About a week ago I got an email from a parent who's child was suffering from severe depression and who was also ADD. I had posted a photo of myself doing Neuro-Feedback training of my brainwaves at The Drake Institute on nakama.ca and I assume she followed the breadcrumbs to my blog here and sent me the following email (personal details omitted as it was sent as a "personal message":
PARENT'S EMAIL
After I send a reply, I thought I'd post it here and maybe at some point contribute more to what I had to say.
MY REPLY
PARENT'S EMAIL
I have a 17 year old son, who has been diagnoised as ADD (with a math learning disability also) and he is severely depressed. I have just been to the orientation for the Drake Institute and I'm trying to decide if I should send him through the program. I'm looking for unbiased information from actual clients. What was your experience?
I'll be honest, I do not understand how VOX or any of these sites work. If you can send me a response at (email address here), I would be grateful.
Good luck with your musical journey and your healing.
After I send a reply, I thought I'd post it here and maybe at some point contribute more to what I had to say.
MY REPLY
I applaud you on your diligence in researching treatment.
It seems like a couple times a month I hear from different sources how scientists have discovered proof that the brain can rewire and correct itself. I read explanations on how the brain is overbuilt and ready and able to heal if we know how. The Drake Institute has been working on this premise for 20 years and is truly on the cutting edge of this type of brain "healing" today.
I cannot give you a complete story as I am still in process. My condition is a combination type, I was only able to work through the first two protocols (1) for depression and (2) for my ADHD before I ran out of funds. As you probably know, health insurances companies will not cover the Drake Therapy - even though it would mean a huge savings in pharmacuticals for them. I am planning on returning to redo my ADHD protocol as I titrate myself off of the Ritalin and Adderall that I have been taking for several years. Now that I have learned to adjust my own alpha brain waves I need to keep them balanced while my brain adjusts to having less of the medications. Otherwise, I have been told by my advisors at Drake, the brain could end up being "shocked." After that I would like to do the protocol for my Asperger's Austism. My depression was so severe that I was barely able to work for about the past year and a half. Now that I have recovered sufficiently enough to start working as a matter of priority I need to try to catch up with the debts that have ensued before I can afford to complete my treatment.
I think that if you can afford the treatment, it is worth trying as the drugs for ADD and depression have so many side effects. Some of them, as you probably know, are very serious. If the VOX map is accurate you are not located conveniently to the clinics I know of so I understand it would take a great deal of planning to make it work for you.
The important thing is it takes a lot of internal effort and concentration to make it work. This is just during the period you are doing the brainwave therapy for about 45 minutes a couple times a week. Your son would need to be enthusiastic about the treatment for it to be effective. When I am saying is that you are having to sit still and concentrate and find out what it is that you can think or concentrate on or whatever in order to make the little race car on the screen goes straight down the road, or make your spaceship goes straight, et cetera. If your son was reluctant or rebellious it would be a huge waste of time, funds, etc.
I credit my continuing recovery from depression to the Drake Institute as well as several other important lifestyle changes including: - Eating fresh, low on the food chain meals that consist of five colors of vegetables a day. - Daily exercise, which might be bicycle riding, swimming, or just out walking in the sunlight.
I had heard that Rosie O'Donnell inverts her head, or as some kind of head stand for something to make the blood rush to the brain. I have heard that there are several important psychoactive chemicals that can only reach the brain if the heart rate reaches a certain level. It may be that some people need to have more blood moving to their brain than others. In any event, I have started doing this in my own way by hanging my head over the side of the bed, and by practicing certain yoga positions that invert the head.
I also have found some cognitive therapies to be very valuable. In particular I recommend an audio tape and book series called The Sedona Method and think it would be applicable to anyone who is depressed.
In the meantime, you might want to look for a congnitive therapist locally to work with your son on his depression. That would be a good start and may help to start his healing and trust of mental health professionals.
Regards, Frank Rogala