By Christa Banister

Considering it weighs in at only three pounds — the same as the wheel of a mountain bike, a two-slice toaster, or ten avocados — the human brain is pretty compact. But in terms of power and functionality? It packs a real wallop with 100 billion neurons and support cells.

As the center of all human activity, our brains help us reason, process, drive a car, learn new languages, play sports, and fuel our creativity. When considering everything this crucial mass of gray and white matter does, it’s probably not surprising that having deeper insight into how it functions can play a significant role in helping with addiction and mental health struggles.

This is particularly true for adolescents in recovery. Unlike adults seeking treatment with brains that are fully developed, the young adult brain is still a work in progress, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

During the time where the adolescent brain continues to grow, mature, and adapt, neurofeedback and brain mapping therapy can help support healthy self-regulation skills, healing, and overall wellness when brain plasticity (or flexibility) is high.

Brain plasticity can enable the brain to rewire or reroute itself to recover from damage, expand learning capabilities, and even heal from a traumatic brain injury or stroke.

Brain plasticity can enable the brain to rewire or reroute itself to recover from damage, expand learning capabilities, and even heal from a traumatic brain injury or stroke, notes Healthline.com.

What Exactly is Brain Mapping?

brain activity illustration

In the same way a road map details how to drive from Point A to Point B, brain mapping provides a real-time snapshot of changes in the brain during treatment, giving insight into how your brain works and responds to various stimuli.

For our young patients at The Meadows Adolescent Center, this cutting-edge approach conducted by Peak Neuro-certified clinicians helps to provide:

  • A comparison of changes in the brain before and during treatment
  • A targeted approach in seeing how the adolescent brain learns and adapts
  • A clinical diagnosis

The initial assessment begins with a quantitative EEG (qEEG brain mapping) technology. Considered the gold standard of care in guiding brain mapping neurofeedback, this tool provides crucial insight into what areas of the brain may or may not be working efficiently.

What’s also unique about qEEG brain mapping is that the reports provide clinicians with an inside look at how brain waves are distributed, along with the connectedness of the various areas of the brain.

CNN described how qEEG brain mapping has helped athletes achieve peak performance by accessing and quantifying the various mental aspects involved such as focus, decision speed, reaction time, and stress regulation. Neurofeedback sessions that followed helped the men and women learn how to reach and learn from their ideal brain wave patterns.

Rather than relying on generic case studies or the experiences of previous patients, brain mapping offers the development of personal treatment options that best serve you and how you’re wired. Brain mapping can also provide doctors and clinicians insight into issues their patients may need help with, including:

  • Impulse patterns
  • General cognition
  • Emotional management
  • Struggles with ADHD or inattentiveness
  • Insomnia
  • Depression

A Wealth of New Coping Mechanisms

Through brain mapping neurofeedback, those who struggle with mental health, addiction, or both can see how their brain works in real time.

The surprising discoveries during the process help support the adage that “knowledge is power.” As a result, patients can learn how to adjust their negative thoughts and feelings accordingly when they arise.

The surprising discoveries during the process help support the adage that ‘knowledge is power.’ As a result, patients can learn how to adjust their negative thoughts and feelings accordingly when they arise.

Brain mapping offers a rare opportunity to see what’s working and what’s out of balance and learn how to self-regulate during a particularly stressful or overwhelming time. By identifying what activities and emotions help support and encourage healthy brain activity, our adolescent patients can retrain their brains with the positive changes happening during treatment. The process also gives clinicians insight that allows them to create customized treatment plans based on that day’s brain mapping results.

In addition to brain mapping neurofeedback, The Meadows Adolescent Center also includes a Brain Center with scientific, evidence-based equipment aimed at providing anxiety relief and an increased sense of calm. Features like play a key role in providing hope for young people struggling with mental health and addiction.

Do you or someone you love struggle with mental health challenges or an addiction that feels impossible to overcome? Our trusted professionals are here to help with proven treatment tailor-made to your needs. Don’t wait another day to begin your journey toward wholeness and healing. Reach out today.