qEEG Brain Mapping to Identify Seasonal Affective Disorder
My husband, Dr. Cosmas Leigh. Along with our awesome team at Leigh Brain & Spine, helps people overcome SAD all winter long. If you struggle with SAD or The Winter Blues and cannot use any of the suggestions above. You are probably using a brain pattern that is really stuck in a depressed mode. A qEEG Brain Map can show you what is going on. And how you can improve your life. Don’t just survive this winter, Thrive. With the help of Neurofeedback for Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Scientific studies show that Seasonal Affective disorder and its less complex cousin. The “Winter Blues” is caused by an underlying brain pattern too low of neural power. Therefore this results in lower levels of serotonin and dopamine. The “feel-good” neurotransmitters in the brain that gives you a little oomph each day.
People ask me all the time, “Why haven’t I ever heard about brain mapping?” The answer is simple. Traditional healthcare has been shown to be 17 years behind current research. At Leigh Brain & Spine, the doctors use state-of-the-art and cutting-edge (read CURRENT) science to help people learn to use their brain performance patterns better. When your brain works better, so do you. Therefore symptoms lower or go away when your brain is working properly. However, what most people don’t know is that science proves that ADHD, anxiety, and depression. Are caused by hidden brain performance. So now you know. What do you do about it?
How Neurofeedback Improves Depression
Neurofeedback therapy has been used to help people train their brains to normalize their moods. So people have reduced or even eliminated their symptoms from seasonal affective disorder, depression, anxiety, bipolar, and other conditions affecting mood and emotions using Neurofeedback.
Neurofeedback relies on your brain’s neuroplasticity in order to help work better. Therefore eliminating the brain imbalances that can cause depression. First, a brain map is performed to identify which types of irregular brain patterns are being used in the brain. Then customized training protocols are made to assist you in learning to use the optimal brain pattern for calm focus instead of one that causes depression. Best of all, the treatment is non-invasive. Most patients spend 30 minutes for a set number of weeks watching a video and learning to respond to its visual cues. The results are long-lasting and can be used safely in combination with any other treatments.
What are the “Winter Blues?“
When short, dark days and freezing weather roll around each winter. Do you feel yourself wanting to hibernate? You may be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder. Researchers believe that up to 6% of the U.S. population suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). And 14% more experience the milder form as Winter Blues. However, both are types of depression that appear when seasons change. In Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, with shorter days and colder nights many people could benefit from natural treatments to help them fight depression symptoms that can develop an affect mood, productivity, and attention (US Census estimates).
How do Seasonal Affective Disorder and the Winter Blues affect you?
The Mayo Clinic reports the following as the signs and symptoms of SAD may include:
- Feeling depressed most of the day or nearly every day
- Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Having low energy
- Having problems with sleeping
- Experiencing changes in your appetite or weight
- Feeling sluggish or agitated
- Having difficulty concentrating
- Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty
- Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of major depressive disorder. A seasonal pattern and the Winter Blues is a less severe form of the condition. Here is how it impacts people:
- Women much more than men
- Family history
- Farther away from the equator, the more likely you will suffer
Why do people develop Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Scientists believe that this type of depression is caused by a lack of proportion with the neurotransmitter serotonin. Involved in keeping a positive mood. They also believe that people who suffer might overproduce the hormone melatonin, which is involved with sleep and circadian rhythms. Therefore many people with SAD often have a deficiency of Vitamin D.
What is the most well-known treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Light therapy is one of the most well-known treatments to help people. Seasonal Affective Disorder in just 60-80% of people may benefit from this therapy. Light therapy involves sitting in front of very bright light from 30-90 minutes a day to imitate the light levels during the summertime. However, this type of depression was first found, along with the light therapy treatment by Norman Rosenthal. A psychiatrist working at the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) 1984. Neurofeedback therapy can work together with light therapy to improve symptoms.
If you or someone you love struggle with the Winter Blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder, enter your contact information below so we can explain to you how we can help.