By Martin Brink, Board-Certified in Neurotherapy and QEEG:
It is of little value for patients to learn that “17% of Australians suffer from an Anxiety Disorder” or that “Anxiety is a debilitating mental health condition”. They know that already. They live with an internal engine that is permanently stuck in high gear—an invisible, physical tension that makes it impossible to truly relax, even when the “stress” is over.
Their question is ‘What is a better therapy for Anxiety?’ Apart from prescription drugs or counselling, is there something else? A drug-free therapy that can do more than temporarily manage symptoms?
In order to look for a reasonable answer, it’s a good idea to examine the function of the affected organ: The Brain.
Based in Neuroscience, QEEG Brain Mapping can identify the dysfunctional patterns of Anxiety Disorders in Brain activity, and Neurotherapy offers a drug-free pathway to real and lasting change; because Anxiety is — without a doubt — a Functional Brain Disorder.
But what exactly does that mean?
Real client’s LoRETA loop: Red = faulty, excessive activity
All our Abilities, Behaviours and Experiences arise from the electrical activity in our Brains.
Electroencephalography (EEG) records electrical Brain activity from the scalp with very little fuss:
Quantitative EEG (QEEG) analyses the Brain’s electrical activity: Green = normal levels.
If our Brain’s electrical activity is out of order, it affects our Abilities, Behaviours and Experiences.
When Brain activity isn’t normal, it shows up in the EEG. See for yourself (psychiatric client):
QEEG maps: Yellow = a bit too much, Orange = clearly too much, Red = crazy too much activity.
Research with QEEG Brain Mapping has revealed consistent and distinctive patterns of abnormal Brain activity in Anxiety sufferers.
These patterns reflect a persistent state of Hyperarousal — a mode where the Brain is overly alert, overly reactive, and overly focused on potential threats.
Understanding these electro-physiological signatures is crucial for targeted Neurotherapy with Neurofeedback to help restore normal Brain function; something drugs can’t do.
Below you’ll see some of the abnormal patterns that are consistent with Anxiety Disorders.
Fast, Overactive Brainwaves
Brains with Anxiety typically produce too much fast-wave activity (Beta and HiBeta), especially in the temporal regions near the Amygdala. This creates hyper-vigilance, worrying, scanning, and constant mental/emotional tension. As a consequence, the Mind struggles to relax or feel safe. This or similar patterns are also common in PTSD, C-PTSD and Headache Disorders.
Reduced Calming Rhythms (Alpha)
Alpha brainwaves normally help the brain settle, reflect, and transition out of stress. In many Anxiety sufferers, Alpha is reduced or unstable, reflecting excessive cortical arousal. This makes it harder to unwind, switch off intrusive thoughts or fall asleep.
Imbalance between the Rational and the Emotional Brain
The Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) helps us evaluate situations and regulate emotional responses. In many people with Anxiety, communication between the Prefrontal Cortex and the Amygdala is less efficient. This can make anxious thoughts feel automatic, disproportionate and difficult to control—even when someone “knows” they’re safe.
Attention locked onto Threat
Another common finding is an elevated Theta-to-Beta Ratio, which has been linked to difficulties shifting attention away from worry. This pattern contributes to mental “stuckness,” rumination, difficulty concentrating and a sense of being trapped in loops of anxious thinking.
Anxiety Treatment Neurofeedback - Selected Scientific References
