A substance abuse disorder is a disease that affects more than just physical health. It’s an all-around condition that takes over a person’s body and mind to the point where their addiction becomes their priority. These individuals often experience troubles in their relationships, jobs, schools, and finances due to their drug or alcohol use. Comprehensive drug and alcohol addiction treatment is needed to successfully overcome a substance abuse disorder. One technique that can help people overcome both the psychological and physical hold of addiction is our biofeedback therapy in Palm Beach.
What Is Biofeedback Therapy?
Biofeedback is the process of gaining a greater awareness of one’s physiological functions using electronic or other instruments, including a biofeedback machine or device. The goal of biofeedback therapy for addiction and mental illness is to gain the ability to manipulate the body’s systems at will.
Biofeedback is a technique used at our Banyan Lake Worth rehab to teach clients how to regulate and control their reactions to stress on their own. The body often reacts involuntarily to stress and anxiety. As a result, functions like heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and body temperature all skyrocket, worsening the individual’s experience and creating a vicious cycle of distress.
During a biofeedback therapy session, patients are laid down on a serenity bed and connected to various sensors that monitor these psychological functions. These electrical sensors relay information about their bodies and their functions. Auditory sensory cues are then played so the individual’s heart rate can fall in line with the rhythmic pattern.
Feedback from the sensors shows clients the subtle changes in their bodies as they undergo treatment, such as relaxing certain muscles and slowing breathing and heart rate. In essence, biofeedback therapy gives clients the ability to practice new ways to control their bodies, mainly to recover from substance abuse or a mental health disorder.
Biofeedback Therapy for Addiction
An addict in recovery is working on healing physically and mentally from substance abuse. Biofeedback therapy is only one form of addiction treatment offered at our drug and alcohol treatment center in Palm Beach. We know that the addiction recovery process can be stressful, and using structured yet adaptable tools is often the most effective therapy.
The entire process can be overwhelming and highly stressful. Not only are they healing through physical withdrawals in medical detox, but they’re also fighting against addiction cravings. If left untreated, this stress can accumulate, increasing the individual’s risk of relapsing even if they’ve completed addiction treatment.
Biofeedback therapy for mental illness and addiction is one way to help an individual in recovery healthily manage stress. While heart rate and other functions occur involuntarily, our biofeedback
techniques teach patients how to regulate these functions when they’re experiencing stress or anxiety.
In addition to heart rate, biofeedback devices also help clients regulate muscle relaxation, sweating, and body temperature. These machines also read brain waves to determine a person’s stress level. Biofeedback is an essential tool used in our levels of addiction treatment for individuals with drug use disorders, mental disorders, or both.
Because biofeedback can be used for a variety of disorders, it offers a variety of benefits:
- Noninvasive form of treatment
- Possibly reducing or eliminating the need for medication
- Possibly enhancing the benefits of medication, such as antidepressants
- Serving as an effective form of care for individuals who can’t take medication for their ailments, such as pregnant individuals
- Treating headaches
- Decreasing high blood pressure
- Improving concentration and focus
- Improving mental health
- Treating and decreasing the severity and frequency of panic attacks
- Decreasing anxiety
- Reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Controlling muscle spasms and involuntary motor movements
In addition to using biofeedback for addiction and mental illness, other medical facilities also use it to treat the effects of conditions like:
- Asthma
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Chemotherapy side effects
- Chronic pain
- Constipation
- Fecal incontinence
- Fibromyalgia
- Headache
- High blood pressure
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Raynaud’s disease
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Stroke
- Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
- Urinary incontinence
Untreated anxiety and stress can affect mental and physical health in the long run. Individuals who suffer greatly from anxiety and stress not only struggle with their mental clarity and well-being but also tend to suffer from heart problems, high blood pressure, and other physical ailments. Mental health also takes a toll as a result of untreated stress.
Poor mental health is often a contributing factor to substance abuse, while it could also be the result of chronic drug or alcohol abuse. Because mental health and substance abuse are interlinked, biofeedback therapy is an effective form of treatment for both conditions individually and when they occur simultaneously.
Finding Biofeedback Therapy Near Me
At Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches, we believe that the only way to achieve long-term sobriety is to address every aspect of substance abuse disorders. To do this, we use biofeedback alongside our addiction treatment programs in Palm Beach.
While in sessions, biofeedback therapists supervise each patient to ensure their health and safety and that they’re getting the most out of therapy. Each patient will develop relaxation techniques during their treatment that will help them stay on track in recovery from addiction.
During their time with us, patients will be exposed to a variety of other therapies and programs in addition to biofeedback for co-occurring disorders. These programs include proven medical therapies and treatments that are focused on both the physical and psychological impact of addiction. Our goal is to offer patients a variety of effective programs so they can find a treatment that works for them and develop the necessary skills for long-term sobriety.
What’s more, not only do we offer addiction treatment, but we also offer a variety of Florida mental health services at BHOPB. When used in tandem with our addiction treatments, individuals with addictions or co-occurring disorders can successfully recover.
Losing a loved one to addiction or mental illness can be heartbreaking. If you’re battling these conditions or know someone who is, we can help.
Contact Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches now to learn more about our mental health treatments and addiction treatment in Lake Worth.
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