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While most people are focusing on ways to fight the coronavirus pandemic, few are prepared for the other pandemic that is already spreading more rapidly around the nation and across the globe—a mental health pandemic.

Recent reports show:

And that’s just the beginning.

An article in the April issue of JAMA Internal Medicine warns of an impending mental health epidemic due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors write, “These consequences are of sufficient importance that immediate efforts focused on prevention and direct intervention are needed to address the impact of the outbreak on individual and population-level mental health.”

The outlook for our mental wellbeing is grim with spikes expected in anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorders, and other issues.

What can you do now to avoid falling victim to this impending crisis? Start taking care of your brain and body by addressing your BRIGHT MINDS risk factors.

Change Your Brain, Heal Your Mind with BRIGHT MINDS

In Daniel G. Amen’s book The End of Mental Illness, he reveals that it’s time to discard the term “mental illness” and recognize that these conditions are actually brain health issues that steal your mind. When you understand that your brain is the organ that creates your mind, you can take the necessary steps to change your brain and heal your mind.

B is for blood flow.

Low blood flow is the #1 brain imaging predictor of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s also associated with depression, schizophrenia, and ADD/ADHD. Did you know that as blood pressure goes up, blood flow to the brain goes down?

BRIGHT MINDS Strategy: To boost blood flow, exercise, eat foods that enhance blood flow to the brain (such as beets, cayenne pepper, oregano, and rosemary), and take supplements like ginkgo biloba.

R is for Retirement/Aging.

When you stop learning your brain starts dying. The older you get the more likely you are to struggle with your memory, and as the brain deteriorates with age it leads to a greater risk of mood problems, anxiety, irritability, temper flare-ups, and irrational behavior.

BRIGHT MINDS Strategy: The older you are the more serious you need to be about your physical, cognitive, and emotional health.

I is for Inflammation.

The word inflammation comes from the Latin “Inflammare” which means “to set on fire.” When you have inflammation in your body, it’s like a low-level fire that’s destroying your organs, including your brain. Inflammation has been linked to depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, personality disorders, and Alzheimer’s disease.

BRIGHT MINDS Strategy: Increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids (take a high-quality supplement like Omega-3 Power), try probiotics to promote better gut health (ProBrainBiotics), and floss your teeth to avoid gum disease.

G is for Genetics.

If you have a family history of mental health problems, understand that your genes are not your destiny. Think of it as a wakeup call.

BRIGHT MINDS Strategy: Don’t use genetic vulnerabilities as an excuse to give in to bad habits, such as overeating or excessive drinking.

H is for Head Trauma.

Mild traumatic brain injuries are a major cause of mental illness, but nobody knows it because traditional psychiatrists never look at the brain. Head injuries are associated with depression, anxiety and panic disorders, psychosis, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), drug and alcohol abuse, ADD/ADHD, memory problems, and more.

BRIGHT MINDS Strategy: If traditional treatment for a psychiatric condition isn’t working, consider brain SPECT imaging to see if you have underlying brain trauma that is contributing to your mental health symptoms.

T is for Toxins.

Drugs, alcohol, mold, chemicals in household cleaners, and other toxins are major causes of brain health/mental health issues that traditional psychiatrists almost completely ignore. Exposure to toxins increases the risk of depression, ADD/ADHD, memory problems, autism, temper outbursts, psychotic behavior, dementia, and more.

BRIGHT MINDS Strategy: Detoxify your home as much as possible. Read the labels of the disinfectants you’re using during the pandemic and choose products that aren’t toxic.

M is for Mind Storms.

Abnormal electrical activity in the brain has been associated with temper outbursts, depression, suicidal thoughts, panic attacks, distractibility, and confusion.

BRIGHT MINDS Strategy: Avoid things that increase mind storms, such as high stress, lack of sleep, drug and alcohol abuse, and skipping meals.

I is for Immunity and Infections.

Things like Lyme disease and autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis) cause multiple brain health/mental health issues.

BRIGHT MINDS Strategy: Strengthen your immune system and seek treatment for chronic infections like Lyme disease.

N is for Neurohormones.

Hormonal imbalances of key neurohormones, such as thyroid, estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone can cause symptoms—such as depression, anxiety, attention problems, and psychosis—that mimic mental health conditions.

BRIGHT MINDS Strategy: Know and optimize your hormone levels.

D is for Diabesity.

Being obese and/or having diabetes is detrimental to brain health and leads to a greater risk of depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, addictions, agoraphobia, and more.  

BRIGHT MINDS Strategy: Many obese people with type 2 diabetes are able to overcome the condition with a brain healthy diet, increased physical exercise, and supplements like berberine that help support healthy blood sugar levels.

S is for Sleep.

Over time, sleep problems lead to an increased risk of depression, ADD/ADHD, panic attacks, memory problems, and dementia.

BRIGHT MINDS Strategy: Make sleep a priority and aim for 7-8 hours a night.

Anxiety can’t wait. Depression can’t wait. Addiction can’t wait. Your mental health can’t wait. 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.

 

“I was in Ireland & had been invited to open up, solo, for U2. It was the day of the show… I spent the whole day getting more & more anxious that I didn’t have anything to wear. Instead of going to the arena where the show was being held, I went to a huge shopping mall… I started to get a string of texts from U2’s tour manager asking where the hell I was & why I was skipping soundcheck… Then I got a final text from U2’s tour manager: ‘Don’t bother coming. Show has been canceled. Bono has just died suddenly and unexpectedly from COVID-19…’”

This is an excerpt from one of the many submissions to “I Dream of COVID,” a website where people are documenting the weird and wild dreams they’re having during the global coronavirus pandemic. People are also posting their nightly subconscious escapades on Twitter using #pandemicdreams, including this one:

“I had a dream last night that I went food shopping and people kept intentionally touching me, circling me and intentionally coughing on me. Apparently my subconscious along with the rest of me is pretty damn terrified. #pandemic dreams”

Apparently, the coronavirus isn’t just attacking people’s health and mental well-being, it’s also messing with our minds as we sleep.

What’s Causing Pandemic Dreams?

“Our dreams are being influenced by our heightened stress and anxiety, changes in sleep patterns, isolation, and more,” says Dr. Shane Creado, a psychiatrist and sleep medicine physician at Amen Clinics in Chicago and the author of Peak Sleep Performance for Athletes.

Dr. Creado says he’s been hearing from many patients that not only are they having dreams that are extremely vivid and strange, but they also seem to be remembering more of their dreams. They’re not alone. French scientists from the Lyon Neuroscience Research Center have found a 35% increase in dream recall due to the global pandemic.

Dr. Creado, who does sleep consults and who hosts an online course on Overcoming Insomnia, explains that this may be because the anxiety we’re experiencing during our waking hours is impacting the quality of our sleep. According to Dr. Creado, the fears and stress surrounding the coronavirus pandemic are causing more awakenings, or what is known as sleep fragmentation. This means that when you’re anxious, you lose sleep.

More importantly, to make up for sleep loss, your brain may quickly take a dive into rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, which is when our most vivid dreams typically occur. “Thus, worry can not only trigger nightmares,” says the sleep specialist, “but the sleep loss associated with them can increase their frequency.”

Why Nightmares Aren’t All Bad

As many as 85% of adults occasionally experience nightmares, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. What are the most common nightmare themes? A 2016 study found that the top 10 nightmares involve:

  1. Falling
  2. Being chased
  3. Death
  4. Feeling lost
  5. Feeling trapped
  6. Being attacked
  7. Missing an important event
  8. Waking up late
  9. Loved one passing
  10. Sustaining an injury

Other common nightmares include your teeth falling out, being paralyzed, or bugs crawling on you.

But nightmares aren’t all bad. Dream experts believe they may serve a purpose. “In some ways, nightmares may help us better navigate stressful situations in our waking lives,” says Dr. Creado, who trained in sleep analysis from a psychoanalyst from Harvard, and who helps his patients in dream analysis sessions.

A 2019 study in Human Brain Mapping suggests that nightmares help decrease anxiety by acting like a sort of rehearsal for how to deal with daytime stressors.

Having nightmares during this global pandemic is understandable. But having repetitive nightmares can be very troubling and can prevent people from even wanting to go to sleep.  They are common in people who have been traumatized. And we are all currently being traumatized by the fear of COVID-19. Dr. Creado says, “It’s very likely that after things go back to ‘normal,’ we’ll be seeing rising numbers of people suffering from recurring nightmares and sleep disturbances.”

How to Reduce Nightmares Even During a Pandemic

To minimize nightmares, you need to get restful sleep. The following simple strategies can help you get better quality sleep to reduce the sleep fragmentation that can increase vivid dreams and nightmares.

If you’re struggling with sleep disturbances, 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.

 

Advanced age, obesity, smoking—these are some of the biggest risk factors that make you more likely to develop a severe illness or to die from COVID-19, according to emerging research. They are also many of the same risk factors that attack brain health and contribute to mental illness and memory problems. BRIGHT MINDS is a mnemonic for the 11 major risk factors that steal your mind, and as researchers are discovering, they may also raise the risk for more severe illness or death from the coronavirus.

Know how many of these risk factors you have and follow the tips to minimize your risk.

B is for Blood flow.

The World Health Organization reports that people with high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease are among those at highest risk for severe illness and death from COVID-19. Statistics compiled by the state of New York show that hypertension, coronary artery disease, and high cholesterol are among the top 10 co-morbidities among patients who died from COVID-19.

BRIGHT MINDS Tip: Even though you may be sheltering at home, it’s still critical to exercise to get your blood pumping.

R is for Retirement/Aging.

Research in Clinical Infectious Diseases shows that people of old age are at the greatest risk for poor outcomes from COVID-19. Having dementia, which is typically seen in older people, was listed as one of the top 10 co-existing conditions in people who died from COVID-19, according to statistics from the state of New York.

BRIGHT MINDS Tip: New learning keeps your brain young. When quarantined or self-isolating, keep your mind active.

I is for Inflammation.

A study in Clinical Infectious Diseases found that people with high levels of C-reactive protein—a marker for inflammation—are more likely to have severe coronavirus illness.

BRIGHT MINDS Tip: Avoid pro-inflammatory foods, such as sugar and refined carbohydrates, that drive inflammation.

G is for Genetics.

Researchers suggest the reason why some younger people with no underlying health conditions become seriously ill from COVID-19 may have to do with their genes.

BRIGHT MINDS Tip: Know your genetic risks and be proactive about minimizing them.

H is for Head Trauma.

Although research has yet to show a direct connection between head trauma and coronavirus outcomes, having a head injury increases the likelihood of mental health issues, such as depression, which has been linked to inflammation and immune system dysfunction. In addition, people who have had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are also more likely to suffer from addictions to toxic substances that may impact pulmonary health. (See T is for Toxins below.)

BRIGHT MINDS Tip: Protect your brain—wear a helmet while biking, avoid climbing ladders, hold the handrail when you walk down stairs.

T is for Toxins.

Smoking anything—cigarettes, marijuana, or methamphetamine—poses a greater risk for severe COVID-19 illness. According to a release from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “Because it attacks the lungs, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 could be an especially serious threat to those who smoke tobacco or marijuana or who vape.” NIDA also suggests that people with addictions who abuse opioids or methamphetamine may also be at increased risk because these substances negatively affect respiratory and pulmonary health. In addition, kidney disease ranked among the top 10 co-occurring conditions in people who died from COVID-19 in New York state. The kidneys are one of the body’s 4 organs of detoxification—the other 3 are the skin, gut, and liver. Environmental toxins can harm these organs. This damage reduces your detoxification system’s ability to do its job, creating an even greater buildup of toxins.

BRIGHT MINDS Tip: During highly stressful times like during a pandemic, eliminate alcohol and drugs and support your 4 organs of detoxification—liver, kidneys, gut, and skin—by minimizing your exposure to environmental toxins.

M is for Mental Health.

Having depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions can interfere with immune system function and make you more susceptible to viral infections.

BRIGHT MINDS Tip: Seek treatment for mental health issues but be sure to see a healthcare provider who looks at the brain and treats the root causes of mental illness, rather than just treating symptoms.

I is for Immunity and Infections.

Having a chronic infection, such as Lyme disease, may increase vulnerability to COVID-19 and may worsen outcomes, according to Mark Filidei, D.O., the director of integrative and functional medicine at Amen Clinics in Costa Mesa, California.

BRIGHT MINDS Tip: Shore up immunity with vitamin D, zinc, therapeutic mushrooms, and garlic.

N is for Neurohormones.

A recent report in The New York Times shows that men are dying from COVID-19 at nearly twice the rate as women. Science suggests it may be due, in part, to hormones. Research shows the female sex hormone estrogen stimulates the immune system, giving women more robust immunity, while the male sex hormone testosterone inhibits the immune system.

BRIGHT MINDS Tip: As a general rule, it’s a good idea to check your hormone levels regularly and optimize them if necessary.

D is for Diabesity.

The word “diabesity” combine diabetes and obesity, both of which are associated with poorer outcomes from COVID-19. Obesity is one of the biggest risk factors for hospitalization and critical illness, according to a pre-print study (which means it is not yet peer-reviewed) of over 4,000 people in New York who had tested positive for COVID-19. Having diabetes doesn’t increase the risk of becoming ill from COVID-19, but an analysis in the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation reports that people with diabetes could be up to twice as likely to die from coronavirus.

BRIGHT MINDS Tip: Eat healthy foods—lean protein, colorful vegetables and fruits, and smart carbs (ones that don’t spike your blood sugar)—not just what’s left on the store shelves during the pandemic.

S is for Sleep.

Even though sleep has not been directly associated with worse outcomes from coronavirus, it is tightly linked to immunity. Research on identical twins in the journal Sleep shows that chronic sleep deprivation lowers immune system function.

BRIGHT MINDS Tip: Sleep is often the most affected during a crisis, but you need to make sleep a priority. Aim for 7 hours a night.

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 coronavirus pandemic is having a devastating impact on so many people. To try to battle it, we’re spending trillions of dollars, making people stay home, and damaging our mental well-being. But what’s really irritating is that nobody is talking about the really big issue. Why are there more deaths in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world? Japan has 126 million people and less than 1,000 deaths from COVID-19. Why does the U.S. have over 70,000 deaths?

The Bible verse John 8:32 is applicable here: “Know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

COVID-19 is attacking us because as a society we are sick. We have damaged immune systems due to the Standard American Diet (SAD) and because dermatologists won the battle and have made us afraid of the sun. This has resulted in low vitamin D levels, which drains the immune system.

On top of this, what other society’s population is 72% overweight and 40% obese? Amen Clinics has published two studies showing that as your weight goes up the size and function of your brain go down. Excess fat on the body produces inflammatory cytokines, which can be a problem with COVID-19. With COVID-19, people develop pneumonia, which sparks an immune response, and this inflammation can cause what’s being called a “cytokine storm.” If you’re already inflamed from too much fat on your body, your chances of surviving that storm are a lot lower.

That’s not all. Half of the people in America are diabetic or prediabetic. And 60% have hypertension or prehypertension. These underlying chronic health conditions make you more likely to suffer severe illness or die from COVID-19. Rather than spending trillions of dollars and scrambling to find a vaccine, we should start putting in the effort to get healthy as a society. That would be a much better use of our resources.

That’s just one of the things we’ve learned at Amen Clinics from 160,000 brain scans.

Here are the other most important lessons brain imaging has taught us.

Lesson 1. Current psychiatric diagnostic models are outdated because they don’t assess the brain

The typical way most people are diagnosed and treated for mental health issues is by going to a professional and telling that person their symptoms. If you have 5 of 8 symptoms that are listed in the DSM, which is like the Bible of psychiatry, you get a diagnosis. For example, if you tell them you’re depressed, then they give you a diagnosis with the same name as what you just told them. And then they give you antidepressants, which in large-scale studies work no better than placebo. (When we target the right medication to the right brain, it works better.)

Or if you say, “I’m anxious,” you usually get an “anxiety disorder” diagnosis and end up with a prescription for an anti-anxiety medication, such as benzodiazepines that increase your risk for dementia later in life. Or you say, “I can’t concentrate,” and they say you have ADD and give you a stimulant but without asking why you have trouble concentrating. Is it because of a head injury or something else?

Or, my favorite diagnosis to explain the insanity of the current diagnostic model is if you have temper problems, and you explode intermittently. There’s a diagnosis called intermittent explosive disorder, or I.E.D. What the heck does that mean? Quite simply, it means you explode intermittently. The acronym is ironic, and these people often wind up in anger management classes or on any number of medications. But brain imaging shows us that this is usually from a   head injury to the left temporal lobes.

The current model is not based on any underlying neuroscience. It will tell you what it is, but it won’t tell you what causes it or what to do to fix it. That’s the first thing imaging taught me —that I had learned an outdated system.

Lesson 2. All psychiatric diagnoses are not single or simple disorders; they all have multiple types, and each requires its own treatment

Autism is not one thing. ADD is not one thing. I wrote a book called Healing ADD about the 7 types of ADD that sold about 500,000 copies. Brain imaging shows us that healthcare professionals need to stop giving everybody Ritalin. It’s a miracle for some people but a nightmare for others.

Lesson 3. Looking at the brain decreases stigma, increases compliance with treatment, and completely changes the discussion around mental health.

This is why I wrote my book The End of Mental Illness. I hate the term mental illness. And you should too. It’s wrong. They’re brain health issues that steal your mind. The term mental illness is stigmatizing, it’s shaming, and it causes people to not seek help because no one wants to be labeled as having a mental illness. But everybody wants a better brain.

Lesson 4. If what you’re doing is not working, look at the brain.

I had this one boy who had seen 6 psychiatrists, he had been in residential treatment and failed, and he had been in drug treatment and failed. After scanning his brain, it turned out he had a cyst the size of a tennis ball in his frontal lobe and temporal lobe. Do you really think psychotherapy is going to fix that? Is medication going to fix that? No! We had to drain the cyst, then work really hard to rehabilitate his brain.

Lesson 5. Looking at the brain completely changes the discussion about good and evil

It’s easy to call people bad. It’s a lot harder to ask why. I’ve scanned about 1,000 convicted felons and over 100 murderers. I published a study on murderers and most of them had very low activity in the frontal lobes. Does that mean they didn’t do it? No. Does that mean they aren’t responsible for it? No. But when you judge them you need to consider the biological underpinnings of why they did what they did.

Lesson 6. Looking at the brain helps to prevent mistakes.

Seeing the brain helps manage people’s cases by helping find the right treatment solutions and by seeing how the treatment is working or if it needs to be adjusted.

Lesson 7. Mild traumatic brain injuries ruin people’s lives, and nobody knows it.

Most psychiatrists never look at the brain, so they don’t realize that symptoms may be caused by underlying damage to the brain. One of my favorite patients had everything in life—he was good-looking and wealthy—but he woke up one morning with panic attacks. He went on Xanax, but it made him worse. Then he went on antidepressants and got even worse. Then he started having suicidal ideation. When we scanned him, you could see that he had suffered from a brain injury.

I asked when he had a brain injury, but he said he’d never had a brain injury. I pressed on, asking if he had ever fallen out of a tree, fallen off a fence, or dived into the shallow end of a pool. Then there was an a-ha moment. He recalled that two weeks before his first panic attack he’d had a bike accident on a trail in the Santa Monica Mountains, and he cracked his helmet. He didn’t lose consciousness, but he didn’t feel right for a couple of days.

Repairing his brain repaired his life. How would I have known that his brain needed repair if we didn’t look?

Lesson 8. Toxins can prematurely age the brain.

Drugs and alcohol age the brain. Marijuana is legal now, and there are some medicinal benefits, but I’m not a fan of rampant use. At Amen Clinics, we did a study that shows it prematurely ages the brain.

Other things that cause premature aging include mold exposure and anesthesia. I saw this first-hand when my assistant had to have surgery for an aneurysm. We had scanned her brain previously, and she had a beautiful brain. But after the surgery, she seemed sadder and not as sharp as usual. Her SPECT scan showed that the anesthesia had damaged her brain. We helped rehabilitate her brain, and she was much better. But nobody tells you when you have surgery that it may harm your brain.

Our SPECT brain imaging work shows that people in certain professions—such as firefighters, who are exposed to carbon monoxide from fires—are more prone to having brains that look toxic.

Lesson 9. You’re not stuck with the brain you have. You can make it better. I can prove it.

This is the most important lesson I have learned from 160,000 brain scans. I’ve done thousands of before-and-after SPECT scans, and they clearly show that the brain can improve. We did a study on over 300 NFL players, and over 80% of our players saw improvement after just two months of following the program we gave them. We’ve seen the brains of firefighters, police officers, soldiers, adults, elderly people, and children.

Even if you’ve been bad to your brain, if you get serious about making it better, you can change your brain and it will dramatically change the trajectory of your life.

You can find out more about how I got hooked on brain imaging and what we’ve learned from it in my book The End of Mental Illness and in this video below.

Depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and other mental health issues can’t wait. 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.

At Amen Clinics, our clinical practice and brain imaging work have led us to 12 core principles that underlie everything we do. They provide the foundation for the work we do with people suffering from a range of issues, as well as those looking to optimize their brains. These principles are incredibly simple, but don’t let that fool you. They are extremely powerful and can change your life.

Principle #1. Your brain is involved in everything you do.

How you think, how you feel, how you act, and how well you get along with other people has to do with the moment-by-moment functioning of your brain. After quarantining with family during the coronavirus pandemic, you probably have a sense of which family members have a healthy brain and which ones could have a better brain.

Principle #2. When your brain works right, you work right. When your brain is troubled, you have trouble in your life.

When your brain is healthy, you’re happier, physically healthier (because you make better decisions over a long period of time), wealthier (also because you make better decisions), and more successful overall. When your brain is not healthy, for whatever reason (a number of concussions from playing sports, a bad diet, a family history of bipolar disorder, etc.), you’re sadder, sicker, and less successful. It’s the whole idea behind the book The End of Mental Illness—these are not mental illnesses they are brain health issues that steal your mind.

Principle #3. Your brain is the most complicated organ in the universe.

Your brain weighs about 3 pounds and has about 100 billion neurons (nerve cells) and more connections than there are stars in the universe. Your brain accounts for only 2% of your body’s weight, yet it uses 20% to 30% of the calories you consume, so the food you eat really matters. And it uses about 20% of the oxygen and blood flow in your body, so anything that damages your heart or blood vessels ultimately damages your brain.

Principle #4. Your brain is incredibly soft—about the consistency of soft butter—and it’s housed in a really hard skull with multiple sharp bony ridges, making it easily injured. 

Mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) ruin people’s lives, and nobody knows about it because most psychiatrists never look at the brain.  Undiagnosed brain injuries are a major cause of suicide, homicide, incarceration, depression, panic attacks, ADD/ADHD, and learning problems.

If you’ve had a head injury and you find that you have lasting mood instability, irritability, temper problems, memory problems, learning problems, or mood problems, somebody should look at your brain.

Principle #5. Your brain has needs that must be met in order to work at optimal efficiency.

The requirements for optimal brain function include:

Principle #6. Many things hurt the brain.

In The End of Mental Illness, you’ll find a mnemonic—BRIGHT MINDS—to help you remember the things that hurt the brain. The same things that increase the risk of death from COVID-19 also raise mental health risks—hypertension (blood flow problems), aging, inflammation, genetics, head trauma, toxins, mind-storms, immunity issues and infections, neurohormone problems, diabesity (as your weight goes up the physical functioning of your brain goes down), and sleep problems.

Principle #7. Many things help the brain. 

As you go through your day, ask yourself, “Is this good for my brain or bad for it?” If you love yourself, you’re going to choose what’s good for your brain.

Principle #8. Like an orchestra, all parts of your brain need to be working well together to make you the best that you can be. Certain brain systems tend to do specific things.

For example:

Principle #9. Understanding your brain helps you know how to fix it.

For example, if you have low frontal lobe activity, you need clear goals. Write out your goals and then ask yourself, “Does my behavior fit what I want?”

Principle #10. All psychiatric “illnesses” are not single or simple disorders; they all have multiple types that require their own treatments.

Taking a one-size-fits-all approach to treatment invites repeated failure and frustration. Amen Clinics has identified:

You can learn if you tend to be spontaneous (impulsive), persistent (compulsive), sensitive (sad), or cautious (anxious), or a combination of these. And you can learn which supplements will help balance your brain type.

Principle #11. The amount of “brain reserve” you have can help you handle life’s stresses or make you more vulnerable to them.

Brain reserve is the extra cushion of brain function you have to help you deal with the stressors life throws at you—like a pandemic. It’s like immune reserve. If you have a very strong, healthy immune system and you’re exposed to COVID-19, you can handle it. But if you have a weak immune system, it can take you out. It’s the same with the brain.

Principle #12. Looking at the brain changes everything.

The most important lesson from imaging is that you are not stuck with the brain you have, you can make it better. This is perhaps the most exciting and hopeful lesson of all. We all need to work hard to improve how our brains function, because with a better brain, always comes a better life and better mental health. Your brain can be better tomorrow if you begin doing the right things today. Follow these 3 steps:

You can find out more about the 12 principles and how they relate to brain health and mental illness in Daniel G. Amen, MD’s book The End of Mental Illness, or in this video on the topic.

Depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and other mental health issues can’t wait. 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.

 

You’ve got questions. These 3 psychiatrists from Amen Clinics have answers. Dr. Robert Johnson, Dr. Jennifer Love, and Dr. Jay Faber recently hosted a webinar to allow viewers to ask them anything about the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on emotional health. Here’s what they had to say.

https://youtu.be/Mh_u90orH3k

“I’m early in my recovery. How can I cope?”

Here are 5 key things people in addiction recovery can be doing right now for their health.

  1. Stay connected to a sponsor or someone who’s a sober encouragement through FaceTime or video chat, not just telephone.
  2. Find small groups of people that you’re comfortable with and do group chats, so they can have accountability but also just hang out and have a cup of coffee together and have some social time.
  3. Stay on your sleep schedule. Don’t stay up all night and sleep all day and going into bad behaviors, staying on a clean diet.
  4. Schedule. Take time at the end of the day and write out everything you’re going to do the next day and fill your schedule. Even if it’s just like “Call mom, watch a film on Netflix, make lunch,” it gives a sense of structure to the day.
  5. Set an intention. Pick a word of the week—kind, honesty, bravery, peace, calm. Really think about that word and how it applies to you in your life.

“My kids are driving me crazy. They’re just arguing and getting on each other’s nerves constantly. I tried different things to entertain and distract them. It just doesn’t seem to work for very long. Any recommendations?”

“I hear this every other day from one of my patients,” says Dr. Faber. Here are 3 strategies to try.

  1. Keep a schedule. You don’t have to schedule something every hour, but just break up your day in the morning, afternoon, and evening and make sure your kids have something to do in those 3 time slots. You might want to do that for yourself too to keep your own sense of wellbeing.
  2. Keep your kids active. Kids who get fidgety or antsy at home may start taking it out on themselves and play can sometimes turn into fighting, arguing, and other unpleasantries. Take advantage of the internet. For example, if your kids are into dance, you can find some of the coolest dance lessons for free or for a nominal charge.
  3. Encourage your kids to get creative and use FaceTime or Zoom to connect with others. For example, a couple of my older kids have brunch in the morning with their friends online and talk to each other for 30 minutes. This really gives your brain and your whole body an escape from all the internal things that are coming at us on a daily basis.

“I can’t stop worrying where all this is headed—whether I’ll have a job or be able to keep my car. I just end up monitoring events constantly on my phone, my laptop, and TV. Help.”

At this time, we have to figure out what we can control and what we can’t control. And the things we can’t control we have to just put in a box. Here are some techniques based on dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) you can use these to distract yourself from your stressful thoughts.

  1. Get engaged in activities. This can be anything like doing puzzles, coloring, or painting. “A lot of my patients are doing paint by numbers,” says Dr. Love.
  2. Contribute to others. Thinking about what you can do for other people is one of the best ways to stop negative ruminations and to help with depressive or anxious ruminations. Who can you be kind to today? If you’re going to the market, can you pick up something for an elderly neighbor? Can you call someone you know is vulnerable?
  3. Gratitude. Train your brain to look at the things in your space around you that you’re grateful for.
  4. Limit TV news and social media. The information we get from these sources may be sensationalized and can be harmful to our emotional health. “I had a patient this week in Spain, and she and her 3 children are literally locked up in their apartment. They can get out for 1 hour a week to go grocery shopping and that’s it,” says Dr. Faber. “She’s been trying to contain her own emotions as she watches a lot of social media.”

“What are some healthy grounding techniques to ease or cope through a busy, racing, or anxious mind?”

Practice DBT principles of self-soothing and use all 5 of your senses to help stay grounded. Here are some well-known grounding techniques for people who have trauma in their background or who can dissociate in the context of being triggered emotionally. They’re very simple but very effective.

  1. Sights. “When I’m really anxious, I like to look at color, I like to look at art. I like a fire in the fireplace or just watching candles,” says Dr. Love. “Even just noticing where you see squares in a space or the color of the carpet can help,” says Dr. Johnson. “Or try standing on one leg with your eyes closed because you can’t stay dissociated, you can’t stay in that anxious space if you have more of a present moment sensate focus.”
  2. Sound. Listen to the rain or the wind or use white noise machines. You can also go online and play ocean sounds, music, or whatever you love.
  3. Touch. For touch, many people have animals they can pet. For kids, you can get a huge bucket and just fill it with dried beans and let them stick their feet and hands in it. It’s a very tactile, calming thing. “I’ve even had patients take an ice cube out of the freezer and just stick it on their wrist because it brings you back into the moment faster,” says Dr. Love.
  4. For scent, you can use candles, food. Add spices when you’re cooking. It smells wonderful. Lavender and vanilla are really calming. “A lot of my patients are using aromatherapy or lotion with a special scent that’s really relaxing,” says Dr. Love.
  5. Taste. Don’t scarf down junk food. Make something healthy and really savor the bites and take time to enjoy the meal as if you were at a 5-star restaurant. “Yesterday one of my patients asked, ‘Can I take a bite of a lemon?’ and I told them to go for it,” says Dr. Love.

“After surviving the COVID-19 illness, with moderate symptoms for 7 days, what recovery strategies do you suggest for supplements, exercise, nutrition, or other therapeutic techniques to help you when you come out of isolation?”

  1. Focus on nutrition. Stay away from inflammatory foods like sugar, junk food, cookies, candy, and potato chips. Eat more protein—chicken, fish, or low-fat beef—with no breading. And eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
  2. Boost your immune system. Some simple things you can do right now is take Vitamin C (500 milligrams twice a day for adults), Vitamin D (5000 IUs), zinc (particularly zinc
    picolinate at 25 mg a day), omega-3 fatty acids (try Omega-3 Power) Throw garlic in there as well.
  3. Saunas. If you look at the MERS syndrome that occurred, which was a coronavirus, there was some work done in test tubes looking at how heat causes the virus to die. If you have access to heat, especially saunas that get to 170 to 180 degrees, look about doing that.
  4. Exercise. “The first several days of this quarantine, I was in absolute CrossFit withdrawal. I was cranky and impatient until I got disciplined enough to start doing some kind of exercise every day,” says Dr. Johnson. Many companies have stepped up and provided free, home-based exercise options.
  5. Boost your brain. BrainFitLife—a personalized brain training site created by Dr. Daniel Amen and based on research derived from the world’s largest database of functional brain SPECT scans—has lots of awesome content about exercise, nutrition, sleep induction tapes, and brain training games.

“Can you talk about sleep needs during these times and how to improve sleep hygiene during these stressful times?”

Sleep hygiene is so important right now. “If you don’t get eight hours of sleep, we’re more likely to keep inflammatory toxins in our brain,” says Dr. Faber. Be very consistent with the time you go to bed and wake up, don’t take naps, and skip caffeine after lunch. “I create transition times in that hour before bed and in that hour when I get up. That hour before my bed is my spa hour,” says Dr. Love.

“Can we talk about when you’re staying home with an abusive family member and not feeling safe?”

We may be on lockdown, but you have to stay physically safe, emotionally safe, and sexually safe. If you’re with someone 24/7 who’s harmful to you, you’ve got to get out of that situation. Domestic shelters are open or stay with a friend where you can have a refuge. Also be aware of when these episodes more likely to occur, such as if someone is using alcohol or drugs or if someone’s not taking their psychotropic medications. “If your significant other is doing any of those, be much more watchful and be ready to get plan B ready,” says Dr. Faber.

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.

 

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.