Some people wonder whether neurofeedback can ever make anyone feel worse and whether it has any side effects.
It is important to remember that NeurOptimal neurofeedback, unlike other NF systems, does not manipulate the brain or put anything into the brain. That is, NeurOptimal is totally naturopathic. The device merely measures the electricity already there, coming from the scalp. Then the micro-interruptions acts as feedback or a ‘mirror’ to the brain showing it when turbulence is arising. Consequently, the brain gets a better understanding about when it is getting stressed and becomes more efficient at correcting itself.
Therefore, NeurOptimal neurofeedback doesn’t have any side effects because unlike medication or other neurofeedback systems (which attempt to manipulate the brain ie. entrain it to a certain frequency) there is nothing being introduced into the system.
I work frequently with mothers and babies who have experienced birth trauma. Sometimes after a particularly traumatic birth, a baby can fail to thrive or meet his/her milestones. Neurofeedback heals and calms the baby’s nervous system so he/she can begin to flourish. Naturally we could not use anything dangerous on a newborn, so you can be sure that NeurOptimal is totally safe.
More often than not people feel calmer after a neurofeedback session. Nevertheless, about 5 per cent of my clients actually report feeling worse in the first few sessions. I particularly find this in cases of clients who have such severe anxiety that it is significantly impacting their ability to function and be out in the world.
Does that make high-anxiety clients a poor fit for neurofeedback? Not at all. In fact, neurofeedback is one of the most successful therapeutic interventions in existence for severe anxiety. The way neurofeedback works is to re-orient the mind back into the present moment, because only in the present moment can we become aware that there is usually no immediate danger (we are rarely being chased by a tiger!) With the help of neurofeedback, the brain learns to let go of the habitual expectation that danger is lurking around the next corner.
Habitual worry means the brain is stuck in the future — worrying about what could go wrong. Ruminating on past hurts is also an unhealthy state for the brain to get stuck in. Both worry and rumination elicit unhealthy electrical frequencies. Today psychologists know that training the brain to be in the present moment is the healthiest state for the brain - that’s why everyone is teaching mindfulness these days.
But training the brain to be in the present moment also means that those with especially severe anxiety may temporarily feel a little worse at the start of their neurofeedback training. Because if the brain is becoming more present, the person may also be becoming more aware of just how uncomfortable their anxiety feels. The neurofeedback is not increasing their anxiety — they are just a little more present to the discomfort in their body now, so they feel worse.
In the minority of clients who experience this paradox, I always assure them if they can get over this initial discomfort for the first three or four sessions, their brain will relax a little bit thereafter and they will slowly start feeling calmer after that. That is, it usually takes just a few sessions for this initial discomfort to go.
So if this happens to you (and remember only about 5 percent of my clients will feel worse at the start of their treatment) rest assured that if you can get through the first 3 or 4 sessions, your anxiety should slowly start to decrease after that.