When Medicine Won't Work, Turn to Biofeedback

Recently, I attended the Houston Group Psychotherapy Society's annual meeting. During "Ask the Doctor", Dr. Harvey Rosenstock was asked what pregnant women should do when they can't take medication for anxiety and depression. Dr. Rosenstock replied that Biofeedback Training is a good option.

Biofeedback Therapy is also a good option when people can't take medication because of other conditions, including heart trouble. Or when they want a natural, non-invasive approach. Or when their response to medication and psychotherapy doesn't give them the relief they need.

So, just remember "Biofeedback" when medication won't work.

New Book Find

I was at Borders bookstore the other day when I rediscovered Daniel Amen, MD's book called Healing Anxiety and Depression. I was happy to see that Chapter 12, "Gaining Self-Control", was about Biofeedback and breathing techniques. He describes various signs of stress, stress responses, and how Biofeedback can be used to curb stress, anxiety, and other problems. I'm a big fan of Dan Amen books because they're straight forward, easy to read, and very informational.

Fresh Air on "The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain"

National Public Radio recently had an interview with The New York Times' health and medical science editor, Barbara Strauch, about her latest book, The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain. In it she debunks the idea that "senior moments", when we forget the simplest things like what we came into the kitchen to do, are the onset of dementia. She says those times are reflections of our brains becoming more distracted as we age, which is normal for humans. In fact, the premise of her book is that our brains are at their peak in middle age. So getting old isn't entirely bad after all!