Anxiety & Depression

Overview

How to Help Your Patients

As you know, anxiety and depression are extremely common, affecting 38 million Americans each year. When patients seek treatment for these conditions, if their primary treating clinician does not fully understand their condition, they may be prescribed medications that can harm them in other ways.

Common anti-anxiety medications, such as Xanax, and common antidepressant medications, such as Prozac or Lexapro, can exacerbate symptoms in some patients, giving rise to adverse effects such as hallucinations, violent outbursts, volatile tempers, psychosis, and suicidal behavior. You can help your patients avoid such unnecessary adverse events by gaining a better understanding of their condition and helping them find a treatment that addresses it completely.

To learn more about our Nuetraceutical products and how to help your patients achieve healthy brain function, visit our MindWorks store.

HOW YOUR REFERRAL CAN HELP YOUR PATIENTS: SPECT Imaging

Dr. Amen is the world’s leading researcher on SPECT imaging. Your referral can help patients gain access to expert opinion and experienced diagnostics. SPECT can specifically help your with anxiety and depression by:

Helping determine with the patient has anxiety, depression, or a combination of both
Helping determine the type of anxiety or depression to inform treatment decisions
Helping determine if treatment is working correctly
Helping identify comorbidities that may need treatment
Reducing emotional pain and stigma by demonstrating that symptoms and behaviors are not imaginary
Increasing treatment compliance by showing pictures of results
Helping patients gain a better understanding of the illness through visuals

About SPECT Imaging

Learn more about this powerful diagnostic tool.

HOW YOUR REFERRAL CAN HELP YOUR PATIENTS: Identifying and Treating Types of Anxiety and Depression

It became obvious to Dr. Amen during his studies of SPECT imaging in the early 1990’s that there were groups of patterns in the brain activity of patients with anxiety and depression. Over time, and with careful research, he was able to identify the following types of anxiety and depression, and to observe how each type responded to different treatment protocol.

Type 1: Pure Anxiety

Symptoms

Patients with pure anxiety report the following symptoms:

Feeling stirred up, anxious, or nervous
Feeling uncomfortable in their own skin
Feeling as though they "could climb the walls" or that they are "crawling out of their skin"
Panic, fear, self-doubt
Muscle tension, nail biting, headaches, abdominal pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and sore muscles
Irrational fears or phobias may be present
Avoidant behaviors
They may be excessively shy or startle easily, or they may freeze in emotionally charged situations.

Common SPECT findings

Increased activity in the basal ganglia seen while the person is at rest and while the person is concentrating

Nutritional Support

Goal of nutritional support: To quiet an overactive mind

Learn More about: The Amen Solution GABA Calming Support

Type 2: Pure Depression

Symptoms:

This type of depression is associated with primary depressive symptoms that range from dysthymia to major depressive disorder. The hallmark symptoms of Pure Depression include:

Persistent sad or negative mood
Loss of interest in formerly pleasurable activities
Periods of crying
Frequent feelings of guilt, helplessness, hopelessness, or worthlessness
Changes in sleep and appetite patterns and habits
Low energy levels
Low self-esteem
Suicidal ideation or attempts

Common SPECT findings:

Noticeable increased activity in the deep limbic area while the person is at rest and while the person is concentrating
Decreased prefrontal cortex activity at rest that improves with concentration
Deactivation of the prefrontal cortex at rest and improvement with concentration (less common).

Nutritional Support

Goal of nutritional support: The synthesis of neurotransmitters, the hormone melatonin, phospholipids, and polyamines.

Learn More about: Amen Clinics NeuroSAMe

Type 3: Mixed Anxiety and Depression

Symptoms:

Patients with this type have a combination of both pure anxiety symptoms and pure depressive symptoms.

Common SPECT findings:

Excessive activity in the brain's basal ganglia and deep limbic system. One type may predominate at any point in time, but both symptom clusters are present on a regular basis.

Nutritional Support

Goal of nutritional support:Goal of nutritional support: The synthesis of neurotransmitters, the hormone melatonin, phospholipids, and polyamines as well as to quiet an overactive mind.

Learn More about: Amen Clinics NeuroSAMe and The Amen Solution GABA Calming Support

Type 4: Over-focused Anxiety and Depression

Symptoms:

These patients have trouble shifting attention and tend to get locked into negative thoughts or behaviors. When this is combined with excessive basal ganglia activity, they become stuck on anxious thoughts. When it is combined with excessive deep limbic activity, patients have trouble letting go of negative, depressing thoughts.

Many patients get “stuck” on both anxiety-provoking and depressive thoughts: obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, eating disorders, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This type is also associated with patients who worry, hold grudges, and display oppositional or argumentative behavior. Note: this type of anxiety and depression tends to occur more frequently in children or grandchildren of alcoholics.

Common SPECT findings:

Increased anterior cingulate gyrus activity
Increased basal ganglia and/or deep limbic activity at rest and while the person is concentrating

Nutritional Support

Goal of nutritional support:Goal of nutritional support: The synthesis of neurotransmitters, the hormone melatonin, phospholipids, and polyamines as well as to quiet an overactive mind.

Learn More about: Amen Clinics NeuroSAMe and The Amen Solution GABA Calming Support

Type 5. Temporal Lobe Anxiety and Depression

Symptoms:

These people struggle with temper outbursts, memory problems, mood instability, visual or auditory illusions, and dark, frightening, or “evil” thoughts. People with this type of disorder 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 become zealous about religious or philosophical beliefs. People with this type of disorder may also exhibit aggressive behaviors toward others or themselves, learning or reading problems, and irritability. There may be a family history of these problems, or they can be triggered by a brain injury.

Common SPECT findings:

Increased or decreased activity in one or both temporal lobes
Increased basal ganglia and/or deep limbic activity at rest and while the person is concentrating

Nutritional Support

Goal of nutritional support:To quiet an overactive mind and support healthy mood and serotonin levels.

Learn More about: Amen Clinics NeuroSAMe and The Amen Solution GABA Calming Support

Type 6: Cyclic Anxiety and Depression

Symptoms:

This type is primarily characterized by emotional episodes which the person has little or no control over. Cyclical disorders, such as bipolar disorder, cyclothymia, and premenstrual tension syndrome as well as panic attacks are part of this category because they are episodic and unpredictable. The hallmark of Type 6 is its cyclical nature.

Common SPECT findings:

Not surprisingly, SPECT scan findings vary significantly with the phase of the illness or point in the patient's cycle.

Nutritional Support

Goal of nutritional support: To quiet an overactive mind

Learn More about: The Amen Solution GABA Calming Support

Type 7: “Lights Are Low” Anxiety and Depression

Symptoms:

People with this type of disorder have trouble with executive functions: attention span, forethought, impulse control, organization, motivation, and planning, for example. When the prefrontal cortex is underactive, people complain of being inattentive, distracted, bored, off task, and impulsive. It is important to note that people with this type of disorder may also have been exposed to brain toxins, brain infection, extreme fatigue, or other brain trauma.

Common SPECT findings:

Decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex at rest and while the person is concentrating
Increased basal ganglia and/or deep limbic activity
Overall decreased activity (less common)

Nutritional Support

Goal of Nutritional Support: To optimize and support both focus and healthy energy levels

Learn More about: The Amen Solution Focus and Energy Optimizer

Recommendations for all types of anxiety and depression

Each type of anxiety and depression responds differently to different treatment regimens. At Amen Clinics, we use a different combination of nutraceuticals and lifestyle recommendations to treat each type, and comprehensive patient intake evaluations are also performed to gain a deeper understanding of other factors which may affect symptoms and treatment. Your patients will be given time and attention to ensure they are given the treatment regimen that is right for them.

Help your patients learn more.

Read more about the different types of Anxiety and Depression in Dr. Amen’s book, Healing Anxiety and Depression