From Hallucinations to Happy and Healthy

At age 18, Jason, a college freshman, began hearing voices. The voices inside his head assaulted him with a constant barrage of nasty comments about himself, his teachers, his fellow students, and others. The voices would compete for his attention and often spoke to him at the same time. To make things worse, he also started having gruesome visions about dying. In one grisly scenario, a snake wrapped itself around his neck and slowly strangled him.

Understandably concerned, the student went to the campus psychiatrist for help. The young man left the appointment with a schizophrenia diagnosis and a prescription for antipsychotic medication.

The psychiatrist informed Jason’s parents that their son would need the medication as long as he lived. When Jason started taking the antipsychotics, however, he began having suicidal thoughts. Desperate to help her son, Jason’s mother sought out a more advanced psychiatric evaluation that would look at Jason’s brain.

The brain scan showed that something else was causing his symptoms.

HOW MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS CAN LIE

In traditional medicine, healthcare professionals typically make mental health diagnoses based on symptom clusters. Jason’s symptoms—hallucinations and hearing voices—fit with the schizophrenia symptoms described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

Healthcare providers use this authoritative guide as a primary tool for diagnosis. This is despite the availability of sophisticated brain-imaging technology that can provide insights into biological causes for mental health problems.

Looking at symptom clusters only can lead to misdiagnosis. One Canadian study found that in the primary care setting, which is the first place many people go when struggling with psychological problems, misdiagnosis is common.

In fact, the study found that misdiagnosis rates were alarmingly high:

• Social anxiety disorder: 97.8%
• Bipolar disorder: 92.7%
• Panic disorder: 85.8%
• General anxiety disorder: 71%
• Major depressive disorder: 65.9%

Misdiagnosis can unnecessarily prolong a person’s suffering. For people like Jason, a misdiagnosis and improper treatment can be life-threatening as thoughts of suicide may arise.

HOW BRAIN IMAGING CAN REVEAL BIOLOGICAL CAUSES OF MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS

Jason visited Amen Clinics for a more thorough psychiatric evaluation that included brain SPECT imaging. SPECT is a type of functional brain-imaging technology that looks at blood flow and activity patterns in the brain.

SPECT reveals how the brain is functioning and shows areas with:

• Healthy activity
• Too much activity
• Too little activity

What did Jason’s SPECT scan reveal?

His scan showed evidence of previous head trauma that had impacted areas of his brain. Seeing the signs of abnormal blood flow and activity prompted Amen Clinics physicians to ask Jason about any head injuries he may have sustained.

It turned out that Jason had experienced several concussions. The first one he recalled happened when he was just 5 years old. That’s when he dove headlong into an empty bathtub, a stunt that caused him to black out temporarily.

Other concussions occurred when he competed in wrestling at school and when he was playing soccer. These head injuries took an additional toll on his brain.

HOW BRAIN IMAGING REVEALS HIDDEN HEAD INJURIES

Brain imaging with SPECT reveals damage to the brain that may have occurred years or even decades earlier. Jason’s brain scan showed the hallmark signs of head trauma, especially in two areas: the left temporal lobe and the prefrontal cortex.

• Left temporal lobe: The temporal lobes are involved in mood stability, visual and auditory processing, memory, and learning. When the left temporal lobe is injured, it can lead to dark thoughts, unstable moods, and hallucinations.
• Prefrontal cortex: This region plays an important role in planning, judgement, forethought, and impulse control. When there is low activity here, it can be associated with problems in these areas.

Abnormal brain function is associated with symptoms commonly seen in mental health problems. Starting at age 5, Jason suffered from mild depression. Things got worse when he went to middle school and became the target of class bullies.

Healthy SPECT Scan                                       Jason’s SPECT Scan

Full, even, symmetrical activity               Low activity, especially in
prefrontal and temporal lobes

GETTING A MORE ACCURATE MENTAL HEALTH DIAGNOSIS

After Jason’s new evaluation, which included not only the brain scans but also neuropsychological testing and an extensive personal history, his diagnosis changed. Jason didn’t have schizophrenia.

Rather, he had a psychotic depression. Also called delusional depression, this is when a person experiences both depressive symptoms and psychosis.

In Jason’s case, his previous brain injuries, chronic negative thinking, and excessive stress had exacerbated the condition. It all contributed to him losing touch with reality, hearing those voices, and having those visual hallucinations.

BETTER MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT MEANS A BETTER LIFE

Based on the findings from his more advanced evaluation, it was clear that Jason needed a new mental health treatment plan. The antipsychotic medication he was taking wouldn’t help him and, in fact, was making him worse. The first step in Jason’s new treatment program was to stop taking the medication.

Instead, his psychiatrist recommended a protocol with a brain-body-mind approach involving biological and psychological spiritual changes.

• Biological: To help heal his brain, Jason began doing hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). This noninvasive therapy involves breathing 100% pure oxygen to accelerate tissue repair. He further supported his brain recovery by taking nutritional supplements and eating a brain-healthy diet.
• Psychological: From a psychological standpoint, he committed to practicing a form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helped him challenge his automatic negative thoughts (ANTs).

Basically, any time he had a frightening or worrisome thought, he questioned it rather than automatically believing it. He would ask himself, “Is it true?” This helped him adopt a more realistic thinking pattern.

By sticking with this targeted treatment plan, Jason showed significant improvements in just 4 months. He felt happier and his brain looked healthier. In fact, he felt so much better that he returned to college the following year.

If Jason hadn’t gotten that brain scan, he wouldn’t have gotten the right treatment for his needs. As his case shows, when it comes to mental health, brain health is the underlying key. And how would you—or your mental healthcare provider—know if your brain isn’t functioning optimally if you never get a brain scan?

Depression, schizophrenia, psychosis, 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.