Anxiety & Depression
Client's Name: Evelyn
Age: 19
Syptoms:
Diagnosis: Anxiety, Post-partum depression, ADD
Sleep- starts to fall asleep, but has developed myoclonic jerks, which will not allow her to fall into a deep sleep
Heart palpitations
Hot flashes
Chills
Shivering
Increased alcohol consumption and began cigarette smoking due to onset of anxiety
Flat affect
Forgetfulness
Newly developed fear of death and preoccupation with health concerns neck and back tension
Developmental/Complaint History:
Following her childbirth she has been diagnosed with post-partum depression
Death of father-age 6
Mom incarcerated for father’s death-age 6
In foster care- age 6-11
Raped- age 14
Her 3 yr. old daughter has PDD which causes a great deal of stress for her as a single parent
Prescription Medication:
None.
Evelyn used to take Lexapro. It helped some, but didn’t get rid of all the symptoms. She reports that she just felt empty still and also had occasional panic attacks, which began to increase again even while on the medication. Instead of increasing her dose she is giving alternative therapy a try before she begins another Lexapro prescription.
Ongoing Therapy:
Evelyn has been in therapy for 2 years and is starting up treatment again. Her therapist recommended trying biofeedback.
Outcome:
Evelyn wanted to try homeopathic supplements. I agreed and also recommended neurofeedback. Evelyn’s custom nutrition plan involved Neuro-R which is a liquid homeopathic used to relax the nervous system and assist with all of her symptoms involved with anxiety.
Session 1 of neurofeedback Evelyn’s neck and back tension was relieved. The beginning of session 4 she said it was easier to fall asleep. Session 5 she reported she had no more panic attack symptom, which she would experience daily. She also expressed that she was more patient with her daughter. Session 7 she expressed an interest in Alpha-Theta sessions. I told her we could begin AT training in session 9. At session 8 she shared she no longer has the myclonic jerks. She sleeps soundly and remembered a dream of her interacting with her daughter, and her daughter was normal. Session 9 after the AT training Evelyn said she felt “beyond calm.” Evelyn said she felt as if she were suspended between awake and asleep and “it felt good!”
Evelyn had read about the experiences many clients have through AT training. It is common for client’s to ask how the can get the same results. Setting intention is no guarantee, but that’s the best I could do. Session 10 Evelyn had some images come up relating to her teenage years. She said she felt she could finally let them go. Session 13 issues surrounding her mom’s “abandonment” of her arose. She said she didn’t know that she was holding on to that, but she felt lighter after the session. She also seemed happier as if the “flat affect” was no longer a part of her symptoms.
By session 20 Evelyn continues to display a jovial disposition. She no longer has the symptoms of panic attacks and her memory has improved. She remembers her appointments without looking in her planner and she remembers where she puts the keys. She has cut back on her alcohol consumption and said she smokes cigarettes now out of habit, not out of need.
