Are These “Mental Dragons” Dragging You Down?

Content updated from previous publish date. Has your sunny disposition recently turned dark and stormy? Have your occasional blue moods become your everyday norm? Or have you been feeling fearful for months or even years? It could mean that your brain is listening to Dragons from the Past. These inner “mental dragons” breathe fire on the amygdala (the almond-shaped structure on the inside of your temporal lobes involved in emotional reactions), driving depression, anxiety, anger, irrational behavior, and automatic negative reactions. This concept of mental dragons comes from Dr. Sharon May, a world-renowned relationship psychologist. Your brain is always listening to these Dragons from the Past and unless you recognize and tame them, they will steal your happiness. Is your brain listening to Dragons from the Past? These inner “mental dragons” breathe fire on your emotional brain, driving depression, anxiety, anger, irrational behavior, and automatic negative reactions.

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WHAT ARE THE 13 MENTAL DRAGONS FROM THE PAST?

Over time, Amen Clinics has identified 13 different Dragons from the Past that can continue to haunt your present and sabotage your emotional well-being.

1. Abandoned, Invisible, or Insignificant Dragons—feel alone, unseen, or unimportant
2. Inferior or Flawed Dragons—feel inferior to others
3. Anxious Dragons—feel fearful and overwhelmed
4. Wounded Dragons—bruised by past trauma
5. Should and Shaming Dragons—racked with guilt
6. Special, Spoiled, or Entitled Dragons—feel more special than others
7. Responsible Dragons—need to take care of others
8. Angry Dragons—harbor hurts and rage
9. Judgmental Dragons—hold harsh or critical opinions of others due to past injustices
10. Death Dragons—fear the future and lack of a meaningful life
11. Grief and Loss Dragons—feel loss and fear of loss
12. Hopeless or Helpless Dragons—have pervasive sense of despair and discouragement
13. Ancestral Dragons—affected by issues from past generations

Almost all of us have at least one of these Dragons from the Past. If you’re like most people, you may have multiple mental dragons dragging you down.

WHAT PROBLEMS DO DRAGONS FROM THE PAST CAUSE?

Some of the most common Dragons from the Past are the Hopeless and Helpless Dragons, which fuel depression, withdrawal, and even suicidal thoughts. When your brain is always listening to the Hopeless and Helpless Dragons, it can drag you down into the dumps. How can you tell if these dragons are filling your brain with their negativity? Look for these common signs:

• Feelings of depression
• Social isolation
• Resignation
• A tendency to see the bad in situations—glass half-empty
• Negative mindset
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Helplessness
• Powerlessness
• Blaming yourself and others
• Lack of self-efficacy
• Suicidal thoughts

HOW COMMON ARE HOPELESS AND HELPLESS DRAGONS?

Sadly, the Hopeless and Helpless Dragons are far too common among us. Even before the pandemic, these dragons were assaulting our brains. However, with illness and deaths due to COVID-19, months and months of isolating lockdown, and economic troubles, the ranks of this army of dragons are skyrocketing. Check out these alarming statistics:

• Twice as many people reported symptoms of depression during the pandemic compared with a survey from 2014.
• Prescription fills for antidepressants and anxiety medications reached a record number in 2020, according to a survey by GoodRx.
• 63% of people with pre-existing depression or anxiety surveyed by GoodRx said their symptoms were worse or much worse since the pandemic began.
• At Amen Clinics, which has treated tens of thousands of people from over 150 countries, patients are saying their depression symptoms are more severe due to the pandemic.

WHAT TRIGGERS HOPELESS AND HELPLESS DRAGONS?

The Hopeless and Helpless Dragons are often born when stresses stack too high. They can also originate from chronic frustration. It’s a concept called learned helplessness. This is where you try to feel better, but it doesn’t work, so you try again, but it still doesn’t improve. You keep trying until eventually, you feel helpless and lose hope that your situation will change. These dragons can also come from a family history of depression, a pessimistic mindset, or a loss of control. This breed of Dragons from the Past can be triggered in situations that remind you of feeling overwhelmed by stress or times when you felt powerless. Living through a pandemic, feeling like you aren’t in control of your life, or being stuck at home without being able to visit your family and friends can all trigger these sad dragons and rob you of your joy.

HOPELESS AND HELPLESS DRAGONS IN THE BRAIN

The brain imaging work at Amen Clinics—over 300,000 brain scans and growing—reveals a lot about depression, which is common in people who are always listening to the Hopeless and Helpless Dragons. Overactivity in an area called the deep limbic system is often seen with major depressive disorder. An Amen Clinics study on 15,000 patients found that when there is excessive activity in this brain region, people are more likely to say they have feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, in addition to a tendency to be negative, to be wracked with guilt, or to have crying spells.

6 WAYS TO TAME THE HOPELESS AND HELPLESS DRAGONS

It is possible to overcome the blue moods and depressive symptoms associated with Dragons from the Past. Some of the natural treatments that promote positive moods and help tame the Hopeless and Helpless Dragons include:

1. Create a positivity bias. Purposefully start each day on a positive note. As soon as you awaken or your feet hit the floor in the morning, start the day by saying, “Today is going to be a great day” out loud. Since your mind is prone to negativity, unless you train and discipline it, it will find stress in the upcoming day. When you direct your thoughts to Today is going to be a great day, your unconscious brain will help you uncover the reasons why it will be so.
2. Train your brain in gratitude. Gratitude directs your attention to positive feelings and away from negative ones.
3. Get physical exercise. Breaking a sweat increases the release of feel-good neurotransmitters.
4. Take nutritional supplements. Nutraceuticals such as fish oil, saffron, and curcumins promote positive moods.
5. Try bright light therapy. Using an indoor light box has been shown to enhance moods and boost energy.
6. Write down your accomplishments and strengths. Rather than focusing on what is wrong in your life, pay attention to what is going well. Odds are, you will feel much better.

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.