Trauma affects more than just thoughts—it changes the brain's biology. After a traumatic event, the brain may remain in a hypervigilant state, leading to increased anxiety and stress. PTSD can develop in response to traumatic events such as accidents, natural disasters, combat, serious injuries, or domestic violence. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance behaviors, and heightened arousal, and the condition can last for months or years, with triggering events bringing back memories of the trauma.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, PTSD rates have significantly increased, with a post-pandemic prevalence of 22.6%, up from pre-pandemic levels of 6.1% to 9.2%. Healthcare workers, infected patients, and adolescents have shown particularly high increases in PTSD symptoms.
Studies show that over 60% of participants no longer met the criteria for PTSD after neurofeedback training, with lasting results—only 20% experienced a return of symptoms 2.5 years later.
Neurofeedback helps calm the nervous system, reduce hypervigilance, and restore balance. The most common side effect reported is temporary tiredness after sessions.
Neurofeedback for Veterans with PTSD
One in five veterans experience symptoms of PTSD. These symptoms can include re-experiencing traumatic events through intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares, along with a sense of reliving the trauma. Veterans may also face avoidance behaviors, such as steering clear of thoughts, feelings, or places related to the trauma, along with difficulty remembering parts of the traumatic experience.
Other common symptoms include persistent negative emotions like fear, anger, guilt, or shame, feeling detached from others, and losing interest in previously enjoyed activities. Hyperarousal, such as being easily startled, trouble concentrating, irritability, sleep disturbances, and hypervigilance, are also frequent. PTSD may also lead to depression, substance abuse, chronic pain, difficulties maintaining employment, and strained relationships.
Neurofeedback offers veterans a safe, non-invasive treatment option that helps retrain the brain’s response to trauma. Veterans who have used neurofeedback report significant improvements, including better sleep, reduced flashbacks, enhanced anger management, and decreased hypervigilance. By promoting self-regulation and improving brain function, neurofeedback helps veterans manage PTSD without relying on medication. Unlike medication, neurofeedback carries few side effects, with the most common being a temporary feeling of tiredness after a session
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