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Heal Grief and Trauma: Safe Brain-Based Treatment
Discover how grief and trauma impact your brain, why misdiagnosis happens, and how brain-based diagnostics and care can help you heal fully.
Table of Contents
Can You Ever Really Heal from Grief and Trauma?
Why do some people seem to bounce back from loss while others carry the same pain for years, unable to move forward?
It has nothing to do with willpower.
Most people don’t realize that grief and trauma aren’t just emotional wounds. They are experiences that leave lasting imprints on the brain.
Whether you’ve lost someone you loved or faced the shock of a life-threatening event, these encounters can alter your brain activity and leave you feeling stuck in a constant state of despair.
Trauma and grief can be mistaken for other mental health conditions, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, ADHD, and depression. They can also mimic symptoms seen in people with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Understanding all underlying issues is key to getting the most effective treatment.
At Amen Clinics, we use advanced brain SPECT imaging to identify brain patterns to ensure an accurate diagnosis. We then create personalized, brain-based treatment plans to address the root cause and not just the symptoms, and to help you move forward with clarity and hope.
Whether you’ve lost someone you loved or faced the shock of a life-threatening event, these encounters can alter your brain activity and leave you feeling stuck in a constant state of despair.
What Are Some Common Symptoms Of Trauma And Grief?
Trauma, grief, and loss can leave you with a host of uncomfortable symptoms, such as:
- Anxiety
- Numbness
- Sadness
- Anger
- Flashbacks
- Nightmares
- Memory Loss
- Being easily startled
- Difficulty focusing
- Feelings of detachment
Because these symptoms are similar to those seen in other mental health issues, it’s not uncommon for people suffering from grief and trauma to be misdiagnosed.
Why Do Trauma And Grief Often Look Like PTSD Or TBI?
Even the most skilled clinicians can have challenges trying to distinguish grief and trauma from other conditions like PTSD and depression. According to research, your brain’s response to deep emotional pain can mimic such disorders, making misdiagnosis common.
How Does Misdiagnosis Impact Recovery?
Small stressors may seem minor while they are happening on their own. However, as they happen repeated
Misdiagnosis can lead to interventions that don’t target the real problem. For example, a grieving individual may be prescribed antidepressants that don’t address changes in the brain that are trauma-related. That can leave symptoms like irritability, anxiety, or memory problems unresolved.
Because deep loss and emotional trauma can make it hard to focus and pay attention, it can sometimes be misdiagnosed as ADHD. Giving someone who’s struggling with past trauma stimulant medication for ADHD may actually make their symptoms worse.
In such cases, the wrong treatment can prolong suffering and cause frustration and hopelessness. It can slow down the recovery process and make it more complicated.
ly, their effects compound, a process known as allostatic load.
This term, according to research, describes the wear and tear that your brain and body go through when your stress response is constantly activated without enough time to reset.
Understanding how these micro-stressors accumulate is the first step towards protecting your brain resilience and restoring emotional balance.
Think of it like drops of water falling on a rock. One drop cannot change much, but over time, those drops may wear down the rock. In the same way, microtraumas subtly reshape how your brain manages attention and emotion.
Your brain’s alarm system stays partially activated, where it floods your body with the hormone cortisol. As a result, you remain in a constant state of alert. As the quiet buildup continues, it becomes harder for you to focus, relax, and bounce back after moments of stress.
Why Is Brain Imaging Essential?
You can’t completely avoid life’s small stressors. Neither can you prevent them from happening. But you have the power to condition your brain and body to adapt and recover more effectively.
Resilience has nothing to do with brushing off
Without seeing what’s really happening inside the brain, mental health professionals are left guessing what might be causing a person’s problems. Studies have shown that clinicians can mistake PTSD for anxiety, effects of mild traumatic brain injury for emotional instability, and grief for depression.
SPECT imaging measures blood flow and activity patterns in the brain to reveal which areas are underactive, overactive, or damaged. With these added insights, clinicians can better determine whether symptoms are rooted in PTSD, unresolved grief, or traumatic brain injury.
Pinpointing the true cause allows precise targeting when it comes to treatment. It also reduces the risk of ineffective or unnecessary interventions.
difficult emotions. It is about learning how to recover, reset, and keep your inner balance even when things are tough.
Below are four tips to help you build resilience to microtrauma:
What Happens To Your Brain When Trauma Or Grief Goes Unresolved?
Studies reveal that unprocessed trauma or grief won’t just fade away. Your brain doesn’t just move on.
Instead, the emotional impact gets stuck in the networks designed to help you survive danger. Your mind keeps replaying the ordeal, causing your body to respond as if the event is happening now, even if years have passed.
Why Do Traumatic Memories Replay Over and Over?
Unresolved trauma usually lingers in the limbic system, which is your brain’s emotional control center. It specifically takes root in the amygdala, the area responsible for detecting threats, keeping it in a constant state of high alert.
With that overactivation, even small reminders such as scent, a sound, or a phrase can trigger your stress hormones. Your body tends to react as if the original event has happened again, leading to challenges like:
- Insomnia that is caused by a hypervigilant, restless mind
- Anxiety that comes up without warning
- Emotional pain that doesn’t seem to fade
How Does Grief Impact Cognitive Function and Sleep?
Grief reshapes your brain. It alters activity in your prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision-making and focus, and the hippocampus, which is critical when it comes to memory. Those changes lead to the following:
- Memory problems that can cause you to struggle with recalling details and staying organized.
- Trouble concentrating, whereby tasks that were once easy can begin to feel exhausting.
- Disrupted sleep, where your brain’s sleep-wake cycle is thrown off, making it difficult for you to rest. You also experience more vivid and distressing dreams.
In other words, unresolved grief and trauma hijack your emotional and cognitive systems, making your everyday life feel heavier and harder to manage.
How Does EMDR Therapy Help You Heal Fast?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a well-researched therapy that can help the brain safely reprocess traumatic experiences so they no longer trigger intense distress. Research highlights that it promotes lasting emotional relief by allowing you to face past situations without feeling overwhelmed.
Related: What Is EMDR Therapy?
How Does EMDR Therapy Help You Heal Fast?
The EMDR process starts with the identification of the traumatic event alongside the beliefs, emotions, and sensations connected to it. While focusing on a specific memory, a trained therapist guides you through bilateral stimulation, using side-by-side eye movements, sound, or taps.
This activates your brain’s natural healing process to help reframe the memory, then integrate it in a way to reduce its emotional charge.
How Soon Do People Feel Relief With EMDR?
A lot of people experience significant relief in just a few sessions as the memories that used to trouble them lose their emotional intensity. Even though trauma that is deeper or more complex may take longer to heal, studies show that EMDR can deliver results in weeks as opposed to the months or years often required by traditional talk therapy.
Why Can Medication Prolong Grief?
Medication can allow you to feel temporary relief from intense emotional pain. However, it may also dull the feelings your brain needs to process.
Grief is a natural cycle, and even though it can be deeply painful, it allows emotional closure over time. As medication suppresses these emotions, it can interrupt your brain’s ability to complete the cycle and leave you stuck emotionally.
What Non-Medicinal Grief Strategies Actually Work?
Some of the proven strategies that you can use to navigate grief naturally include:
People may tell you to wait to heal from grief, but if you fell and broke your arm, when would you want to starting healing? Immediately! This doesn’t mean healing will be quick—it rarely is—but you start with one step.
Grief often steals sleep, so try well-researched nutritional supplements, such as melatonin, vitamin B6, magnesium, GABA, 5-HTP, and L-theanine. They may help promote grief-related sleep.
There is no set schedule for grief. Understanding that your process is unique can help reduce pressure and self-judgement.
Spend 15 minutes a day for four days getting the story out, making sure to list both the positives (“He is no longer suffering”) and the negatives (“I miss her so much it hurts”) of the situation. Studies have shown this can reduce anxiety and depression while improving grief recovery.
When you get anxious or short of breath, belly breathing can calm you down or help you catch your breath.
Join a grief support group that will allow you to share your story with other individuals who are going through similar pain to foster connection and understanding.
FAQ About Healing From Trauma And Grief
You don’t have to endure pain alone. You can take your first step towards healing today!
At Amen Clinics, your healing journey starts with a clear picture of your brain’s health. Brain SPECT imaging measures blood flow and activity patterns, revealing areas of the brain that with healthy activity and regions that need support.
Other brain assessments evaluate your cognitive, emotional, and intellectual functioning. Combine this with a deep dive into your personal history, and our physicians can develop a customized plan designed to restore both your mental clarity and emotional balance.
Depending on your individual needs, a personalized treatment plan for trauma and grief may include:
- Helpful forms of therapy – Strategies that help to reframe your thought patterns and build resilience.
- EMDR – A guided method to help you process traumatic memories safely.
- Supplements and nutrition – Targeted nutrients that support brain repair and function.
- Neurofeedback – A non-invasive technology that allows you to train your brain to achieve a more balanced emotional state.
- Follow-up support – Ongoing check-ins to monitor your progress and make treatment adjustments as needed.
Our patients often experience measurable improvements that include:
- Deeper, more restful sleep
- Calmer thoughts
- More balanced emotions
- Greater sense of emotional freedom — no longer trapped in past pain
- Sharper focus
- Enhanced mental clarity
- Increased energy
It’s simple. Call the phone number at the top of this web page or fill out our quick online form near the end of this blog to schedule an evaluation. Our trained care coordinators can help guide you to the best options for your needs.
Yes, Amen Clinics provides support for children, teens, and adults of all ages. We have helped countless people who have experienced various types of trauma and loss.
Our approach is best for people who are seeking brain-based, proven strategies for lasting mental health and emotional well-being.
Trauma, grief, 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.
References
Komischke-Konnerup, K. B., Vang, M. L., Lundorff, M., Elklit, A., & O’Connor, M. (2023). Do early symptoms of prolonged grief disorder lead to symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression? A longitudinal register-based study of the first two years of bereavement. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science, 132(8), 996–1006. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000859
Lenferink, L. I. M., Nickerson, A., de Keijser, J., Smid, G. E., & Boelen, P. A. (2020). Trajectories of grief, depression, and posttraumatic stress in disaster-bereaved people. Depression and Anxiety, 37(1), 35–44. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22850
Chen, G., et al. (2020). Amygdala functional connectivity features in grief: A pilot study. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 580. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00580
Gainer, D. (2020). A flash of hope: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience, 17(7–9), 12–20.
Shapiro, F. (2014). The role of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in medicine: Addressing the psychological and physical symptoms stemming from adverse life experiences. The Permanente Journal, 18(1), 71–77. https://doi.org/10.7812/TPP/13-098
Lillian M. Range et al., “Does Writing about the Bereavement Lessen Grief Following Sudden, Unintentional Death?” Death Studies 24, no. 2 (March 2000): 115–134.
A new study shows 4 in 10 Americans are lonelier than ever due to the coronavirus pandemic and shelter-at-home orders. Being separated from family, friends, and everyday friendly acquaintances is taking a toll on our well-being. It’s no wonder why—humans are social animals. Social connectivity is hard-wired into our brains, and when we feel lonely, it can have negative consequences for us emotionally, cognitively, and physically.
In 2017, the journal Public Health published a review of 40 studies that found consistent evidence showing that social isolation and loneliness worsen mental health. In fact, loneliness has been associated with depression, social anxiety, addictions, and hoarding.
Feeling lonely can have devastating effects on cognitive health. Research presented at the 2015 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference shows that the loneliest among us experience cognitive decline 20% faster than people who are connected to others. And a study in JAMA Psychiatry found that the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease was more than twice as high in people who are lonely.
In terms of physical health, being lonely is the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. And the same Public Health review mentioned above also found that social isolation and loneliness are associated with worse cardiovascular outcomes.
This is tough news considering much of the nation will continue to be on lockdown for the foreseeable future.
What can you do about it?
10 Tips to Feel Less Lonely
1. Reach out to friends and family.
Call the people you care about or schedule video conferences or FaceTime chats to be able to see each other as you speak. If it helps you, make a schedule for regular calls. This way, when you’re feeling like you’re all alone, you can remember that you’ll be talking to someone you care about soon.
2. Attend church online.
Feeling connected to your faith can be very important in helping you avoid loneliness. Many churches are conducting services online and hosting small group discussions using video conferencing. Be sure to tune in.
3. Get social on social media.
Take advantage of Facebook, Instagram, and other social media apps to share posts and quarantine photos with your friends. You may also want to join a Facebook group where you can connect with people who have similar interests or hobbies—whether it’s your favorite dog breed, knitting, tennis, or guitar players. On your Facebook feed, simply go to Groups, click on Discover, and start exploring.
4. Play games.
If you enjoy playing games, sign up to play Words With Friends and invite your relatives to play or play against others at your skill level. Sports lovers who are missing the action right now might want to check out virtual sports games where you can connect with fellow fans. There’s also an app called Houseparty that lets you play games online with friends in real-time.
5. Sign up for an online class.
Taking a digital course where you learn from an online instructor can be a good way to feel connected and do something beneficial for your cognitive function. Try the Change Your Brain Master’s Course taught by Daniel Amen, M.D. to learn how to boost your brain health and mental well-being.
6. Practice random acts of kindness.
Feeling like you are supporting others in some way can be very helpful in alleviating loneliness. Some ways to do it while still practicing safe physical distancing include checking in on any elderly or vulnerable neighbors with a call or text or donating blood to the American Red Cross, which is still encouraging donations during the pandemic.
7. Get outside and get creative.
Just taking a walk in your neighborhood can give you the opportunity to see and say hello to neighbors from a safe physical distance. Or take a cue from people around the world and start singing from your balcony (like Spanish singer Beatriz “Betta” Berodia) or clap and make noise from your windows (like they’ve been doing in New York City and San Diego, CA). You may start a trend, and it can help you feel connected.
8. Consider fostering a pet.
Pets can provide comfort, companionship, and love. If you’re stuck at home and have more time on your hands than usual, think about fostering a furry four-legged friend. Petting a dog has been shown to trigger the release of the feel-good neurotransmitters oxytocin and dopamine, and studies show that having a pet can be beneficial for moods, anxiety, and stress.
9. If you’re single, keep dating online.
It may seem like the worst time to try to meet someone new when you can’t go on a real date but think of this as an opportunity to get to know someone better before meeting in person. A video chat, while you’re both in your quarantine sweats at home, might actually be a less stressful way to connect with a special someone.
10. Reach out for professional help.
If your feelings of loneliness are overwhelming and you need support, seek treatment through mental telehealth opportunities. You don’t need to suffer or wait until the pandemic is over to get the help you need.
If you’re struggling with anxiety, panic attacks, depression, or other mental health issues, you aren’t alone—45% of Americans say the coronavirus pandemic has impacted their mental health. Just because you’re sheltering at home doesn’t mean you have to wait for the pandemic to be over before seeking help. In fact, during these uncertain times, your mental well-being is more important than ever, and waiting to get treatment is likely to make your symptoms worsen over time.
At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples, as well as in-clinic brain scanning to help our patients. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
The year 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the opening of the first Amen Clinics location. Over the past three decades, since we first began using brain SPECT imaging as a tool to more accurately diagnose and personalize treatment for our patients, we have reached some remarkable milestones. Now, with eight locations nationwide, we have the world’s largest database of functional brain scans related to behavior and have treated over 80,000 patients for a variety of conditions. The Amen Clinics’ groundbreaking work has been featured on Dr. Oz, Today, GMA, The View, Dr. Phil, and our 14 National Public Television Shows that have aired over 110,000 times across North America, and we have published over 82 professional papers and research articles in collaboration with scientists from Google, Johns Hopkins, UCLA, UCSF, NYU, and other esteemed institutions.
Dr. Daniel Amen, the founder, and CEO of Amen Clinics and a 10-time New York Times bestselling author started his journey in 1972 as an infantry medic and later an X-ray technician, where he learned the foundational concept: “How do you know unless you look?” After completing his child and adult psychiatric training in 1987, he became the Chief of Mental Health at Fort Irwin before choosing to start his own practice. This decision has led to a revolutionary brain-centered approach to psychiatry that has helped millions around the world change their brains and change their lives.
Take a look at some of the highlights from the past 30 years.
1989: The first Amen Clinic opens in Northern California.
1991: Dr. Amen starts his work with brain SPECT imaging, which shows that mental health is really brain health. This was a break from tradition in his field, psychiatry remains the only medical profession that rarely looks at the organ it treats.
1993: Dr. Amen begins lecturing about the importance of brain imaging in psychiatry by presenting the Brain SPECT Imaging conference at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting. He follows this up with many important presentations, including a “State-of-the-Art Lecture” to the Society of Developmental Pediatrics in 1996.
1998: Dr. Amen’s book Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, which shows that you are not stuck with the brain you have and that you can make your brain better, is published and becomes a New York Times bestseller that has now sold nearly 1 million copies.
2000: Amen Clinics begins opening additional locations with new clinics in Orange County, California (2000); Bellevue, Washington (2003); Washington DC (2005); Atlanta, GA (2012); New York City (2012); Chicago, IL (2017); Encino, California (2018); and more to come.
2005: With Dr. Jesse Payne, Dr. Amen creates “Brain Thrive by 25,” a brain health program that teaches students how to love and care for their brain. It has been taught in all 50 states and in 7 countries.
2008: “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life” becomes Dr. Amen’s first show to air nationwide on Public Television. He has now written and appeared in 14 Public Television shows that have aired over 110,000 times across North America.
2008: Amen Clinics surpasses 50,000 SPECT brain scans.
2009: This year marks the beginning of the Amen Clinics-NFL Retired Players Association Brain Imaging and Rehabilitation Study on Active and Retired NFL Players, which found that NFL players who suffered multiple concussions and had cognitive dysfunction, memory loss, mood and anger issues, weight gain, and other symptoms could improve their brain function by following a brain healthy program.
2010: Launches the 501(c)3 End Mental Illness Now, which is dedicated to brain imaging to change how psychiatry is practiced, brain health education for all, and service for people who cannot afford it.
2010: Launches BrainMD Health, which provides the highest quality nutritional products for optimizing and balancing brain health, as well as books, CDs, and other products designed to boost brain power.
2011: The Washington Post names Dr. Amen the “most popular psychiatrist in America.”
2012: Launches Brain Health Coaching Certification Course, which teaches providers and professionals of all backgrounds how to implement The Amen Clinics Method into their client protocol. Over 2,900 providers in 59 countries have taken the course.
2013: The Daniel Plan, which Dr. Amen wrote with Pastor Rick Warren and Dr. Mark Hyman, hits #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. The brain health program, which helped congregants of Saddleback Church lose a quarter or a million pounds, is now taught in churches worldwide.
2013: Dr. Amen’s TED Talks, “The Most Important Lesson from 83,000 Scans” and “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life” garner over 10 million views.
2014: Amen Clinics surpasses 100,000 SPECT brain scans.
2015: “On the Psychiatrist’s Couch” airs nationwide on Public Television and is Dr. Amen’s 10th and most successful show.
2015: This year marks the launch of Amen University, which offers direct access to brain-centered online courses designed to improve your mood, memory, behavior, attention, and overall health.
2016: Discover Magazine ranks Amen Clinics’ groundbreaking research on using brain imaging to differentiate PTSD from TBI as #19 on its list of Top 100 Stories in Science for 2015.
2017: A clip from Dr. Amen’s “The Most Important Lesson from 83,000 Scans” TED Talk goes viral on social media and racks up over 40 million views.
2017: The Brain Warrior’s Way Podcast debuts and now has over 4 million downloads.
2018: Launches “Creating BRIGHT MINDS” program to help businesses, churches, schools, and other organizations collectively enhance brain health for greater success at every level. Earth Friendly Products located in Southern California tests the program and experiences greater productivity, reduced absenteeism, and higher engagement with employee wellness programs.
2019: Over 2 million people worldwide have taken our Brain Health Assessment, which identifies your brain type and gives you a personalized report that includes personalized recommendations for your brain type.
2019: Amen Clinics surpasses 150,000 brain SPECT scans of patients from 121 countries, making it the world’s largest database of functional brain scans related to behavior.
The Future
Amen Clinics is poised for continued growth with new clinics set to open and will continue reframing the way we think about mental health as brain health with Dr. Amen’s book The End of Mental Illness, which is scheduled to be published in 2020.
If you or a loved one are struggling with a mental health/brain health issue or you want to enhance your own brain health or the brains of everyone in your organization, reach out to see how Amen Clinics can help. Our specialists are waiting to hear from you at 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit online.
Imagine sitting in a room at home with goggles and headphones on. Strobe lights flicker through the goggles and pulses come through the headphones, both designed to stimulate your mind. Our minds think in states of brain- wave frequency, and changes in frequencies are based on brain activity. When we stimulate the brain audiovisually with light and sound pulses, it begins to mimic or follow the same frequencies.Irlen Lenses: Brain-Calming Glasses
When a patient who had severe, debilitating migraine headaches told us that being diagnosed with and treated for Irlen syndrome completely cured her headaches, we wanted to help more like her. Helen Irlen, PhD, is a school psychologist. Back in the early 1980s she was working under a federal research grant with college-educated adults who struggled with learning and reading difficulties. At that time, she discovered that colored, filtered lenses could reduce stress on the brain and allow it to function better. Irlen Syndrome is a visual processing problem, where certain colors of the light spectrum tend to irritate the brain. It runs in families and is common after traumatic brain injuries. Anyone experiencing symptoms of anxiety, irritability, depression, or decreased concentration should be screened for Irlen syndrome. Common symptoms include: • Light sensitivity; being bothered by glare, sunlight, headlights, or streetlights • Strain or fatigue with computer use • Fatigue, headaches, mood changes, restlessness, or an inability to stay focused when in a room with bright or fluorescent lights • Trouble reading words that are on white, glossy paper • Words or letters shifting, shaking, blurring, moving, running together, disappearing, or becoming difficult to perceive while reading • Feeling tense, tired, or sleepy when reading, or even getting headaches when reading • Problems judging distance and difficulty with such things as escalators, stairs, ball sports, driving, or coordination • Migraine headachesMeet Heather
Heather, 42, had been in 10 car accidents when she came to see us for symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, and depression. During her history she told one of our physicians that she had trouble reading and fluorescent lights gave her headaches. Suspecting Irlen Syndrome, he sent her for an evaluation. When we saw Heather two weeks later, she was beaming. With the Irlen lenses, her focus was better, her anxiety was reduced, and her mood had improved. Her prior brain scan had been remarkably overactive, but the Irlen lenses significantly calmed her brain.
Heather’s Next Phase Of Healing
We were excited about Heather’s progress until a few weeks later when her physician reported she was struggling with depression. Here’s the rest of the story. When Heather was a child, she was a prodigy guitar player. Apparently, she was amazing and gave performances around the area where she lived. But she could never learn to read music because the notes would move and dance on the page. At the age of 12, she took the guitar and smashed it, and she never played again. Now, 30 years later, she finds out that she has Irlen Syndrome and is mourning the loss of what could have been. Heather did not need Prozac to deal with the depression. She needed grief therapy, which we gave her. Within a few weeks she was back to feeling great and bought herself a new guitar. Dealing with a condition like Heather’s can be challenging in many areas of day-to-day functioning, especially when symptoms are compounded by other mental health issues. If you want to read more stories like Heather’s, we recommend reading Dr. Daniel Amen’s new book, “Feel Better Fast And Make It Last.” You can order the book by clicking here. For more information on how SPECT imaging can help provide a customized treatment plan to help heal your brain, call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit us online to schedule a visit. Nearly 30 years after we first began our brain imaging work, we have built the world’s largest database of functional brain imaging scans related to behavior. Brain SPECT scans have taught us and our patients so many important lessons. We will provide you with our top 10 lessons, which can help you feel better fast and dramatically change your life.Lesson #1: Current psychiatric diagnostic models are outdated because they don’t assess the brain.
Today, the typical way most people are diagnosed and treated for mental health issues is by going to a professional and telling him or her their symptoms. The doctor or therapist listens, examines them, looks for symptom clusters, and then diagnoses and treats them. Patients may say, “I’m depressed,” for example, and the doctor will look at them and then give them a diagnosis with the same name—depression. Treatment is typically an antidepressant medication. Psychiatrists are the only medical specialists who virtually never look at the organ they treat. Cardiologists look, neurologists look, gastroenterologists look, orthopedists look. Psychiatrists guess. There is a better way.Lesson #2: Psychiatric diagnoses are not single or simple disorders; they all have multiple types, and each requires its own treatment.
This was one of the earliest lessons SPECT taught us. Giving someone the diagnosis of depression is like giving him or her the diagnosis of chest pain. No doctor would do that because it doesn’t identify the cause of the pain or what to do for it. Consider this: What can cause chest pain? Heart attacks, heart arrhythmias, pneumonia, grief, anxiety, chest-wall trauma, gas, and ulcers, just to name a few. Likewise, what can cause depression? Loss, grief, low thyroid, brain infections, brain trauma, a brain that works too hard, or a brain that does not work hard enough. Do you think all of these will respond to the same treatment? Of course not. We have described seven brain types associated with anxiety and depression, seven types of ADD, six types of addicts, five types of overeaters, and even three types associated with violence. No one treatment will work for everyone who is depressed, anxious, inattentive, addicted, overweight, or aggressive. They all have different brain types.Lesson #3: Looking at the brain decreases stigma, increases compliance with treatment, and completely changes the discussion around mental health.
When psychiatrists don’t have hard biological data to help them make their diagnoses, many people do not take them seriously. Unfortunately, that leaves a huge emotional hole for patients, who often feel belittled or defective if they have to seek help for a “mental” illness. Imaging completely changes the discussion around mental health. Quite frankly, few people really want to see a psychiatrist. No one wants to be labeled as defective, crazy, or abnormal, but everyone wants a better brain. What if mental health were really brain health? Scans have taught our patients that lesson over and over.Lesson #4: If what you’re doing is not working, look at the brain.
Sudden changes in behavior are usually associated with brain trauma, toxins, infections, or a defined emotional trauma.Lesson #5: Looking at the brain improves outcomes, and people get better faster.
The most important reason to look at the brain is to improve outcomes. That was Dr. Daniel Amen’s clinical experience when he first started scanning patients, but to find out what the data showed, we started a formal outcome study in 2011 on many of the patients we saw. To date we have six-month outcome results on more than 7,000 patients. The study made it crystal clear that in general, we see people with complex issues who have been unsuccessfully treated by multiple health care providers. On average, our patients have 4.2 diagnoses.Lesson #6: Looking at the brain completely changes the discussion about good and evil.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a map is priceless. A map tells you where you are and gives you directions on how to get where you want to go. Without an accurate map you are lost, and that may cost you precious time in getting the help you need—or it may even cost your life. SPECT imaging is a map to help guide people to better brains and better lives.Lesson #7: Looking at the brain helps to prevent mistakes.
One of the biggest lessons from imaging was that it helped us prevent mistakes, such as stimulating an overactive brain, calming one that is underactive, or labeling behavior as willful, when it was clearly brain-based.Lesson #8: Looking at the brain provides hope.
Ever since we started our brain imaging work, the images provide hope that there is a better way, and there is hope for healing.Lesson #9: Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia start years, even decades, before people have any symptoms.
One of the most profound lessons from our brain imaging work is that Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia can be seen on SPECT scans years before people have any symptoms. SPECT is a leading indicator of problems, meaning it shows evidence of the disease process years before people show signs of it. Anatomical studies, such as CT and MRI, are lagging indicators. They show problems later in the course of the illness, when interventions tend to be less effective.Lesson #10: The most important lesson from 150,000 scans is that you can change your brain, and it will change your life.
This is the biggest and most exciting lesson our patients have learned from our work. And it is personal. When Dr. Daniel Amen’s 9 year-old godson attacked a little girl on the baseball field for no apparent reason, it set events in motion that would ultimately lead to a revolution in psychiatric practice. To learn more new lessons from Dr. Daniel Amen, we recommend reading his new book, “Feel Better Fast And Make It Last.” You can order the book by clicking here. For more information on how SPECT imaging can help provide a customized treatment plan to help heal your brain, call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit us online to schedule a visit. There is a Chinese saying that goes: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.” For centuries, the greatest thinkers have suggested the same thing: Happiness is found in helping others.Five Strategies to Create Lasting Joy and Feel Better Fast
1. Focus on what you want, on what gives you passion and purpose.
Reflect daily and ask yourself is your behavior getting you what you want? Know what you want; write it down and look at it every day. It will encourage your brain to help make it happen.2. Limit low value dopamine-producing activities/substances that wear out your pleasure centers. These include:
• Caffeine • Nicotine • Excessive television • Excessive video games • Pornography • Undisciplined digital behavior • Scary movies3. Engage in high value activities that increase dopamine and strengthen your brain. Here are several examples:
• Sunlight (vitamin D) • Exercise • Meditation • Yoga • Touch • Massage therapy • Pleasurable music • DHA from fish oil • Olive oil • Green tea • Protein-rich diet • Turmeric • Oregano • Magnesium • Resveratrol4. Focus each moment on living with meaning and purpose.
Ask yourself, do the foods I am eating, the exercises I am doing, the conversations I am having, the activities I am engaging in have meaning? Look at your day—where are you spending your time? Is it meaningful in reaching your goals? Get rid of the things in your life that do not fit your goals.5. Live with the end in mind.
Psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, a pioneer in near-death studies and the author of the groundbreaking book On Death and Dying said, “It is the denial of death that is partially responsible for people living empty, purposeless lives; for when you live as if you’ll live forever, it becomes too easy to postpone the things you know that you must do.” If you truly want to live a purposeful life, live with the end in mind. None of us know when death is going to come, but if you knew you would be dead in a week, a month, a year, five years, what would matter to you most? Where and with whom would you spend your time? What will matter toward the end of your life? What will you want to be doing? Whom do you want to be with? What will have mattered in your life? If you live that way along the way, you’ll find your life more purposeful, more meaningful, and more filled with love. These five strategies will help you to live with love, passion, meaning and purpose over a prolonged period of time. For more tips and strategies to live your life to the fullest and healthiest, we recommend reading Dr. Daniel Amen’s new book, “Feel Better Fast and Make It Last.” You can order the book by clicking here. For more information on how SPECT imaging can help provide a customized treatment plan to help heal your brain, call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit us online to schedule a visit. One of the strategies we commonly use at Amen Clinics is to change our patients’ diets. We help them eat foods that nourish their brains and bodies— such as colorful vegetables and fruits as well as healthy proteins and fats—and eliminate, at least temporarily, all of the potential troublemaker foods that could be causing negative reactions in their bodies, such as gluten, dairy, corn, soy, food additives and preservatives, and artificial sweeteners.Strategy #1: Give yourself an attitude makeover.
Your attitude, or mind-set, may be the single most important factor in feeling better fast. When your mind-set is one of deprivation and your focus is on what you cannot have, you are more likely to remain mired in illness and brain fog. Yes, you may be giving up sugary fast foods and beverages you enjoy—which are often, by the way, pesticide-laden—but these are the very things that drive inflammation and illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, depression, dementia, and early death. To feel better fast and make it last for a lifetime, it is critical to develop an abundance mind-set, where you focus on the high-quality, nutritious, and delicious foods you can have that build and sustain your health.Strategy #2: Learn the Feel Better Fast Food Rules.
There are six rules, or guidelines, that will help you start to eat healthier. You may already be following some of these guidelines. The more of them you adopt, the better off your brain and body will be.Concentrate On Consuming Brain Smart Calories
Calories do matter. If you eat more of them than you burn, you will definitely gain weight, as your weight goes up, the size and function of your brain go down. Yet the quality of your calories matters more than the amount. Contrast a 582-calorie meal of a large soda and a slice of pizza, which promotes inflammation, brain fog, and illness, with a 540-calorie meal of wild salmon, Swiss chard, sweet potato, and dark chocolate, which promotes good health.Make (Zero-Calorie) Water Your Beverage Of Choice
Your brain is 80 percent water. Being dehydrated by just 2 percent impairs your ability to carry out tasks that require attention, memory, and physical performance. We recommend drinking about eight 10-ounce glasses of water a day. If you drink a glass of water 30 minutes before meals or snacks, you’re likely to eat less and still feel satiated. However, avoid drinking water with your meal, as it slows down digestion by diluting stomach acid. And try to limit consumption of anything that dehydrates you, including caffeine, alcohol, and other diuretics.Eat Small Amounts Of Protein Several Times A Day
Think of protein the way you do medicine—that it should be taken in small doses with every meal and snack. Protein helps to balance blood sugar levels, decrease cravings, and burn more calories than eating high-carb, sugar-filled foods. Protein also provides your body with the amino acids it requires. Nuts, seeds, legumes, some grains, and vegetables contain some of the 20 essential amino acids you need. Fish, poultry, and most meats contain all of them. To the degree your budget allows, shop for animal protein that is free of hormones and antibiotics, free-range, and grass fed. It is more expensive than industrial, farm-raised animal protein, but it is a good investment in your health. Be careful not to overdo it on protein, as that can put an increased strain on your kidneys and promote inflammation. Somewhere in the range of 15 to 25 percent of your total daily calories is a healthy amount.Make Friends With Fat
Fat continues to get a bad rap, even though good fats are essential to the health of your brain and do not raise your cholesterol. In fact, low-fat diets are bad for the brain. A Mayo Clinic study found that people who ate either a fat-based or a protein-based diet had a 42 percent or a 21 percent lower risk, respectively, of developing mild cognitive impairment and dementia, but those who ate a diet based on simple carbohydrates (think bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, and sugar) had a 400 percent increased risk of developing these conditions. Fat is not the problem—sugar is.Choose Healthy (High-Fiber, Blood-Sugar-Steadying) Carbohydrates
So-called “smart” carbohydrates are essential to life because they are loaded with nutrients, help to balance your blood sugar, and decrease cravings. Most vegetables, legumes, and fruits, such as apples, pears, and berries, that are low glycemic (unlikely to raise blood sugar) are smart carbs. High-glycemic, low- fiber carbohydrates steal your health because they promote inflammation, diabetes, and depression. Women should consume 25–30 grams of fiber every day; men, 30–38 grams. High-fiber foods, such as broccoli, berries, onions, flaxseeds, nuts, green beans, cauliflower, celery, and sweet potatoes (the skin of one sweet potato has more fiber than a bowl of oatmeal!) have the added benefit of making you feel full faster and longer.Fill Your Plate With Colorful Vegetables And Fruits
Colorful vegetables and fruits have tremendous health benefits. They provide an enormous array of the plant nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are necessary for good health. Plant foods also help prevent cancer and reduce inflammation, which contributes to Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, arthritis, gastrointestinal disorders, high blood pressure, and many other illnesses.Strategy #3: Time your meals to get healthier.
If you have symptoms of low blood sugar, getting your diet right can make an immediate positive difference for you.Strategy #4: Choose 20 foods you love that love you back.
To be successful at optimizing your diet, you must find foods you love, that love you back. We are creatures of habit and change can be hard. That is why you have to set yourself up to win. Do this by finding 20 high-quality, delicious foods and beverages, based on the rules outlined above. If you can find 20 foods, odds are you will be able to find 40, 80, 100, or more.Make it Last
For more nutrition strategies, Dr. Daniel Amen’s new book “Feel Better Fast And Make It Last” is available to order, please visit here. For more information on how SPECT imaging can help provide a customized treatment plan to help heal your brain, call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit us online to schedule a visit. Many famous performers have experienced worldwide fame, which releases massive amounts of dopamine, stimulating their pleasure centers over and over as strangers recognize them everywhere they go, often begging for autographs or screaming their names. Repeated, intense activation of the pleasure centers wears them out, much like a cocaine high that lessens with frequent use of the drug. Over time, if these stars are not careful, it takes more and more dopamine-producing activities—more fame, falling in love, affairs with multiple partners, drugs, racing cars, and even stealing—just to feel normal or not to feel depressed.Pleasure Centers
If the pleasure centers become damaged by overuse, toxins, or head trauma, or if dopamine is excessively high for prolonged periods, the ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, and basal ganglia become less responsive. The dopamine high stops being as intense as it once was. This increases the risk of depression—or addiction to substances that people turn to in order to fix the bad feelings caused by the numbing of these brain regions. The addictive substances include nicotine, alcohol, methamphetamines, cocaine, pornography, and food (specifically, foods high in sugar and fat). When a powerful release of dopamine hits the pleasure centers, increases euphoria, and then wears off, people can feel flat or depressed and start craving a way out of the bad feelings. As a result, they reengage in the actions that intensely ramped up their dopamine levels in the first place. Over time, it takes more and more of the substance to get the same response. This is the cycle of addiction.The Cycle of Addiction
Many forces in our changing society, besides fame, are putting excessive demands on our pleasure centers. When dopamine wears off, experience withdrawal, leaving you feeling flat or depressed pleasure centers in the same way that cocaine does. We all know people who are glued to their smartphones even while they are talking to others. For these people, every time their devices ping to signal a new incoming message, it causes a small release of dopamine.
Entertainment & Dopamine
Television is all about “breaking news” and quick, high-intensity action. Dopamine is constantly released in video gamers as they play, and the games were specifically designed to hook your attention. As video game and technology usage goes up, so do depression and obesity. In short, our devices, online communities, games, TV-watching habits, and scary movies are wearing out our pleasure centers and changing our brains. Our fast-paced, pleasure-seeking lifestyle is robbing us of the ability to experience joy from the simple things in life. Things that once made us happy—such as a smile from a friend, a glorious sunset, or a great tennis match—have lost the power to move us. Our excessive pursuit of constant thrills may contribute to emotional problems, such as depression and anxiety, as well as addictions to drugs, alcohol, Internet gambling, pornography, and compulsive shopping.Video Games
Even new love, for millennials at least, has turned into a video game. Amen Clinics collaborated with The Dr. Oz Show on a brain imaging–Tinder experiment with several thirtysomething men and women to determine the effect of the dating app on mood and focus. If they were lucky enough to get a “swipe right”—meaning someone using the dating app liked their pictures and short bio—it increased activity in the pleasure and mood centers of their brains. If, however, there were fewer “swipes right” and more “swipes left,” indicating rejection, their brains were more vulnerable to pain and depression.How to Protect Your Pleasure Centers
With so many diversions in our lives that have the potential to negatively affect our pleasure centers and keep us from experiencing purpose and passion for the things we value most, we need to act. Here are some simple steps to take to protect your pleasure centers and keep them healthy: • Limit or eliminate the use of constantly stimulating devices and activities, such as smartphones, gaming, shopping, pornography, scary movies, and high-risk activities. • Engage in regular physical exercise, especially something you love that does not endanger your brain, such as dancing, swimming, or tennis. • Meditate—it protects the brain while enhancing a sense of well-being. • Make time to laugh—humor enhances the pleasure centers without wearing them out. • Connect meaningful activities with pleasure, such as volunteering for activities you love. • Start every day by thinking of three things for which you are MINUTES grateful (a small dopamine drip) and one person you appreciate, then reach out through text or e-mail. • Seek pleasure in the little things in your life, such as a walk with a friend, holding hands with your spouse, a great meal, or a meaningful church service. • Eat foods that contain dopamine-boosting properties, such as chicken, turkey, seafood, almonds, pumpkin and sesame seeds, turmeric, oregano, vegetables (for folate and magnesium), olive oil, and green tea. • Consider supplements to support dopamine, such as omega-3 fatty acids, SAMe, and green tea extract. At Amen Clinics, we’re committed to treating our patients with the least toxic, most effective regimen. For more information about you can start to get on track today, we recommend reading Dr. Amen’s new book, “Feel Better Fast and Make It Last.” You can order the book by clicking here. For more information on how SPECT imaging can help provide a customized treatment plan to help heal your brain, call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit us online to schedule a visit. Relationships are crucial to having a healthy and caring life with those who you value. In Daniel G. Amen, MD’s new book, “Feel Better Fast and Make It Last“, these techniques come from research in the field of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT). Enhancing interpersonal skill has proven effective in reducing anxiety, depression, and stress, and in improving both business success and marital satisfaction.The acronym RELATING will help you remember the essential relationship habits:
R IS FOR RESPONSIBILITY
Responsibility is not about blame. It is about your ability to respond to whatever situation you are in. What can you do today to make your relationships better? You win more in relationships when you ask yourself this question and stay away from blaming others.E IS FOR EMPATHY
Developing empathy involves a number of important skills, including mirroring, treating others in a way you would like to be treated, and being able to get outside of yourself.L IS FOR LISTENING AND GOOD COMMUNICATION
Poor communication is at the core of many relationship problems. Jumping to conclusions, trying to read minds, and needing to be right are only a few traits that doom communication. Too often in relationships we have expectations and hopes that we never explicitly communicate to our partners or colleagues. Clear communication is essential if relationships are to be mutually satisfying.A IS FOR ASSERTIVENESS
Assertiveness involves standing up for one’s rights without infringing upon those of others, whereas aggression involves the use of verbal and nonverbal noxious stimuli to maintain rights.T IS FOR TIME
Relationships require actual, physical time. In this era of commuting, traffic, two-working-parent households, e-mail, the Internet, television, and video games, we have seriously diminished the time we have with the people in our lives. Being present in the moment with your spouse, friend, or colleague can help make the other person feel appreciated and secure.I IS FOR INQUIRING
Ask yourself what thoughts are repeatedly going through your mind, and then consider how accurate they might be. Often when we tell ourselves little lies about other people, it puts unnecessary wedges between us and them. Relationships require accurate thinking in order to thrive. Whenever you feel sad, mad, or nervous in relationships, check out your thoughts. If there are automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) or lies, stomp them out.N IS FOR NOTICING WHAT YOU LIKE
Noticing what you like a lot more than what you don’t like is one of the secrets to having great relationships. Paying attention to what you like encourages more of that behavior.G IS FOR GRACE AND FORGIVENESS
One of the most famous prayers in history commands us to forgive others if we ourselves want to be forgiven. Forgiveness is powerful medicine. Holding on to grudges and hurts, even if they are small, increases stress hormones that negatively impact our moods, immunity, and overall health.8 Strategies To Enhance Your Ability To Connect By RELATING
1. Ask yourself if you are taking RESPONSIBILITY in your relationships: “How can I respond in a positive, helpful way?” 2. Practice EMPATHY: Treat others as you would like to be treated. 3. In conversations, LISTEN and practice good communication skills. 4. Be ASSERTIVE: Say what you mean and stick up for what you believe is right in a calm, clear, kind way. 5. Spend TIME: Remember that actual, physical time with others is critical to healthy relationships. 6. INQUIRE into the negative thoughts that make you suffer in a relationship and decide if they’re true. 7. NOTICE what you like in the behavior of those around you more than you notice (and complain about) what you don’t like. 8. Give the altruistic gift of GRACE and forgiveness whenever you can. At Amen Clinics, we’re committed to treating our patients with the least toxic, most effective regimen. For more information on how SPECT imaging can help provide a customized treatment plan to help heal your brain, call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit us online to schedule a visit. When you hurt, you want to feel better now, fast, pronto! That is what hurting people want. No one wants to be patient. No one wants a prolonged process. They want to feel better fast, and they want it to last.Meet Leiza
Leiza was 50 years old when she first came to Amen Clinics Atlanta. She brought her teenage son to us for ADHD because he had not responded to treatment. She also decided to be scanned because, as she said, “I’m very scattered, always late, and my memory is poor. My father and his mother had dementia, and I don’t want it.”Chronic Memory Problems
She had been an actor and then a stay-at-home mother for 20 years. As her children were becoming more independent, she wanted to act again, but she didn’t believe she could. She told one of her friends, “I could never go back to work. I can’t remember anything. I can’t focus. I can’t make any decisions.” The two years before Leiza came to see us were the most challenging in her life. She had felt a lot of anxiety while taking care of her son’s learning disabilities, her daughter’s depression, and her father’s dementia, and in dealing with the death of her mother-in-law. With the chronic stress, Leiza noticed more problems with her memory. She would make appointments and then forget to show up, despite having put the appointment on her calendar.How SPECT Helped Leiza
As part of our workup of Leiza, we did a brain imaging study called SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography), which looks at blood flow and activity—essentially, how the brain works. Her SPECT scan showed severely decreased blood flow across her whole brain, which was very concerning given the family history of Alzheimer’s disease. Our research and that of others has shown that Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia start in the brain decades before people have any symptoms. Leiza was already symptomatic, and her brain showed that she was headed for the same fate as her father and grandmother.
Leiza’s scan was the wake-up call she needed to get serious about rehabilitating her brain now if she wanted to feel better fast. She started taking targeted supplements and doing a treatment called hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).
Within several months she noticed a significant improvement in her mood, focus, and memory. She started to audition for television and landed a lead role in a TV pilot as the FBI Director. She said none of it would have been possible without rehabilitating and caring for her brain. Her follow-up scan two years later showed remarkable improvement, which is something we have seen repeatedly over the past three decades. Your brain can be better and you can feel better!