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How Biofeedback Works

Many tools exist that can help people reduce their anxiety. The purpose of detailing all the different methods of reducing anxiety is that different things work for different people (see ASN’s Do What Works for You). What works in helping one person may not help another, or may in fact, harm that person. Or, a person may simply not like a certain method for recovering from social anxiety, for example.

Another tool that can be used to help one reduce his or her anxiety is a biofeedback device. Different types of biofeedback devices exist, but they all operate on the same principle, namely that a person’s skin produces a certain electrical resistance at a relaxed state than it does in an anxious state.

One form of biofeedback comes in the form of a computer game; the game will go unnamed so as not to provide any endorsements in this article. This game had the user plug a box (very technical description) into his or her computer via a USB cable. Coming from this box was one wire which was connected to three caps that covered the user’s index, middle, and ring finger. These caps would then be responsible for measuring the electrical resistance that passes across one’s skin.

The game itself simply had the user walking through a mystical temple of relaxation high up in some mountains. In the temple, there are different challenges for the user to undertake. One of the initial tasks one can undertake is to drain all the water from a pool of water inside the temple. Basically, how it works is that the guide’s voice keeps saying things to the effect of, “Relax. Oh, feel so relaxed. Notice your body relaxing,” and so on. As the user’s body continues to relax, the water drains. The user will notice that as he or she drains the water, that his or her physiological symptoms (sweaty hands, tight shoulders etc…) will also reduce. The challenges also increase in difficulty; some challenges will be instantly met by a user, while other challenges will take several attempts before the user finally meets success.

Biofeedback can be a very effective tool for recovering from anxiety. The game format keeps things casual and fun, and allows the user to manage his or her anxiety down to the most minute detail. The idea is that one’s body and mind are trained to relax such that they can relax almost fully on their own without the user even thinking about it. If that does not work, then the user has hopefully acquired enough skill at reducing his or her anxiety by managing his or her thoughts and perceptions of his or her physiological state such that he or she can drive down his or her anxiety level almost upon command.

Biofeedback devices are very common and affordable. The anonymous device in this article costs around $125, and paying any more for a biofeedback device (as with most things) does not necessarily mean that one will receive a higher quality instrument.

For those who have just discovered this idea of biofeedback, hopefully this article was enlightening and helpful. For those who already knew, hopefully this article has shown that it can be an effective tool for some, but that it is not a required tool for all anxiety sufferers. Good luck to everyone who attempts to use this tool!

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