Individuals with addictive problems often have inherited a deficiency in brain function--a relative absence of slow brainwaves--that limits their ability to experience satisfaction from everyday life events. The use of addictive substances then represents an attempt to self-medicate that is doomed to long-term failure as more and more of the substance is required to "feel good," or even feel OK. In contrast, a new treatment, Neurofeedback Therapy, is proving effective for these problems; it involves learning to correct for the inherited deficiency in slow EEG activity by increasing the presence of alpha and theta brainwave activity.
This new treatment for addictive disorders actually uses two forms of biofeedback (noted below) to correct for the deficit in slow brainwave activity. Neurofeedback Therapy results in very low relapse rates compared to conventional treatment. This is, in part, due to the fact that it seems to function as a "mental antibuse." The treated individual who attempts to use addictive substances experiences flu-like symptoms over a couple of days. While this effect of treatment has not yet been explained it seems to be fairly consistent. After treatment, addictive substances also tend to lose their ability to instill a "high." These two effects of treatment together result in greatly reduced relapse behavior. The longest followed individuals are now seven years post-treatment, with none of the treated individuals currently engaged in substance abuse. |
