Board-Certified Adult Psychiatry and Neurology located in Bronxville, NY
Everyone experiences emotional distress following a traumatic event, but for some, the impact is more extreme, causing severe stress that can progress to become post-traumatic stress disorder. When you need help recovering from traumatic stress, Hasan Asif, MD, at Brain Wellness Center combines neuroscience-based treatments with neuropsychotherapy to physically improve brain function and deliver measurable, long-term results. To schedule a consultation, call or use the online booking system.
A traumatic stress reaction refers to a range of physical and emotional symptoms that occur after painful, shocking, terrifying, and life-threatening events. You can develop traumatic stress whether you witness, hear about, or directly experience the event.
These are a few of the most common symptoms of traumatic stress:
Anger
Fear
Anxiety
Depression
Being easily startled
Memory loss
Inability to enjoy life
Gastrointestinal problems
Feeling like you’re numb
In severe cases, you may have flashbacks that trigger anxiety. You may limit your activities by avoiding people or places that remind you of the event. Traumatic stress progresses to become post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when your symptoms last longer than a month.
How is traumatic stress diagnosed?
Traumatic stress is typically diagnosed by talking about your experience, feelings, and behaviors. This type of clinical interview is an important part of your evaluation at Brain Wellness Center. However, it’s the final step in Dr. Asif’s cutting-edge assessment of your brain function.
When you experience traumatic stress, connections in your brain change, leading to dysfunction in specific areas that trigger your ongoing symptoms. Dr. Asif’s exceptional neurological testing identifies the areas of your brain that are under- or over-functioning.
These diagnostic procedures are all done in the office:
Quantitative electroencephalogram (QEEG)
QEEG uses low-resolution tomography to record your brain waves and map your brain activity, clearly identifying areas of malfunction. Dr. Asif uses QEEG throughout your treatment to physically measure your brain’s progress.
Genetic assay
The Genecept™ Assay test identifies how your body metabolizes drugs, an important tool for making informed medication decisions.
Cognitive testing
Neuroscience-based testing objectively measures your brain function, evaluating issues such as attention-deficit disorders, depression, and memory loss.
Biostress test
Dr. Asif performs a psychological stress test while tracking your breathing, heart rate, and QEEG. The biostress test provides vital information about how your brain and body react under stress
What types of treatments improve traumatic stress?
Dr. Asif takes a multidimensional approach that’s different than other mental health providers. After your brain checkup shows how your brain currently functions, he can develop customized treatment that targets the underperforming areas, enhances their performance, and improves brain function.
Using multiple neuroenhancement therapies, Dr. Asif treats the underlying cause of your traumatic stress and your symptoms improve. The cutting-edge treatments often used for traumatic stress include:
Neurofeedback therapy
The team at Brain Wellness Center uses the revolutionary Brain Master AVATAR™, the next generation of EEG and neurofeedback software that lets you see your own brain pattern and learn to improve the brain wave patterns.
Photobiomodulation
The Vielight® system uses safe, painless infrared light to activate energy production and healing activity in the mitochondria inside each nerve cell in your brain.
Psychopharmacology
Medication is a personal decision made between you and Dr. Asif. Should you decide that medication is beneficial, you gain an amazing benefit at Brain Wellness Center: With QEEG monitoring, Dr. Asif can see if there is a real shift in brain patterns due to your medication.
Neuropsychotherapy
Of all the innovative treatments developed by Dr. Asif, neuropsychotherapy is one of the most outstanding options. During neuropsychotherapy, you receive psychotherapy, such as mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy, with a twist: Your brain patterns are monitored using QEEG throughout your session. Combining the two provides unique opportunities to customize your treatment to produce optimal recovery.
If you have symptoms of traumatic stress, call Brain Wellness Center or schedule an appointment online. They don’t accept insurance; however, they give you an itemized bill with CPT codes that you can submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement.
