Hi Dan,
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Originally Posted by
deerock
My main goal right now is relaxation, since I am dealing with a lot of anxiety and some depression too, as I overcome addiction (pot and cigarettes - sorry if that's TMI for the forum).
It's not too much information for the forum. There are lots of people on this forum that have the same challenges.
There have been a few studies and some good feedback concerning Alpha-based programs and addictions.
"... application of alpha brain wave biofeedback to the treatment of alcoholism and drug abuse produced positive subjective comments from patients, but no sustained prevention of relapse. ... it had long been clear that alcoholism is associated with poor synchrony and deficient alpha EEG activity ... Further, alcoholics were shown more likely to increase the amount of alpha activity after consumption of alcohol. Taken together, these findings suggest that those with a predisposition to alcoholism have deficient alpha activity and are especially vulnerable to alcohol's capacity to produce an EEG measurable reinforcing state of increased slow wave activity." Pg 158, Quantitative EEG and Neurofeedback by James R. Evans, Andrew Abarbanel.
Further down the page ...
"Because depression and poorly synchronized brain waves are both associated with alcoholism, an EEG-based relaxation therapy would target both of these symptoms. Thus, we hypothesized that biofeedback-assisted relaxation training, specifically EEG alpha theta brain wave training , would provide an efficacious treatment for alcoholism. Chronic alcoholism is notorious for extremely high relapse rates after traditional psychotherapies or medical interventions ... Therefore, we further hypothesized that only a prolonged application of brain wave therapy would produce sustained prevention of relapse. "
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Anyhow, what I find is that sometimes, I can get deeply relaxed. Other times, I seem to relax a little bit and get stuck. For example, the thought stream goes from 8 down to 4, that is a stuck state. When I get deeply relaxed, I can get the thoughtstream from 8 to 1.
The key is to become aware of what it feels like when you are relaxed. Try not to rely too much on the numbers because everyone is different. You may be relaxed at 4 or you may be trying too hard to get beyond 4. The idea of biofeedback is to observe the body as it goes from an alert state into a relaxed state. Learn to recognize when you feel stressed and what your body feels like as it begins to relax.
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I tend to run session 13, 14, 16. I may experiment a bit with some of the alpha beta sessions since I noticed Marisa post something indicating these are helpful for addictions.
If you have problems with anxiety, you may want to keep the Beta at the SMR or lower level. It's okay if the beta is momentary, like with session 8 (Mind Sauna). If you do begin to feel agitated, stop the session and switch to one that targets lower frequencies.
People with depression don't need their brain aroused, they actually need their brain to calm down (Alpha). It is in the alpha state that serotonin is released and usually that is what people with depression and addiction issues need more of. Alpha = good. :icon_wink:
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So my questions are:
1) When I run the sessions, should I be doing anything with my mind or just letting it flow and let the device do the work?
Casually notice how your body feels but most importantly, let go.
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2) is there any rule of thumb or techniques to get past a block in an ability to relax? Does this mean I may not be using the right sessions?
Some days you may get better results than other days. If it's not a good result day, try some deep breathing exercises, do a relaxation session anyway and avoid worrying about the results. The most important result is how you feel. If you still feel "edgy" after a session, then go do something pleasurable, maybe watch some comedy, listen to music you like, read a novel ... go for a walk ... etc. The idea is to distract yourself from the mood and that will help you get into a better state.
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3) Do you lay down or sit up when you use your device? I am trying to find what works for me but I have yet to determine which position will provide me with the most consistent results of deep relaxation.
I usually lay down or sit in a really comfy lounge chair.
M.