Neurofeedback - A Powerful Weapon in the Addiction Fight

When addicts abuse substances, fundamental changes occur in the architecture of the brain. It simply doesn't look – or behave - the way it once did. Many of the once-functional links and connections that communicated signals efficiently and appropriately are damaged or even destroyed. As a result, the addict experiences cravings, anxiety, sleep problems, judgment lapses, inappropriate emotions, depression and loss of motivation. What used to give the person pleasure before they started using now does nothing for them. What once allowed them to see the world in a realistic way now is colored with skewed perceptions and an inability to cope. Studies show that when neurofeedback (biofeedback for the brain) is added to conventional treatment modalities such as therapy and AA/NA, addicts tend to get better faster, have fewer cravings and see improvements in all aspects of their lives – all without medication! What is this thing called neurofeedback, and why haven’t you heard about it? It’s been around, after all, for more than 60 years. Tune in to find out.

Episode Segments:

Break the Chains: Neurofeedback There is something available to drug and alcohol addicts that can significantly reduce cravings. It's not a medication, it's a technology called Neurofeedback. We will explain it and discuss it with our guests Ray McGarty, who uses neurofeedback in his private practice, and Bill Scott, founder of BrainPaint, a company making innovative developments in the field of EEG Biofeedback.
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Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Ray McGarty Ray McGarty has worked in the behavioral health field since 1976. Among his many impressive credentials is that of having served as the clinical administrator of the Betty Ford Center. Over the years Ray realized that the vast majority of addicts had significant trauma in their backgrounds. He searched for a long time for some method that could accelerate the progress of people in treatment by allowing them to more effectively work through their traumas and thus reduce their need to abuse substances. Eventually he came upon neurofeedback and began using it extensively in the institutions he worked for. He currently uses neurofeedback in his private practice in Dover, New Hampshire as a primary and adjunctive mode of treatment.

Bill Scott Bill, originally educated as a Social Worker, has been in the field of EEG biofeedback for 20 years. He is considered one of the pioneers in the field and a foremost authority on alpha-theta (an invaluable protocol for PTSD, phobias & fears, anxiety, addictions & peak performance). Bill has been featured as an EEG Biofeedback Expert on Discovery Science, CBS’s The Doctors, lectured at the American Psychiatric Association five times, and presented research at the American Association for the Advancement of Science as Principal Investigator of a UCLA study. Bill has been published in the January 2000 issue of Clinical Electroencephalography (EEG), and the September 2011 issue of Journal of Neurotherapy. He has taught more than 3,000 neurofeedback practitioners around the globe since 1995, and continues his research and innovative developments in the field of EEG Biofeedback as CEO of BrainPaint. Bill was selected as a Healthcare Transformer by StartUp Health in 2012. BrainPaint Website