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Shrinking Your Brain? Habits That Hurt Your Mood and Memory
Memory fog or mood swings? Learn 7 brain-draining habits that shrink your hippocampus—and how to reverse them.
Have you become more forgetful lately? Has your mood been off, or your thoughts slower, even when you haven’t experienced any major change? Your brain could be trying to tell you something.
It may be a sign that an important part of your brain called the hippocampus is under stress or—even worse—starting to shrink. But how does that happen?
The truth is that certain everyday issues and habits have been found to have the potential to slowly shrink hippocampus volume. A lot of people don’t know that emotional pain, lack of enough sleep, or poor diet can cause physical changes in the brain.
The good news? Brain shrinkage doesn’t have to be permanent. In this blog, we discuss seven brain-draining habits as well as brain-boosting alternatives.
Certain everyday issues and habits have been found to slowly shrink hippocampus volume, potentially impacting mood, memory, and learning.
WHAT IS THE HIPPOCAMPUS?
The hippocampus is a small but powerful region of the brain that plays a major role in memory, learning, and emotional regulation. In fact, the hippocampus isn’t a single structure. Rather, it’s a pair of thumb-sized structures located on the inside of the temporal lobes.
These are very special brain structures, because they house stem cells that can help produce new hippocampal cells under the right circumstances.
Research has suggested we can produce up to 700 new cells a day if we put the brain in a nourishing environment—meaning consuming good nutrition, taking omega-3 fatty acids, and getting adequate oxygen and blood flow to the brain. Findings in a 2025 study that used AI machine learning confirms that the human brain can indeed create new cells in the hippocampus.
WHAT CAUSES SHRINKAGE IN THE BRAIN’S MEMORY CENTERS?
1. Untreated Depression
Other than clouding your mood, long-term depression can trigger real, measurable changes in your brain, especially in areas critical to emotional balance and memory.
Research shows that people with untreated major depressive disorder often have a smaller hippocampus than those without depression. This helps explain the strong link between depression and memory problems.
When you’re depressed for a long time, your brain is repeatedly exposed to elevated levels of cortisol (the body’s primary stress hormone). Over time, this hormonal imbalance can damage brain cells, shrink the hippocampus, and interfere with the growth of new neurons.
The longer it goes untreated, the more damage may occur. That said, you can protect and restore your brain health through timely brain-based treatment designed to reduce shrinkage and support recovery.
2. Chronic Stress
If you’ve been dealing with ongoing stress, your brain is most likely flooded with cortisol. When elevated for long periods, the stress hormone can weaken the connections between your brain cells, reducing function in the hippocampus.
The way stress and brain function interact is deeper than most people realize. Chronic stress doesn’t just affect how you feel; it physically changes how your brain works and impacts your memory. It’s a slow, silent process that often goes unnoticed until it starts to impact your focus, memory, or emotional stability.
One study highlights that even moderate, persistent stress such as work burnout or relationship tension can cause forgetfulness, mood swings, and brain fog. That’s why managing stress through simple daily practices like deep breathing and mindfulness is key to protecting and restoring your brain’s memory center.
3. Poor sleep
Sleep might just be the most underrated brain healer out there. While you sleep, your brain sorts through memories, calms emotional noise, and does a bit of internal clean-up that you don’t even notice.
According to research, when you consistently cut short your sleep, especially getting fewer than six hours a night, your brain’s memory centers can begin to suffer.
This isn’t always obvious at first, but the effects tend to build quietly over time. Chronic lack of adequate sleep leads to memory loss, mood instability, and the gradual reduction of hippocampal volume over time.
You need to make consistent, restful sleep a priority. This isn’t only to boost your energy but also to protect and strengthen your brain.
Press Play to See What Stress and Bad Habits Can do to Your Brain
In this video, Dr. Daniel Amen shares his first SPECT brain scan from when he was 37 years old and living in a high-stress environment. He shows how stress and some unhealthy habits can impact the brain, and how seeing his brain made him develop what he calls brain envy.
Click the link below to tune in:
4. Excessive Sugar and Refined Carbs
If you like sugary snacks and ultra-processed foods, you might want to stop. A high-sugar, heavily processed diet won’t just affect your waistline. Research shows that, diets high in sugar, heavily processed foods, and trans fats can trigger oxidative stress in your hippocampus.
They can spike your blood sugar levels, fuel inflammation, and deprive your brain of the key nutrients it needs to function effectively. Over time, this contributes to brain shrinkage, damaging brain cells, and disrupting the growth of new neurons.
That’s how you may end up with a shrunken hippocampus, learning difficulties, and challenges in regulating your mood.
Embrace a brain-healthy diet that’s rich in whole foods, healthy fats, and antioxidants to preserve and strengthen your memory.
Related: Alzheimer’s is a Lifestyle Disease
5. Sedentary Lifestyle
If you haven’t made movement part of your daily routine, then your brain could be paying the price. Spending too much time inactive can shrink the hippocampus, which can slow your thinking, weaken your memory, and lower your mood.
A sedentary lifestyle has been shown to shrink memory centers in the brain, making it harder to retain information, stay focused, and regulate emotions. The hippocampus thrives with activity, more so in aerobic movement like cycling, brisk walking, or dancing.
When you engage in physical activity it stimulates the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that aids the growth of new neurons and protects existing ones—especially in the hippocampus.
Research shows that even short but consistent bursts of exercise have been shown to support emotional balance, improve focus, and preserve brain volume over time. Making movement a regular part of your day isn’t just good for your body; it’s one of the most effective ways to keep your brain sharp, resilient, and emotionally steady.
6. Heavy Alcohol Use
That glass of wine may feel relaxing at the moment, but over time, alcohol can quietly reshape your brain in harmful ways. Chronic drinking causes significant hippocampal damage by destroying neurons, disrupting the formation of new brain cells, and interfering with how your brain stores and retrieves memories.
Studies show that even moderate regular use can lead to shrinkage in memory-related areas of the brain, like the hippocampus, one of the few areas in the brain capable of growing new cells throughout life. Alcohol also impacts sleep quality and increases inflammation in the brain, both of which compound the damage over time.
The cumulative effect is a brain that ages faster and struggles to stay strong and sharp. If protecting your mental clarity is a priority, choosing herbal teas and proper hydration over alcohol can make a powerful difference.
Related: 5 Scary Ways Alcohol Damages the Brain
7. Social Isolation
You may never have thought of loneliness as a brain health concern, but sadly, it is. Being in a situation where you lack meaningful connection over time can cause your hippocampus to shrink and weaken its cognitive function.
Social interactions aren’t just comforting. They stimulate your memory, and emotional processing, and allow mental flexibility. As you engage in healthy conversations, share experiences, or feel truly seen, your brain lights up in a way that helps it to preserve memory and balance your emotions.
Studies show that there is a connection between social isolation and a higher risk of cognitive decline. Building and maintaining close connections isn’t just good for your heart. It’s important for keeping your brain sharp and your hippocampus strong.
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR MEMORY CENTERS
The idea of your brain shrinking can feel scary—but it’s not a life sentence. The human brain is remarkably adaptable and resilient. With the right support, your hippocampus can recover, regenerate, and even grow stronger.
Under nurturing conditions—like regular exercise, restful sleep, a nutrient-rich diet, and emotional support—your brain can produce new cells and create healthier neural connections.
That means every positive choice you make today, from managing your stress to spending time with loved ones, has the power to protect your memory, lift your mood, and strengthen your brain for years to come.
FAQ
Yes. In many cases, you can reverse it. Your hippocampus is one of the few areas in your brain that is capable of generating new cells throughout life in a process known as neurogenesis. With the right support, such as regular aerobic exercise, brain-healthy nutrition, treatment for depression, and brain-directed therapies, you can stimulate this growth and even restore lost volume.
No. While you can expect some natural slowdown with age, significant memory loss is not inevitable. Many of the factors that contribute to memory problems, like poor sleep, chronic stress, depression, and inactivity, are preventable and treatable.
With the right lifestyle changes and brain-healthy habits, it’s possible to maintain sharp memory and cognitive function well into your later years.
At Amen Clinics, we use brain SPECT imaging to evaluate blood flow and activity in the hippocampus and other regions of the brain. This technology allows us to see how well this vital area is functioning, which helps guide personalized, brain-directed treatment plans for better memory, mood, and overall brain health.
Memory loss, depression, and other mental health conditions can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we provide personalized, science-backed treatment plans designed to target the root causes of your symptoms. Our 360-approach includes brain SPECT imaging, clinical evaluations, innovative therapeutic techniques, medications (when necessary), and holistic lifestyle recommendations to promote the health of your brain, body, and mind. Speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.
Amen Clinics
Founded in 1989 by double-board certified psychiatrist and neuroscientist Daniel G. Amen, MD, Amen Clinics Inc. (ACI) is known as the best brain and mental health company in the world. Our clinical staff includes over 50 healthcare specialists, including adult and child psychiatrists, integrative (functional) medicine physicians, naturopaths, addiction specialists, forensic psychiatrists, geriatric psychiatrists, nutritionists, licensed therapists, and more. Our clinicians have all been hand-selected and personally trained by Dr. Amen, whose mission is to end mental illness by creating a revolution in brain health. Over the last 35-plus years, ACI has built the world’s largest database of functional brain scans—over 250,000 SPECT scans on patients from 155 countries—related to how people think, feel, and behave.
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Dumitru I, et al. Identification of proliferating neural progenitors in the adult human hippocampus. Science, 389,58-63 (2025). DOI:10.1126/science.adu9575
Sheline, Y. I., Gado, M. H., & Kraemer, H. C. (2003). Untreated depression and hippocampal volume loss. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160(8), 1516–1518. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.160.8.1516
Khammissa, R. A. G., Nemutandani, S., Feller, G., Lemmer, J., & Feller, L. (2022). Burnout phenomenon: Neurophysiological factors, clinical features, and aspects of management. Journal of International Medical Research, 50(9), 03000605221106428. https://doi.org/10.1177/03000605221106428
Sexton, C. E., Zsoldos, E., Filippini, N., et al. (2019). Poor sleep quality is associated with smaller hippocampal volume in older adults. The Journal of Neuroscience, 39(33), 650–660.
Molteni, R., Barnard, R. J., Ying, Z., Roberts, C. K., & Gomez‑Pinilla, F. (2002). A high‑fat, refined sugar diet reduces hippocampal brain‑derived neurotrophic factor, neuronal plasticity, and learning. Neuroscience, 112(4), 803–814. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-4522(02)00123-9
Killgore, W. D. S., Olson, E. A., Weber, M., & Porta, M. (2015). Low-intensity daily walking activity is associated with larger hippocampal volume in older adults. Hippocampus, 25(10), 1348–1351. https://doi.org/10.1002/hipo.22397
Varma, V. R., Chuang, Y.-F., Harris, G. C., Tan, E. J., & Carlson, M. C. (2015). Low‑intensity daily walking activity is associated with larger hippocampal volume in older adults. Hippocampus, 25(5), 605–615. https://doi.org/10.1002/hipo.22397
Meda, Shashwath A et al. “Longitudinal Effects of Alcohol Consumption on the Hippocampus and Parahippocampus in College Students.” Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging vol. 3,7 (2018): 610-617. doi:10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.02.006
Cardona, Margalida, and Pilar Andrés. “Are social isolation and loneliness associated with cognitive decline in ageing?.” Frontiers in aging neuroscience vol. 15 1075563. 23 Feb. 2023, doi:10.3389/fnagi.2023.1075563
WHAT IS PTSD?
PTSD is a brain-based mental health condition that develops in some people who are exposed to trauma during their lifetime. Following a traumatic event, it is common for people to experience distressing symptoms, however, they usually go away with time. When symptoms continue and interfere with daily living, it may be an indicator of PTSD. An estimated 3.5% of U.S. adults are currently living with PTSD and more than twice that number of Americans will be diagnosed with the disorder during their lifetime. PTSD tends to be seen more commonly in veterans, women, and first responders.PTSD SYMPTOMS
Following a traumatic event, PTSD symptoms may appear quickly or may not develop until weeks, months, or even years later. This can make it challenging to connect the signs and symptoms of PTSD with a traumatic event that occurred in the past. Some of the most common PTSD symptoms include:- Flashbacks
- Insomnia and nightmares
- Distressing memories
- Excessively thinking about the trauma
- Heightened anxiety and fearfulness
- Increased irritability and anger
- Hypervigilance
- Feeling depressed or emotionally numb
- Trouble remembering aspects of the trauma
- Avoidance of people, places, or things that are reminders of the trauma
- Feelings of guilt, shame, or self-blame about the traumatic event
PTSD IN THE BRAIN
Brain-imaging research, including a 2021 study in The American Journal of Psychiatry, shows that PTSD is a brain-based disorder. According to this study, it’s time to stop diagnosing PTSD based solely on symptom clusters and time to start including objective neurobiological data, “which are greatly needed to improve treatment efficacy in this age of personalized medicine.” A brain-imaging study conducted at Amen Clinics confirms that neurobiological data can be beneficial in making a PTSD diagnosis. This study compared brain blood flow patterns in people with either traumatic brain injury (TBI) or PTSD, a pair of disorders that share numerous symptoms. The study found that brain SPECT imaging was able to distinguish PTSD from TBI with 89% accuracy. Getting an accurate diagnosis that includes neurobiological data can be so important to the healing process. Because PTSD shares so many symptoms with other brain and mental health disorders—such as TBI, anxiety, depression, and intermittent explosive disorder—it’s critical to rule out these other issues to find the most effective treatment. In other cases, it’s equally important to detect co-existing conditions. For example, research shows that nearly 50% of people with PTSD also have depression. In these instances, you need to address both PTSD and depression to heal fully.WHAT IS COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY?
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the standard PTSD treatments. A common form of talk therapy, CBT usually involves changing unhealthy patterns of thinking, behavior, and feeling. With CBT for PTSD, patients are guided to healthier ways of thinking. People may also be exposed to reminders of the trauma in a controlled environment and trained to recognize triggers and develop stress-reduction techniques to induce a more relaxed state. There are several forms of CBT, including:- Cognitive processing therapy (CPT): A form of cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive processing therapy for PTSD helps people learn how to challenge unhelpful thoughts related to the trauma and how to develop more rational thinking. In this form of therapy, patients are often asked to write a detailed account of the traumatic event and read it aloud to the mental health professional. This helps a person stop avoiding the trauma and start exploring healthier ways to process it.
- Cognitive therapy: This is another form of CBT that involves teaching a person to interrupt negative thoughts related to the trauma. By becoming cognizant of these thoughts as they arise, you are better able to adopt techniques to restructure how you view those memories.
- Prolonged exposure: In this form of CBT, patients are gradually guided to face their memories and feelings related to the trauma. This type of therapy is specifically focused on overcoming the common PTSD symptom of avoiding anything that serves as a reminder of the trauma. It can involve imaginal (creating a mental picture) and in vivo (in real life outside of a therapist’s office) exposure. Because exposure can be anxiety-provoking, this form of therapy progresses gradually to reduce fears and anxiousness.
WHEN STANDARD PTSD TREATMENTS DON’T WORK
While CBT may help some people with PTSD, it doesn’t help everyone. For example, one study in The American Journal of Psychiatry found that most people with PTSD continue to experience symptoms following psychotherapy treatment. Another study found that as many as 50% of people with PTSD engaging in psychotherapy don’t respond to treatment or drop out of treatment before seeing positive results. As the 2021 study mentioned above suggests, a lack of neurobiological data may contribute to the low response rates for standard PTSD treatments. When psychotherapy treatments don’t help you get the results you want, there are other options, such as EMDR.EMDR THERAPY FOR PTSD
EMDR is a powerful psychotherapeutic technique that involves eye movements—or other alternate hemisphere actions—to remove the emotional charges associated with trauma-related memories. A systematic review in Frontiers in Psychiatry suggests that EMDR can improve PTSD diagnosis and reduce both PTSD symptoms and other trauma-related symptoms, such as depression and anxiety. A growing body of research shows that EMDR can be beneficial in treating people with PTSD, and it can do it more quickly than other traditional forms of therapy. For example, one study found that just 3 sessions of EMDR provided relief from PTSD symptoms in 84% to 90% of people who had experienced a single traumatic event. How does EMDR work? During EMDR sessions, you will meditate on a distressing trauma-related thought while a trained therapist directs you to track an object as it moves back and forth. Research suggests that directing your attention elsewhere while thinking about the trauma helps the brain reprocess the emotions attached to the thought.HEALING FROM PTSD
If you, or a loved one, have PTSD, there is hope for healing. In addition to the therapies described above, simple lifestyle changes can also help. Eating a brain-healthy diet, taking supplements to fill in nutritional gaps, exercising, and getting adequate sleep can help manage PTSD symptoms. When seeking help, look for a trained mental health professional who understands that PTSD is a brain-based disorder and who provides comprehensive therapies, such as forms of CBT and EMDR, as well as lifestyle recommendations. This is the key to finding the most effective and long-lasting solutions. With the right diagnosis and targeted treatment, you can get your life back. PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other brain-based mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.
Dementia—it’s one of the most dreaded diseases of our time. About 5.8 million people are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. And that number is expected to skyrocket to 14 million by 2050.
Determining if someone with memory problems or mild cognitive impairment is headed for a more devastating decline into dementia often involves in-depth cognitive testing. But there are a few other simple tests that can be quite telling. A pair of 2019 studies show that certain quick tests are useful in assessing a person’s risk of developing dementia or in ruling it out.
Sniffing Out Dementia
In a 2019 study that appeared in Alzheimer’s and Dementia, researchers assessed cognitive functioning and administered a smell test known as the Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT). Losing the sense of smell is often one of the initial warning signs of impending Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms surface.
Previous research has found that people who have problems recognizing odors are more likely to have some of the changes in the brain seen in people with Alzheimer’s disease. This is because odor identification is processed in some of the same brain regions that are ravaged by the disease, including the hippocampus, which is involved in memory and learning.
The 2019 research team from Columbia University found that performing well on the cognitive test as well as the BSIT correlated to a very low risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, 96.5% of the study’s 749 elderly participants who performed well on both assessments did not develop dementia during the four years studied.
Time to Detect Dementia
Another simple tool that is used to screen for Alzheimer’s and other dementias is called the clock-drawing test. A clinician gives a person a blank sheet of paper and asks them to draw a clock that shows a specific time.
If the person can draw the clock accurately and indicate the correct time, it typically rules out dementia. However, if the clock doesn’t look correct, it could be a sign of a serious problem. Researchers have identified the following 6 clock-drawing errors that are indicative of cognitive trouble, such as dementia, with 88% accuracy:
- Wrong time
- Missing numbers
- Number substitutions
- Number repetition
- Missing hands
- Refusal to attempt the task
New research in a 2019 issue of Neuropsychology used brain SPECT imaging to investigate how clock-drawing ability correlates to cerebral blood flow patterns. The study found that individuals who didn’t perform well in clock-drawing had lower levels of blood flow in specific areas of the brain associated with dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease. Low blood flow is the #1 brain imaging predictor that a person will develop Alzheimer’s disease.
Why Brain Imaging Is the Ultimate Test
Functional brain imaging with SPECT is able to reveal abnormal patterns in the brain related to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias years or even decades before symptoms develop. Early detection allows you to make lifestyle changes that can delay the progression of cognitive problems and engage in treatment when it is most effective. The sophisticated imaging technology is also able to rule out dementia by detecting other issues—such as traumatic brain injuries, exposure to toxins, or brain infections—that may be the root cause of memory loss or other cognitive problems.
Test Your Risk
If you’re concerned about your memory or cognitive function and want to assess your risk in the comfort of your own home, try these 2 tests.
Test #1. Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT)
Can you recognize the following 12 odors that are commonly used in the BSIT? To test your sense of smell, you can order a BSIT kit online.
- Banana
- Chocolate
- Cinnamon
- Gasoline
- Lemon
- Onion
- Paint thinner
- Pineapple
- Rose
- Soap
- Smoke
- Turpentine
Self-Test #2. Clock-Drawing Test
Get a blank sheet of paper and draw a clock that shows 10 minutes after 11. If your clock looks abnormal, or if there are any errors, it’s critical that you seek further evaluation.
At Amen Clinics, we use brain SPECT imaging, as well as cognitive testing, lab work, and other assessments to evaluate memory loss and screen for cognitive dysfunction, Alzheimer’s, and other dementias.
If you want to join the thousands of people who have already visited Amen Clinics and enhanced their brain function with our personalized treatment plans and Memory Rescue program, speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
New research from Amen Clinics shows that brain SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) imaging, a study that measures blood flow and activity patterns, identifies who is more likely to get better from depression. The study is published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, because depression is a highly treatable risk for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. Depression remains an important risk factor for Alzheimer’s dementia, yet few neuroimaging biomarkers are available to identify treatment response in depression. The researchers compared the SPECT scans of 507 depressed patients who responded to treatment to the scans of 106 patients who were considered non-responders. The objective was to analyze and compare functional perfusion neuroimaging in persons with treatment resistant depression (TRD) compared to those experiencing full remission. The study found that patients who did not respond to treatment had lower overall cerebral blood flow, especially in the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes and in brain regions known to be affected by Alzheimer’s, including the right hippocampus and left precuneus. Lead author psychiatrist Daniel G. Amen, MD says, “This is a critically important study. Knowing who is likely to get better from depression and who is not, will help treating physicians be sensitive to which patients are likely to need more help and need to be monitored more closely.” Treatment resistant depression is a major risk factor for suicide, divorce, and job loss. Dr. Amen also says, “This finding will also lead to more personalized treatment. For patients with low brain activity, stimulating the brain will be more important than standard serotonin enhancing drugs that tend to lower brain activity.” Our findings identify imaging based biomarkers in persons with depression related to treatment response. These findings have implications in understanding both depression to prognosis and its role as a risk factor for dementia. If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or depression, Amen Clinics can help. We will help you learn more about your brain and assist with early diagnosis and intervention. Call us today at (888) 288-9834 or visit our website to schedule a visit. There has always been a correlation between brain damage, as a result of a brain injury, and later onset depression or depression symptoms. But what if the reverse was true – what if recurring depression actually did physical damage to structures of the brain?