oncologist estimated that she
would live between four months to one year. She was being treated by first
rate doctors at Swedish hospital in Seattle, which is probably one of the
best hospitals in the US. Doctors developed a treatment plan including a
resection, a relatively small amount of radiation, and a mild form of
chemotherapy in order to make her more comfortable.
She was trained in neurofeedback on a CapScan for two 1-hour alpha-theta
sessions per day for ten days and after that she continued on her own using
her "internal instrumentation". Approximately three months later we
checked her "calibration" to see if the two hour per day practice of her
"Alpha Meditation" without equipment was delivering the same amplitude
and per cent time of alpha and theta as when she was working with the
equipment. She was right on the money, producing about 35 UV of alpha
approximately 80% of the time. She then received six to ten 1-hour booster
sessions per year for several years. She has been retested several times
and clearly demonstrates that she is maintaining, even increasing her
ability to produce alpha without the feedback equipment. She also loves the
attention and the assurance that she is on track.
Frankly, when we began the neurotherapy it was not because we thought it
might have a beneficial effect on her immune system. Actually, it was in
order to deeply relax her central nervous system and to assist her in
getting a handle on mind states that would enable her to deal with the
distress of dying. We hoped she would develop her meditation skills to a
level which would help her reduce her pain and her need for mind numbing
medications, thereby allowing her to enjoy her large family more and to
enter the final stage of life with as much mindfulness as possible. One of
the inspirations that led to this strategy is the work of John Cabot - Zinn
with end stage cancer and chronic pain patients in Boston.
She says the training has helped her handle the drugs and the pain better,
and indeed her children have been comforted and inspired by her amazingly
cheerful, wise, clear headed and compassionate behavior in the face of her
illness. In fact, they report that she seems happier and more mentally
alert than she has been in some years. However, as of this writing this case
has taken an exceptional turn. She was able to make a trip to the East
Coast fifteen months after the diagnosis. Twenty four months after her
diagnosis her oncologist stated that he had never seen this type of cancer
become so inactive and relatively pain free in a patient who was by that
time 79 years old. He avoided using the term remission.
At the time of the diagnosis the patient was mostly confined to a wheel
chair. Four years later she was walking up and down stairs and using a cane.
She is cheerful and seems remarkably grateful for her relatively good health
and active life. She makes at least two air trips a year to stay with her
children and her oncologist officially declared her cancer in remission. He
said he had not seen this happen before in a patient of her age (at that
time almost 81). A follow up indicates she is still in remission (at 85
years old). I have read that there have been less than fifty documented
cases of remission of multiple myeloma in the United States in this century.
Another neuro-immune anomaly?
Following is another case history from one of the biggest rehabilitation
hospitals in the US. A female meningenoma patient developed a pea-sized
tumor which gradually grew to the size of a grape and then a plum. She
underwent brain surgery and began rehabilitation because of neurological
problems caused by the surgery. After several years the tumor reappeared
and progressed to about the size of a plum again. She underwent another
surgery. A number of years later the process repeated itself. The period
of the three operations covered about fifteen years.
Sadly, the tumor reappeared for the fourth time and grew again to about the
size of a grape and the patient was sent to the neurofeedback therapists at
the hospital so that they could do the standard Traumatic Brain Injury
protocol with her. They were hoping to improve her social skills and
ability to initiate an action. The NFB therapists primarily employed a high
frequency (beta) strategy with theta inhibit over the frontal lobes. They
also did about three months of beta training over the site of the tumor.
When they sent her for her pre op exam the neurologist was amazed to see
that the tumor growth had apparently stopped.
This brought great relief because both the neurologist and the surgeon did
not believe she would survive another operation; and if she did survive it
they were sure she would be severely neurologically impaired. The
neurologist said that they would look at her again in a year. Her family
was euphoric because they had feared the worst. As of this writing she is
stable and her next exam should be in about six months. So far, so good.
The trouble started when her mother began inquiring into what had been done
this time that might have caused a better outcome. When she found out that
the only thing different was the NFB she speculated that the NFB might be
causing changes that had slowed the tumor growth and that continued NFB
might even reduce tumor size. Naturally, she petitioned the neurologist and
neurosurgeon to continue NFB with the patient. The neurologist asked the
NFB therapist to do a literature search to see if anything like this had
been reported and when it was clear that it had not he said that the whole
idea was too absurd and in any case it was too experimental so he ordered
NFB therapy terminated.
The mother was furious but unable to persuade them to change their minds.
The neuro surgeon would not even return the therapist's phone calls. There
was so much resistance by the administration (neurologist and neurosurgeon)
that the NFB therapists felt their jobs were in jeopardy. In fact, because
of this episode and other similar conflicts, the neuropsychologist who set
up and ran the entire NFB operation (at considerable profit to the hospital)
has left and established a private practice nearby. There was apparently
tremendous anger over the idea that the NFB therapists had suggested that
NFB might have contributed to the stabilization of (or in any way effected)
the tumor growth. To emphasize their point all tumor patients at the
hospital are prohibited from NFB regardless of the reason (i.e., relaxation,
education, rehabilitation, cognitive dysfunction, stroke, etc.). The mother
is trying to find a way to continue NFB. It will be interesting to see what
happens to the tumor and the patient from here on out.
Ray's Story
"As a concerned parent, I have spent 33 years trying many kinds of therapy
for my brain damaged daughter, Laura. I seem to have finally found
something that's helping her mental development. For the first time,
I'm seeing real progress. A process called EEG Biofeedback Training seems
to be normalizing her brainwaves to the point where she's becoming
teachable. This process appears to be a major breakthrough and it could
portend a whole new ball game in educating certain types of mentally
handicapped individuals. While I'm still not a total believer, it looks
very promising.
Shortly after Laura's birth, she was diagnosed as having cerebral palsy
and brain damage. Physical rehabilitation specialists helped her learn to
walk. She learned to run by herself. Speech therapists helped her learn to
talk. Now she talks too well, or rather too much. With lots of help from
some marvelous doctors and therapists plus her great spirit, she gradually
overcame many of her physical disabilities. Today her physical development
is far ahead of her mental development. Since modern medicine hasn't yet
learned how to stimulate brain growth or jump-start neurons, I looked for an
alternative.
I found EEG Biofeedback Training. It's fairly new, hence its use is
relatively uncommon. NASA uses it to train pilots and astronauts.
Psychologists are beginning to use it to treat ADHD. Within the past
several months it has enabled her to reduce her distractibility about 80%.
It seems to have jump-started her cognitive processes, perhaps her neurons.
I think "jump-start" is an appropriate metaphor since it implies a
threshold.
Now Laura is planning and organizing her time, reading more and more each
day and even reading script. She understands years and months fairly well,
weeks and days not as well. She is beginning to understand the hour hand of
a clock. The minute hand and the concept of minute is still too abstract for
her. Several people have remarked that her self-esteem and self-confidence
appear to have improved this past year. Although her distractibility is way
down, her ability to concentrate is still poor in many areas. It's
premature to go into detail, but it appears that certain of the scores on
the neuropsychological tests that comprise what's known as IQ may well
have improved. Naturally, my own bias must be considered.
One Year Later: Today, her clinician and I looked with amazement at the
graphical performance summary of one of her recent sessions. He said to me,
"These brainwave characteristics are no longer any different from yours or
mine." More important to me is the fact that her ADHD symptoms are gone!
And without the use of any medication! Her EEG Biofeedback Training worked!
Laura's distractibility is no longer a problem. Her attention span is now
normal and she can concentrate quite adequately. She has become more
composed, responsible, and self-reliant. She prepares her lunch before
going to bed, awakens between five and six a.m. and goes to work eagerly and
happily each day.
Laura is no longer "caught up in herself" but is increasingly aware
and thoughtful of others, more comfortable in social situations, and more at
ease with strangers. Her delightful personality promises to serve her well
in her continuing social/behavioral development. Although she is still
exuberant and enthusiastic much of the time, significantly, her
hyperactivity is gone. With ADD/ADHD no longer a limiting factor, it has
become possible for me to observe other neurological factors taking on more
prominent roles. These were previously not apparent, having been masked by
her hyperactivity. While she still has a long way to go, Laura now behaves
more like a 33 year old than she did several months ago."
Last month Ray called me and told me that Laura's therapists had decided
that she could now live on her own. Laura now works for two companies and
is considered a well-liked and valuable employee.
The Inner Game
Although stories such as this are common, neurofeedback has more to offer
than just remediation of existing disorders. Utilizing this technology to
improve healthy people is another possibility that neurofeedback has opened
us to. The following account offers insight into changes that are occurring
as we attempt to improve the performance of a PGA golf professional
utilizing this technology. Only in this instance we are using alpha
training in conjunction with methods employed in The Process.
"I cannot begin to explain to others how much better my lifestyle has
become. Not only has it tremendously improved my mental skills and outlook
relative to my golf, but also my everyday dealings with business and
personal family life as well. As you know, but others may not, I am a golf
professional with a very strong entrepreneurial and corporate background.
My initial intentions were to enhance my focus and concentration during
tournament golf. In a very short period of time not only did we accomplish
this, but also improved other areas necessary to achieve and maintain peak
performance. My scores have dropped considerably and my overall demeanor has
improved tremendously.
We were able to enhance my ability to utilize my intuitive skills more
instinctively and to be able to control my EMG during the most crucial
moments. This not only allowed me to be calm during anxious moments but
also to recover from trouble in a quick and calm fashion. It has taught me
to understand more about my ability and myself, and at the same time how not
to get in the way of myself.
As well, my personal life has always been good, but now it's even better.
It's opened my eyes to things that we take for granted and has brought my
family even closer together by better communication. We were able to
increase my stamina along with greater mental and physical conditioning. My
overall experience has been phenomenal and I continue to look forward as we
progress further into the future."
Another golf professional writes: "I am writing to thank you for your help
when I came to you seeking advice regarding what could be done to reduce
levels of anger and stress surrounding my golf game. As a professional
golfer I subject myself to a great deal of performance pressure. My
standards are very high and I can anger easily when I feel I am not
achieving those high standards.
Your program of neurofeedback training has been instrumental in reducing the
levels of anxiety and frustration I experience on the golf course. The
neurofeedback work is especially effective in helping me find a calm state
of mind where I can relax and focus my energies more efficiently. It has
been a revelation to discover just how much a state of relaxation can
enhance one's overall enjoyment and consequently, one's levels of
performance."
CAN INCREASING THE DAILY AMOUNT OF NEUROFEEDBACK
TRAINING IMPROVE THE CLINICAL OUTCOME AND OTHER CASE HISTORIES
R. Adam Crane BCIA, ACN, NRNP