1. Mind-Body Awareness Is Altered by Addictions, PTSD
Subsequent discoveries in modern neuroscience, neuro-imaging and neurosociology have sharpened the process.
Two important processes are:
Biofeedback for Somatic Reactivity
Neurofeedback for Mental Clarity

2. Biofeedback Is the Most Effective Anti-Relapse Tool
The Only Mind-Body Tool: Biofeedback and Neurofeedback are the only tools allowing accurate real-time self-viewing of how your body reacts to everything, including cravings and impulsivity.
This is the key to preventing relapse.

3. Relapse and Arousal Arousal happens all the time.
Levels of Arousal vary.
Some Arousals are Reactive.
Some Arousals are Anticipatory.
All Arousals are Conditionable.
Cravings and Arousal are synergistic.
The Neuroscience of Arousal is interesting…

4. Arousal-Stress Curve Basic Findings
PEAK AROUSAL
Focused
Alert
In the Flow
Attentive
UNDERAROUSAL
Bored
Drowsy
Daydreaming
Inattentive
AROUSAL
OVERAROUSAL
Stressed
Exhausted
Hypervigilant
Over-reactive
PERFORMANCE
As arousal goes up, performance improves, then deteriorates.

5. Arousal-Stress Reactions : Neuroscience Findings
STRESS IS INSTINCTUAL: It occurs before reflective, cognitive learning.
EMOTIONAL LINKING: Events that have emotional value are remembered best.
EMOTIONAL MEMORIES REGRESS: However emotions can so color memories that we can re-live them.
AROUSAL DISTRACTS : Emotional memories tend to distract us from our own arousal.

6. What happens in here is outside our normal awareness
AROUSAL-AWARENESS: We are usually too preoccupied to notice until arousal is high
Full
Emotional
Response
Choice
Restricted
Awareness Threshold before 'Feedback
AROUSAL
The Blue Bar represents our normal limit of awareness
What happens in here is outside our normal awareness
Precipitating
Event
About 5 seconds until aware of arousal bump

7. BIOFEEDBACK AND AROUSAL- AWARENESS
Biofeedback allows us to sharpen our awareness of subtle physiological changes.
With repetition, we detect potential stressors more quickly and more accurately.
And we begin to detect them with a lower threshold of awareness.

8. Biofeedback training makes us aware of subtle changes BEFORE normal threshold of awareness.
Awareness Threshold AFTER 'Feedback
AROUSAL
Early
Emotional
Bump
-----
No Surprises
The Blue Bar represents our new limit of awareness
Precipitating
Event
Interrupts arousal bump in less than 5 seconds

9. KEY POINT
Successful biofeedback training allows us to detect stress at a lower threshold of awareness.

10. Other Stressors do not fit this Normal Arousal Model
Neuroscience confirms that we are all vulnerable to ‘super-stressors’
These are called ‘super-normal stimuli’, ‘triggers’ or taboo stimuli in varios science specialties.
Super-stressors hijack the arousal system and re-direct focus.
Supper-stressors are stimuli associated with:
Overwhelming drug/alcohol effects - triggers
Traumatic events – also called triggers
Even stimuli associated with eating – comfort foods.

11. Super-stressors Morph Precipitant Stimuli into Instantaneous Explosive Triggers
HYPER
AROUSAL
Kindled Emotional Explosion
-----
Resticted Alteratives- ‘Compulsions’
Dissociative Memories
Instant Regression to Earlier
Behaviors
Feelings
Habits
AROUSAL
Triggering
Event
Triggers arousal EXPLOSION in less than ½ second

12. Triggers Wipe Away Good Intentions
In normal arousal states, many options are possible.
In triggered arousal states, focus narrows, options narrow, too.
Triggers
-----
Narrow Focus
Normal Focus
Good
Intentions
Eating
Playing
Everything Else
----
Diffuse Focus
Thinking
Socializing
Grooming
Triggering
Event
NORMAL AROUSAL
NO TRIGGERS
HYPER AROUSAL TRIGGERS

13. Your Focus Narrows in Response to Triggers
HYPER
AROUSAL
Triggers
-----
Narrow Focus
Here is the same idea, in a different form….
NORMAL
AROUSAL
Good Intentions
----
Normal Focus
Everything Else
----
Diffuse Focus
Triggering
Event

14. Triggering Events Can Be Anything Associated With A Big Event!
-Paraphernalia associated with drugs
- ‘Hot’ people associated with drugs, flirting

15. TREATMENTS

16. How to We Discover Triggers?
GSR, Galvanic Skin Response, elevates as arousal increases.
In the next example, GSR is being recorded while the same trigger, talking about drug use, is repeated…..

17. Triggering
Event
Triggering
Event
Triggering
Event
GSR Physiological Arousal
Triggering
Event

18. DRUGS TAKE OVER NORMAL NEUROBEHAVIORAL INSTINCTS
Clarity’s Program normalizes the brain.
It also calms the nervous system.
Clarity works with the calm brain while voluntarily rehearsing arousal triggers.
KEY POINT: This is paradoxical, and helps highlight and modify arousal and kindling previously associated with cravings.

19. First, Increase Awareness of Arousal
Before ou can change reactions, you must first make the person aware of them.
Awareness is best taught with arousal-contrast: brief episodes of high arousing stimuli altering with low arousing stimuli.
Stimuli are imagined for training.
Imaginal stimuli are rehearsed [Mental Rehearsal] to improve awareness.

20. This Client Is Just Beginning – Imaginal Rehrarsal of a calm state, with feedback
ALPHA
THETA
BETA
AUTONOMIC REACTIVITY

21. With much repetition, the client can produce brainwave bursts
and pleasant imagery.
AUTONOMIC REACTIVITY indicates active relaxed feelings

22. NEXT EXPOSE TRIGGERS IN A SAFE ENVIORNMENT
PHYSIOLOGICAL MONITORING: We know what to do when triggers increase arousal, because we see early signs of arousal before it becomes a problem.
This is the reason why neurofeedback is the tool of choice, and not CBT, Mindfulness, or Talk Therapy.

23. ADDICTION CUE EXPOSURE
The client now rehearses coping with a stressful and/or craving state
which get more intense over sessions

24. Coping with Drug Stimuli
Alter with Relaxation
During a neurotherapy session ….

25. RELAX
COPE
RELAX
COPE
RELAX

26. The client becomes more confident in coping without the shadow of surprise
RELAX
COPE
RELAX
COPE
RELAX
Note how the signals rise during drug-coping and wane during relaxation

27. CONCLUSION
Unique to biofeedback, the effects of stress and cravings states are seen immediately, as instantaneous changes in neurobehavioral physiology.
These can be repeated again and