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Dr. Phil’s Insight: Jessica Needs a Brain Scan

Temper Problems and Other Temporal Lobe Symptoms

• Memory
• Aggression
• Emotional instability
• Irritability
• Periods of spaciness or confusion
• Auditory processing
• Periods of panic and/or fear for no reason
• Headaches or abdominal pain of uncertain origin
• Dark thoughts (may involve suicidal or homicidal thoughts)

Prefrontal Cortex Symptoms

• Concentration and attention span
• Decision-making and reasoning
• Organization
• Procrastination
• Follow-through
• Forgetfulness
• Empathy
• Insight
• Impulse control

Moodiness, Anger, and More in Temporal Lobe ADD

• Periods of mood instability and misinterpreting comments in a conversation
• Defiance towards parents or authority figures during episodes of aggression
• Difficulty controlling negative thoughts
• Some people may experience déjà vu, see shadows or objects changing shape, and may hear sounds that nobody else can hear

There is Hope for Temporal Lobe ADD and Anger Issues

• Avoiding things that are bad for her brain, such as drugs, alcohol, and vaping
• Doing things that help her brain, like eating a healthy diet (no sugar or junk food!) and getting regular exercise

ADD/ADHD IN THE BRAIN

• Areas in the brain with healthy activity
• Areas in the brain with too little activity
• Areas in the brain with too much activity

HOW ADD/ADHD RUINS RELATIONSHIPS

Here are 6 of the most common ways ADD/ADHD interferes with healthy relationships.

1. Playing the “let’s have a problem” game: Because ADD/ADHD brains tend to be “sleepy” (low activity in the PFC), these people often need stimulation and excitement to activate the brain. In relationships, they may create drama by picking fights with others. For the person on the receiving end, it can feel like the ADD/ADHD person is frequently pressing your buttons to irritate you on purpose.
2. Saying hurtful things: Having ADD/ADHD is associated with low impulse control, meaning these people are likely to blurt out whatever pops into their head without thinking. Anyone in a relationship knows it’s not a good idea to say everything you think. But ADD/ADHD people can’t help themselves, and when these thoughts are unkind—“Those jeans make you look fat,” “That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard,” “You’re so lazy”—it can cause a rift in the relationship.
3. Having extramarital affairs: Most people in relationships will be sexually attracted to others at times, but they think about the consequences of an affair and that prevents them from acting on their impulses. A person with ADD/ADHD, however, may be attracted to someone they just met and even though they are married, they will have a sexual encounter that puts the relationship at risk.
4. Forgetting important dates: People with ADD/ADHD may not remember birthdays, anniversaries, or holidays, making their loved ones feel unloved and unimportant.
5. Being a procrastinator: Putting things off until the last minute and being chronically late are common signs of ADD/ADHD. In relationships, these traits can make others fume. Showing up 20 minutes late for a date, an important meeting at work or a child’s online learning class can sabotage the chances for a second date, create bad feelings with coworkers, and make a child feel unloved.
6. Not following through. Even though people with ADD/ADHD may have every intention of keeping their word, they often drop the ball and don’t follow through or finish projects. The living room wall that’s only half-painted, the holiday cards that never made it into the mail, or the new flowers that died before they got planted in the garden are examples of good intentions but lack of follow-through. And these types of unfinished projects and broken promises can be sources of frustration in a relationship.

7 SIMPLE SOLUTIONS FOR ADD RELATIONSHIPS

1. Find healthier ways to activate the brain. For example, intense aerobic exercise (walking like you’re late) 5-7 days a week can be very beneficial for the ADD/ADHD brain.
2. Use technology to your advantage. Set reminders in your calendar to help you stay on time and on track so you can follow through on your promises and complete projects.
3. Practice structured goal setting. Create a “One Page Miracle”—a single sheet of paper where you write down what you want out of your relationships. Before saying or doing anything, ask yourself if your behavior is helping you achieve your goals.
4. Eat foods that help the ADD/ADHD brain. Eat a diet that’s higher in high-quality proteins and healthy fats and lower in simple carbohydrates.
5. Take nutraceuticals that optimize the ADD/ADHD brain. Nutritional supplements that are beneficial include rhodiola, green tea, ginseng, and tyrosine.
6. Know your ADD/ADHD type. Not everyone with this condition has the same symptoms. Based on the world’s largest database of brain scans related to behavior, the psychiatrists at Amen Clinics have identified 7 types of ADD. Getting a brain scan to learn your type (or your loved one’s type) is the key to finding the most effective treatment plan.
7. Seek professional help. If you and your loved ones are struggling, you may benefit from psychotherapy, including couples therapy or family therapy. Be sure to seek out a professional who understands the role the brain plays in relationships and ADD/ADHD so you can get the help you need.

1. Symptom: Inattention

• Poor sleep: Inadequate sleep can make it harder for children, tween, and teens to pay attention. A single night of tossing and turning or going to bed too late can impair the ability to concentrate. Up to 50% of children will experience a sleep problem, according to research in American Family Physician.
• Distressing life events: Parents divorcing, losing a beloved pet, or having a best friend move away can take an emotional toll on youngsters and lead to distractibility and inattention.
• Food sensitivities: Foods like gluten, dairy, corn, soy, and artificial dyes and preservatives can cause issues with focus and attention in some children.
• Anxiety: When children have anxiety, they may be so wrapped up in their anxious thoughts or in feeling uncomfortable in their own skin that they seem distracted.
• Obsessive compulsive disorder: Children with OCD are often so distracted by their obsessive thoughts and compulsions that they aren’t able to pay attention in school or at home.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Children who have experienced trauma and who have developed PTSD may be subject to intrusive thoughts or memories about the event, which pulls their attention away from the present moment.
• Learning disorder: Kids who look like they’re spacing out or who can’t seem to concentrate on the books assigned to them in school may have underlying learning disabilities.
• Head injuries: One of the most important lessons from 160,000 brain scans at Amen Clinics is that mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can cause psychiatric problems, but few people know it. Inattention is a common symptom in children who have experienced concussions or other head trauma.
• Irlen syndrome: Irlen Syndrome is a visual processing problem, where certain colors of the light spectrum irritate the brain. It runs in families and is common after traumatic brain injuries. Any child experiencing symptoms of decreased concentration should be screened for it.
• Exposure to environmental toxins: Being exposed to everyday chemicals or to mold and other toxins can cause inattention.

2. Symptom: Sadness, negativity, fatigue

• Sleep problems: Research shows that teenagers who on average get an hour less sleep at night were 38% more likely to feel sad and hopeless, 42% more likely to consider suicide, and 58% more likely to attempt suicide.
• Thyroid imbalances: Hormones can affect moods, energy levels, and irritability. For example, when thyroid activity is low, which is called hypothyroidism, it is associated with depression, fatigue, irritability, and more. SPECT scans of people with hypothyroidism show overall decreased brain activity, which often leads to depression and other issues. Low thyroid and depression have been linked in over 430,000 scientific articles. Foundational research on hormones shows that in some cases, depression can be one of the first signs of thyroid disorder.
• Poor diet: Research shows that high-sugar diets, blood sugar issues, and obesity are associated with depression and other issues. In addition, depression is 2-3 times higher in patients with Type 2 diabetes than in the general population.
• Undisciplined thinking: Unfortunately, children are never taught that they don’t have to believe every stupid thought they have. Children who appear negative may be filled with ANTs (automatic negative thoughts) that loop in the brain and steal their happiness. Learning to question their thoughts can reduce symptoms of depression.
• Head injuries: Head trauma increases the risk of depression, according to research in Frontiers in Psychiatry. Treating the underlying brain trauma can help alleviate depressive symptoms.
• Irlen syndrome: This condition (see above) is also associated with symptoms of depression.
• Exposure to toxins: (see above)

3. Symptom: Anxiousness, panic, fear

• Emotional issues: Children who are dealing with emotional upheaval at home may develop symptoms of anxiety. Learning how to deal with their emotions can help.
• High-glycemic diet: Eating too many sweets, which causes blood sugar levels to spike and then crash, can increase feelings of anxiety and panic, according to a 2016 study.
• Irlen syndrome: (see above)
• Head injuries: A 2015 study shows that concussions and other TBIs (see above) are also associated with an increased risk of anxiety.
• Exposure to toxins: (see above)
• Undisciplined thinking: (see above)

4. Symptom: Anger, argumentative, disruptive behavior

• High-glycemic diet: (see above)
• Food sensitivities: (see above)
• ADD/ADHD: Amen Clinics has identified 7 types of ADD/ADHD and kids with Overfocused ADD are frequently oppositional and tend to be inflexible and argumentative. They often have trouble shifting attention, frequently get stuck in loops of negative thoughts or behaviors, and have obsessive or excessive worrying.
• OCD: Kids who have OCD are often rigid in their thinking, argumentative, hold grudges, and are likely to automatically say “no” first. On SPECT scans, this is often associated with overactivity in the anterior cingulate gyrus (the brain’s gear shifter).
• Head injuries: When head injuries affect the temporal lobes (a brain region associated with mood stability, learning, memory, and temper control), it can lead to irritability and anger issues.

WHAT ARE OMEGA-3s?

WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS ABOUT OMEGA-3s AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS

WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS ABOUT OMEGA-3s AND ADD/ADHD

WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS ABOUT OMEGA-3s AND MOODS

WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS ABOUT OMEGA-3s AND AUTISM

THE HEAVY TOLL OF LOW LEVELS OF OMEGA-3s

BOOSTING OMEGA-3 LEVELS IN CHILDREN

• Salmon
• Sardines
• Avocados
• Walnuts
• Flaxseed
• Chia seeds
• Dark green leafy vegetables

ADD SYMPTOMS IN WOMEN

Core symptoms of all types of ADD include:

• Easily distracted

• Short attention span
• Difficulty following through (procrastination) on tasks or instructions
• Difficulty keeping an organized area (room, office, desk, filing cabinet, car, etc.)

• Has trouble with time, for example, frequently late or hurried, tasks take longer than expected, projects are “last minute” or turned in late
• Forgetfulness
• Problems with follow-through
• Poor impulse control

Unique symptoms of Inattentive ADD include:

• Problems with focus
• Tendency to lose things

• Makes careless mistakes
• Poor attention to detail
• Forgetful
• Excessive daydreaming
• Complaints of being bored
• Apathy or lack of motivation
• Tired, sluggish, or slow-moving
• Seems spacey or preoccupied

CONSEQUENCES OF UNTREATED OR MISDIAGNOSED ADD IN WOMEN

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Addiction
• Eating disorders
• Obesity
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Sleep disorders
• Divorce
• Career problems

INATTENTIVE ADD IN THE FEMALE BRAIN

ENHANCING BRAIN FUNCTION IN INATTENTIVE ADD

10 Critical Things About ADD/ADHD That Many Healthcare Professionals Might Be Missing

1. Not everyone is hyperactive.

2. ADD/ADHD is a brain issue.

3. Stimulants don’t work for everyone.

4. ADD doesn’t show up as an adult.

5. Head trauma can contribute to the condition.

6. ADD/ADHD can lead to substance abuse.

7. Your biology matters.

8. Nutritional supplements can increase focus and attention.

9. Neurofeedback can be helpful.

10. When assessing ADD/ADHD, there are many things to consider.

You may think that seeking treatment for a learning issue or mental health issues, such as attention-deficit disorder (ADD) or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is the biggest expense associated with the condition. But the total cost is so much higher. New research from researchers in Denmark shows just how much of an impact ADD/ADHD can have on your wallet. And it isn’t just the individual with the condition who is affected. The money drain also hits their spouses and long-term partners.

THE HIGH COST OF ADD/ADHD

The 2020 study in European Neuropsychopharmacology calculated the direct and indirect costs associated with people who have ADD/ADHD compared with people who don’t have the disorder. For the study, they looked at 83,613 individuals with ADD/ADHD and 334,446 people without it. They also compared the costs for 18,959 partners of people who have ADD/ADHD with 74,032 control partners.

The astonishing results show the real costs of having ADD/ADHD:

• The average annual healthcare costs for people with ADD/ADHD and their partners were 2,636 euros (about $3,018) higher than those of people without the condition.
• Partners of people with the condition shelled out an additional 477 euros ($546) for healthcare compared with controls.
• People with ADD/ADHD earned less income compared with controls.
• People with the learning disorder and their partners were more likely to receive sick pay or disability pension.

Add it all up and the additional direct and indirect costs amounted to 23,072 euros ($26,410) for those with ADD/ADHD and 7,997 euros ($9,154) for their partners.

Other studies have found that adults with ADD/ADHD earn $5,000-$10,000 less per year than their colleagues. That’s bad news for the 4.4% of U.S. adults diagnosed with the disorder and the millions more who have it but don’t know it, as ADD/ADHD remains vastly underdiagnosed, especially in adults.

9 WAYS ADD/ADHD HOLDS YOU BACK AT WORK

ADD/ADHD impacts all aspects of life, including your career. It can be both positive and negative in the workplace. On the positive side, people with ADD/ADHD often are high in energy, enthusiastic, full of ideas, creative and they often have bursts of energy. If they surround themselves with people who organize them and manage the details, they can be very successful. Unfortunately, many people with this disorder are not that lucky and they often have serious problems at work.

Here are some of the difficulties that people with ADD/ADHD are likely to have at work that can ultimately affect your bottom line:

1. The harder they try, the worse it gets

Brain imaging studies at Amen Clinics, which has the world’s largest database of functional brain scans related to behavior, show that the more these people try to concentrate the worse it gets for them. Their brain actually turns off, rather than turning on. When a supervisor or manager puts more pressure on them to perform, they often fall off in their work. The boss then interprets this decreased performance as willful misconduct and serious problems arise. In supervising someone with ADD/ADHD, it is much more effective to use praise and encouragement, rather than pressure.

2. Distractibility

Distractibility is often evident in meetings. People with attention problems tend to look around the room, drift off, appear bored, forget where the conversation is going, and interrupt with extraneous information. The distractibility and short attention span is commonly seen in ADD/ADHD may also cause them to take much longer to complete their work than their co-workers. They are often very frustrating to managers and co-workers.

3. Forgetfulness

Forgetfulness is common in ADD/ADHD and a serious handicap on the job. Missed deadlines, forgotten reports, and steps have gone undone on a job are just a few examples.

4. Impulsivity

Often, a lack of impulse control, which is common in this condition, gets the ADD/ADHD person fired. They may say inappropriate things to supervisors, other employees, or customers. Poorly thought out decisions also relate to impulsivity. Rather than thinking a problem through, these people want an immediate solution to the problem and act without the necessary forethought. In a similar vein, the impulsivity causes these people to have trouble going through the established channels at work. They often go right to the top to solve problems, rather than working through the system. This may cause resentment from co-workers and immediate supervisors. Impulsivity also may lead to such problem behaviors as lying and stealing.

5. Conflict seeking

Many people with ADD/ADHD are in constant turmoil with one or more people at work. They seem to “unconsciously” single out people who are vulnerable and begin to pick verbal battles with them. They also have a tendency to embarrass others, which does not endear them to anyone. Shades of the grown-up version of the class clown are also evident at work, such as cracking inappropriate jokes in meetings. Conflict may follow the ADD/ADHD person from job to job.

6. Disorganization

Disorganization is a hallmark of ADD/ADHD. Often when you look at the person’s work area, it is a wonder they can work in it at all. They tend to have many piles of stuff; paperwork is often hard for them to keep straight; they seem to have a filing system that only they can figure out (and only on good days).

7. Late to work

Many people with ADD/ADHD are chronically late to work because they have significant problems waking up in the morning. They also tend to lose track of time, which contributes to their lateness.

8. Start many projects but finish few

The energy and enthusiasm of people with ADD often push them to start many projects. Unfortunately, their distractibility and short attention span impair their ability to complete them.

9. Tendency toward addictions

People with ADD/ADHD have a tendency toward addictions, such as food, alcohol, drugs, and even work. Drug or alcohol addictions cause obvious work problems. Food addictions cause health and self-image problems that can impact work. Addiction to work is also a serious problem because it causes burnout and family problems that eventually show up as problems at work.

When ADD/ADHD is left untreated, it also costs employers millions of dollars every year in decreased productivity, absenteeism, and employee conflicts.

ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues can’t wait. During these uncertain times, your mental well-being is more important than ever and waiting until life gets back to “normal” is likely to make your symptoms worsen over time.

At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. 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.

Does having ADD/ADHD put you at an increased risk of contracting COVID-19? If the ADD/ADHD is untreated, the answer is yes, according to a new study in the Journal of Attention Disorders. The research involving 14,022 people in Israel found that people with untreated ADD/ADHD are about 52% more likely to have tested positive for the coronavirus illness compared with individuals who don’t have ADD/ADHD.

The researchers found, however, that in people with the attention-deficit disorder who are being treated with stimulant medication, the infection rate for COVID-19 is no higher than in those without ADD/ADHD. In these individuals, the infection rate was about 10%.

WHO’S AT RISK?

An estimated 6.1 million children ages 4-17 have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and approximately 8 million U.S. adults have the disorder. However, it is estimated that less than 20% of adults with the condition have received a diagnosis. And of those who have been diagnosed, only about 1 in 4 seek treatment. This adds up to millions of adults who are at increased risk of developing COVID-19 due to untreated ADD/ADHD.

WHAT’S ADD GOT TO DO WITH IT?

What is behind the connection between ADD/ADHD and increased risk? It likely lies in the hallmark ADD/ADHD symptoms, including:

• risk-taking behavior
• impulsivity
• forgetfulness
• inattention
• poor attention to detail
• poor judgment
• difficulty with follow-through

During the pandemic, these characteristics can manifest in potentially harmful ways, such as forgetting to wash your hands, impulsively hosting a wild party with a lot of people, or not following health directives. These actions put people at greater risk of exposure to COVID-19 and to developing the illness.

ADD/ADHD ISN’T JUST ONE THING

What most people don’t realize is that ADD/ADHD isn’t just one thing. Over 30 years of brain SPECT imaging studies at Amen Clinics have shown that there are 7 types of ADD/ADHD. One size does not fit all, and each type has its own set of symptoms and requires a personalized treatment plan. What works for one person with ADD/ADHD may not work for another—or could even make the symptoms worse.

At Amen Clinics, brain scans of people with ADD/ADHD consistently point to decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Typically, when a person without ADD/ADHD tries to concentrate, activity increases in the PFC, but when someone with the condition attempts to concentrate, activity decreases. The harder they try, the worse it gets.

The 7 Types of ADD/ADHD are:

Type 1: Classic ADD: When most people think about attention-deficit disorder they think about this type, which is characterized by hyperactivity, restlessness, impulsivity, disorganization, distractibility, and trouble concentrating.

Type 2: Inattentive ADD: This is the second most common type of ADD/ADHD. People with this type tend to be labeled as slow, lazy, spacey, or unmotivated. They can be quiet and distracted.

Type 3: Overfocused ADD: People with this type have all of the core ADD/ADHD symptoms plus tremendous trouble shifting attention and a tendency to get stuck of locked into negative thought patterns or behaviors.

Type 4: Temporal Lobe ADD: The temporal lobes, which are located underneath your temples and behind your eyes, are involved with memory, learning, mood stability, and visual processing of objects. Learning and behavior problems are commonly associated with this type.

Type 5: Limbic ADD: In this type, ADD/ADHD and depression intersect. The core ADD/ADHD symptoms are present in addition to negativity, moodiness, sadness, low energy, and decreased interest in life.

Type 6: Ring of Fire ADD: Unlike those with type 1 who have low activity in certain areas of the brain, these people tend to have excessive activity throughout the brain. On brain SPECT scans, it lights up like a ring of hyperactivity. Symptoms commonly seen in this type include irritability, hyperactivity, excessive talking, overfocus issues, extreme oppositional behavior, and cyclic periods of calm behavior alternating with intense aggressive behavior. Stimulant medication tends to make these people worse.

Type 7: Anxious ADD: In people with this type it is common for ADD/ADHD symptoms to become magnified and to be accompanied by anxiety, a fear of being judged, predicting the worst, being conflict avoidant, and having physical stress symptoms (such as headaches, stomachaches, muscle tension).

Knowing your type of ADD/ADHD is the key to finding the most effective treatment.

ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues can’t wait. During these uncertain times, your mental well-being is more important than ever and waiting until life gets back to “normal” is likely to make your symptoms worsen over time.

At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. 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.

Do you (or your child) have ADD (attention-deficit disorder) or ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)? Do you think prescription stimulants such as Ritalin or Adderall are the only treatment options available? They’re not.

Although stimulants may be helpful for some people with ADD, they aren’t effective for everyone and they can make some people worse. It all depends on which type of condition you have. Brain imaging studies show there are 7 types of ADD, and knowing your type is critical for finding the right solutions.

In general, medication should never be the first or only thing you do for any mental health condition. There are many alternatives to medication that can improve ADD symptoms, such as lack of focus, impulsiveness, being easily distracted, having difficulty staying organized, and a tendency to put things off until the last minute.

Here are 7 alternatives to ADD medication that can be effective.

1. Get moving.

A wealth of research shows that physical exercise works like a drug in children and adults with ADD. Classic ADD (one of the 7 types of the condition) is associated with low levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is a chemical heavily involved with attention span, focus, follow-through, and motivation. Medications, such as Adderall and Ritalin, are believed to work by boosting dopamine availability in the brain. Similarly, physical activity increases the production of dopamine. A 2019 review in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that exercise minimizes ADD symptoms and enhances cognitive performance in children with the condition.

2. Reduce screen time.

Endlessly scrolling through your social media feed or playing video games for hours on end can be harmful and addictive for people who have vulnerable brains. More screen time has been linked to a greater risk of problems with inattention. A 2019 study in Plos One found that children with more than 2 hours of screen time per day had a 7.7-fold increased risk of meeting the criteria for ADD.

3. Try an elimination diet.

Some foods may trigger a worsening of symptoms in people with ADD. To find out if you or your child has a food sensitivity, try a 3-week elimination diet by getting rid of the most common food allergens—artificial dyes (including red dye #40, which has been connected to symptoms of ADD), preservatives, sugar and artificial sweeteners, gluten, corn, soy, and dairy. In 2011, researchers put children with ADD on a restricted diet that allowed them to eat only turkey, lamb, vegetables, fruit, rice, and pear juice. Their findings in The Lancet showed that the elimination diet decreased symptoms associated with the condition in 70% of children.

4. Protect your head.

Common accidents, like falling off a ladder, getting into a car crash, or taking a tumble down the stairs can cause a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), which increases the risk of problems with attention and concentration. According to research in The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, people with ADD are more likely to have head injuries.

5. Investigate sleep problems.

Did you know that kids with ADD have higher rates of daytime sleepiness compared with kids who don’t have the condition? Or that according to a study in the journal Sleep, half of ADD kids have sleep-disordered breathing compared with only 22% of kids without the condition? Having large tonsils or adenoids can lead to sleep-disordered breathing in children which can lead to attentional issues and hyperactivity. A study in the Eurasian Journal of Medicine found a reduction in these symptoms when the tonsils and adenoids were removed. Sleep problems are also common in adults with ADD, so be sure to investigate any sleep issues.

6. Check important health numbers.

Your physical health can impact symptoms of ADD. Some of the most common biological issues that are associated with symptoms include:

• abnormal thyroid levels (low levels are tied to cloudy thinking and low motivation, high levels are associated with hyperactivity)
• low ferritin levels
• low levels of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, magnesium, and zinc

Having a functional medicine physician check these levels and help balance them can be helpful.

7. Try neurofeedback.

Neurofeedback is a non-invasive, interactive therapy that helps you retrain your brain to achieve the desired state.  A 2014 review of existing research on children with ADD who did neurofeedback found that teachers noticed a significant improvement in their attention and parents noted improvements in hyperactivity and impulsivity. According to findings in a 2019 study in Current Psychiatry Reports, researchers stated that neurofeedback “should be considered as a viable treatment alternative” for ADD.

ADD, 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 until life gets back to “normal” is likely to make your symptoms worsen over time.

At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. 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 might think that being a social media influencer with 40 million Instagram followers, as well as being a successful singer, actress, and model would mean your life is perfect. But not for superstar Lele Pons. She admitted in her new Youtube docuseries, “The Secret Life of Lele Pons,” that she has been battling mental health issues for most of her life.

“My deepest, darkest secret is that I have OCD,” she says in the first episode of the docuseries, adding that she also suffers from Tourette’s syndrome, ADHD, and depression.

OCD, which affects about 1 in 40 adults and 1 in 200 children, is a serious and debilitating disorder characterized by recurring thoughts known as obsessions and repetitive behaviors called compulsions. Pons explains it by saying, “My OCD is thoughts, very, very powerful thoughts, that make me do stuff that I don’t want to do.”

OCD Obsessions and Compulsions

Similar to what Pons describes, people with OCD are subjected to intrusive thoughts and mental images rooted in fears that cause anxiety. Some of the common obsessions seen in OCD include the fear of germs, contamination, forbidden sexuality, violence, being out of control, religion, and a need for perfection.

In an effort to suppress or control these thoughts and the anxiety they induce, people are driven to engage in compulsive behaviors. The most common compulsions include:

• Rituals
• Excessive washing and cleaning (such as hand-washing or household cleaning)
• Counting (including wanting to end on a “good” or “safe” number)
• Checking (such as checking the door is locked or the stove is turned off)
• Repeating (such as a name, phrase, or prayer)

• Touching (especially in a particular sequence)
• Arranging objects (ordering items in a precise or symmetrical way)

In the docuseries, Pons reveals that her obsessions trigger rituals, touching, and other compulsions. “When I was little, it got to a point that I could not move from my car, and I stayed an hour there doing some rituals and touching things, and my dad had to carry me out of the car,” she says. “If I didn’t touch everything, I thought my family was going to die, so I started touching everything.”

What Does OCD Look Like in the Brain?

OCD brains work differently. In people with this condition, brain SPECT imaging studies have shown excessive activity in two regions of the brain—the basal ganglia and anterior cingulate gyrus.

• Basal ganglia: This area of the brain is involved in setting the body’s anxiety level and in forming habits. Overactivity in this region is associated with heightened anxiety and fear.
• Anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG): This region is known as the brain’s “gear shifter” and it helps people shift attention from subject to subject or to go from thought to thought. When the ACG is overactive, people tend to get “stuck” on the same thought or behavior.

Why OCD is Commonly Misdiagnosed

Unfortunately, most psychiatrists never look at the brain. They make diagnoses based solely on symptom clusters—the same way Abraham Lincoln was diagnosed with depression over 150 years ago. The problem with this is that the symptoms of OCD overlap with those seen in other mental health conditions, such as ADD/ADHD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, autism, PTSD, or even schizophrenia. This can lead to misdiagnoses. In fact, a 2015 study among primary care physicians found that half of OCD cases were misdiagnosed.

Getting an accurate diagnosis is a critical step in finding the most effective treatment. For superstar Pons, treatment has helped her overcome those times when she would get stuck. In her docuseries, her mother recounts episodes when Pons, as a little girl, would get stuck and couldn’t open a door or cross a room to get to her bed. That’s the kind of behavior that could ruin a career, Pons says. “Imagine [if]…on stage, I just get stuck.”

Superstar singers like Pons can’t afford to freeze on stage, but no one can afford to get stuck during a test at school, while making a presentation at the office, or on a date. Seeking help is key.

With the right treatment, people with OCD can get unstuck, learn to deal with the anxious and uncomfortable feelings that accompany obsessions, and put a halt to repetitive compulsive behaviors. You can get your life back.

At Amen Clinics, we take a comprehensive approach to diagnosing and treating our patients with OCD. Through our brain imaging, lab work, and extensive assessment of your personal history, we are able to identify biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors that may be contributing to your symptoms.

If you want to join the tens of thousands of people who have already enhanced their brain health, overcome their symptoms, and improved their quality of life at Amen Clinics, speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.