submitted by Maria Di Donato DEd,BCN, PA Licensed Psychologist, PA/NJ Certified School Psychologist
Rose, not her real name, a young woman from Ewing was experiencing severe burn out and job stress that caused her to take a medical leave. Her job responsibilities required her to work an extremely long work week for some time which gave her severe exhaustion.
The effect of the job demands caused her extreme anxiety, a nervous tic and depression with no opportunity to satisfactorily balance the rest of her life. She was not willing to follow advice from another facility to take medication.
Suspecting that the issue required a more balanced approach, she contacted our office for information. At intake, it was clear that Rose’s issues were triggered by extreme and persistent stress and work overload with multiple work projects.
She reported extreme anxiety, depression, forgetfulness, crying easily, and a nervous eye tic. She experienced difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, extreme muscle tension and emotional agitation.
She began to experience headaches and pressure in her chest. She was worried that she would have to quit her job.
After her first session, Rose reported she slept better, felt calmer and more relaxed, had better concentration and reduction in headaches. Continued treatment further improved her symptoms as she began to smile more in session and feel more empowered.
Heart math variability, another form of biofeedback, was very helpful for self-regulation to help with maintaining emotional balance, as needed. Using the treatment and her own calming strategies Rose has been more empowered to find solutions to balance her work responsibilities and lifestyle to make healthier choices.
Rose was able to take a closer look at her job situation and develop healthy solutions that would work for her betterment. Neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback that helps regulate brainwaves to restore a normal balance for emotional and cognitive control that work for the individual to develop a healthier lifestyle.