Displaying items by tag: brain support

"Neurotherapy through Braincode Centers has been the best thing to happen to me. I come from a family of First Responders who have served their community with Pride and Honor. I knew that God was calling me to be in the service of my community and country. When I became a Law Enforcement Officer and hit the streets I realized that I needed to step back from my calling to serve my community to address the “trauma related brain injuries” I incurred during my life.

Braincode Centers helped me recover and retrain my brain to address the past injuries to my neurological pathways I had, understand how my brain reacts to trauma and developing a plan to train the brain to function and grow at the highest level possible.

In my short career as a Law Enforcement Officer, Braincode Centers has been one of the best tools I have in my toolbox to decompress and retrain my brain. I have learned that my brain is a unique muscle that gets injured when I experience trauma from calls for service, critical incidents and maintaining hypervigilance to go home safe.

Some of the signs of brain fatigue that I have come to learn through my training at Braincode and through Officer Survival classes are brain fog, irritability and anxiety, to name a few, are the result of cumulative trauma events that we as First Responders experience just by going to work. These can alter the chemistry and make up of our brain and change who we are as people.

Braincode Centers gives me the opportunity to grow, train and recover my brain in a way that will help me perform at my absolute best. This training helps prevent burnout from job related stressors that will slowly erode my home life and my ability to be the best I can on the streets.

I believe Braincode Centers is essential to my mental health and performance as a LEO. Neurotherapy is a critical training program for mental health and should be included to help combat the ugly statistic of First Responders Suicides due to the daily traumas we see that accumulate over a career that can span 25+ years of service."

Published in Neurofeedback

It's often said that it takes a village to raise a child. Couldn't the same be said for your mental health care? Mental health is one of those areas that can benefit greatly from a community approach. But are you aware of all the available mental healthcare options in your neighborhood? If not, you could be missing out on some of the best mental health resources in Highlands Ranch.

Believe it or not, your behavioral health affects the vibrancy of the community. That's why it's important for Highlands Ranch residents to have access to resources that address your emotional wellness needs. And because there are many factors that impact your behavioral health, it can be beneficial to have a variety of multifaceted resources available.

We get it, though: it's difficult to track down this information when you have so much on your plate. So, we've put together a list of mental health resources that are easily accessible right in Highlands Ranch. This list is not comprehensive but aims to help you with your mental health goals.

General & Emergency Mental Health Resources in Highlands Ranch

· Colorado Crisis Services

Colorado Crisis Services offers year-round 24/7 mental health support through crisis counselors, trained peer specialists, and an online article library. They can provide confidential support via call, text, or walk-in appointments in Highlands Ranch.

· NAMI Arapahoe/Douglas

This local NAMI chapter offers classes to cope with mental health symptoms for adults and children. They also offer a wealth of online resources, crisis services, a "Coffee and Connection" family support group, and more.

· Signal

An online database network that helps you find providers, treatment options, and crisis services serving the Highlands Ranch region.

· Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) Program

Denver's pilot solution was designed during the COVID-19 pandemic to be an alternative to law enforcement as a first response to low-level mental health calls. "The STAR Program deploys Emergency Response Teams that include Emergency Medical Technicians and Behavioral Health Clinicians to engage individuals experiencing crises related to mental health issues, poverty, homelessness, and substance abuse," (denvergov.org).

· Braincode Centers

At our top-rated neurofeedback facility, we offer supplementary mental health care services and online resources. Our brain specialists will help you obtain optimal brain health through qEEG brain mapping, neurofeedback, and counseling.

Physical Health

Your physical wellbeing is a big factor in brain health and can have great importance in individuals with serious mental illness (NIH.gov). Thus, exercise can be an overlooked intervention in mental healthcare. Physical activity helps regulate mood by increasing circulation in the brain. It also helps reduce anxiety by influencing the brain region that controls fear and stress, which is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Getting exercise also helps you with your self-esteem and comes with tons of other health benefits. So, why not begin a physical fitness program that works for you? Here are some mental health resources in Highlands Ranch for your physical wellbeing to get started:

· Local Gyms

· Free Community Fitness

Connections

Humans are social beings! Having a good support network and a variety of human connections is vital to our mental wellbeing. There are many different ways you can fulfill this area of your life. We've outlined several ideas and activities below to help you get involved and meet friends in the Highlands Ranch community no matter your walk of life or your age:

  • Volunteering
  • Community Events
  • Social Clubs
  • Classes & Education

Relaxation

Finding drug-free ways to relax improves anxiety and mental health disorders and comes with many other health benefits. Relaxation techniques can slow your breathing and calm your mind so that you can cope throughout your busy day. Be sure to check out some of these excellent local resources to help you reach an optimum state of relaxation.

Massage

Float Tanks

HBOT Therapy

IV Therapy

Biofeedback

Meditation & Mindfulness

Meditation and mindfulness can be great tools to support your mental well-being. They’re highly effective methods for reducing anxiety, stress, and depression. These practices work by centering your mind in the present and focusing on calm, positive thoughts and repetitive breathing. Here are 3 resources in Highlands Ranch for practicing meditation and mindfulness.

Yoga

Neurofeedback

The most important thing to remember when looking for mental health resources in Highlands Ranch is that each person has different needs. Your journey may look very different when compared to your friends and family. So, try out the different resources available and see what has the best results for you.

If you're struggling with depression, anxiety, or any other mental illness, it requires a lifestyle plan rather than a quick fix. We hope these community resources help you find the best options to support your long-term goals for mental health improvement.

Improve Your Mental Health with Neurofeedback in Highlands Ranch

If you're ready to take control of your mental health and retrain your brain, reach out to us at Braincode Centers. We offer free consultations for our wide array of mental health services so you can see if one of our therapies is right for you.

Contact us today to learn more about our Highlands Ranch neurofeedback offerings and resources.

Published in Mental Health Care

Dealing with depression is difficult. It can drain your energy and make simple things such as getting out of bed or going to work a daily challenge. Although SSRIs can be extremely beneficial in managing your symptoms, sometimes they don’t provide you with the relief you really need. Thankfully, there are other treatment options to consider. If you’re on the search for alternatives to SSRIs for depression, you’ve come to the right place.

Published in Depression
Wednesday, 05 June 2019 15:26

How Stress Affects The Brain

Stress, in the right context, is an incredibly helpful tool for humans. It’s helped us to survive as long as we have. Stress is basically a reaction to any demand or challenge that is presented to your brain. Your brain triggers the release of a chemical called cortisol, which sets off the fight-or-flight response in your body. For those who haven’t heard of fight-or-flight, it increases your heart rate to get your muscles the blood they need, increases your focus, and releases adrenaline in your body to give you the extra edge you need in order to deal with the stressor. Ultimately, this response can help us survive dangerous situations or perform better in situations where performance is critical. However, when you are stressed out frequently and over long periods of time, it can have negative effects on your brain. Braincode Centers has a number of locations across northern Colorado, contact us today for questions and help with stress.

Long-Term Effects Of Stress On Your Brain

Over time, having high amounts of cortisol can start retraining the brain in negative ways. The stress itself typically isn’t what’s bad for the brain, but the over-abundance of cortisol in the brain from consistent and long-term stressors are what end up causing harm. There are a plethora of adverse effects from frequent and long-term cortisol build up.

Stress Can Play A Part In Retraining The Brain.

Over time, too much cortisol makes it so that different parts of your brain actually increase or decrease in size. Chronic stress has been shown to decrease the overall size of the brain, more specifically in the prefrontal cortex. Your prefrontal cortex is responsible for functions like self-control and emotion. Having reduced self-control and emotion potentially make you more likely to develop a behavioral disorder like depression, anxiety, or other mental health care concerns.

Your amygdala is what is responsible for initiating the stress reaction from the body. The amygdala can actually increase in size with chronic stress, making you even more susceptible to stress. This nasty chain reaction can ultimately lead to you always being in fight-or-flight mode. This is not only exhausting, but can lead to higher risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, or other physical health concerns.

Neurofeedback is a method commonly used to treat stress, anxiety, and similar conditions. If you are in the northern Colorado area and are seeking mental health care, reach out to Braincode Centers today. We are experts in neurofeedback treatment options.

Chronic Stress Can Wreak Havoc On Your Brain

Long-term stress makes it so instead of your brain producing cells that create neurons and neural pathways, those cells are repurposed to create more myelin creating cells. Myelin is a layer that surrounds pathways in the brain to speed up communication. Initially, this might sound fine. But, when resources that normally make neurons are diverted to create another resource, this leads to fewer neurons. Fewer neurons being created helps to explain the link between stress and reduced memory and learning capabilities.

Mental health care is incredibly important to your overall well being. Make sure you are getting the right help if you or someone you know is consistently stressed. Long-term stress has well-researched and known negative effects on the brain, so don’t wait until it becomes a problem. If you are looking for mental health care in northern Colorado, schedule an appointment today.

Published in Anxiety