Accelerated Summer Treatment Program for ADHD and Autism, with remote treatment options for CA patients. To learn more,
click here >>Accelerated Summer Treatment Program for ADHD and Autism, with remote treatment options for CA patients. To learn more,
click here >>The symptoms of anxiety disorder can feel persistent and exhausting, often interfering with relationships, concentration, sleep, health, and peace of mind. People living with chronic anxiety are often left wondering, Will this ever go away?
Lasting recovery from anxiety is possible. But understanding what that looks like, and how to achieve it, starts with knowing how anxiety is reflected in the brain. With advanced treatments that address the neurological patterns behind anxiety, patients can find lasting relief and take back control of their mental and emotional health.
Anxiety is a normal part of life, but if it’s persistent and severe where it dominates one’s life experience, then it may have evolved into a disorder. With professional treatment, long-term relief from an anxiety disorder is possible. Many people have improved significantly, even to the point of becoming symptom-free, especially when underlying brain patterns that drive anxiety are directly improved.
Modern neuroscience has helped us better understand how anxiety is sustained by neurophysical dysregulation and given clinicians new diagnostic and treatment tools to identify and correct these imbalances without the need for prescription medication.
In this article, we’ll explore how anxiety impacts mental health, and explain how modern technology like qEEG brain mapping neurofeedback therapy, biofeedback, and neurostimulation can help you overcome anxiety-produced symptoms or disorders in a relatively short period of time compared to other treatments.
The Drake Institute understands the complexity of treating anxiety disorders, and how every patient has their own unique history or circumstances. Our qEEG brain mapping process can identify each patient’s unique dysregulated brain activity linked to anxiety so that treatment can be most specific for optimal improvement. For over 40 years, we have provided non-invasive, drug-free treatment designed to address the needs of patients suffering from anxiety disorders and stress-related medical illnesses.
Anxiety is our brain’s natural biological response designed to keep us safe. It triggers our “fight or flight” system when it senses danger, helping us to respond quickly to a perceived threat. But when this system becomes chronically activated, stuck in a state of hyperarousal, or when it overreacts or inappropriately reacts to a perceived threat that’s not really threatening to your well-being or survival, it can become quite disruptive to one’s life and relationships.
Situational anxiety is a temporary occurrence associated with specific events, like giving a presentation or preparing for an exam. Oftentimes, situational anxiety is tied to new and unfamiliar situations. Anxiety disorders are more persistent. They involve chronic symptoms like excessive worry, fear, panic, irritability, and physical tension that interfere with daily life, often lasting for days or weeks.
Over time, these symptoms can create feedback loops in the brain, reinforcing patterns of fear and hypervigilance. This cycle can make it feel as though anxiety is a permanent fixture, unless the root cause is addressed neurophysically.
Not all anxiety is the same. The experience and symptoms are unique to each person. Your path to recovery depends on your brain, your history, and your current habits and support systems. The potential for long-term anxiety relief is shaped by several factors:
Anxiety is typically sustained by dysregulated or overactive stress-response networks in the brain. If these networks aren’t calmed or retrained, symptoms can return even after temporary relief. qEEG brain mapping helps identify these dysregulations so they can be corrected with neurofeedback and other non-invasive treatments such as neurostimulation.
Childhood trauma, PTSD, or unresolved emotional events can lead to life-long anxiety. These experiences can hardwire your brain into a state of constant hyper-arousal, making recovery difficult without addressing both emotional trauma and neurophysical regulation.
Lack of sleep, poor nutrition, inactivity, and unproductive coping mechanisms can exacerbate the symptoms of anxiety and make recovery more difficult. Stress-inducing habits like excessive screen time, isolation, or substance use can also interfere with healing.
Anxiety often co-occurs with ADHD, autism, OCD, insomnia, and other disorders. It is also commonly linked to depression, with an estimated 60% of people with anxiety also suffering from symptoms of depression. The overlapping symptoms of co-occurring disorders can make recovery more complex, requiring integrated treatment that addresses all contributing factors. Without targeting all the elements, anxiety can be more resistant to change.
There is no quick fix or permanent cure for everyone, but anxiety can, and often does, go into remission when people actively participate in an effective treatment program. Patients who learn how to train their brain through self-regulation and relaxation techniques experience a dramatic reduction in symptoms. These skills allow them to reach a deeper level of relaxation to break patterns so effectively that healing can begin and anxiety no longer controls their lives.
With anxiety disorder, recovery is not the complete absence of anxious feelings, but a return to mental and emotional balance. With brain-based treatments that target the root cause, it’s possible to break the cycle and retrain your mind and body’s stress response.
Recovery doesn’t mean you never feel anxious again. It means anxiety no longer controls you. It means having the tools, skills, and resilience needed to face life’s challenges without becoming overwhelmed. Here are some things you may experience as you recover from anxiety:
It’s normal to experience stress, but it doesn’t have to dominate you and control your inner reaction. With the ability to self-regulate you will be better equipped to stay calmer, even in situations that may have been triggering in the past.
A calmer brain means clearer thinking. People who recover from anxiety often experience fewer racing thoughts, better concentration, improved memory, better emotional resilience, and more confidence in their decision-making abilities.
As you recover, you should experience less social anxiety. Your ability to achieve emotional regulation makes it easier to connect with friends, family, and others. As relationships improve, so do support systems, leading to less isolation and a more active, fulfilling life.
When anxiety is reduced, so are the physical symptoms that come with it. Muscle tension, headaches, digestive issues, even a suppressed immune system, and sleep disruptions often improve. Long-term recovery also reduces the risk of issues that are linked to chronic anxiety, like cardiovascular disease, and gastrointestinal disorders.
Some people try therapy, medication, and self-help strategies with incomplete relief. This is usually because the neurophysical dysregulation has not been directly targeted for full improvement. Medications may temporarily mask symptoms, but they don’t retrain the brain.
This is where neuroplasticity offers real hope. Your brain is capable of change and learning new skills, and with the right treatment, you can rewire its stress-response systems. Advanced treatments like neurofeedback, guided by qEEG brain mapping, help unlock this healing potential.
Anxiety symptoms typically result from dysregulation in specific brain networks. When these neural circuits become overactive, underactive or simply dysregulated, they cause the physical and psychological symptoms associated with anxiety disorders.
Brainwave patterns play a crucial role in anxiety symptoms. People with anxiety typically have excessive beta brainwaves associated with racing thoughts, mental restlessness, and hypervigilance, and fewer alpha waves linked to relaxation. Poor connectivity in the brain measured by coherence can also be associated with anxiety patterns.
At the Drake Institute, we use advanced diagnostic technology like qEEG brain mapping to identify specific brainwave dysregulation networks, and look for biomarkers correlated with anxiety. We then treat anxiety via brain map-guided neurofeedback, which trains the brain to develop healthier, more functional patterns.
In some cases, we also provide neurostimulation to help improve overactive brain regions, providing targeted relief from anxiety symptoms. These neurologically-based treatments address the root cause of anxiety rather than just managing symptoms, offering hope for lasting improvement and recovery.
Conventional treatment for anxiety disorders usually includes psychotherapy and medication. However, for over 40 years, the Drake Institute has successfully treated anxiety and stress disorders using advanced, non-drug technologies including biofeedback, qEEG brain mapping, brain map-guided neurofeedback, and neurostimulation.
Here’s how our treatment works:
First, we use Biofeedback instrumentation to measure physiologic indicators of anxiety, including muscle tension, hand temperature, skin conductance response, brainwave activity, and heart rate variability.
Next, we develop a personalized treatment program designed to help the patient reduce tension levels to normal. Our treatment provides real-time visual and/or auditory feedback to teach you how to reduce abnormal tension levels to a healthier physiologic balance.
While traditional relaxation techniques like meditation may help you feel calmer, they cannot confirm whether or not you’re reaching the stable and deep levels of psychophysical relaxation that optimize healing. Our clinical biofeedback treatment can help patients confirm that they are consistently reaching deeper levels of relaxation needed to break up stress patterns that can lead to symptoms and illness. By developing self-regulation ability and skills, our patients become empowered in achieving lasting improvement in how one’s body and mind responds to stress.
Unlike medication, which only works while you're taking it, our treatment helps you develop lifelong skills you can use to reduce anxiety via self-regulation techniques. In short, we will teach you to shift out of “fight or flight” mode naturally so that you can maintain better emotional balance and prevent anxiety from taking you over again and disrupting your autonomic nervous system.
Once we’ve analyzed your brainwave patterns through qEEG brain mapping, we can then enable you to train the brain towards healthier, optimal balance and functioning via brain map-guided neurofeedback treatment.
Neurofeedback is a non-invasive, drug-free treatment that uses real-time feedback to help your brain learn healthier, more optimal brain functioning through self-regulation. During a session, sensors monitor your brainwaves and display them on a computer screen with auditory and visual feedback so you can learn to produce healthier brainwave patterns.
Over time, neurofeedback can help:
Our comprehensive non-drug treatment helps address the psychophysiologic reactions that produce anxiety, allowing you to reduce or resolve symptoms without medication.
If you or a loved one are experiencing anxiety, please call us at 1-800-700-4233 or fill out our free consultation form to get started.
Wondering what recovery really looks like or why your anxiety won’t go away? Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about overcoming anxiety:
In some cases, yes, anxiety can go away completely. Especially when you address the neurophysical/psychophysical root cause. For most people, normal anxiety will still arise occasionally but it does not have to dominate your life.
It depends. Situational anxiety can last hours or days, or go away immediately after the stressor has passed. Untreated anxiety disorders can last for months or years. However, with clinical treatment, it is possible to get long-term relief.
Yes. Many people have recovered from anxiety without medication, especially with evidence-based treatments like qEEG-directed neurofeedback and/or biofeedback. Psychotherapy can also be helpful.
Anxiety will come back during times of stress, sometimes even unexpectedly, if the stress is severe enough and/or there are underlying emotional issues that still need to be further helped. Anxiety is more likely to return under stress if there are brainwave patterns that are associated with anxiety that are still present.
Anxiety disorder is not truly permanent. If you haven’t found real relief, it may be time to explore a different approach, like addressing the root neurophysical cause and/or emotional issues. Medication can always be utilized as a last option.
Many variables can make anxiety worse over time including poor sleep, unresolved trauma, chronic stress, and untreated co-occurring conditions like ADHD and depression.
Anxiety does not necessarily go away with age. It is very variable as some people may experience fewer symptoms and conversely, other people may experience more symptoms, depending on their health and life circumstances. Professional treatment is always recommended.
It varies by person. With brain map-guided neurofeedback and biofeedback, patients can start to feel some relief within a week, but longer treatment is recommended for sustaining long-term improvement.
If you or a family member need help, please fill out our confidential online form
Interview with Dr. David Velkoff
Seth's Story
Interview with Dr. David Velkoff
Spanish News Feature
“David F. Velkoff, M.D., our Medical Director and co-founder, supervises all evaluation procedures and treatment programs. He is recognized as a physician pioneer in using biofeedback, qEEG brain mapping, neurofeedback, and neuromodulation in the treatment of ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and stress related illnesses including anxiety, depression, insomnia, and high blood pressure. Dr. David Velkoff earned his Master’s degree in Psychology from the California State University at Los Angeles in 1975, and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta in 1976. This was followed by Dr. Velkoff completing his internship in Obstetrics and Gynecology with an elective in Neurology at the University of California Medical Center in Irvine. He then shifted his specialty to Neurophysical Medicine and received his initial training in biofeedback/neurofeedback in Neurophysical Medicine from the leading doctors in the world in biofeedback at the renown Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas. In 1980, he co-founded the Drake Institute of Neurophysical Medicine. Seeking to better understand the link between illness and the mind, Dr. Velkoff served as the clinical director of an international research study on psychoneuroimmunology with the UCLA School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and the Pasteur Institute in Paris. This was a follow-up study to an earlier clinical collaborative effort with UCLA School of Medicine demonstrating how the Drake Institute's stress treatment resulted in improved immune functioning of natural killer cell activity. Dr. Velkoff served as one of the founding associate editors of the scientific publication, Journal of Neurotherapy. He has been an invited guest lecturer at Los Angeles Children's Hospital, UCLA, Cedars Sinai Medical Center-Thalians Mental Health Center, St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California, and CHADD. He has been a medical consultant in Neurophysical Medicine to CNN, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, Univision, and PBS.”
