Addiction fundamentally changes the way the brain deals with reward and pleasure, hijacking victims' behavior and effectively holding them in an iron grip that forces addicts to chase the substance or behavior they're addicted to again and again.
It's no wonder that most addicts need professional help to break free and reach remission. Most often, this will come in the form of treatment with medications and behavioral therapy, in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Peer-support groups can also be incredibly helpful on an addict's path to freedom.
What is biofeedback?
Biofeedback is a — frankly slightly hard-to-understand — technique that gives people more information about the way their bodies work, with the goal of helping them gain more conscious control over various aspects of their physiology. It does this with the help of electrodes that can measure things like temperature, muscle tension, and brain waves. These are connected to a machine that visually shows you what your body is doing. The very term "biofeedback" hints at this, as the technique is meant to offer you feedback about your biological functions with the aim of then allowing you to make changes.
Better understanding of the way in which your body works can lead to improved control, including training people to have conscious control over bodily functions that are often seen as completely involuntary; breathing, heart rate, and pain, for instance. It's not completely clear how biofeedback works at the moment, but it can even help people control sweating and blood pressure.
How might biofeedback help people struggling with addiction as they try to break free?
"Neurofeedback" or "neurotherapy", which uses EEG to record the brain's electrical signals, is the most commonly used kind of biofeedback in addiction treatment (as well as other mental disorders like anxiety), though it can also be useful to gain insights into other physical experiences a person goes through during withdrawal from alcohol or drugs — like their heart rate, sweating, and skin temperature.
Research into the potential of biofeedback in addiction treatment has been carried out for people recovering from a wide range of substance use disorders, including alcohol addiction, opioid addiction, cocaine addiction, and cannabis addiction. Some studies show great success.
One piece of research found, for instance, that 77 percent of participants who received biofeedback were sober and clean after a year, compared to a much lower 44 percent of the control group that didn't experience biofeedback. Biofeedback can reduce withdrawal symptoms, including cravings, boost self-control, and lower the very real risk of relapse. Not all studies that have investigated biofeedback for addiction treatment have had great results, however. Since the procedure is not associated with any risks, anyone who wants to try it is safe doing so, even if it doesn't end up helping much.
What can you expect from biofeedback therapy?
Electrodes, which are attached to a machine, will be placed on your body — this is painless — to allow you to see what your body is up to. You'll then participate in relaxation exercises, and see how they change the measurements the machine records. These relaxation techniques can range from progressive muscle relaxation to guided imagery and breathing exercises, and over time, you'll become more competent in them as well as figuring out what works for you in controlling aspects of your physical body.
Biofeedback shouldn't be a stand-alone treatment for addiction
Addiction is a process of losing control, as the substance or behavior a person becomes addicted to slowly takes over. Biofeedback can be an effective way to help recovering addicts regain that control, as they better understand how their bodies react and then learn to take charge of them again.
It's important to note that biofeedback shouldn't be used as a stand-alone treatment for addiction, but rather a (perhaps significant) part of a wider treatment plan. This treatment plan will almost always include talk therapy to be successful, and often medications as well, but it's interesting that biofeedback can reduce the need for medications in people who are recovering from substance dependence.
If you are interested in trying biofeedback as part of your addiction treatment, ask your doctor or therapist whether it is available near you.