Addictions and Substance Abuse

Addictions usually occur as an effort by a person to quiet or make ‘normal’ some part of dysregulated brain function, such as anxiety, depression, or ADHD.  The abused substance makes the person ‘feel’ better or at least not as bad.  As the substance is used over and over again, the brain and body begin to feel a new ‘normal’ which occurs while under the influence of the substance of choice.  To break this cycle, the brain needs to be retrained.  A good way to accomplish this directly is with Neurofeedback: