8/12/2019 Mar14 Mental Health

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/mar14-mental-health 1/1Page 26 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Peoria — March 2014

T he human brain controls all of our physical and psychological

functions. When it fails to function properly, we experience a vari-

ety of mental and behavioral health problems. In simple terms,

neurological dysregulation results when the brain is using the wrong

brainwave, at the wrong time, for the wrong task. This results in a state

of neurological over-arousal, under-arousal or unstable-arousal.

Many things can cause the brain to become dysregulated. These

include genetic factors that we inherit from our parents and grandpar-

ents; prenatal exposure to maternal stress; substance abuse; environ-

mental toxins such as lead or mercury; and birth complications, such as

oxygen deprivation and birth trauma. The causes of brain dysregulation

do not stop at birth. Disease, infection, and high fever can also dysregu-late brain function. Head injury from sports or car accidents, poor diet,

and inadequate exercise also dysregulate the brain. Emotionally sup-

pressive psychosocial environments such as abuse, neglect, and lack of

maternal emotional stability can also cause neurological dysregulation.

Life stress, over-use of medication, substance abuse, and chronic pain

also contribute to brain dysregulation. In addition, repeated exposure to

surgical anesthesia, chemotherapy, and even the process of aging also

dysregulate the brain’s normal neurological activity.

It is any wonder that any of us can make it through life, without

encountering some insult to our brain’s neurological functioning? Even

more disheartening are the physical and mental health symptoms that

follow. Neurological dysregulation leaves us more vulnerable to stress

and depression. Stress and depression exhaust our bodies and con-

tribute to such stress-related illnesses as obesity, insomnia, cognitivedecline, high blood pressure, diabetes, migraine headaches, digestive

problems, and fibromyalgia. Most doctors will treat your symptoms

with medication in hope of diminishing their impact. Most mental health

therapists will treat your thoughts and feelings to help you better cope

and change the problems in your life that worsen your symptoms. A

neurotherapist, however, will treat the neurological basis of your brain’s

dysregulation. They go directly to the heart of the problem and with

EEG (electroencephalographic) biofeedback, teach your brain how to

re-regulate its normal neurological functioning.

Neurological Dysregulation is at the

Heart of Mental Health DisordersBy Ted Chapin, PhD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Trained Neurotherapist

mental health

Ted Chapin, P

  Neurofeedback uses behavioral principles to reinforce healthy

activity and inhibit or reduce unhealthy brain activity. After 20 t

sessions, clients can experience significant and lasting relief from ety, depression, bipolar disorder, emotional trauma, substance ab

autism spectrum disorders, insomnia, seizures, attention deficit hy

activity disorder, pain, migraine headaches, cognitive inefficiency

an array of stress-related physiological disorders.

To learn more about neurofeedback and its ability to improve

 neurological functioning, call “The Neurotherapy Institute of Ce

Illinois,” a division of Chapin & Russell Associates, at 309-681-585

visit ChapinandRussell.com/neurotherapy.asp for more informatio