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7-Year-Old Bryce: Mommy, I See Ghosts

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A child’s “ghost sightings” turned out to be temporal lobe epilepsy. Learn how brain scans can reveal the real cause of some hallucinations.

Table of Contents

A Boy Saw “Ghosts” Until a Brain Scan Revealed the Truth Newsletter header: The Real Reason Behind a Child’s Terrifying “Visions”

When 7-year-old Bryce’s mother read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to him, he became very upset. The visual distortions described in the book by Lewis Carroll felt too familiar to him. He said that he felt like Alice.

“I have weird things happen to me,” he told her. “I see things.”

During the day, Bryce saw objects change shapes, often getting smaller. He also saw green, shadowy ghosts at night. The young boy also had a lot of anxiety symptoms.

Some moms might chalk this up to a “childish imagination,” but Bryce’s mom could see the fear in her child’s eyes and believed him. Frightened that Bryce was losing his mind (a cousin had already been diagnosed with a “schizophrenic-like” illness), she realized she needed to seek help for her son.

A brain SPECT scan at Amen Clinics, doctors discovered the real culprit behind the “ghosts” Bryce was seeing. Bryce wasn’t “haunted.” He had temporal lobe epilepsy, a brain condition that can cause intense visual hallucinations, emotional swings, and déjà vu experiences.

Bryce could have been headed down a very dark path and a future of psychiatric medications and treatments. But what looked supernatural was actually related to brain function and completely treatable.

“I have weird things happen to me. I see things,” said a 7-year-old boy who was seeing ghost-like figures. His mom, worried that he might be losing his mind, took him to Amen Clinics for a brain SPECT scan, which revealed the real culprit.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy?

The temporal lobes are situated behind the ears on each side of the brain and play a key role in memory, emotion, and sensory processing. When abnormal electrical activity occurs here, it can lead to temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), a form of focal epilepsy that often goes unrecognized.

Common Symptoms of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

  • Visual or auditory distortions: Objects appear larger, smaller, or distorted and sounds may seem distant or amplified.
  • Déjà vu or jamais vu: Feeling that something that something strange is oddly familiar or something familiar is strange.
  • Sudden waves of fear or anxiety for no reason.
  • Spaciness or confusion after a seizure or brief loss of awareness.
  • Changes in mood or behavior.
  • Religious or moral preoccupation or intense emotional experiences.
  • Seizures, which may be subtle (“absence” seizures) or dramatic.

Children, in particular, may describe “seeing things,” “time stopping,” or “hearing music that isn’t there.” Just remember that these are classic childhood epilepsy symptoms, not signs of imagination or misbehavior.

Related: Jason’s Story: From Hallucinations to Happy and Healthy

Why Is Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Often Misdiagnosed?

Because symptoms of temporal lobe epilepsy overlap with mental disorders, misdiagnosis is common. A child describing “ghosts” or “voices” may be thought to have schizophrenia, anxiety, or just a vivid imagination. Additionally, adults may be treated for depression or panic attacks instead of epilepsy.

The consequences of ignoring temporal lobe problems can have a profound impact like emotional instability, cognitive changes, and distress that worsens over time. Many people spend years in therapy before learning their symptoms stem from electrical misfires in the brain, not emotional weakness or spiritual experiences.

Without looking at the brain, even well-intentioned professionals may miss the true cause.

How Is Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Diagnosed?

Traditional tools like MRI or EEG (electroencephalogram) and can reveal structural or electrical abnormalities in the brain, but they don’t always show the full picture. MRI scans show anatomy, while EEG measures surface brain waves. Both can miss subtle activity patterns deep in the brain.

That’s where brain SPECT imaging, which is what we use at Amen Clinics, comes in. A brain SPECT scan for temporal lobe epilepsy measures blood flow and activity patterns, helping clinicians see the origins of seizures.

In Bryce’s case, his brain scan revealed increased activity in his right temporal lobe, confirming that his “ghost sightings” were brain-based events. With this insight, his doctors could target the root cause rather than just the symptoms.

Bryce’s comprehensive evaluation also included a clinical history and neuropsychological testing to ensure an accurate diagnosis and a treatment plan.

How Is Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Diagnosed?

Traditional tools like MRI or EEG (electroencephalogram) and can reveal structural or electrical abnormalities in the brain, but they don’t always show the full picture. MRI scans show anatomy, while EEG measures surface brain waves. Both can miss subtle activity patterns deep in the brain.

That’s where brain SPECT imaging, which is what we use at Amen Clinics, comes in. A brain SPECT scan for temporal lobe epilepsy measures blood flow and activity patterns, helping clinicians see the origins of seizures.

In Bryce’s case, his brain scan revealed increased activity in his right temporal lobe, confirming that his “ghost sightings” were brain-based events. With this insight, his doctors could target the root cause rather than just the symptoms.

Bryce’s comprehensive evaluation also included a clinical history and neuropsychological testing to ensure an accurate diagnosis and a treatment plan.

What Can Happen If Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Goes Untreated?

When temporal lobe epilepsy is left untreated, symptoms can intensify and evolve. Research shows that ongoing seizures or abnormal brain activity can lead to changes in brain structure and emotional regulation.

According to multiple studies, long-term consequences can include:

  • Worsening visual hallucinations and sensory distortions
  • Increased anxiety, depression, or paranoia
  • Memory and attention problems due to temporal lobe dysfunction
  • More frequent or severe seizures
  • Social withdrawal and reduced quality of life

Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for healing and preventing lasting brain changes, especially in children whose brains are still developing.

Related: Breaking From Reality: The Complexity of Psychotic Disorders

What Are The Treatment Options For Temporal Lobe Epilepsy?

The good news? Healing temporal lobe epilepsy is possible. With proper diagnosis, most people experience major improvements in symptoms and overall brain function. Some common treatment options may include:

  • Anti-seizure medication: As in Bryce’s case, these can help regulate electrical activity and stop seizures.
  • Psychotherapy and support: Helps patients cope with emotional symptoms and reduce anxiety.
  • Lifestyle adjustments: Regular sleep, brain-healthy nutrition, and stress management can reduce seizure triggers.
  • Comprehensive, multi-modal care: Combining medical treatment, nutrition, and therapy creates stronger outcomes than a single approach.

Bryce’s Transformation: What Happened After Treatment

Once Bryce began treatment, everything changed. The hallucinations that had terrified him disappeared. His anxiety calmed down, his focus improved, and his confidence returned. His family finally understood that he wasn’t “seeing ghosts” but instead experiencing a medical condition that could be treated and managed.

Bryce’s story illustrates the power of seeing brain health through a compassionate, scientific lens. When parents and clinicians look beyond surface symptoms, children like Bryce can reclaim their health, peace, joy, and potential.

FAQ About Hallucinations And Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

If you or your child experiences unexplained hallucinations, fear, or memory lapses, there is hope. Here’s how to start healing:

  1. Seek professional help. Find a neurologist or brain health specialist experienced in diagnosing epilepsy.
  2. Get a brain-based evaluation. A brain SPECT scan can reveal underlying temporal lobe problems that may not appear on standard tests.
  3. Find epilepsy support for children and families. Learning more about the condition can ease fear and help you take the next step toward recovery.

At Amen Clinics, our experts have helped thousands of people uncover the root causes of mysterious symptoms and begin their journey to healing.

Hallucinations, confusion, or emotional swings that don’t respond to traditional treatment can be signs of a troubled brain. With science, compassion, and the right tools, temporal lobe epilepsy can be understood, managed, and healed.

Just like Bryce, countless others have learned that the “ghosts” they see are not spirits rather signals from the brain asking for help.

Amen Clinics uses brain SPECT imaging to measure blood flow and activity patterns. This allows clinicians to see areas of the brain like the temporal lobes that may be overactive or underactive, leading to more accurate diagnoses and better outcomes.

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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  2. Mostafavi S, Bidaki R, Farzan A. Reporting a Remarkable Visual Illusion Due to Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and an Unusual Response to Lamotrigine.Thrita J Neu.2016;5(2):e29061.https://doi.org/10.5812/thrita.29061

  3. Martin CB, Mirsattari SM, Pruessner JC, Burneo JG, Hayman-Abello B, Köhler S. Relationship between déjà vu experiences and recognition-memory impairments in temporal-lobe epilepsy. Memory. 2021 Aug;29(7):884-894. doi: 10.1080/09658211.2019.1643891. Epub 2019 Jul 24. PMID: 31339436.

  4. Garcia-Santibanez, R., & Sarva, H. (2015). Isolated Hyperreligiosity in a Patient with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. Case reports in neurological medicine, 2015, 235856. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/235856

  5. Feraco, P., Donner, D., Picori, L., & Rozzanigo, U. (2020). Unusual diagnostic findings in temporal lobe epilepsy: A combined MRI and 18F-dopa case study. European journal of radiology open, 7, 100241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejro.2020.100241

  6. Szałwińska, K., Cyuńczyk, M., Kochanowicz, J., & Witkowska, A. M. (2021). Dietary and lifestyle behavior in adults with epilepsy needs improvement: a case-control study from northeastern Poland. Nutrition journal, 20(1), 62. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-021-00704-6

  7. Bjørke, A. B., Nome, C. G., Falk, R. S., Gjerstad, L., Taubøll, E., & Heuser, K. (2018). Evaluation of long-term antiepileptic drug use in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy: Assessment of risk factors for drug resistance and polypharmacy. Seizure, 61, 63–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seizure.2018.07.011

  8. Vinti, V., Dell’Isola, G. B., Tascini, G., Mencaroni, E., Cara, G. D., Striano, P., & Verrotti, A. (2021). Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and Psychiatric Comorbidity. Frontiers in neurology, 12, 775781. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2021.775781

  9. Xu S, Zhu Q, Zhou J, Ye L, Ye H, Shen C, Zheng Z, Jiang H, Wang S, Ding Y, Chen C, Guo Y, Wang Z, Wang S. Ictal scalp EEG patterns are shaped by seizure etiology in temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsia Open. 2025 Apr;10(2):466-476. doi: 10.1002/epi4.13134. Epub 2025 Feb 7. PMID: 39918427; PMCID: PMC12014931.

  10. Salpekar J. (2016). Mood Disorders in Epilepsy. Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing), 14(4), 465–472. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.focus.20160017

Related Articles

The human brain is an electrical powerhouse, generating enough electricity to spark a 20-watt lightbulb. At all times, our brain cells are communicating with each other through the transmission of electrical impulses that are of a very, very low frequency. In some people, however, brain cells fire erratically creating electrical storms, or seizures, in certain parts of the brain. Lasting as little as a few seconds or up to several minutes, seizures may cause a variety of symptoms and have also been associated with a range of behavioral issues, such as attention problems, trouble controlling temper, anxiety, and more. But some seizures can go unnoticed, meaning many people don’t realize that their behavioral issues are rooted in seizure activity in the brain.

3 Common Types of Seizures

Seizures can manifest in various ways, including these 3:
  1. A grand mal seizure will involve a loss of consciousness and convulsions with intense muscle contractions or jerking motions. These can last a few minutes, but when they endure for more than 5 minutes, it is a medical emergency.
  2. Petit mal—or absence—seizures typically last less than 20 seconds and cause a person to “space out,” lose visual focus, blink their eyes rapidly, smack their lips, or have other unusual mouth movements.
  3. Focal seizures can either stem from a small area of the brain and result in minimal symptoms—some of which may be barely noticeable—or involve multiple parts of the brain. These are known as “focal onset impaired awareness seizures” and often last from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Symptoms might include:

Causes of Seizures and Epilepsy

Sometimes, people will have only a single seizure in their lifetime which would be considered a non-epileptic seizure. If they have 2 or more they might get diagnosed with epilepsy, which is considered a chronic neurological disorder that can be caused by: In addition, there are even cases where the cause of the ongoing epileptic activity is unknown According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are approximately 3.4 million people in the U.S. who have epilepsy and almost 500,000 of them are children.

The Value of Brain SPECT Imaging for Seizures

Because of the increased activity in the brain, the location of the seizure can often be identified with certain imaging procedures, including single photon emission computed tomography—or SPECT—which is used to assess blood flow patterns. It identifies 3 important things in the brain: Regulating institutions in Europe and North America, as well as other places around the world, endorse the use of brain SPECT imaging for identifying the location of the seizure activity. In fact, the Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine (CANM) recently updated its guidelines for SPECT. In addition to assessing for seizures, CANM also approves brain SPECT imaging for these indications: This groundbreaking acknowledgment of SPECT’s capability to identify certain psychiatric conditions is not only a great benefit for patients and physicians in general, but it is also relevant to those suffering from seizures. Using SPECT, a doctor can parse out the underlying cause of some of the more subtle seizure symptoms which might otherwise be attributed to a psychiatric disorder. Using SPECT, a doctor can parse out the underlying cause of some of the more subtle seizure symptoms such as those that might otherwise be attributed to a psychiatric disorder.
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A Connection to Temporal Lobe Symptoms

The temporal lobes, located on the sides of the brain, are often the site of seizure activity. They are involved with language, memory, sounds, interpreting vision, emotions, and the fight-or-flight system. Consequently, when there is an electrical storm in this part of the brain, these functions can go haywire for a short period of time, which then manifests as unusual symptoms or behavior during the course of the seizure. At Amen Clinics, our doctors have also observed on SPECT scans that some patients have higher than normal activity in their temporal lobes but don’t actually have seizures. Nonetheless, these patients might be struggling with symptoms such as feeling anxious, spacey, or fearful or even have mild hallucinations. However, on SPECT scans, anxiety disorders, spaciness—which is common in inattentive ADD—or psychotic disorders typically have very different blood flow patterns from unusual temporal lobe activity.  Therefore the treatment strategy that would normally work for these conditions may be ineffective for someone whose symptoms arise from their temporal lobes.

There is a Better Way

This is a classic example of why Dr. Daniel Amen often asks, “How do you know unless you look?” Without having the benefit of SPECT imaging to help with the differential diagnosis, a patient might be given treatments that don’t work, thus further impairing their ability to function as well as they could. By including imaging as part of a full psychiatric evaluation, the doctors at Amen Clinics are able to pinpoint the underlying areas of brain dysfunction and create an individualized treatment plan to help each patient they treat feel the best that they can. If you’re struggling with unusual brain symptoms or mental health problems, Amen Clinics is 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. If you’ve witnessed a parent, grandparent, relative, or friend suffer from the ravages of dementia, you know that it is a condition you wouldn’t wish on anyone. It is devastating and heartbreaking to see previously vibrant, energetic, and smart people you care about develop symptoms and lose their memory and cognitive abilities—or even have personality changes. Yet it happens all too often. And the trend is likely to continue—especially with the youngest of the baby boomer generation getting closer to their 60s, along with the significant rise of obesity and related inflammatory illnesses—such as diabetes—in the general population. While there are several different types of dementing diseases, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common and accounts for 60-80% of all dementia cases. Most people who are diagnosed with it are 65 or older. However, early-onset Alzheimer’s affects about 200,000 younger people in the U.S.—some of whom are in their 30s and 40s.

Basic Brain Biology in Alzheimer’s Disease

Many years ago, doctors and researchers found that the underlying pathology of AD begins decades before the onset of clinical symptoms. Slowly, certain abnormal neurobiological processes start to take place, including these: While beta amyloid and tau proteins are normally found in our brains, there are abnormal amounts of them in people with AD. The significant accumulation of plaques and tangles cause brain cells to die. Although brain SPECT imaging doesn’t assess the quantity of beta amyloid and tau proteins in the brain, it can show the degree of damage caused by them. In AD patients, SPECT typically shows areas of low blood flow in the temporal lobes, parietal lobes, and posterior cingulate gyrus. Other areas of the brain can be involved as well, depending on the progression of the disease.

Promising New Research in Alzheimer’s Disease

As researchers continue to investigate the molecular underpinnings of this terrible disease, some fascinating results have recently been discovered. Scientists from around the world collaborated on a research study that was recently published in the scientific journal, Nature Medicine. Using positron emission tomography (PET—a type of functional scan, like SPECT) and a tracing agent that attaches to tau proteins, the brains of more than 1,600 people with varying progressions of AD were analyzed. The researchers identified 4 variations in the pattern and spread of tau protein found in the subjects’ brains, and these patterns aligned with the patients’ more pronounced symptoms. The findings from this study include:
  1. 33% of subjects showed the spread of tau primarily in the temporal lobes, which are involved with memory.
  2. 18% had a greater amount of tau in the cortex (grey matter) and this reflected problems with self-control, ability to focus, and difficulties with executive function.
  3. The 3rd variant—30% of the cases—had an accumulation of tau in the visual cortex (back of the brain), which affects one’s orientation to space and the ability to identify shapes, contours, and distances.
  4. An asymmetrical spread of tau across the left hemisphere of the brain was found in 19% of the subjects and reflected their difficulty with language skills.
This study, and others similar to it, have found that Alzheimer’s disease, like so many other brain conditions, is not a simple disorder. Although it is not yet understood why one person would have a particular pattern of tau vs. another, the variations in the underlying pathology can help explain why a universal cure has not been found, despite all the clinical trials that have been conducted so far. This new knowledge may be useful for the development of different types of treatment that can address the varying disease patterns.

Risk Factors for Dementia

Generally speaking, age is the biggest risk factor for dementia. It’s estimated that 50% of all people aged 85 and older will be diagnosed with some form of dementia. Genetics can also play a role in developing AD, especially if someone carries the APO E4 gene, which is associated with overall lower blood flow to the brain. But not everyone who inherits this gene will get AD—in fact, 75% won’t. Aside from factors such as these that are largely out of anyone’s control, lifestyle behaviors are known to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease—or another type of dementia. Aside from age and the inheritance of certain genes, healthy lifestyle behaviors such as diet, exercising your body and brain, and positive social connections are known to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
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Prevention is the Best Cure!

As mentioned above, the pathology of AD and other dementias begins in the brain many years before a person shows symptoms. Therefore, what you do today can have a positive—or negative—impact on your chances of becoming demented down the road. So, if you’ve been on a less-than-healthy path, you can still take steps to make changes that could have big payoffs later on in life. Here are a few recommendations to get you started: You can also look into the Memory Rescue Program to identify any early signs or risks you might have for memory problems. In addition, you’ll learn about more ways you can optimize your brain function now, to reduce your chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia in the future. Concerns about memory problems and dementia shouldn’t wait. During these uncertain times, your mental well-being is more important than ever! At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here. Everyone in Jessica’s family has repeatedly been the target of her unbounded rage, yet she takes no responsibility for her behavior. Ironically, she feels like people hate her, and doesn’t seem to understand why. Jessica has had anger problems all of her life, and now at age 18, she continues to destroy relationships and other things in her path. Without question, she is a very difficult and challenging teen. She has undergone numerous psychiatric evaluations, been admitted twice for 72-hour involuntary stays at mental health facilities, was sent to 3 different residential treatment schools, and was arrested for assaulting her mother. No treatment has successfully changed Jessica’s behavior. Not only does she continue to lash out at others—without provocation, but she also lies, has zero empathy or apology for her behavior, and acts entitled. Yet, she blames everyone else for the problems she invokes. Is it Jessica’s fault? Or is there something happening in her brain that is driving her behavior?

Dr. Phil’s Insight: Jessica Needs a Brain Scan

Jessica, her mother, Victoria, and other family members were on the Dr. Phil show to see if he could help them.  After learning more about her, Dr. Phil said he believed that Jessica has not yet been properly diagnosed and that for her to make changes to her behavior, she will need to get her brain assessed and treated. He recommended that she undergo an evaluation that includes brain SPECT imaging with Dr. Daniel Amen, world-renowned neuropsychiatrist and founder of Amen Clinics. By using SPECT scans, the doctors at Amen Clinics can identify areas of the brain that aren’t working well and are likely causing problems for a patient. By using SPECT scans, the doctors at Amen Clinics can identify areas of the brain that aren’t working well and are likely causing problems for a patient.
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Dr. Amen appeared on the show to talk with Jessica and her family about the results from her brain scans, which showed she has severe temporal lobe ADD. This condition is caused by lower-than-normal activity in her prefrontal cortex (PFC) and temporal lobes and is one of the 7 Types of ADD discovered through the brain imaging work at Amen Clinics.

Temper Problems and Other Temporal Lobe Symptoms

The temporal lobes, which are on either side of the brain, play a critical role in mood stability, temper control, and learning. This finding likely accounts for Jessica’s aggression and emotional instability, as well as the learning disorder and reading difficulties she was diagnosed with in childhood. It was not her fault that she struggled academically—this part of her brain does not work as well as it should. Temporal lobes are also involved with other important functions; thus, deficits in this part of the brain can also be related to problems with:

Prefrontal Cortex Symptoms

Jessica’s scans also revealed low activity in her prefrontal cortex (PFC), which is a consistent finding in all types of ADD. When the PFC works well, it helps us stay focused and on task. It also helps us control our emotions and behavior. But when the activity in the PFC is low, it can lead to many issues, including problems with: The PFC is also like the command center for behavior and functions as its “brakes.” This may explain why Jessica uninhibitedly attacks people: The decreased blood flow in her temporal lobes contributes to her rage, while the low blood flow in her PFC makes it difficult to stop herself.

Moodiness, Anger, and More in Temporal Lobe ADD

Sudden bursts of unbridled anger are common with temporal lobe ADD, along with these behaviors and symptoms: Dr. Amen also noted that according to her scans, the emotional center in Jessica’s brain was overactive, which can cause a person to be prone to depression or color the world with negativity.

There is Hope for Temporal Lobe ADD and Anger Issues

The good news for Jessica is that her brain problems are treatable, especially because her brain is still developing—and will continue to until she’s in her mid-twenties. There’s an opportunity for significant improvement if she chooses to comply with the treatment plan Dr. Amen created for her. Aside from any medication or supplements to support brain function, there are some specific lifestyle changes necessary to help Jessica optimize her brain function. These include: Dr. Amen told Jessica that if she does the right things now to rehabilitate her brain, she’ll be able to achieve her potential—and not have to live with the regret that she didn’t take those steps. Getting her family involved in supporting her in adopting brain healthy habits is another strategy that is important for anyone trying to overcome mental health challenges. ADD, depression, and other mental health issues can’t wait. During these uncertain times, your mental well-being is more important than ever and waiting until life gets back to “normal” is likely to make your symptoms worsen over time. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here. On Wednesday, May 20, 1998, 15-year-old Kip Kinkel was caught with a stolen gun in his locker and suspended from school, pending possible expulsion. Police booked him on criminal charges and sent him home with his parents. According to Kip’s confession, his father was sitting at the kitchen counter drinking coffee while Kip grabbed a .22 rifle from his room then fired a bullet into the back of his dad’s head. When his mother arrived home later that day, Kip met her in the garage, told her he loved her, then shot her multiple times. The next morning, dressed in a long trench coat, Kip drove his mom’s Ford Explorer to a spot near Thurston High School and parked it. Carrying a rifle and two handguns, Kip walked down a hallway and into the school cafeteria, firing off over 50 rounds that killed two students and wounded about two dozen others. A group of classmates, including one teenager who had been shot in the chest, finally subdued him. After he was arrested and taken to the police station, the freckle-faced teenager lunged at an officer with a knife that he had strapped to his leg, yelling, “Kill me, shoot me.” The officer stepped back and used pepper spray on him. Kip was sentenced to 112 years in prison for aggravated murder and was prosecuted as an adult. Under Oregon law he was too young to face the death penalty. Kip had once been voted as “most likely to start World War III,” according to a Thurston High School student. Before the shootings, students at the high school said that Kip had talked about shooting people. After the shootings, officials found 5 bombs at the Kinkel residence, one of which went off when it was being disarmed. Authorities found a note in the living room that Kip wrote, saying: “My head just doesn’t work right. God damn these VOICES inside my head… I have to kill people. I don’t know why… I have no other choice.” What drives some people to kill another human being? Or to gun down dozens of their schoolmates? America has been captivated by killers for centuries—digging into their family histories, psychological profiles, and so much more. Now, thanks to brain SPECT imaging, we can also see inside their brains. What do brain scans reveal about murderers? America has been captivated by killers for centuries—digging into their family histories, psychological profiles, and much more. We use brain SPECT imaging to see inside their brains and have discovered 7 critical lessons.
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Amen Clinics, which has the world’s largest database of functional brain scans (over 160,0000 and growing), has scanned the brains of over 1,000 convicted felons, including over 100 murderers.

Here are 7 lessons from the brain scans of murderers.

1. People who do the worst things often have troubled brains.

The brains of murderers typically don’t look healthy. Brain SPECT imaging is a technology that measures blood flow and activity in the brain. It shows 3 things: areas with healthy activity, areas with too much activity, and areas with too little activity. On SPECT, the brains of murderers show abnormal activity in a variety of brain regions, especially the prefrontal cortex involved with empathy, judgment, and forethought. Look at this scan of a healthy brain compared to a scan from Kip Kinkel.  
The healthy surface brain SPECT scan shows full, even, symmetrical activity.
 
Kip Kinkel’s surface brain SPECT scan shows several areas of low activity (the areas that look like holes indicate low blood flow).

2. Murder does not always look the same in the brain.

You might think there is a singular pattern in the brain of killers, but there isn’t. Look at the brain scans of two 15-year-old murderers, for example. They look very different. The brain scan of Kip Kinkel shows underlying damage and toxicity and is dramatically underactive. In the SPECT scan of Paul, a teen who murdered his mother and 8-year-old sister with a baseball bat, it is evident that his brain works too hard.
A healthy “active” scan shows the most active parts of the brain with blue representing the average activity and red (or sometimes red and white) representing the most active parts of the brain. In the healthy scan on the left, the most active area is in the cerebellum, at the back/bottom part of the brain.
 
Kip Kinkel’s active SPECT scan shows severe underactivity.
 
Paul’s active SPECT scan shows dramatic overactivity.
 

3. Traumatic brain injuries are a major cause of psychiatric illness and violence.

Few people know about the link between traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and mental health problems because most psychiatrists never look at the brain. TBIs are associated with an increased risk of violent behavior, including suicide and murder. According to research in The Journal of Neuroscience, the rate of aggression and violence after a TBI ranges from 35%-90%. The brain scans of several of the murderers scanned at Amen Clinics show underlying damage to the brain from past head injuries.

4. Left temporal lobe abnormalities are common in violent people.

Many Amen Clinics patients who exhibited violence (murderers, arsonists, domestic assaults, rapists, bombers, etc.) had left temporal lobe abnormalities. The temporal lobes are located on either side of the brain behind the eyes and underneath the temples. Assault, murder, rape, arson, and other criminal behaviors are often associated with problems in this part of the brain. Other scientific research confirms that temporal lobe abnormalities are associated with increased aggression and violence.

5. Traditional mental health care is failing.

A number of our nation’s most notorious mass shooters—including Kip Kinkel (Springfield, OR, 1998), Eric Harris (Columbine, CO 1999), Seung-Hui Cho (Virginia Tech 2007), James Holmes (Aurora, CO, 2012), and Nikolas Cruz (Parkland, FL, 2018)—had seen psychiatrists or mental health professionals and had received “standard of care” treatment before their crimes. The brain imaging work at Amen Clinics shows that cookie-cutter treatment plans for psychiatric illnesses don’t work. Not all brain types react the same way to psychotropic medications. For example, SSRIs, the most commonly prescribed antidepressants, are considered safe for many people. However, in some people with low activity in certain brain regions, they may increase impulsivity and behaviors that are out of character. Scientific research, including a 2017 study in BMJ, has shown that some antidepressants increase the risk of violence, suicide, and homicide, and the FDA issues a black box warning for antidepressants for people up to the age of 24. A growing body of neuroimaging research, including a 2020 study in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences and a 2019 study in The American Journal of Psychiatry, shows that brain imaging may help predict which patients will respond favorably to antidepressants.

6. Murderous behavior based on brain problems can’t be fully excused.

Although brain dysfunction contributes to violence, it is not an excuse for bad behavior. People who commit heinous acts should not be excused and allowed to go home because they have a bad brain. Many people who have troubled brains never do anything bad. In judgment we must consider the brain. At this point in time, science shows that the brain is very important to moment-by-moment behavior, and it must be considered in sentencing people.

7. Brains can be rehabilitated.

What if our society evaluated and treated troubled brains, rather than simply warehousing them in toxic, stressful environments? Based on over 30 years at Amen Clinics of helping patients enhance their brain health and improve their lives, it’s clear that our society could potentially save tremendous amounts of money by making a significant percentage of these people more functional. With better brain health, violent criminals who get out of prison are more likely to be able to work, support themselves, and pay taxes. The Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky once said, “A society should be judged not by how it treats its outstanding citizens, but by how it treats its criminals.” Instead of just crime and punishment, SPECT imaging teaches us that we should also be thinking about crime, evaluation, and treatment. Aggression, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and other mental health issues can’t wait. During these uncertain times, your mental well-being is more important than ever and waiting until life gets back to “normal” is likely to make your symptoms worsen over time. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here. Type 5: Temporal Lobe Anxiety/Depression is related to too little or too much activity in the brain’s temporal lobes (involved in moods, emotions, and memory), in addition to overactivity in the basal ganglia and/or deep limbic system. The temporal lobes are frequently forgotten in psychiatry and rarely talked about in clinical settings (outside of temporal lobe seizure disorders). Yet the temporal lobes are an amazing part of the brain, personality, and perhaps even religious experience. They are very important to memory, moods, and emotions. When there are problems in this part of the brain, people struggle with temper outbursts, memory problems, mood instability, visual or auditory illusions, and dark or frightening thoughts. People with this type of anxiety and depression tend to misinterpret comments as negative when they are not, have trouble reading social situations, and appear to have mild paranoia. They may also have episodes of panic or fear for no specific reason, experience frequent periods of déjà vu, and be preoccupied with religious thoughts. People with this type are the most likely to exhibit aggressive behavior toward others or themselves. People with Type 5: Temporal Lobe Anxiety/Depression are the most likely to exhibit aggressive behavior towards others or themselves.
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COMMON SYMPTOMS OF TYPE 5: TEMPORAL LOBE ANXIETY/DEPRESSION

People with this type generally have 4 symptoms from Pure Anxiety (Type 1) and/or Pure Depression (Type 2) in addition to at least 4 “temporal lobe” symptoms. Anxiety symptoms include: Depression symptoms include: Temporal Lobe Symptoms TYPE 5: TEMPORAL LOBE ANXIETY/DEPRESSION IN THE BRAIN Brain SPECT imaging findings associated with this type show abnormal activity in the brain’s temporal lobes as well as increased activity in the basal ganglia (see Type 1: Pure Anxiety for more on the basal ganglia) and/or the deep limbic system (see Type 2: Pure Depression for more on the deep limbic system) at rest and during concentration.

INTERVENTIONS FOR TYPE 5: TEMPORAL LOBE ANXIETY/DEPRESSION

In traditional psychiatry, the most commonly prescribed antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However, decades of research have shown that SSRIs can make some people more aggressive and more suicidal. Based on the world’s largest database of brain SPECT imaging at Amen Clinics—over 160,000 scans and growing—people with temporal lobe abnormalities are at greater risk for a negative reaction to SSRI medication. But if nobody looks at your brain, they would never know that there is abnormal activity in the temporal lobes. Natural solutions for this type include: Depression, anxiety, aggression, memory problems, and other mental health issues can’t wait. During these uncertain times, your mental well-being is more important than ever and waiting until life gets back to “normal” is likely to make your symptoms worsen over time. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here. Wine, cigarettes, caffeine, painkillers, carbs, gambling, shopping, online pornography—these are all bad habits that can slip into substance use disorders or behavioral addictions. Most people think that everyone who becomes addicted to bad habits is alike or have the same character flaws or lack of willpower. Not true! Based on over 160,000 functional brain scans related to behavior, Amen Clinics has found that underlying brain dysfunction is the #1 reason why people get addicted to bad habits. And brain SPECT imaging, which measures blood flow and activity in the brain, shows that there are 6 different brain types associated with bad habits and addictions. The key to overcoming your unhealthy behaviors is to know your brain type and to use interventions targeted for your brain. With a healthier brain, you’ll finally be able to unchain your brain from your bad habits or addictions. Brain SPECT imaging shows that there are 6 different brain types associated with bad habits and addictions. The key to overcoming your unhealthy behaviors is to know your brain type and use interventions targeted for your brain.
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6 BAD HABITS/ADDICTIONS BRAIN TYPES

Type 1: Compulsive Bad Habits/Addictions

If you have trouble shifting your attention from one thought to the next or from one course of action to the next, you may have the Compulsive Brain Type. These people tend to get stuck on thoughts of smoking, drinking, overeating, gambling or other substances or behaviors. Underneath these bad habits or addictions are obsessive thought patterns that get you locked into a single course of action. It’s hard for you to see options so you keep engaging in unhealthy behavior. Brain scan findings: The most common brain SPECT finding in the Compulsive Brain Type is too much activity in an area of the brain called the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG). This is often associated with low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. The ACG is known as the brain’s gear shifter and it’s what helps you go from thought to thought or action to action. Too much activity here can keep you stuck in bad behaviors even though they are harmful to you and cause consequences in your life. Common conditions: Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) Help for Compulsive Bad Habits/Addictions: Interventions that boost serotonin to calm activity in the ACG include the following.

Type 2: Impulsive Bad Habits/Addictions

If you’re the type who wants to eliminate bad habits or addictions, but you can’t control your urges, you may have the Impulsive Brain Type. For example, if you want to stop smoking, but whenever you’re around someone else who lights up, you give in to your desire for a cigarette. If you want to quit drinking and no longer keep alcohol in your home, but you can’t say no if someone offers you a drink. Or if you want to cut sugar out of your diet, but if you drive by the bakery, you can’t resist going in and buying cookies. If you have this type, you may have trouble with impulse control even though you have good intentions to change your behaviors. Brain scan findings: This type is associated with low activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which is likely due to low levels of dopamine. The PFC acts as the brain’s supervisor and is involved in impulse control, judgment, planning, follow-through, decision-making, and attention. When the PFC is underactive, people can be easily distracted, bored, inattentive, and impulsive. Common conditions: ADD/ADHD Help for Impulsive Bad Habits/Addictions: Interventions that boost dopamine to stimulate activity in the PFC include the following.

Type 3: Impulsive-Compulsive Bad Habits/Addictions

If you give in to your urges impulsively as well as feel compulsively driven to engage in bad habits or addictions, you may have this combination brain type. Brain scan findings: Typical SPECT findings for this type show low activity in the PFC (associated with impulsivity, likely due to low dopamine levels) and too much activity in the ACG (associated with compulsivity and low serotonin levels). This pattern is common in the children and grandchildren of alcoholics. Common conditions: ADD/ADHD, OCD, eating disorders (especially bulimia) Help for Impulsive-Compulsive Bad Habits/Addictions: Interventions that boost both dopamine (to stimulate activity in the PFC) and serotonin (to calm the ACG) include the following.

Type 4: Sad Or Emotional Bad Habits/Addictions

If you have underlying feelings of depression, hopelessness, or negativity and you use alcohol, marijuana, painkillers, food (especially carbs), or other substances or activities to make yourself temporarily feel better, you may have the Sad or Emotional Brain Type. This type is more commonly seen in women. For some people, these feelings may come and go with the seasons and tend to worsen in winter. Others experience mild feelings of chronic sadness, which is called dysthymia. Still, others suffer from more serious depression. Brain scan findings: The typical SPECT findings seen in this type are overactivity in the deep limbic system (the brain’s emotional centers) and underactivity in the PFC. Common conditions: Depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), self-esteem issues Help for Sad or Emotional Bad Habits/Addictions: Interventions that calm the deep limbic system include the following.

Type 5: Anxious Bad Habits/Addictions

If you try to calm your feelings of anxiety, nervousness, or tension, with wine, weed, or watching Internet pornography, you may have the Anxious Brain Type. More commonly seen in women, people with this type often struggle with physical symptoms, such as muscle tension, headaches, stomachaches, nail biting, shortness of breath, or heart palpitations. You may feel you need substances to help you relax or “wind down.” If you have this type, you are likely to predict the worst, be extra sensitive to rejection or judgment, or may feel like you’re waiting for something bad to happen. Brain scan findings: On SPECT scans, this type is associated with too much activity in the basal ganglia, likely due to low levels of GABA. Common conditions: Anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and emotional trauma, panic disorder, chronic stress Help for Anxious Bad Habits/Addictions: Interventions that calm the basal ganglia include the following.

Type 6: Temporal Lobe Bad Habits/Addictions

Do you have bad habits combined with a short temper, mood swings, or problems with your memory or learning? You may have the Temporal Lobe Brain Type. Trouble with the temporal lobes may be due to a number of things. Investigating what’s causing any abnormal activity is critical. Brain scan findings: SPECT scans typically show decreased activity in the temporal lobes, although in some cases, increased activity may be present. Common conditions: Concussions and traumatic brain injuries, exposure to toxins (such as toxic mold), infections (such as Lyme disease) Help for Temporal Lobe Bad Habits/Addictions: Interventions that stabilize activity in the temporal lobes include the following. Addictions—as well as PTSD, anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD, OCD, and other co-occurring issues—can’t wait. During these uncertain times, your mental well-being is more important than ever, and waiting until life gets back to “normal” is likely to make your symptoms worsen over time. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. 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. During the pandemic, divorce rates have soared by 34%, according to a recent survey. Newlyweds married less than 5 months have been the hardest hit, with twice as many seeking a divorce compared to 2019. And with the pandemic, job losses, and stay-at-home orders, it took only 3 weeks for marriages to fall apart. How’s your relationship holding up with the stacked stresses we’re all facing these days? Have your marital issues become more glaring? Have you tried marriage counseling but haven’t achieved the changes you were hoping for? There are many experienced therapists and counselors who offer solid strategies to improve relationships. With some couples, however, one or both parties can’t seem to follow their recommendations even though they love their partner and want to save the marriage. What’s the problem? It may be due to brain dysfunction. Therapists and counselors don’t look at the brain, so it’s impossible to know if underlying problems in the brain are contributing to marital discord and preventing one or both parties from following their advice. Amen Clinics partners with thousands of therapists and counselors, performing brain SPECT imaging on couples who aren’t making progress in counseling. The scans often reveal areas of the brain that are either overactive or underactive, contributing to problems. Based on the Amen Clinics database of over 160,000 brain scans, here are the 5 most common brain regions where abnormal activity levels can sabotage a relationship. Here are the 5 most common brain regions where abnormal activity levels can sabotage a relationship: Prefrontal cortex, Anterior cingulate gyrus, Deep limbic system, Basal ganglia, Temporal lobes.
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The 5 Most Common Brain Regions Where Abnormal Activity Levels Can Sabotage A Relationship

1. Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) Problems in Relationships

Located behind the forehead, involved in impulse control, judgment, forethought When the PFC is underactive, people tend to be impulsive in what they say or do, often causing serious problems in relationships. People with a “sleepy” PFC are the type who blurt out hurtful comments without thinking (“You look like you’ve gained weight.”). In some cases, they may impulsively have extramarital affairs without thinking about the consequences of their actions. They may also have trouble paying attention to their partner. Expressing thoughts and feelings can be difficult, causing their partners to complain about a lack of meaningful conversation in the relationship. Sleepy PFC types may have trouble staying on task and finishing projects, following through on commitments, or completing chores, which irritates partners. Being late is also common as is an unconscious tendency to be conflict seeking or to look for problems when none exists. At Amen Clinics, this is called the “let’s have a problem game,” and it can destroy relationships. What their partners say: “She never pays attention to me.” “He says such mean things, it really hurts my feelings.” Optimize it: The nutritional supplement rhodiola, green tea, a higher protein diet, and physical exercise can boost activity in the PFC. When the PFC is optimized, people are able to think before they say or do things and they learn from their mistakes. And they are less likely to seek out conflict, tension, or turmoil. This makes for a more peaceful relationship.

2. Anterior Cingulate Gyrus (ACG) Problems in Relationships

Runs lengthwise through the deep parts of the frontal lobes, acts as the brain’s gear shifter Where there is too much activity in the ACG, people tend to be rigid, inflexible, and unbending—“It’s my way or the highway.” They may have obsessive or compulsive tendencies and when things don’t go their way, they may get very upset. Partners of people with an overactive ACG often describe them as uncooperative, difficult, or argumentative. That can be challenging for any relationship. These people don’t like change or trying new things, so spouses can feel like they’re stuck in the same old routine. They also worry a lot, hold onto grudges, can’t let go of past hurts, and are unforgiving of perceived wrongdoings. This means their partners are constantly being reminded about something they did long ago. What their partners say: “She brings up issues from years and years ago.” “He can never say he’s sorry.” Optimize it: The nutraceuticals 5-HTP and saffron and a diet higher in complex carbohydrates can help calm an overactive ACG. When the ACG is optimized, people tend to be more flexible and adaptable, even with the normal ups and downs of relationships. They’re more able to forgive the mistakes of others and can let go of past hurts.

3. Deep Limbic System Problems in Relationships

Located near the center of the brain, involved in setting a person’s emotional tone When the limbic system is overactive, there is a tendency toward depression, negativity, and distance from others. They may have trouble bonding with their partner. These people are experts at noticing what’s wrong, including their partner’s flaws, which is usually not helpful. They aren’t playful, don’t feel sexy, and may shy away from sexual activity due to a lack of interest. Low energy levels and low motivation are common in these people, which can put a damper on a relationship. What their partners say: “He doesn’t want to be around other people.” “She’s so negative, it’s hard to be around her.” Optimize it: Physical exercise, aromatherapy, and natural supplements like saffron, DL-phenylalanine, SAMe, and L-tyrosine can be effective in balancing activity in the limbic system. When the limbic system is optimized, people tend to be more positive and better able to connect to their partner. They’re more likely to have better energy and are more playful and interested in sexual activity. Their positive attitude makes them more attractive to others.

4. Basal Ganglia Problems in Relationships

Located toward the center of the brain surrounding the limbic system, involved with integrating feelings, thoughts, and movement When the basal ganglia are overactive, there is a tendency toward anxiety, panic, fear, and tension. People often have decreased sexual interest because their bodies tend to be wrapped in tension, such as backaches, headaches, upset stomach, and other physical complaints. They often don’t have the physical or emotional energy to feel sexy or sexual. Most of their memories are filled with anxiety or fear. They can be conflict-avoidant, which can result in relationship problems building up until they seem insurmountable. They have a tendency to be people-pleasers, so they may take on too much responsibility in a partnership then develop feelings of resentment. And they tend to wear out their partners with the constant fear they project. What their partners say: “He predicts the worst possible outcomes to situations.” “She’s so uptight.” Optimize it: Hypnosis, meditation, relaxation training, and the nutritional supplement GABA can help calm overactivity in the basal ganglia. When this region is optimized, people tend to be calmer, more relaxed, and have a more hopeful outlook. Their bodies tend to feel good, making them freer to express their sexuality. And they’re able to deal with conflict in an effective way and speak up for themselves so there is more equal footing in the relationship.

5. Temporal Lobe Problems in Relationships

Located underneath the temples and behind the eyes, involved in mood stability, reading social cues, memory, and language When the temporal lobes aren’t functioning properly, people tend to have memory struggles—forgetting anniversaries, birthdays, and other important things that can make loved ones feel neglected and unloved. They often have emotional ups and downs, and it can be hard for a partner to deal with the mood swings. They tend to be temperamental and have problems with anger and can lash out over seemingly small things. This means significant others often feel like they have to walk on eggshells around them. They may take things the wrong way or misread the emotions of others, which can lead to conflict. What their partners say: “I feel like I’m always waiting for him to lose his temper.” “She’s so moody I never know who I’m going to wake up to.” Optimize it: A higher protein diet, anger management, and music therapy can help balance the temporal lobes. When the temporal lobes are optimized, people tend to be more stable emotionally, which helps foster stability in relationships. They tend to have accurate memories and are able to read emotional cues. And they have better control over their temper, which makes everyone around them less on edge. At Amen Clinics, it has been noted that when relationships are crumbling, it’s often because both individuals have brain health issues. When your partner’s brain health issues conflict with your own trouble spots, it can create big problems. Looking at the brains of both people is often beneficial and sometimes very surprising. Marital conflict and relationship issues, anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD, and other mental health issues can’t wait. During these uncertain times, your relationships and mental well-being are more important than ever and waiting until life gets back to “normal” is likely to make your situation worse. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for couples, families, and individuals. 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.

 

Does having ADD/ADHD put you at an increased risk of contracting COVID-19? If the ADD/ADHD is untreated, the answer is yes, according to a new study in the Journal of Attention Disorders. The research involving 14,022 people in Israel found that people with untreated ADD/ADHD are about 52% more likely to have tested positive for the coronavirus illness compared with individuals who don’t have ADD/ADHD.

The researchers found, however, that in people with the attention-deficit disorder who are being treated with stimulant medication, the infection rate for COVID-19 is no higher than in those without ADD/ADHD. In these individuals, the infection rate was about 10%.

WHO’S AT RISK?

An estimated 6.1 million children ages 4-17 have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and approximately 8 million U.S. adults have the disorder. However, it is estimated that less than 20% of adults with the condition have received a diagnosis. And of those who have been diagnosed, only about 1 in 4 seek treatment. This adds up to millions of adults who are at increased risk of developing COVID-19 due to untreated ADD/ADHD.

WHAT’S ADD GOT TO DO WITH IT?

What is behind the connection between ADD/ADHD and increased risk? It likely lies in the hallmark ADD/ADHD symptoms, including:

During the pandemic, these characteristics can manifest in potentially harmful ways, such as forgetting to wash your hands, impulsively hosting a wild party with a lot of people, or not following health directives. These actions put people at greater risk of exposure to COVID-19 and to developing the illness.

ADD/ADHD ISN’T JUST ONE THING

What most people don’t realize is that ADD/ADHD isn’t just one thing. Over 30 years of brain SPECT imaging studies at Amen Clinics have shown that there are 7 types of ADD/ADHD. One size does not fit all, and each type has its own set of symptoms and requires a personalized treatment plan. What works for one person with ADD/ADHD may not work for another—or could even make the symptoms worse.

At Amen Clinics, brain scans of people with ADD/ADHD consistently point to decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Typically, when a person without ADD/ADHD tries to concentrate, activity increases in the PFC, but when someone with the condition attempts to concentrate, activity decreases. The harder they try, the worse it gets.

The 7 Types of ADD/ADHD are:

Type 1: Classic ADD: When most people think about attention-deficit disorder they think about this type, which is characterized by hyperactivity, restlessness, impulsivity, disorganization, distractibility, and trouble concentrating.

Type 2: Inattentive ADD: This is the second most common type of ADD/ADHD. People with this type tend to be labeled as slow, lazy, spacey, or unmotivated. They can be quiet and distracted.

Type 3: Overfocused ADD: People with this type have all of the core ADD/ADHD symptoms plus tremendous trouble shifting attention and a tendency to get stuck of locked into negative thought patterns or behaviors.

Type 4: Temporal Lobe ADD: The temporal lobes, which are located underneath your temples and behind your eyes, are involved with memory, learning, mood stability, and visual processing of objects. Learning and behavior problems are commonly associated with this type.

Type 5: Limbic ADD: In this type, ADD/ADHD and depression intersect. The core ADD/ADHD symptoms are present in addition to negativity, moodiness, sadness, low energy, and decreased interest in life.

Type 6: Ring of Fire ADD: Unlike those with type 1 who have low activity in certain areas of the brain, these people tend to have excessive activity throughout the brain. On brain SPECT scans, it lights up like a ring of hyperactivity. Symptoms commonly seen in this type include irritability, hyperactivity, excessive talking, overfocus issues, extreme oppositional behavior, and cyclic periods of calm behavior alternating with intense aggressive behavior. Stimulant medication tends to make these people worse.

Type 7: Anxious ADD: In people with this type it is common for ADD/ADHD symptoms to become magnified and to be accompanied by anxiety, a fear of being judged, predicting the worst, being conflict avoidant, and having physical stress symptoms (such as headaches, stomachaches, muscle tension).

Knowing your type of ADD/ADHD is the key to finding the most effective treatment.

ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues can’t wait. During these uncertain times, your mental well-being is more important than ever and waiting until life gets back to “normal” is likely to make your symptoms worsen over time.

At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. 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 threat of illness, job losses, social isolation—it’s a recipe for heightened stress, irritability, and anger. But it’s even worse for people who are trapped at home with a domestic abuser.

Sadly, the coronavirus pandemic has created a sort of perfect storm for domestic violence. Reports of increases in partner abuse, child abuse, and pet abuse are emerging across the nation and around the world. According to a study in Forensic Science International: Reports, incidences of domestic violence have risen 40-50% in Brazil and are up 30% in France. In the U.K., the BBC reported that calls to the National Domestic Abuse helpline saw a 25% increase since the lockdown began. And in the U.S., hotlines are reporting a spike in calls.

Abusers often use tactics, such as isolation from friends and family, as a way to control their victims. Constant scrutiny, restrictions on behavior, and limiting access to necessities (like food and using the bathroom) are other common strategies. With the world on lockdown, this has given perpetrators a stronger weapon in their arsenal.

For victims, it’s made it more challenging to be able to reach out to friends or a support network for help without their abuser’s knowledge. And it’s preventing them from escaping the situation by leaving home when things turn violent. Going to a shelter may not be an option now for fear of infection from COVID-19.

This sad situation makes you wonder what makes some people violent? The answer lies in the brain.

Violence and the Brain

The added stressors of the coronavirus pandemic can be contributing to serious anger and violence issues. In some people, violent outbursts may be a sign of a mental health condition called intermittent explosive disorder (IED).

This condition is more commonly seen in people who grew up in an abusive home or in those who have suffered multiple emotional traumas. The likelihood of problems with anger or violent behavior is increased in people with other mental health problems, such as ADD/ADHD or personality disorders. In addition, conditions like anxiety, depression, or substance abuse are seen in over 80% of people who suffer from IED.

In a brain SPECT imaging study performed at Amen Clinics on people who had assaulted another person or damaged property, more than 70% had abnormalities in the left temporal lobe region of the brain. Brain imaging scans indicate that damage to the left temporal lobe or dysfunction in this area of the brain makes people more likely to struggle with irritability, anger, and violent thoughts and behavior.

The temporal lobes, situated on either side of the brain behind the eyes and underneath the temples, are involved with emotional stability, understanding and processing memories, and more. When there is abnormal activity in the temporal lobes, it can be associated with aggression (internally or externally directed), dark or violent thoughts, emotional instability, and other problems.

Temporal lobe problems can come from many sources, the most common being genetics, head injuries, and toxic or infectious exposure. Since the temporal lobes sit in a cavity surrounded by bone on 5 sides (front, back, right side, left side, and underside) they can be damaged by a blow to the head from almost any angle. In fact, the temporal lobes, along with the prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate gyrus, are the parts of the brain most vulnerable to damage by virtue of their placement within the skull.

Childhood Trauma and the Brain

For children, being abused or witnessing intimate partner violence can have devastating, long-term effects on the brain and mental health.

In a typical year, an estimated 4.5 to 15 million children experience exposure to physical violence at home. It’s likely that there will be an uptick in these numbers as a result of families being cooped up at home due to the pandemic. This doesn’t bode well for the future generation.

Research in a 2018 issue of JAMA Network Open found that for children, witnessing domestic abuse can cause the same damaging effects as if they had endured the abuse themselves. In addition, brain imaging studies show that childhood trauma—including physical, verbal, and sexual abuse—causes structural changes in the brain that have been linked to a greater risk of mental illness and addictions. For example, a 2016 review of neuroimaging studies in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines found that youngsters exposed to abuse experience physical changes in the following areas of the brain:

These brain changes can lead to trouble in many areas of a person’s life, including at school, at work, and in relationships.

Damaged Brains Can Heal

Domestic violence can seem like a hopeless situation with no way out. But decades of brain imaging work and clinical practice at Amen Clinics have shown that there is hope for people in abusive relationships and for children who have suffered emotional trauma. Addressing underlying brain dysfunction is critical to treating IED, as well as for overcoming the lasting consequences of experiencing or witnessing abuse.

Note: If you or a loved one is in an unsafe domestic situation, also consider these resources:

If you’re struggling with issues that stem from growing up in an abusive family or you’re experiencing domestic violence, Amen Clinics can help. At Amen Clinics, we can help you—and everyone in the family unit—achieve better brain health and a stronger, more fulfilling relationship. During these uncertain times, your mental well-being is more important than ever, and waiting to get treatment until the pandemic is over 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.