Neurofeedback

@Phoenix_Rising That sounds really positive. I super like the jump into normal. It may be of no relationship, but with the intense form of neuroplasticity exercises I did over a sustained period, I remember first experiencing something I would describe exactly that way. Though it took a really really long time to reach that. It was a flash more or less, like something cracked but then glazed over again. I even wondered if I'd imagined it, but at the same time it was such a different "feeling". I knew it was something real although had no idea what. Reading your words I'm wondering if that was my first break into "normal" for years. Certainly from then on things did improve and those flashes lead to where I am today.

At the time I too, felt it was confirmation I could get back there for longer periods if I kept doing what I was doing. It was more than a feeling, it was more a knowing. But I was scared too. I half wanted to believe it would be possible and half was worried about getting my hopes up.

Anyhow,, just thought I'd share that even though this is your journal, just kind of to say, maybe that's what happened to me too. I had the feeling of it without the scientific readout though, so I can only postulate. Just that your words are the first I've ever read that actually explain what I felt and experienced in those first brief moments, and it is neuroplasticity related.

All very interesting as usual, and thank you very much for sharing. Neuroplasticity is such a fascinating line of research and breakthroughs at the moment. Like you, I think its validity cannot be dismissed and will lead to far greater understanding of how our brain functions and rewires networks through thoughts. A whole different level of understanding how mindfulness works and why.

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Hi @Former-Member,

Yes, neurofeedback is very procedural and involves very little talking. I describe it in the early posts on this thread.

I'm not having any issues re. attachment stuff. I don't like the psychologist at the practice at all, but I don't really need to have anything to do with her. Last time I did neurofeedback, it was with a technician. This time it is with an intern psychologist. I get on ok with him, but there is definitely no sense of connection in the sense that I have any inclination to want to do therapy with him.

I waited until I had settled with the psychologist I'm seeing through victims services, before embarking on this round of neurofeedback specifically so that I would have that stable relationship in place. She is the person who will hopefully help me sort out my attachment-related issues.

@Former-Member this is phoenix's thread. If you go back to the beginning you will see she's done a number of sessions and how it works.

It's the electronic form of neuroplasticity, I used thoughts to change the patterns. If you have any questions at all feel free to tag me of course on the neurofeedback @Phoenix_Rising is the one to ask, I have no first hand experience with it at all.

I don't have all the answers by any means.. nor do I think this is the be all and end all answer either, just you asked how I did it so I'm saying.. neuroplasticity is how I did it, via CBT and mindfulness. 🙂 It's what worked for me, that is all I can say with surety and now I know why it worked. Because it's a form of neuroplasticity.

@Spookytookims ok, I know this is going to make you ROFL because I know how much you love my attention to detail and my need for things to be "right," but I just HAVE to say it because, well, I have a strong attention to detail and an intense need for things to be "right"...

Neuroplasticity is a property of the brain. Neuro = brain and plasticity = malliable. Techniques such as neurofeedback, mindfulness, EMDR etc. are not themselves sorts of neuroplasticity, they are techniques that utilize the brain's property of neuroplasticity.

Ahhhhh, I feel much better for having clarified that.

I have my next neurofeedback session this evening. Maybe I will come out of it amazingly flexible, accepting of ambiguity and happy to always go with the flow...or not.

I'm not understanding @Phoenix_Rising so let's just go back to basics and define neuroplasticity.

This is an easy one I found and this is what I understand it to be:

"Neuroplasticity: The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life."

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@Spookytookims wrote:

Rofl is right! Im just trying to make it easier for people who dont know the ins and outs. If I type neuroplasticity is rewiring the activities in the limbic regions to elicit emotional and meurological changes.. people are going to to go huh??? But if I say different sorts of neuroplasticity they'll feel better about it. @Phoenix_Rising

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@Spookytookims well no, if you typed "neuroplasticity is rewiring the activities in the limbic regions to elicit emotional and meurological changes" you would still be saying the same incorrect thing, just using bigger words.

Neuroplasticity is the property of the brain. The act of rewiring the activities in the limbic regions to elicit emotional and neurological changes is something that we are able to do because the brain has the property of being malleable/changeable.

The brain has the property of neuroplasticity. This means it is malleable (or changeable). We can actively work at strengthening some pathways in the brain and weakening others through a whole range of techniques including EMDR, mindfulness and neurofeedback. Clearly I need to work at stengthening the pathways that help a person to see the forest rather than seeing every single tree...and every single leaf on every single tree.