bipolar no more

In the course of a therapist’s career, there are usually one or two patients whose journey doesn’t just touch the heart; it remains there for life. For neurofeedback practitioner Molly Raamakers, a nine-year-old boy named “Nick” was one of those patients. When Ms. Raaymakers first met Nick, he had just moved with his mother, “Diane,” and his two siblings, from Colorado to Michigan following Diane’s divorce. His mother had hoped the move would help Nick to overcome his emotional insecurity and bludgeoned self-worth.

The prior years had been overwhelmingly difficult. Despite being in an open-minded and encouraging educational system in Colorado, Nick had been unable to learn well, struggling with concepts, math, writing, and friendships. Nick was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. His teachers recognized that something was blocking the abilities they knew he had, but they seemed to be buried deep within the boy. His occasional episodes of fury, most likely a reflection of his inner fears, emitted strongly through layers of psychiatric medication. He had been on various strong medications, and had even required in-patient hospitalization a few times.

Nick was hospitalized for suicidal ideation and intent at one point. Nick emerged from this relatively unchanged, though an increase in his anti-depressant, attempting to relieve his overly-sedated CNS, gave him a brief couple of weeks feeling alright. When he was nine years old, Nick began receiving neurofeedback in Ms. Raaymakers office. He responded so quickly to the brain self-regulating training, that he soon needed a reduction in his medication.

His prescribing physician, however, did not understand that a young man with such a turbulent emotional history would need to reduce his dosages, and rejected Ms. Raaymakers’ suggestion. Diane quickly found a new psychiatrist for her son, one that was sensitive and conservative with his medication routines. With his assistance, Ms. Raymaakers was able to reduce Nick’s psychiatric mediation, and proceed with Pulmonary Function Testing, as she had observed that he displayed numerous signs of asthma and allergies.

As suspected, Nick was asthmatic and allergic throughout the Midwest’s fall and winter seasons. Ms. Raaymaker began the careful balancing act of stabilizing his respiratory condition, while controlling this in relationship to his psychiatric dosing; she methodically added 1 piece of respiratory care at a time. With each addition, came a need for psychiatric medication reduction.

With help from the neurofeedback training, Nick began to shine. Although still shy, he began to push past his walls. He eventually discontinued his psychiatric medication, joined the cub scouts, the orchestra, and even invited a friend over to play. After years of sullen seclusion and exclusion, this was his rebirth. The teachers at school noticed a new child in him, no longer as agitated, irritable and impulsive. No longer as explosive in emotion, he began making friends. A gentle smile replaced the quiet rage. He began to laugh without nervousness.

Ms. Raaymakers taught Diane how to run Nick’s neurofeedback sessions. This empowered them both with knowledge and skill. Nick continued to settle comfortably within himself and further discover who he is. He required less frequency in sessions. Recently, when Ms. Raaymakers stopped over to chat and deliver a home training unit, Diane beamed with delight. “I’ve got to tell you–oh, he’s embarrassed. He’s trying to dodge you,” she uttered. Nick was trying to scramble un-noticed to his room, blushing terribly. “I have got to tell you about his conference,” his mother continued. “I had Nick’s school conference last night. He’s getting four A’s and a B!” she squealed with delight. Nick, too, had broken from his slinking away state, and was giggling gleefully. Her eyes pooling with tears, Diane said went on. “After years of struggling, trying to find something to help him… he’s finally good.”

Diane had still more to tell. “His teacher,” she said, “was going to retire, but after working with Nick, she’s staying on one more year. She said that if there is even just one more child like Nick to teach, she wants to be there. And that she hopes Nick will remember her when he’s writing his scientific manuscripts of discovery.” Diane paused for a moment, and then said, “Can you believe it? He’s going to be ok. He’s going to be successful in life.” At that point, therapist and mom both had tears in their eyes. And, as Ms. Raaymakers relates, “I thought to myself how successful he already was in life.”

Want to know more about the amazing world of Neurofeedback? Click on this link to go to http://www.NeurofeedbackBook.com Dr. Clare Albright is a psychologist and the author of a 168 page book, “Neurofeedback: Transforming Your Life with Brain Biofeedback” and can be reached at (949) 454-0996 http://www.NeurofeedbackBook.com

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