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How Does Biofeedback Help People Suffering From Depression?

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What Is Biofeedback?

When you start to feel stressed or anxious, your body has an involuntary reaction to this- may it be sweating, shivering, clenching of your stomach or rapid breathing and so on.

The very basis of biofeedback therapy is the realization that your body is reacting in this way and that you can control it.

Peripheral Biofeedback

There are two types of biofeedback. One is peripheral or body-based biofeedback and the other is neurofeedback.

Whereas neurofeedback focuses mainly of brain waves, peripheral biofeedback concentrates on other bodily reactions such as heart rate, respiratory rate, skin temperature and perspiration.

How Does Biofeedback Work?

These bodily responses are measured using electrodes attached to your skin, which will send information onto a monitor where it will be displayed as sounds or visuals. Guided by a biofeedback practitioner through a series of exercises, you can start to understand how these exercises affect the section processes.

Why Biofeedback, And Not Other Methods Of Treating Depression?

Most other methods of treatment for depression do not take into account the effect that the body movements and postures have on mood as well as brain function. Biofeedback has shown that people that are more aware of their postures and who engage themselves in specific physical activities such as skipping, swimming and so on, experience happier moods and a more positive thinking.

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Why Is Biofeedback An Important Method Of Treating Depression?

Studies have shown that depressed patients had anxiety and decreased heart rate, and increased heart rate after heart rate variability biofeedback.

Doctors say that biofeedback has many positive effects on depressed patients. It exercises and rebalances your autonomous nervous system, and helps you feel arousal when needed, as well as put a stop to it when that is helpful. It helps depressed patients acquire this self-managing skill, which is often lacking in them.

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Depression is not lifelong. It can and must be treated.

If someone you know or care about is depressed, urge them to seek help and get better.

#SpeakYour Mind.

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