Supporting Brain Health as You Age

ANXIETY

Anxiety is a general term for several disorders which cause nervousness, fear, apprehension and worrying. It is the number one reason clients seek out Neurofeedback. These disorders affect how we feel and behave, and they can manifest real physical symptoms. Mild anxiety is vague and unsettling while severe anxiety can be extremely debilitating, having a serious impact on daily life. People often experience a general state of worry or fear before confronting something challenging such as a test, examination, recital, or interview. These feelings are easily justified and considered normal. Anxiety is considered a problem when symptoms interfere with a person’s ability to sleep or otherwise function. Generally speaking, anxiety occurs when a reaction is out of proportion with what might be normally expected in a situation.

Anxiety disorders can be classified into several more specific types. Some examples are panic, phobia, social anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Anxiety disorders may be caused by environmental factors, medical factors, genetics, brain chemistry, substance abuse or a combination of these. It is most commonly triggered by the stress in our lives. Usually anxiety is a response to outside forces, but it is possible that we make ourselves anxious with “negative self-talk” – a habit of always telling ourselves the worst will happen. Through the process of deep relaxation the brain will bring itself into balance, and our clients begin to feel a sense of calm and well being. The worries and fear simply fall away. People with anxiety disorders present a variety of physical symptoms in addition to non-physical symptoms which characterize the disorders, such as excessive, unrealistic worrying. Many of these symptoms are similar to those exhibited by a person suffering general illness, heart attack or stroke, and this tends to further increase anxiety. The following is a list of physical symptoms associated with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD):

TremblingChurning stomach
Nausea
Diarrhea
Headache
Backache
Heart palpitations
Numbness or “pins and needles” in arms, hands or legs
Sweating/flushing
Restlessness
Easily tired
Trouble concentrating
Irritability
Muscle tension
Frequent urination
Trouble falling or staying asleep
Being easily startled

Supporting Brain Health as You Age

Aging is a natural part of life—and your brain changes along the way.

You may notice that you don't recall information quite as quickly, occasionally forget a name, or find it takes a little longer to process new information.

These changes can be a normal part of aging. At the same time, supporting brain health can remain an important part of overall well-being.

Neurofeedback offers a personalized approach to brain training that may support attention, focus, mental clarity and self-regulation.

Staying Mentally Engaged

Your brain continues to change throughout life. Learning new things, staying physically active, getting quality sleep, managing stress and maintaining meaningful connections can all be part of supporting cognitive well-being.

Neurofeedback can be another piece of that picture.

Rather than focusing simply on age, we look at your individual brain and your goals.

Understand Your Brain

Whether you're interested in maintaining mental sharpness or you're noticing changes in memory and focus, understanding how your brain is functioning can be a valuable place to begin.