Substance Abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods that are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. In a nutshell, substance abuse means doing something even though you know it will have negative consequences. A person suffering from substance abuse is often called an addict.
Unfortunately, in this country substance abuse is quite common. In 2015 it was estimated that 27 million Americans were afflicted by this disease and it accounted for over 300,000 deaths.
How does Neurofeedback therapy help?
People with addictive issues often have underlying pathology. It is theorized that there is an inherited dopamine dysfunction for many people with this disease. Dopamine helps us feel pleasure. When it doesn’t work correctly, people are dysthymic or feel slightly depressed all the time. The inherited dysfunction corrects under the influence of their drug of choice and they suddenly feel ‘normal’. In others, the dopamine balance can be disrupted by repeated abuse of substances that deplete dopamine. Social anxiety is often found underneath the substance problem.
The classic EEG of addiction to alcohol is a low voltage fast wave presentation. For cannabis, it is a large amount of frontal alpha.
Success stories
Meet Barry
Barry had always been a drinker. It had been fun in the old days, but at 54 he had been in rehab three times without success. After a bout so severe he landed in the hospital near kidney failure, a relative told him about Advanced Therapy Center. We believe that the hope neurofeedback gave him kept him going through the first month of abstinence. The next month, the neurofeedback helped him reduce his craving. There were a couple of slips along the way, but he kept coming back. When sobriety seemed to be holding well, we began to focus on his underlying anxiety and conflict avoidance with LORETA Neurofeedback. It’s been nine months since his last drink. His craving is only occasional and mild. He is starting to initiate conversations about the conflicts he has with family and friends. He has reduced his anti-depressant medication and is slowly working on reducing it further in pursuit of feeling more of the ups and downs in life.
Meet Gwen
Gwen spent years building a successful chain of dress shops, but behind the scenes she was barely sleeping and relying on alcohol just to get through the night. By the time her husband urged her to get help, she was waking up multiple times to drink and running on sheer willpower.
Through targeted anti anxiety techniques and the deeper work of finally allowing herself to be seen and heard, Gwen uncovered the pressure she’d carried since childhood—growing up in a wealthy family where success was inherited, not earned, she had never felt truly appreciated. Drinking had become her only escape and her only “fun.”
As she learned healthier ways to calm her nervous system, reconnect with her interests, and enjoy life without numbing it, everything shifted. Today, Gwen sleeps well, keeps work in balance, and can enjoy a glass of wine socially without slipping back into old patterns. Most importantly, she feels recognized—by others and by herself.