Treating Your
Addictions

The brain is often hijacked by a variety of substances that invoke the pleasure response.

Peak Brain Centers uses neurofeedback therapy to retrain and rewire the brain for those suffering from substance abuse and addictions.

Addictions are recognized as chronic illnesses and diseases that alter the structure and function of the brain. Addicts often feel the urge to repeatedly use substances or engage in behaviors that have harmful effects on their well-being and those around them. However, neurofeedback therapy from Peak Brain Centers can help clients of any age with their addictions, which often provides relief and comfort when it’s most needed.

man screaming about addiction
pills falling out of a bottle

How Addictions Work

Regardless of what causes the gratification, the brain registers pleasure in the same way every time. For addicts, that pleasure response is released when using drugs, alcohol, or engaging in dangerous and risky behavior. The brain’s response is to release the neurotransmitter dopamine, essentially giving the addict a rush of relief or thrill.

When this transmission repeats, these behaviors create a shortcut to the brain’s reward system, flooding the entire brain with two to 10 times more dopamine than other natural rewards. The memories of gratification are stored, and the mind starts to crave that rush of dopamine consistently.

How Addictions Work

Regardless of what causes the gratification, the brain registers pleasure in the same way every time. For addicts, that pleasure response is released when using drugs, alcohol, or engaging in dangerous and risky behavior. The brain’s response is to release the neurotransmitter dopamine, essentially giving the addict a rush of relief or thrill.

When this transmission repeats, these behaviors create a shortcut to the brain’s reward system, flooding the entire brain with two to 10 times more dopamine than other natural rewards. The memories of gratification are stored, and the mind starts to crave that rush of dopamine consistently.

Long-Term Effects

The brain also has a built-in defense mechanism that lowers the amount of dopamine released each time you partake in a specific behavior. This is often known as “building a tolerance,” and patients who find themselves craving more and more will eventually begin to experiment with more potent substances or more risky behaviors.

Who Suffers?

More than 21 million Americans are living with at least one addiction, according to the United States Addictions Center. Yet, only 10% actually seek therapy. More than 90% of addicts started abusing alcohol or drugs before their 18th birthday and then carried their addiction into adulthood.

With neurofeedback therapy, you can retrain your brain, harness its power, and take back control over your pleasure response. Peak Brain Centers uses this drug-free, brain exercising approach to help you live a cleaner, healthier life!

peakbrain-neurofeedback-therapy

Start Exercising Your Brain in 4 Easy Steps!

Free Consultation

Speak to a Peak Brain Centers’ expert to learn more about neurofeedback therapy.

Assess & Map

Map out your brain and find out where you can improve and what you can target.

Testing & Training

Test, train, intervene, repeat.

Evaluate

See the success of your training and switch up your exercises to continue seeing results.

FAQs

Neurofeedback is a way to train brain activity; it is biofeedback for the brain. To understand neurofeedback, first, we need to understand a little about brainwaves. Brainwaves are the electrical impulses produced as your brain cells communicate with one another. Brainwaves tell us a great deal about how you feel and function; your thought habits, stress levels, underlying mood, and overall brain function. Using sensors on the scalp, we can measure and monitor this activity. With a qEEG brain map, we can identify what specific activity is causing your symptoms. Once we know the areas of concern, we can create a training plan to help draw your brain into a comfortable, efficient state using neurofeedback. During a neurofeedback session – which lasts anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes – we compare what your brain is actually doing to what you’d like it to be doing. When your brain is nearing a more comfortable state, you are rewarded with a positive response via sound. The sounds tell you immediately when your brain approaches a more efficient place and when not. Much like physical exercises develop specific muscles, the more your brain is exercised into reaching a more comfortable, more efficient position, the better it gets at it. As with learning any new skill, it simply requires time and repetition.

Neurofeedback is effective in the vast majority of cases and provides measurable results. Almost everyone responds to training, and the results are long-lasting. Our clients report significant improvement towards their goals 95% of the time; an exceptionally high rate of achievement. All of our treatment protocols are strongly supported by evidence-based research. Neurofeedback is known as a ”Level 1″ or Highly Effective Treatment by the American Academy of Pediatrics. And like any therapy, it works best with people who are motivated and want to improve.

Since neurofeedback involves learning and every person is unique, training varies for each person. Young brains learn much faster than older ones, and small challenges shift quicker than bigger ones.

Typically, the more severe or chronic symptoms, the more sessions that are required. You can expect the gains to be cumulative over the course.

A mental ‘tune-up’ would take about 10 sessions. Symptom resolution for depression, anxiety, stress, or some sleep disorders, we recommend a full package of 30 to 40 sessions. For the Autistic spectrum and severe autoimmune disorders, expect a greater number of sessions with progressive gains over the course.

HOW MANY SESSIONS ARE ENOUGH?

For most, simply relieving uncomfortable symptoms is enough. Others want to move forward in other areas or tackle new goals.

Ultimately, self-improvement is a lifelong continuum. How much is enough is up to you.

Fatigue is the most commonly reported side effect. And while brain training is in many ways similar to physical training, the brain expresses the side effects of training differently than the body does. The fatigue feels much like the mental tiring after learning a complex mental skill.

Because neurofeedback is essentially structured exercises for your brain, the term ‘side effect’ isn’t applicable in the same sense as for medications. Unlike medication, nothing is put into the body or brain.

Those with more serious emotional conditions or trauma occasionally report an increase of old familiar feelings before the difficulty passes away and the issue fades out for good. It’s like cleaning out a garage – sometimes you just take all the “stuff” to the curb and sometimes you open all the boxes and take a trip down memory lane.  Don’t worry, it will pass and is part of the process.

If you have had a physical brain injury or head trauma, you will likely be more sensitive to neurofeedback. You might experience nausea, dizziness, and light sensitivity as you ‘re-regulate’ your brain function. This is part of the process.

We monitor your brain activity during neurofeedback sessions and can tell if your brain is getting tired or overworked. We will adjust your training accordingly.

We do not currently take insurance. You may be able to use your Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) account for Peak Brain Training services.

Start Training Your Brain Today!