Can a Neurologist Help with Mental Illness?
For many years, neurology and psychiatry were thought to be a unified branch of medicine. Somewhere in the 20th Century, however, the two fields parted ways—neurology focusing more on brain disorders with cognitive and behavioral abnormalities which exhibited physical characteristics like stroke, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s, while psychiatrists focused more on disorders of mood and thought associated with no (or very minor) physical signs, like schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety.
The main difference between psychology and neuroscience is their field of study. Psychology is the study of behavior and the mental processes which lead to behavior—thoughts, feelings and desires. Psychology observes these behaviors and processes indirectly. Neuroscience delves deeper into the human mind, observing biological and chemical processes in the brain and nervous system. Neuroscience makes it possible to look more directly, to see what’s going on in our brains.
The two—neuroscience and psychology—can work hand-in-hand in helping to address unwanted behaviors and processes and develop healthier and more desirable patterns. In other words, neuroscience can help with mental illness.
We offer neuroscience and neurofeedback at Honey Lake Clinic, a non-evasive method of recording and then evaluating brain waves and brain rhythms to develop a more effective treatment plan for treating mental health or mood disorders.
How Do Neuroscience and Neurofeedback Work?
Your brain organizes in rhythms. Brain waves are always firing, and those patterns form and govern how you think, act, and respond. Simply put, you are functioning well when the proper brainwave is dominant at the right time. You are not functioning when a pattern dominates at an inappropriate time.
Brain waves can be recorded, allowing us to see when our brains are stuck in a particular pattern and can’t switch in the right timing. In order to determine which brain waves need to be addressed, and trained to increase or decrease their activity, and in which area of the brain, a quantitative EEG assessment (qEEG) is used. This assessment uses sensors on specific scalp locations to measure your EEG activity in real time.
Results can be compared, then, against a large database of other individuals. By identifying the brain waves and locations which are either over- and under-stimulated, neurofeedback can be used to help reduce or increase the specific brain waves.
The effectiveness of neurofeedback training on some disorders has been more thoroughly researched than others, but, in general, neurofeedback training has been found to be beneficial in treating a variety of different neurological disorders. Some disorders that are commonly treated using neurofeedback include: ADHD, epilepsy, anxiety, PTSD, autism, and depression.
A Neuroscience Track as Unique as Honey Lake Clinic
Our Neuroscience program at Honey Lake differs from other treatment facilities in that we recognize the importance of incorporating spirituality into every aspect of the treatment process.
Neuroscience can be applied anywhere, but when it is done in concert with God’s grace and in dependence upon the Holy Spirit’s presence and guidance, we believe the difference is profound.
Neuroscience is another example of the unique treatment options available at Honey Lake Clinic which enable us to help clients address their health across all three spheres—spirit, mind and body—offering each client his or her greatest potential for wholeness and transformative growth.
Your ability at Honey Lake Clinic to incorporate a wide variety of therapeutic programs and options into your care is truly unique. The neuroscience track, in chorus with other forms of therapy—Equine-Assisted, EMDR, Art therapy, Massage, for instance—not to mention the many and varied relaxing on-site amenities you will enjoy here—truly lead to healing.
At Honey Lake, we’re committed to providing you with compassionate care and the practical equipping necessary to significantly improve the condition which brought you to our program. A faith-informed model, experienced staff, licensed professional caregivers, individualized treatment—all in a beautiful and tranquil 1300-acre lakeside setting—we’re here for you.
