One dark and dreary night, a woman drove her car up a narrow mountain road. The road was icy, and she lost control. Thankfully, she was thrown clear of the car, but found herself hanging by a branch over the side of the mountain.
“Help! Help! Is there anyone up there?!”
The mother was a bit surprised when she heard a loud, booming voice from the sky call back. “Yes, my child. I am here. Do you trust me?”
“Yes!” she cried.
“Let go of the branch, and I will catch you before you hit the rocks below.”
Silence.
“Is there anyone else up there?”
• • •
When you have a child who needs help, you sometimes wonder, is there anyone else up there?
I remember when our daughter began to need help with terrible mood swings, focus and sharpness, organization, and social relationships…and on and on… We were absolutely perplexed and frustrated and lost. Who, or what was this sub-human, alien creature living down the hall?!
From my daughter’s moodiness to her terrible frustration with schoolwork to her loss of self-confidence around the 4th grade, we weren’t sure what was going on. I think most parents going through this wonder if it’s something they did wrong. I certainly feared that, and so we worked on being “better” parents for a good while. Working on being calm, clear, loving, and firm was good for all of us, but our daughter’s problems didn’t go away with it. In fact, when she hit middle school, and more was expected of her academically, her functioning went down further. Then, shortly after the death of her grandfather that year, her terrible fearfulness began. It would come out in lots of different ways.
We tried diet and supplements. Oh the supplements! Ugh! Trying to get her to swallow a capsule was a fiasco, so we had to find ways to hide the terrible flavors in food or juice. We even found a compound pharmacy to make candy out of it. Yeah. It was gross. It was anxiety provoking for all of us, and the results were minimal and temporary.
After we’d tried everything else, we finally discovered neurofeedback training.
Neurofeedback Training
After about 10 sessions over the summer, we started to notice small shifts in her behavior. Her mood was lighter for sure. And she started being a bit more independent around the house with cooking and dishes. Nothing short of a miracle for us, actually, but we didn’t notice the bigger shifts until school began in August.
Normally, homework is an arduous task. Normally, she spends 2-3 hours on what takes other kids 30 minutes. Normally, she begs for help before she’s even begun, and then screams in frustration as we try to help her. After neurofeedback training, the homework fiasco is a thing of the past. She rarely asks for help, and when she does, it is a pleasant experience. It still takes her longer than other kids to complete schoolwork, but her persistence is admirable. (Reading this a year later, I’m happy to report that her brain training continues and so does her improved focus and resilience. She has even become proud of the work she is now doing. Ya…she’s proud of HERSELF! Wahoo!)
If you have a child with any of the issues I’ve described above, then you’ll know what a big deal this next part is! I came into her room one afternoon. She was going through her binder. I asked what she was doing. She said “organizing.”
Right?! Right?!
I could go on and on about all the changes we’ve seen. I really could.
But let’s talk about your child. What is your child struggling with? What have you done to try to help? Most parents have an extensive list. Most parents also blame themselves to some degree. If you haven’t taken a look at nonlinear neurofeedback training, maybe now is a good time.
Can your child benefit from neurofeedback training?
Nonlinear neurofeedback does not “treat” any illness or particular diagnosis. It is important to be clear that instead of targeting specific symptoms, nonlinear neurofeedback training works to optimize overall brain functioning. This approach ameliorates most complaints regardless of their source and skips the side effects. Nonlinear neurofeedback harnesses the brains own innate intelligence to self-correct, resulting in a more efficient, flexible, and resilient central nervous system. Because of this, nonlinear neurofeedback training is helpful for anyone wanting to achieve peak performance. It’s as helpful for kids who are need extra help as it is for kids who need a competitive advantage academically, creatively, or athletically.
When your brain optimizes its own functioning, it is extraordinary what we can achieve. Consider the following issues for which nonlinear neurofeedback has made a difference:
Insomnia
ADHD
Anxiety
Stress
PTSD
Autism
Behavior Problems
Moodiness
GI Problems
POTS
Concussion
Stroke
Seizures
Misophonia
And more!
Hurdles to Neurofeedback Training
While nonlinear neurofeedback is truly plug-and-play technology, there can still be hurdles to training. Sometimes kids who are already need help can be concerned about having sensors stuck to their ears and scalp. Usually, the fear has something to do with thinking that something is being done to them. But the signal only travels one way—from the brain to the software—not from the software to the brain. In other words, the sensors only sense. Nothing goes from the software into the brain.
Most kids also calm down very quickly when they realize they can watch their favorite movies while doing the neurofeedback training. Not to mention, that neurofeedback training is relaxing in and of itself!
Another powerful calming factor for kids is when they see their mother or father or sibling (or all of the above) do the training as well. Whole Family Neurofeedback is where we see the most powerful results. I didn’t mention it above, but while my daughter was training, so was I (and so was my husband and
Don’t ever hesitate to reach out if you have questions. We pride ourselves on customer service and are available 7 days a week.