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Articles
on the conditions we treat with Neurofeedback
The disorder commonly known as Autism is in fact
only one of a range of disorders called Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
Autism was first identified in 1943. Dr. Leo Kanner of Johns Hopkins
Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland was studying children who showed a
profound lack of emotional contact with their parents, an intense desire
for routine, and a lack of the ability to communicate.
From these
studies he correlated a series of symptoms that he considered to make up
a disorder that he named Autism. At the same time Dr. Hans Asperger of
Vienna was studying a similar set of characteristics but in a far milder
form. These characteristics became the basis for a milder form of
Autism called Aspergers. (Read
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It might seem simplistic, but it is important to understand what exactly
anger is, before seeking ways in which a patient with anger issues can
be treated. Anger is a natural emotion, no more good or evil than any
other emotion. To learn to manage anger, a patient must first accept
that the emotion is natural and acceptable.
There are many situations to which anger is a natural and appropriate
response. For example, righteous anger is natural and appropriate when
someone has been treated unfairly. This anger empowers a person, making
it possible to confront the unfair situation and turn things right. (Read
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While
everyone experiences stress and anxiety at times, generally this anxiety
can be traced to a known trigger. Unfortunately, for some people this is
not the case. Their chronic anxiety takes over and makes it next to
impossible for them to live a normal, healthy life.
It is unclear what pushes a person from normal levels of anxiety into an
anxiety disorder. Possibly the part of the brain that controls fear
response is somehow over or under developed, thus causing an inability
to control the level of fear experienced in day-to-day life. Whatever
the neurological cause, there is a clear tendency for anxiety issues to
be passed on from generation to generation, suggesting a genetic link.
On the other hand, anxiety may be purely a learned disorder, where
inadequate methods of coping with anxiety have compounded into a
debilitating problem. (Read
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With 1/3 of our lives dedicated to sleep, it is
not surprising that sleep disorders are one of the most debilitating
issues that face people. Whether it is getting too much sleep, too
little sleep, or something that affects the quality of sleep, anything
that interferes with the body’s natural balance between sleep and
wakefulness has the potential of affecting the day-to-day life of an
individual.
The most common sleep-related disorder is insomnia. Clinically defined
as the inability to sleep, insomnia can affect the ability to fall
asleep, the ability to maintain sleep, the ability to remain asleep in
the morning, or any combination of the three. Acute insomnia is usually
short-term, and is related to stress. Chronic insomnia lasts for a month
or more, and is no as easily defined. In fact, according to the National
Sleep Foundation, chronic insomnia may even be a primary disorder,
rather than a secondary disorder caused by some other primary complaint.
(Read
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It seems that in every classroom at least a couple of children are
diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. But, realistically, are this many children
truly affected by this disorder?
The DSM-IV criteria for ADD or ADHD are very subjective, and can easily
be applied to many children who should not be considered an ADD/ADHD
child. There are two basic areas in which a child must show signs of
behavior that is “maladaptive and inconsistent with development level”.
The first is “Hyperactivity/Impulsivity”; the second is “Inattention”.
(Read
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