Clinical Neurofeedback Treatment for PTSD in Malaysia 脑波反馈疗法治疗创伤后遗症

临床治疗工作中，时常会有经历创伤的客户。创伤不只是生理上的，也可以是心理层面的创伤。
或许医院里常见的大脑扫描仪器看不见那些心理层面所造成的创伤，但当我们用Brain Mapping技术去窥探时，却不难发现那些疑似被创伤间接或直接导致的大脑功能失调状况。或许大家熟知一些心理治疗技术可以改善创伤症状，但其实还有一种针对大脑来训练的疗法却不为人知。那就是临床脑电波反馈疗法Clinical Neurofeedback Training。

或许市场上有许多打着脑波反馈技术的“课程”，但不是每一种都可以拿来帮助创伤相关心理问题的。有者主要是对专注力的训练有所帮助，有者则是放松用途。而临床脑电波训练疗法则需要有经验的脑波反馈治疗师去探讨影响脑电波反馈疗法的因素（如食物，身心，家庭环境等）与应该训练大脑哪个部位，该强度，该深度与频率等等，都是非常考究经验与训练背景的。时时与supervisor探讨训练结果也是不可少的，临床脑电波反馈疗法绝对不是傻瓜技术，戴上去就可以自动训练的方法。

比方说以下的这篇学术研究，就发现了脑电波反馈疗法技术效果可以媲美主流最有影响力与有效性的心理治疗技术。然而我们需要更多学术论文的出现才可以帮助把这门技术推向主流创伤疗法技术里。很可惜，这门技术并没有得到很广泛的认识。脑波反馈疗法治疗师，我在大马认识的少过10位，更何况从事脑电波反馈疗法的研究人员呢？当然少之又少。在大马，这门技术虽然广为教育界所认识，很少人知道它对情绪与心理等问题的益处。真希望我有生之年可以推广这门技术进到学术界与临床疗法领域。

Twenty-four sessions of NF produced significant improvements in PTSD symptomatology in multiply traumatized individuals with PTSD who had not responded to at least six months of trauma-focused psychotherapy, compared to a waitlist control group that continued to receive treatment as usual. The effect sizes of NF in this study (d = -2.33 within, d = - 1.71 between groups) is comparable to the results reported for the best evidence based treatments for PTSD: Prolonged Exposure, CBT and EMDR, which, like this study, also generally have employed TAU control groups, and better than any published drug intervention for PTSD Read more: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0166752

Neurofeedback is an innovative treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that is readily accessible to mental health therapists. As a widespread mental health concern with potentially devastating long-term consequences on psychosocial functioning, PTSD can also adversely impact biophysiological processes, particularly those related to the brain. Neurofeedback has shown promise in alleviating overall PTSD symptoms, including these underlying neurobiological consequences. Successful results have been found among clients with PTSD who have not been responsive to prior treatment modalities. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1524838018781103

Trauma, PTSD, and Panic Disorder Treatment in Malaysia

TSD and panic disorder commonly co-occur. This may not be surprising given that people who have experienced a traumatic event or have PTSD are at a heightened risk to develop a number of other psychiatric disorders, such as depression, substance use disorders, or other anxiety disorders. One anxiety disorder that is commonly found among people with a history of traumatic exposure or PTSD is panic disorder.

What is Panic Disorder?

To have a diagnosis of panic disorder, you need to meet the following criteria as described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV).

First, you need to have experienced a panic attack. Most people know whether or not they have experienced a panic attack. It can be an incredibly frightening experience. The DSM-IV describes a panic attack as the experience of intense fear or discomfort where four or more of the following things are felt:

• pounding heart or increased heart rate
• sweating
• trembling or shaking
• feeling as though you are being smothered or having difficulties breathing
• choking
• chest pain or discomfort
• nausea or abdominal pains and/or discomfort
• feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or faint
• feeling as though things around you are unreal or feeling detached from yourself
• feeling as though you are going to lose control or go crazy
• fear of dying
• numbness or tingling in extremities
• chills or hot flashes

In addition, to have a diagnosis of panic disorder, you must have experienced recurrent, unexpected panic attacks. These are panic attacks that just pop up "out of the blue." For example, a person may be in their car and all of a sudden they experience a sudden rush of fear and terror (a panic attack).

At least one of the attacks must also be followed by one month or more of one or more of the following experiences:

• Concern about having additional panic attacks
• Worry about the consequences or implications of a panic attack. For example, a person may think to themselves during a panic attack that they are having a heart attack and are going to die.
• A change in behavior because of the attacks. For example, a person may avoid certain places where a panic attack has occurred.

Finally, it is important to mention that someone can experience panic attacks and not have panic disorder. Panic attacks are actually quite common. In fact, as many as 12% of people may experience a panic attack at some point in their lifetime.

Trauma, PTSD, and Panic Disorder

Approximately 5% of people will develop panic disorder at some point in their lifetime. However, these rates may be higher among people who have experienced a traumatic event. A large number of people who have experienced a traumatic event report that they had a panic attack following the event. In addition, approximately 30% of people who have experienced a traumatic event also report experiencing unexpected panic attacks.

In particular, one study found high rates of childhood sexual abuse (41%) and physical abuse (59%) among women with panic disorder.

Another study found high rates of sexual molestation (24% for women and 5% for men) and physical abuse as a child (around 14% for both men and women) among people with panic disorder. Women with panic disorder have also been found to report high rates of rape (23%).

Besides simply traumatic exposure, panic disorder also commonly co-occurs with PTSD. Specifically, around 7% of men and 13% of women with PTSD also have panic disorder.

Treatment

Fortunately, there are effective treatments available for both panic disorder and PTSD.

In addition, there are a number of options available for people seeking treatment for PTSD. Some of the symptoms of PTSD may place a person at risk for panic attacks, especially the hyperarousal symptoms. In addition, the physical health problems and unhealthy behaviors (for example, smoking and substance use) that often associated with PTSD may increase the likelihood that panic attacks are experienced. By treating a person's PTSD, then, the risk for the experience of panic attacks may be lessened.

Clinical issues are highly treatable with our Psychological Hypnosis Method (Psychotherapy & Clinical Hypnosis). We are also one of the few clinical neurofeedback training service providers in Malaysia (Bangsar South). Our mental health care service also offers great advantages as an adjunct to standard medical management. We're happy to relieve your symptoms and improve your quality of life. We are committed to providing quality therapy in a safe, confidential and non-judgmental environment.

Read our review to know more about how we manage to help PTSD, Trauma and Panic Disorder Cases: http://www.newmindcentre.com/search/label/Testimonials

 

Source: https://www.verywellmind.com/trauma-ptsd-and-panic-disorder-2797519

(PTSD Treatment Malaysia ) Clinical Neurofeedback for Chronic PTSD

After going through a trauma, survivors often say that their first feeling is relief to be alive. This may be followed by stress, fear, and anger. Trauma survivors may also find they are unable to stop thinking about what happened. Many survivors will show a high level of arousal, which causes them to react strongly to sounds and sights around them.

Most people have some kind of stress reaction after a trauma. Having such a reaction has nothing to do with personal weakness. Stress reactions may last for several days or even a few weeks. For most people, if symptoms occur, they will slowly decrease over time.

What are common reactions to trauma?

All kinds of trauma survivors commonly experience stress reactions. This is true for veterans, children, and disaster rescue or relief workers. If you understand what is happening when you or someone you know reacts to a traumatic event, you may be less fearful and better able to handle things.

Reactions to a trauma may include:

• Feeling hopeless about the future
• Feeling detached or unconcerned about others
• Having trouble concentrating or making decisions
• Feeling jumpy and getting startled easily at sudden noises
• Feeling on guard and constantly alert
• Having disturbing dreams and memories or flashbacks
• Having work or school problems

You may also experience more physical reactions such as:

• Stomach upset and trouble eating
• Trouble sleeping and feeling very tired
• Pounding heart, rapid breathing, feeling edgy
• Sweating
• Severe headache if thinking of the event
• Failure to engage in exercise, diet, safe sex, regular health care
• Excess smoking, alcohol, drugs, food
• Having your ongoing medical problems get worse

You may have more emotional troubles such as:

• Feeling nervous, helpless, fearful, sad
• Feeling shocked, numb, and not able to feel love or joy
• Avoiding people, places, and things related to the event
• Being irritable or having outbursts of anger
• Becoming easily upset or agitated
• Blaming yourself or having negative views of oneself or the world
• Distrust of others, getting into conflicts, being over-controlling
• Being withdrawn, feeling rejected, or abandoned
• Loss of intimacy or feeling detached

Recovery from stress reactions

Turn to your family and friends when you are ready to talk. They are your personal support system. Recovery is an ongoing gradual process. It doesn't happen through suddenly being "cured" and it doesn't mean that you will forget what happened. Most people will recover from trauma naturally. If your stress reactions are getting in the way of your relationships, work, or other important activities, you may want to talk to a counselor or your doctor. Good treatments are available.

Common problems that can occur after a trauma

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a condition that can develop after you have gone through a life-threatening event. If you have PTSD, you may have trouble keeping yourself from thinking over and over about what happened to you. You may try to avoid people and places that remind you of the trauma. You may feel numb. Lastly, if you have PTSD, you might find that you have trouble relaxing. You may startle easily and you may feel on guard most of the time.

Depression. Depression involves feeling down or sad more days than not. If you are depressed, you may lose interest in activities that used to be enjoyable or fun. You may feel low in energy and be overly tired. You may feel hopeless or in despair, and you may think that things will never get better. Depression is more likely when you have had losses such as the death of close friends. If you are depressed, at times you might think about hurting or killing yourself. For this reason, getting help for depression is very important.

Self-blame, guilt and shame. Sometimes in trying to make sense of a traumatic event, you may blame yourself in some way. You may think you are responsible for bad things that happened, or for surviving when others didn't. You may feel guilty for what you did or did not do. Remember, we all tend to be our own worst critics. Most of the time, that guilt, shame, or self-blame is not justified.

Suicidal thoughts. Trauma and personal loss can lead a depressed person to think about hurting or killing themselves. If you think someone you know may be feeling suicidal, you should directly ask them. You will NOT put the idea in their head. If someone is thinking about killing themselves, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You can also call a counselor, doctor, or 911.

Anger or aggressive behavior. Trauma can be connected with anger in many ways. After a trauma, you might think that what happened to you was unfair or unjust. You might not understand why the event happened and why it happened to you. These thoughts can result in intense anger. Although anger is a natural and healthy emotion, intense feelings of anger and aggressive behavior can cause problems with family, friends, or co-workers. If you become violent when angry, you just make the situation worse. Violence can lead to people being injured, and there may be legal consequences.

Alcohol/Drug abuse. Drinking or "self-medicating" with drugs is a common, and unhealthy, way of coping with upsetting events. You may drink too much or use drugs to numb yourself and to try to deal with difficult thoughts, feelings, and memories related to the trauma. While using alcohol or drugs may offer a quick solution, it can actually lead to more problems. If someone close begins to lose control of drinking or drug use, you should try to get them to see a health care provider about managing their drinking or drug use.

Summing it all up

Right after a trauma, almost every survivor will find himself or herself unable to stop thinking about what happened. Stress reactions, such as increased fear, nervousness, jumpiness, upsetting memories, and efforts to avoid reminders, will gradually decrease over time for most people.

Use your personal support systems, family and friends, when you are ready to talk. Recovery is an ongoing gradual process. It doesn't happen through suddenly being "cured" and it doesn't mean that you will forget what happened. Most people will recover from trauma naturally over time. If your emotional reactions are getting in the way of your relationships, work, or other important activities, you may want to talk to a counselor or your doctor. Good treatments are available.

CLICK HERE FOR Screening for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 


EEG Biofeedback (also known as neurofeedback) has been in use as a clinical intervention for well over 30 years; however, it has made very little impact on clinical care. One reason for this has been the difficulty in designing research to measure clinical change in the real world. While substantial evidence exists for its efficacy in treating attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, relatively little evidence exists for its utility in other disorders including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

 The current study represents a "proof-of-concept" pilot for the use of neurofeedback with multiply-traumatized individuals with treatment-resistant PTSD. Participants completed 40 sessions of neurofeedback training two times per week with sensors randomly assigned (by the study coordinator, who was not blind to condition) to sensor placements of either T4-P4 or T3-T4. 

We found that neurofeedback significantly reduced PTSD symptoms (Davidson Trauma Scale scores averaged 69.14 at baseline to 49.26 at termination), and preceded gains in affect regulation (Inventory of Altered Self-Capacities-Affect Dysregulation scores averaged 23.63 at baseline to 17.20 at termination). We discuss a roadmap for future research.


Contact us via 0167154419 if you would like to do the clinical neurofeedback treatment in Malaysia.




Source: 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26782083 
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/337136722082730446/
https://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/problems/common-reactions-after-trauma.asp

[Testimonial] Bipolar Disorder Treatment Malaysia - Crystal Chong

For years I have dealt with depression, anxiety, moments of crying and suspected having PTSD. 17 years ago, I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder by psychiatrist at UMMC. With that I dealt with symptoms with doctors prescriptions having multiple side effects to control symptoms. 

I found SOL integrative wellness centre through the internet and met Hiro Koo. He recommended EEG biofeedback therapy to me. After 10 sessions of the therapy, changes in my symptoms is impressed especially the sleeping quality. Now I can sleep through the night. Besides that, I am now feeling more calm and less emotionally sensitive. Most importantly, I noticed my heart palpitation is reduced which I called it as "anxiety attack".

Thank you for my new life and experience. The therapy is added quality years to my life. I would recommended the therapy. It will change your life!

- Crystal Chong

What is bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder is characterized by unusually large fluctuations in mood such that a person experiences recurrent episodes of depressedmood and episodes of being in an abnormally “elevated, expansive or irritable” mood according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 4th ed. of the American Psychiatric Society (DSM-IV, 1994). Bipolar disorder was previously known as manic-depressive illness.

Describing Bipolar Disorder

Before describing the diagnostic features of bipolar disorder, it is necessary to understand that the elevated mood mentioned in the definition above is classified into two subtypes; manic, and hypomanic.

The DSM-IV states that a hypomanic episode is distinguished from a manic episode in that hypomania is not so severe as mania and does not lead to “marked impairment in social or occupational functioning or requiring hospitalization”.

Hence the symptoms exhibited in mania and hypomania are similar varying only in degree or intensity and may include:

• Self esteem significantly elevated above the usual, grandiosity

• Decreased need for sleep

• Hyperactivity

• Talking too much and or feeling the need to talk

• Racing thoughts

• Increased distractibility

• An intense drive to attain some goal (sexual, social or career in nature)

• Engaging in pleasurable activities without considering the long term consequences e.g. buying a condominium on the spur of the moment perhaps without the necessary financial means.

Source:
http://www.psychologymatters.asia/common_mental_illness/17/bipolar-disorder.html

Hypnosis and PTSD

Time doesn’t always heal all wounds.  Some events are simply too traumatic to recover from on one's own. The practice of using hypnosis to treat PTSD symptoms has the potential to greatly improve a person’s well being.  Hypnotherapy can give the subject more control over the symptoms and minimize recurring negative thoughts stemming from the traumatic event.  Hypnosis may not completely heal some subjects, but it can help many people cope with their traumatic past.
Hypnosis has been found to be highly beneficial in treating PTSD for two major reasons.  The first being that the symptoms of PTSD are similar to the phenomena experienced while under hypnosis.  Secondly, hypnosis has actually been shown to reduce the symptoms of PTSD.


Hypnosis and PTSD
In a 2005 study, the effects of hypnosis and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on participants with PTSD were tested.  In the study 67 people with PTSD were divided into 3 groups.  Each group of participants received 6 sessions, either with CBT and hypnosis, CBT only, or supportive counseling.

The study’s results revealed that the hypnosis plus CBT group and the CBT-only group exhibited fewer symptoms of PTSD immediately prior to the treatment and also again at the 6-month follow up.  In addition, the group that received hypnosis had fewer re-experiencing episodes than the CBT-only group.

Although many people regard hypnosis as a trance-like state, it is actually a normal and natural altered state of consciousness.  In fact, after experiencing hypnosis sessions, many people question whether they really have been hypnotized.  This is because, although people expect it to be quite strange, hypnosis is quite a normal state.

Hypnosis has long been used in the treatment of war related post-traumatic conditions.  In recent years it has also been used effectively to treat post-traumatic symptoms in cases of sexual assault, car accidents and other events.

The Effectiveness of Hypnotherapy
The main principle of hypnosis is to induce a deep state of relaxation in the subject.  This in itself is potentially effective against PTSD as it may lead to feelings of safety and less environmental anxiety, a decrease of intrusive thoughts and a re-involvement in daily activity.

Hypnosis is a method of communicating with our unconscious mind.  It is this direct communication with the unconscious that enables doctors to change even lifetime habits very quickly.  Hypnosis has long been used for smoking cessation, weight control, stress elimination, removing anxiety, curing phobias and improving confidence, among other things.  Hypnosis has even proven very effective in helping to treat chronic pain.

While hypnosis and PTSD may not be the solution for everyone, it has proven effective in people with an IQ of 70 or over.  This means it could potentially work for most people.

But not every PTSD patient is a good candidate for hypnosis or hypnotherapy.  Certain criteria need to be met.  For one, there should be a proper diagnosis of PTSD established.  Also the hypnotherapist needs to be aware whether he is dealing with a single, or multiple trauma incidents.  The subject should also understand the concept of PTSD and what the hypnotherapy goals are.  Lastly, treatment should be voluntary.  If the subject has any doubts in their mind regarding hypnosis and PTSD, they should be excluded from treatment.

Patients should also be aware that contrary to what you see in some movies, hypnosis is completely safe.  You cannot get stuck in hypnosis and hypnosis is not sleep, as many believe.  Most importantly, while in a state of hypnosis, you cannot be made to do anything against your will or against your own moral code.



All retrieved from http://sexually-transmitted-diseases-stds.trustreport.com/stds/is_hypnosis_effective_for_ptsd_175.html