A Celebrity Stylist Learns to Clean Out Her Mental Closet

Negativity is all around us. Nasty comments fill social media pages. Bullies torment their peers. And too many of us mentally beat ourselves up. Celebrity stylist Maeve Reilly—whose clients include Hailey Bieber, Megan Fox, and Ciara—knows the impacts of these hurtful practices only too well. Years of being bullied in school made Reilly feel unsafe. “It was so awful,” she says in an episode of Scan My Brain with Daniel G. Amen, MD. To avoid her tormentors, she adds, “I used to eat my lunch in the bathroom stall.” The relentless bullying fueled low self-esteem and led to drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, and using cocaine as coping mechanisms to numb the pain. The substance use quickly became an addiction and by the time she was 16 years old, Reilly was using 8-12 grams of cocaine a day. It ravaged her health and when she entered treatment at age 17, she weighed only 90 pounds and was “near death” as she puts it. Reilly emerged from treatment 4 months later and has been sober ever since. But that doesn’t mean her painful past doesn’t still live inside her mind. Now, at age 34, she wanted to know if her past experiences had negatively impacted her brain health, so she visited Amen Clinics for a brain SPECT scan.

EMOTIONAL PAIN IN THE BRAIN

Like many people who have endured trauma, Reilly’s SPECT scans showed overactivity in the brain’s emotional centers. As Dr. Amen explains in the Scan My Brain episode, this is associated with an increased risk of depression and anxiety. It’s also commonly seen in people who are highly sensitive, empathetic, and who tend to feel deeply. Negative or hurtful comments can be especially painful for individuals with this brain activity pattern. Past traumas, such as bullying or emotional abuse, can continue to haunt a person’s mind years or even decades later. Hateful and hurtful comments may pop up or play in a seemingly endless loop that leaves people feeling worthless, hopeless, and helpless. When people are exposed to negativity early in life, they are more likely to adopt a negative outlook. In fact, research shows that people can become addicted to negativity. Overcoming negative thinking habits is one of the keys to calming the emotional brain. To help Reilly conquer negative thinking patterns, Dr. Amen asked her to do an exercise he uses with many of his patients—write down her 10 worst thoughts about herself. Then he helped her work through one of those ANTs (automatic negative thoughts)—“I’m not good enough”—by questioning it. Learning to challenge your thoughts is like cleaning out your mental closet, getting rid of anything that doesn’t serve that’s taking up space, and making room for thoughts that help you in life.

HEALING THE BRAIN AFTER ADDICTION

Substance abuse has a toxic effect on the brain. On SPECT scans, the brains of people with addictions often show a pattern called scalloping due to overall low blood flow. Reilly was concerned her brain might show some lasting damage from her alcohol and drug use during her teenage years. She was relieved when her SPECT scan did not show the abnormal brain function typically seen in addicts. What you can learn from Reilly’s SPECT scan is that when you stop using toxic substances—whether it’s alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, or other substances—the brain can heal. Putting the brain in a healthy environment that includes nutritious foods, nutritional supplements, physical exercise, and healthy thinking patterns can speed the healing process. Addictions, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.