As patients step into the inviting and tranquil setting of the brain center on the campus of The Meadows Ranch, they are engulfed by the smell of eucalyptus and the sound of a trickling waterfall. A therapist welcomes patients into the nurturing environment and assists them in utilizing the variety of grounding devices available there to help calm their nervous system and settle over arousal.
Often when young girls and women enter treatment for an eating disorder their brain is dominated by stimuli which inhibits the treatment process. The equipment available in the brain center has been designed to help regulate the nervous system and produces many benefits. For instance; the act of relaxed breathing promotes stimulation of oxygen and blood flow throughout the body, which can help correct poor circulation and aid digestion. By intentionally regulating one’s breathing, patients can create healthy habits for self-awareness, personal safety, anxiety reduction, and even improve their ability to sleep more soundly.
In the brain center, patients have access to neurofeedback, which is an evidence-based therapeutic intervention. Neurofeedback uses a laptop program to support the patient in “brainwave training.” By interacting with the computer program the patient learns to alleviate symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances to name just a few. Patients can schedule individual neurofeedback sessions on an as-needed basis.
Patients have reported significant personal improvements from use of the brain center resources. We have heard patients say they have experienced the “best” sleep they have ever had in their life, and more importantly, that they are finally beginning to realize recovery is possible.