Thinking Outside the (Pill) Box!

   Medication can be a wonderful thing.  It can and often does save lives!  But if you listen to the advertisements of pharmaceutical manufacturer’s you can sometimes get the impression that pills are the solution to almost all of life's problems. Listed here are several non-pharmaceutical treatments that get less publicity but can be very helpful in dealing with issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia and concentration problems.

Please note: Never change your medication without consultation and approval of your prescribing health care professional!

- Bright Light Therapy was originally developed as a treatment for seasonal affective disorder and has more recently been established as an effective treatment for depression and insomnia. It has been studied with pregnant women with treatment effects equal to antidepressant medications and without adverse side effects. Light therapy has the added benefit of resetting the circadian rythym thereby improving the sleep wake cycle.

- Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback trains the patient to optimize heart rate variability through breathing and relaxation. Improved variability improves neurological regulation of emotional states. HRV biofeedback has been shown to be effective in treating depression and anxiety.  The clinical intervention involved is deep breathing and relaxation, with a passive feedback device providing information to the patient.

- Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES) is an FDA approved medical device for the treatment of depression, anxiety and insomnia. It consists of a small palm sized device that contains a 9 volt battery, a reistat, a timer and two ear clips. The reistat adjusts the amount of current and the clips attach to your ear lobes. A small amount of current passes through the skull and the brain. A prescription from a medical doctor or a note from a psychologist is required to purchase this equipment.

- Neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback using the electromagnetic waves that are naturally created by your brain. Sensors are put on your scalp that feed into an electroencephlogram (eeg). A computer analyzes the waves. When the brain functions in a desired way, a video game plays as a way of providing feedback and reward. The better your brain performs, the better the game plays! It enhances your brain’s capacity to regulate the states including; sleep, wakefulness, attention, mood and the ability to remain calm and focused under stressful conditions.

- Psychotherapy is well established as an effective treatment choice for depression without risk of side effects. We recommend psychotherapy in conjunction with any of the therapies listed above.

To make an appointment with one of our psychologists, simply call the office at 538-7793.