Biofeedback for Veterans
For many veterans suffering from a variety of disorders, the need to find relief is often overwhelming. While many turn to prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs for assistance, others have begun to look at other, less-invasive options that promote healing as well.
Biofeedback, also sometimes known as mind-body therapy, teaches veterans how to approach issues like stress, panic disorder, chronic pain, ADD, and addiction without the need for drugs that might invoke side effects that some vets agree are even tougher to deal with than the disorders themselves. Some individuals afflicted with these various issues also use biofeedback as a "complementary" therapy - a kind of treatment that can be used in addition to and to enhance the results of conventional therapies.
What is Biofeedback?
According to the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America, biofeedback is defined as "a process that enables an individual to learn how to change physiological activity for the purposes of improving health and performance."
Biofeedback techniques can be used to help control a number of both mental and physical problems including not only those mentioned above but also migraines, high blood pressure, heart abnormalities, epilepsy, circulatory disorders, and movement disorders. Since the technique came to the forefront of the psychological community in the 1980s, many individuals have found that taking advantage of biofeedback sessions and learning to use the techniques taught in those sessions have greatly benefited them and their quest to conquer a variety of issues.
There are a few different types of biofeedback available and doctors recommend different kinds for different disorders. They include EMG, the most commonly used, which measures muscle tension; EEG or neurofeedback, which measures the brain waves linked to different mental states and is excellent for treating some common problems that veterans face, such as insomnia; temperature biofeedback, which strives to help patients understand how a change in their temperature relates to their stress levels; and galvanic skin response training, which relates anxiety to sweat gland activity and perspiration levels.
What to Expect
In order to take advantage of biofeedback, you will be put in touch with a psychotherapist or other similar professional who offers this form of alternative therapy. Sessions with the therapist generally last between 30 and 45 minutes and you may require as many as 40-50 sessions to see lasting results. However, you may notice a change after just a dozen or so sessions.
During standard biofeedback sessions, non-harmful electrical sensors are attached to different parts of your body, not unlike an EKG or similar test. The sensors can measure the body's physiological response to stress and will, in turn, teach you to recognize these responses as they relate to the problem you are addressing. Eventually, the patient is able to recognize these connections on their own (i.e. tense muscles cause a headache) and can strive to make changes to lessen or eliminate the negative responses. Though the sensors help recognize the responses, the goal is for the patient to eventually be able to do the same without the aid of any technology.
Biofeedback is totally non-invasive so most patients needn't worry about any side effects. Doctors, however, do not recommend it for veterans dealing with severe depression or overwhelming post-traumatic stress syndrome and the process also has been known to interfere with insulin, so diabetics trying biofeedback should be closely monitored.
What are the Advantages?
Biofeedback appeals to veterans for a number of reasons. First of all, many vets already take a bevy of prescription medications daily for a number of different ailments or disorders. Learning to use biofeedback may eliminate the need for some of these medications. The technique also allows patients to experiment with a non-invasive option for those disorders that have not responded well to traditional medicines or therapies.
Mostly, however, those who've had success with biofeedback note that it is something they are able to do on their own once they have learned the ins and outs of controlling their body and its reactions and changes. That eliminates the need for more costly therapy and allows them to better function in everyday situations.
Sources
The Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/biofeedback/SA00083
http://www.bcia.org EEG Biofeedback Info
http://www.eeginfo.com/
