COMMON SYMPTOMS OF TYPE 7: UNFOCUSED ANXIETY/DEPRESSION
People with Unfocused Anxiety/Depression typically have at least 4 symptoms from Pure Anxiety (Type 1) and/or Pure Depression (Type 2) plus at least 4 of the “unfocused” symptoms.
Anxiety symptoms include:
TYPE 7: UNFOCUSED ANXIETY/DEPRESSION IN THE BRAIN
SPECT findings with this type show decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex at rest and during concentration (often associated with ADD/ADHD), in addition to high activity in the ganglia (see Type 1: Pure Anxiety for more on the basal ganglia) and/or the deep limbic system (see Type 2: Pure Depression for more on the deep limbic system). Distinguishing Unfocused Anxiety/Depression from ADD/ADHD can be difficult because of the similarity in symptoms. However, brain imaging provides a window into the brain to see the areas with too little or too much activity. This allows for a more accurate diagnosis.
Prefrontal cortex basics (PFC): The PFC is the most evolved part of the brain. It occupies the front third of the brain, underneath the forehead, and is involved with attention, focus, impulse control, judgment, organization, planning, and motivation.
PFC problems: When the PFC is underactive, people often have a short attention span, impulsivity, distractibility, poor time management, disorganization, procrastination, poor judgment, and low motivation.
Common causes of PFC problems: Due to its location in the skull, the PFC is especially susceptible to head injury. Research suggests the PFC is involved in 91% of brain injuries. Many people do not fully understand how head injuries, sometimes even “minor” ones in which no loss of consciousness occurs, can alter a person’s character and ability to learn. This is particularly true when the head injury occurs in the brain’s “executive director” (the PFC).
A variation of Unfocused Anxiety/Depression is caused by overall reduced blood flow and activity in the cortex along with too much activity in the basal ganglia and/or deep limbic system. This pattern may be related to physical illness, drug or alcohol abuse, hypoxia (lack of oxygen), infections (such as Lyme disease), traumatic brain injury, or exposure to toxic mold or other environmental toxins. Symptoms of this variation also include frequent feelings of sickness, mental dullness, “brain fog,” or cognitive impairment.
INTERVENTIONS FOR TYPE 7: UNFOCUSED ANXIETY/DEPRESSION
There are many natural solutions for Unfocused Anxiety/Depression, including:
Diet: Eat a higher-protein, lower-carbohydrate diet to increase focus.
Supplements: Omega-3 fatty acids, saffron, and SAMe are helpful for low moods, and stimulating supplements like green tea, rhodiola, ginseng, and ashwagandha can be beneficial.
Neurofeedback: This non-invasive technique allows you to train your brainwaves to achieve a more focused state.
Meditation: You may think meditation calms the mind, but it actually activates the PFC and improves focus.
One Page Miracle: Knowing what you want out of life can help you stay focused on those goals. Write down your goals on one sheet of paper and look at it every day. Ask yourself, “Is my behavior getting me what I want out of life?”
Get organized or find someone who can help you do it. Having someone teach you organizational skills can help you stay focused and keep up with projects and deadlines.
Depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, infections, 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 or visit our contact page here.By Daniel G. Amen, MD
I had to wait 3 hours and I feel like I got punched in the arm, but I received my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine! As a healthcare provider, I felt it was my duty to my patients and to everyone in our clinics to do it.
What about you?
If you’re like many of our patients at Amen Clinics, you may be struggling with anxiety about the COVID-19 vaccine. Our patients have expressed a wide range of emotions about immunization. Some are worried about potentially scary side effects. Some are concerned they won’t be able to receive the vaccination. Others are angry that the shots aren’t available to all Americans yet. Still, others see the vaccine as a political move that doesn’t fit in their belief system.
Whatever is making you nervous, know that there are ways to cope with your anxious or stressful thoughts about the vaccine. Here are a few strategies I share with my patients that may help you too.
If you’re like many of our patients at Amen Clinics, you may be struggling with anxiety about the COVID-19 vaccine. There are ways to cope with your anxious or stressful thoughts about the vaccine.
6 Ways to Cope With Your Anxious or Stressful Thoughts About the COVID Vaccine
1. Do your research and be aware of possible side effects.
Look to reliable sources for up-to-date information on the vaccines. On the CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccines page, you can find details on how and when you can get the vaccine, possible side effects and allergic reactions, vaccine safety, and more. Being well-informed on these issues can help soothe the nervousness surrounding immunization and can answer many of the questions you may have.
2. Focus on what you can control.
Even if you’re able to receive the vaccine, you still need to take care of the #1 strategy to fight off infection by shoring up your immune system. Some important ways to do this include lowering your stress; checking and optimizing your vitamin D levels (only 25% of the U.S. population has healthy levels of vitamin D); and taking a multivitamin/mineral, omega-3 fatty acids, and therapeutic mushrooms (found to have immune-enhancing effects).
3. Practice empathy.
If you’re upset that others are getting the vaccine and you aren’t, work on empathy, which is the awareness of other people’s needs and concerns. Empathy stems from what researchers call the “mirror neuron” system in the brain. These neurons “allow us to grasp the minds of others,” according to researchers, which is why we open our own mouths when we feed a baby or yawn when others start to yawn first. We “play” their minds in our brains. Developing empathy involves a number of important skills, including mirroring, being able to get outside of yourself, and treating others in a way you would like to be treated.
4. Be patient.
Whether you’re waiting for your turn to be eligible for the vaccine, or you need to wait in a mile-long line to actually get the shot, you need patience. The brain’s prefrontal cortex (PFC) is involved in the ability to be patient. If your PFC is weak, you tend to be more impulsive and less capable of exercising patience. Boosting dopamine levels is one of the best ways to strengthen the PFC. Higher-protein, lower-carbohydrate diets tend to help, as does physical exercise, and certain stimulating supplements, such as rhodiola, green tea extract, l-theanine, and ashwagandha.
5. Kill the ANTs (automatic negative thoughts).
If the vaccine fills you with frightening thoughts, such as, “If I get the vaccine, it will give me COVID” or “I’m going to have terrible side effects from the vaccine,” recognize that these are signs of an ANT infestation. You need to challenge these thoughts. Whenever you feel sad, mad, nervous, or out of control, write down your negative thoughts. Next, ask yourself if they are really true, or if they are a bit distorted to make you feel worse. Focusing your mind on rational thoughts will help you feel much better.
6. Calm panicky feelings.
If the vaccine causes you so much stress that it makes you have a panic attack, follow these 4 steps to break an anxiety attack.Anxiety, panic attacks, overwhelming stress, 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 or visit our contact page here.By Daniel G. Amen, MD
Ever wonder why you’re so anxious? It could be from Anxious Dragons that are breathing fire on the emotional centers of your brain, causing you to feel nervous, fearful, tense, or out of control. The Anxious Dragons are the most common of the 13 “Dragons from the Past” I write about in my new book Your Brain Is Always Listening. In the book, I reveal how your brain is always listening to these dragons, and unless you recognize and tame them, they will steal your happiness.
Ever wonder why you’re so anxious? It could be from Anxious Dragons that are breathing fire on the emotional centers of your brain, causing you to feel nervous, fearful, tense, or out of control. #YourBrainIsAlwaysListening
When Anxious Dragons run wild in your brain, it contributes to a number of issues that make you feel awful. In particular, these dragons drive the following issues:
The Anxious Dragons are the most common of all the Dragons from the Past, as 31% of the U.S. population will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in life. Living through the coronavirus pandemic has certainly spawned millions more of these dragons around the world. According to a report published in April 2020, the number of prescriptions filled for anti-anxiety medications spiked by over 34% in just one month during the pandemic.
WHAT TRIGGERS ANXIOUS DRAGONS?
Many things can trigger the Anxious Dragons and make you feel uncomfortably nervous, panicky, or tense. Some of the most common triggers include:
Reminders of past situations that caused anxiety—such as someone getting angry, a disapproving look, a smell, or even a song
Frightening events—such as a global pandemic, a natural disaster, or rioting in the streets
Having to speak in public—such as giving a report at work, hosting an online event, or doing a sales pitch
Hearing loud noises—such as a siren, a door slamming shut, or a whistle
Being overscheduled—whether it’s at work, school, or home
Knowing your triggers is one of the keys to learning how to tame your Anxious Dragons.
ANXIOUS DRAGONS IN THE BRAIN
The brain imaging work at Amen Clinics shows that anxiety is often associated with increased activity in the emotional centers of the brain. At Amen Clinics we do a study called brain SPECT imaging that measures blood flow and activity in the brain. It looks at how the brain works. SPECT basically shows three things about the brain: areas with healthy activity, areas that are underactive, and areas that are overactive.
SPECT shows that people with anxiety often have too much activity in the limbic or emotional parts of the brain. The most important lesson we have learned from over 160,000 brain scans from patients in 150 countries is that you’re not stuck with the brain you have. You can make it better to calm the Anxious Dragons.
HOW TO TAME THE ANXIOUS DRAGONS
The good news is you can learn to take control of the Anxious Dragons and reset your emotional brain, so you can stop feeling so anxious, fearful, and nervous. My new book Your Brain Is Always Listening will help you do it. Here are just a few of the science-backed techniques you’ll learn to tame the Anxious Dragons:
Breathe in relaxing scents (including lavender and chamomile)
Listen to soothing music
Take calming natural supplements (such as GABA, magnesium, and theanine from green tea)
When you tame your Dragons from the Past you can overcome anxiety, as well as other issues, so you can start living the life you want.
Your Brain Is Always Listening is written by psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and New York Times bestselling authorDaniel G. Amen, MD. In this book, Dr. Amen equips you with powerful weapons to battle the inner dragons that are breathing fire on your brain, driving unhealthy behaviors, and robbing you of your joy and contentment. Order your copy here.If you want to join the tens of thousands of Amen Clinics patients who have already tamed their dragons and overcome their symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma, and more, speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.By Daniel G. Amen, MD
Are you feeling anxious, hopeless, traumatized, angry, insignificant, or grief-stricken? Do you feel like there’s no way out of the emotional anguish that has haunted you for years or even decades? You may have “Dragons from the Past” running wild in your brain. And they could be stealing your happiness.
WHAT ARE DRAGONS FROM THE PAST?
Since the beginning of time, we have communicated with each other through stories. They help us understand our place in the world and teach us how to act or not act. They shape our perceptions and pass down knowledge and morals. Personal stories guide and direct our lives. How we interpret our experiences is one of the major driving forces behind happiness or depression, exhilaration or disappointment, rage, or peace.
I call the stories that interfere with our lives “Dragons from the Past.”
It’s a concept I learned from my friend Dr. Sharon May, a world-renowned psychologist. These inner dragons are still breathing fire on our amygdala (the almond-shaped structure on the inside of your temporal lobes involved in emotional reactions), driving anxiety, anger, irrational behavior, and automatic negative reactions.
Unless you recognize and tame your inner “Dragons from the Past,” they will haunt your unconscious mind and drive emotional pain for the rest of your life.
Unless you recognize and tame your inner “Dragons from the Past,” they will haunt your unconscious mind and drive emotional pain for the rest of your life.
Over time I identified 13 Dragons from the Past, including their origins, triggers that make them overpowering, and how they cause us to react. In my new book, Your Brain Is Always Listening, I introduce you to all 13 dragons from the past, including the Anxious Dragons, Wounded Dragons, Hopeless and Helpless Dragons, and Ancestral Dragons (my favorites).
When I teach my patients how to identify their inner dragons, they start to recognize what’s fueling their fears, emotional pain, and unhealthy behaviors. Knowing which dragons are driving your actions and emotions is the first step to taming them.
HOW TO TAME YOUR DRAGONS
If your inner dragons have taken control of your brain and are driving anxiety, depression, and other problems, take heart. It doesn’t have to be this way. You can learn to tame your dragons and transform your life, so you can feel happier, more positive, and more in control of your own emotions. When you tame your dragons, you can break bad habits, stop self-defeating thinking patterns, and shore up your ability to cope with uncertainty.
In fact, taming your dragons is essential for emotional well-being and good mental health. To help you do it, I’ve taken the most effective dragon-taming strategies—the same science-backed ones I use with my patients—and put them in my new book, Your Brain Is Always Listening.
In this book, I’ll show you the simple yet powerful steps to stop letting your Dragons from the Past breathe fire on your brain and start taming them so you can overcome past emotional hurts and live the life you want.
Your Brain Is Always Listening is written by psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and New York Times bestselling authorDaniel G. Amen, MD. In this book, Dr. Amen equips you with powerful weapons to battle the inner dragons that are breathing fire on your brain, driving unhealthy behaviors, and robbing you of your joy and contentment. Order your copy here.If you want to join the tens of thousands of Amen Clinics patients who have already tamed their dragons and overcome their symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma, and more, speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here. The hallmark of Type 6: Cyclic Anxiety/Depression is a cyclic pattern of low moods or anxiousness. People with this type tend to experience major mood swings, their depression or anxiety comes and goes, or it increases and decreases in severity. Cyclical disorders, such as bipolar disorder, cyclothymia, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PDD), and panic attacks are part of this category because they are episodic and unpredictable. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is associated with winter blues, is a variant of this type.
Type 6: Cyclic Anxiety/Depression is a spectrum disorder, which means you can have a very mild form or a very severe form, or anything in between. A person can have a mild form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or a mild cyclic mood disorder, or the problems can be so severe that they are debilitating or even life-threatening.
Cyclic Anxiety/Depression must be closely and skillfully monitored, especially at critical times in the course of the disorder, such as when a person is experiencing intense stress, going through a hormonal transition, or changing medications.
The hallmark of Type 6: Cyclic Anxiety/Depression is a cyclic pattern of low moods or anxiousness.
Decreased need for sleep, feeling energetic on dramatically less sleep than usual
Grandiose notions, ideas, or plans
Increased talking or pressured speech
Racing thoughts
Markedly increased energy
Poor judgment leading to risk-taking behavior (departure from usual behavior)
Inappropriate social behavior
Irritability or aggression
Delusional or psychotic thinking
TYPE 6: CYCLIC ANXIETY/DEPRESSION IN THE BRAIN
Type 6: Cyclic Anxiety/Depression is associated with extremely high activity in the brain’s basal ganglia and/or deep limbic system. These areas of excessive activity act like “emotional seizures” as the emotional centers hijack the brain for periods of time in a cyclical pattern. Not surprisingly, SPECT scan findings for this type vary depending on the phase of the disorder.
For example, a woman with severe premenstrual syndrome may show only increased focal deep limbic activity during the unaffected time of her cycle. However, during the worst time of her cycle, her scans may show not only increased focal deep limbic activity but also decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex (associated with trouble concentrating and impulsivity) and increased activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus (associated with getting stuck on thoughts or behaviors).
INTERVENTIONS FOR TYPE 6: CYCLIC ANXIETY/DEPRESSION
In some cases, people with cyclic mood disorders or anxiety may require medication to stabilize moods. This needs to be monitored very closely. There are other natural solutions that may be beneficial, including:
Diet: Consuming foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids—such as salmon, tuna, avocados, and walnuts—promotes healthier moods.
Supplements: Taking supplements, such as omega-3 fatty acids, GABA, saffron, or SAMe, may be helpful.
Psychotherapy: Therapy and other psychological interventions can help you learn how to decrease the stressors that may trigger an episode of the disorder.
Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, mood swings, 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 or visit our contact page here. Feeling depressed or anxious? If you seek help from a primary care physician or a traditional psychiatrist, you’re likely to walk away with a prescription for antidepressants or antianxiety medication and not much else. But pills aren’t enough to deliver optimal mental health. In fact, because most conventional healthcare provides make diagnoses based on symptom clusters alone, it’s not uncommon to be misdiagnosed or given the wrong treatment. This can make your mental health problems worse.
In order to have a healthy mind, you must first have a healthy brain. To do that you must optimize the 4 circles of a whole life—biological, psychological, social, and spiritual. Integrative psychiatry helps you do it.
In order to have a healthy mind, you must first have a healthy brain. To do that you must optimize the 4 circles of a whole life—biological, psychological, social, and spiritual. Integrative psychiatry helps you do it.
Integrative psychiatry, a form of integrative medicine or functional medicine, takes a whole-person approach to mental health by helping you enhance all these areas of your life to promote better psychological well-being and cognitive function. Integrative psychiatry is based on solid science, and as science advances, so does this form of mental health with more sophisticated diagnostic testing, more effective therapies, and more powerful solutions. Integrative psychiatrists assess, diagnose, and treat patients based on the most cutting-edge scientific findings.
Treatment may include standard-of-care options in addition to science-backed complementary and alternative therapies to foster healing. One study in the journal Psychiatric Services found that 35% of people use at least one form of complementary and alternative medicine for mental health, and that was over 10 years ago. That percentage is estimated to be much higher now as integrative psychiatry continues to grow in popularity.
Here are 7 ways integrative psychiatry can help your mental health.
1. Discover brain health issues that are holding you back.
Many people who are experiencing psychological issues have underlying brain health problems that are contributing to their anxiety, depression, lack of focus, memory loss, or brain fog. Integrative psychiatrists who use brain SPECT imaging can help identify undetected issues, such as traumatic brain injury, areas that are overactive, and areas that are underactive. With these insights, an integrative psychiatrist can provide precision treatment plans to enhance brain health.
2. Identify biological causes for mental health problems.
Issues such as mood swings, short attention span, and anxiousness can be related to physical issues. With integrative psychiatry, diagnostic lab tests can help root out biological problems that cause mental health symptoms. For example, Lyme disease, hormonal imbalances, and blood flow problems have been linked to psychiatric symptoms. In addition, comprehensive testing can reveal if there are any toxic substances that may be affecting your brain and mental health.
3. Find the best healing foods and nutritional supplements for your needs.
The foods you eat can either drive depression and anxiety or they can promote positive moods and calm. Psychiatrists who take an integrative approach to treatment evaluate your diet and assess any micronutrient deficiencies and make food and supplement recommendations based on your individual needs.
4. Provide strategies to improve the health of your mind.
For many people, negative thinking patterns and an undisciplined mind can fuel symptoms associated with mental illness. As part of a whole-person treatment plan, trained integrative psychiatrists provide patients with scientifically proven strategies to challenge the ANTs (automatic negative thoughts) that steal your happiness and gain control of your mind. And sophisticated neuropsychological testing performed by integrative psychiatrists can provide valuable insights into your cognitive function.
5. Develop routines that help reduce stress.
A highly stressful lifestyle can keep you stuck in psychological hell. Integrative psychiatrists provide people with evidence-backed relaxation protocols that help your brain and your mind. Learning to manage stress is an important part of any integrative treatment plan.
6. Learn how to create a support network.
Integrative psychiatrists know that who you spend time with matters. If you surround yourself with people who are negative or conflict-driven, or who engage in bad habits such as heavy drinking or drug abuse, it can drag you down. Working with a professional to assess your social circle and identify the “accomplices” who harm your psychological well-being and the “friends” who support your brain healthy habits can make a big difference.
7. Find your “why.”
Experts understand that having a sense of purpose in life can provide the motivation to get and stay healthy. An integrative psychiatrist can work with you to pinpoint what gives your life meaning.
When you have a personalized integrative treatment plan that addresses all of your needs—biological, psychological, social, and spiritual—it helps put you on a faster path to a lifetime of healing.
Symptoms of depression, anxiety, 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 or visit our contact page here. Type 5: Temporal Lobe Anxiety/Depression is related to too little or too much activity in the brain’s temporal lobes (involved in moods, emotions, and memory), in addition to overactivity in the basal ganglia and/or deep limbic system. The temporal lobes are frequently forgotten in psychiatry and rarely talked about in clinical settings (outside of temporal lobe seizure disorders).
Yet the temporal lobes are an amazing part of the brain, personality, and perhaps even religious experience. They are very important to memory, moods, and emotions. When there are problems in this part of the brain, people struggle with temper outbursts, memory problems, mood instability, visual or auditory illusions, and dark or frightening thoughts.
People with this type of anxiety and depression tend to misinterpret comments as negative when they are not, have trouble reading social situations, and appear to have mild paranoia. They may also have episodes of panic or fear for no specific reason, experience frequent periods of déjà vu, and be preoccupied with religious thoughts. People with this type are the most likely to exhibit aggressive behavior toward others or themselves.
People with Type 5: Temporal Lobe Anxiety/Depression are the most likely to exhibit aggressive behavior towards others or themselves.
COMMON SYMPTOMS OF TYPE 5: TEMPORAL LOBE ANXIETY/DEPRESSION
People with this type generally have 4 symptoms from Pure Anxiety (Type 1) and/or Pure Depression (Type 2) in addition to at least 4 “temporal lobe” symptoms.
Anxiety symptoms include:
Often misinterpreting comments as negative when they are not
Periods of spaciness or confusion
Periods of panic and/or fear for no specific reason
Visual or auditory changes, such as seeing shadows or hearing muffled sounds
Frequent periods of déjà vu
Sensitivity or mild paranoia
Headaches or abdominal pain of uncertain origin
History of head injury
Family history of violence or explosiveness
Dark thoughts that may involve suicidal or homicidal thoughts
Periods of forgetfulness or memory problems
TYPE 5: TEMPORAL LOBE ANXIETY/DEPRESSION IN THE BRAINBrain SPECT imaging findings associated with this type show abnormal activity in the brain’s temporal lobes as well as increased activity in the basal ganglia (see Type 1: Pure Anxiety for more on the basal ganglia) and/or the deep limbic system (see Type 2: Pure Depression for more on the deep limbic system) at rest and during concentration.
Temporal lobe basics: The temporal lobes are located underneath your temples and behind your eyes. On the dominant side of the brain (the left side for most people), the temporal lobes are intimately involved with understanding and processing language, intermediate- and long-term memory, complex memories, the retrieval of language or words, emotional stability, and visual and auditory processing. The non-dominant temporal lobe (usually the right) is involved with reading facial expressions, processing verbal tones and intonations from others, hearing rhythms, appreciating music, visual learning, and spiritual experiences.
Temporal lobe problems: When the temporal lobes become less active with concentration, people often struggle with learning problems. When they are less active on the left side, there is a tendency toward reading problems and irritability. When they are less active on the right side, there is a tendency to have trouble reading social situations. It is possible to have decreased activity on both sides.
Common causes of temporal lobe problems: Temporal lobe abnormalities occur much more frequently than previously recognized. In part, this is because the temporal lobes sit in a vulnerable area of the brain that can be damaged by a blow to the head from almost any angle. SPECT scans show that 40% of patients at Amen Clinics have experienced a brain injury. Temporal lobe problems can also come from many other sources, including genetics, exposure to toxins, and infections.
INTERVENTIONS FOR TYPE 5: TEMPORAL LOBE ANXIETY/DEPRESSION
In traditional psychiatry, the most commonly prescribed antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However, decades of research have shown that SSRIs can make some people more aggressive and more suicidal. Based on the world’s largest database of brain SPECT imaging at Amen Clinics—over 160,000 scans and growing—people with temporal lobe abnormalities are at greater risk for a negative reaction to SSRI medication. But if nobody looks at your brain, they would never know that there is abnormal activity in the temporal lobes.
Natural solutions for this type include:
Diet: Many people with aggressive behavior become much worse after a high sugar load, so eliminate sugar from your diet. When aggressiveness is associated with ruminations, moodiness, and depression, a balanced diet of equal amounts of complex “smart” carbohydrates and protein is likely to be best.
Supplements: When there is abnormal temporal lobe activity and anxiety, mood instability, or irritability, try GABA, magnesium, theanine, and taurine.
Psychotherapy and anger management: Since temporal lobe problems are often associated with anger management issues, learning how to deal with negative feelings and impulses is especially important for those vulnerable to them.
Neurofeedback: This non-invasive therapy allows you to train healthier brain-wave rhythms in the temporal lobes.
Rhythmic movement: The temporal lobes are involved with processing and producing rhythms. Chanting, dancing, and other forms of rhythmic movement can be healing.
Listen to classical music: Listening to it can activate and stimulate the temporal lobes and bring peace or excitement to your mind.
Humming or singing: Humming can make a positive difference in mood and memory. Singing can have a healing effect on your temporal lobes, and probably your limbic system as well.
Drumming: In a fascinating study in Experimental Brain Research performed during open brain surgery, listening to drumming activated the temporal lobes in 74% of participants. Consider drumming lessons to activate your temporal lobes.
Depression, anxiety, aggression, memory problems, 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 or visit our contact page here. C’mon, admit it. Have you been diving headfirst into bottomless rabbit holes of depressing COVID statistics? Thumbing endless hateful political threads on Twitter that make you irritated and angry? Compulsively scanning your social media pages for posts that drive your anxiety?
Sounds like you’ve been “doomscrolling.”
The act of scrolling through your phone or computer for content that causes physical and mental distress is becoming more and more common these days. It’s so widespread now that the word doomscrolling has been recognized by Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com.
Spending hours doomscrolling for stress-provoking content causes changes in your brain that drive anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive behavior, and addictions.
Spending hours doomscrolling for stress-provoking content causes changes in your brain that drive anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive behavior, and addictions.
Think of doomscrolling like pouring toxic doom-and-gloom thoughts into your brain. The constant frightening images activate the brain’s fear circuits (amygdala), making you feel chronically anxious and afraid. Information is like crack. Brain-imaging research in a 2019 issue of PNAS found that information triggers the dopamine-fueled reward system in the same way as food, money, or even drugs. The authors suggest this neural mechanism explains why we are susceptible to clickbait.
Doomscrolling is like clickbait on steroids.
Neuroscience shows us that the human brain is wired for negativity and pays extra attention to anything that might harm us. That’s why all those scare-inducing headlines about spiking COVID cases, outrageous political maneuvers, looting, and rioting keep you glued.
In a survey from the American Psychological Association, 56% of people said that regularly following the news causes stress. That’s just “following” the news, not even close to the obsessive clicking and consumption that comes with doomscrolling. Over time, elevated stress hormones shrink the major memory centers in your brain, increase inflammation, and put excessive fat around your waist
With each click, you feel more anxious, more hopeless, more stressed. That fuels unhealthy behaviors.
HOW DOOMSCROLLING DRIVES UNHEALTHY BEHAVIOR
When you’re stressed to the max, you’re more likely to stay up late and skimp on sleep, more inclined to indulge in sugary treats that increase anxiousness and bad moods, and more apt to reach for an alcoholic drink or marijuana to calm your nerves. But these behaviors backfire.
Lack of sleep: A night of staring at the ceiling can make you wake up feeling angry, irritable, sad, or stressed the next day; lower your ability to concentrate; and impair your judgment. For example, 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, 58% more likely to attempt suicide, and 23% more likely to engage in substance abuse.
Not-so-sweet treats: Giving in to cravings for sugar or refined carbs causes blood sugar levels to spike and, subsequently, causes them to crash. This rollercoaster effect can impact your moods and mental wellbeing. Research shows that high-sugar diets and blood sugar issues are associated with anxiety, depression, irritability, anger, and trouble concentrating.
Alcohol:Alcohol lowers activity in the prefrontal cortex, which increases impulsivity, making you more likely to get caught up in a nasty Twitter debate, ignore your significant other while you continue doomscrolling, or to stay up until the wee hours of the morning even though you have a big presentation due at work the next day.
Marijuana: Research shows marijuana impairs short-term memory, contributes to learning and attention problems, reduces focus and coordination, and increases the risk for psychosis. In fact, a 2019 study in The Lancet Psychiatry found that potent cannabis may be associated with 10% of new cases of psychosis. That can make doomscrolling even more frightening.
Relationship problems: For every person who is addicted to doomscrolling and blurting out all the scary info they discover, there is likely a significant other who doesn’t want to hear it. Or your dysfunctional love affair with your devices may be keeping you from paying attention to your spouse or partner and causing marital conflict.
6 STEPS TO STOP DOOMSCROLLING
If you want to kick your doomscrolling habit, follow these steps.
Set time limits for scrolling. No more than 15 minutes at any one time.
Add good news to your daily scrolling. Make it a rule to start and end your day with some positivity, such as the inspiring stories you can find at the Good News Network.
Go on an intermittent information fast. Mentally unplug from your news sources on a regular basis.
If you’re tempted to send a snarky reply to a post, say “STOP” and count to 10 before hitting the send button.
Set up blocks and filters on your devices. If certain news sites or social media sites are particularly distressing, block them.
Make your bedroom a technology-free zone and don’t use any devices right before bedtime, or it may make it hard to sleep.
Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, mood swings, 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 or visit our contact page here. Type 4: Over-Focused Anxiety/Depression involves excessive activity in the brain and is associated with people who have trouble shifting attention and get locked into anxious and/or negative thoughts or behaviors. People with this type—which occurs more frequently in the children or grandchildren of alcoholics—tend to worry, hold grudges, and have problems with oppositional or argumentative behavior. Conditions that fit into this type include:
COMMON SYMPTOMS OF TYPE 4: OVER-FOCUSED ANXIETY/DEPRESSION
People with this type generally have 4 symptoms from Pure Anxiety (Type 1) and/or Pure Depression (Type 2) in addition to at least 4 “over-focused” symptoms.
Anxiety symptoms include:
The tendency to say “no” without first thinking about the question
TYPE 4: OVER-FOCUSED ANXIETY/DEPRESSION IN THE BRAIN
Brain SPECT imaging findings associated with this type show excessive activity in the brain’s anterior cingulate gyrus, the basal ganglia, and/or the deep limbic system at rest and during concentration. Sometimes there is markedly increased activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus with concentration; other times it calms a bit with concentration.
Anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG): The ACG is the brain’s gear shifter. When there is too much activity in the ACG, people cannot shift their attention properly and end up stuck on negative thoughts or behaviors. When this is combined with excessive basal ganglia activity, people get stuck on anxious thoughts. When this is combined with too much activity in the deep limbic system, people get stuck on negative depressing thoughts. Many people get stuck on both anxiety-provoking and depressive thoughts. When ACG overactivity becomes worse with concentration, it usually means that as the person tried to focus on something, they become more anxious or more stuck on negative thoughts or behaviors. The more intensely they concentrate, the worse the problem becomes.
Basal ganglia: This set of large structures toward the center of the brain surround the limbic system. They are involved with integrating feelings, thoughts, and movement, along with helping to shift and smooth motor behavior. Research suggests the basal ganglia are involved in forming habits. At Amen Clinics, we’ve noticed they are also involved with setting the body’s anxiety level. In addition, the basal ganglia help to modulate motivation and are involved with feelings of pleasure and ecstasy (which is why drugs like cocaine and methamphetamines work in this part of the brain).
Deep limbic system: This system is one of the most interesting and critical parts of being human and is power-packed with functions, all of which are critical for human behavior and survival. The limbic system typically includes the thalamus (involved in relaying information), amygdala (fear center), hippocampus (memory center), hypothalamus (emotional center), and olfactory cortex (sense of smell).
INTERVENTIONS FOR TYPE 4: OVER-FOCUSED ANXIETY/DEPRESSION
This type is best treated with interventions that increase the neurotransmitter serotonin as well as strategies to help you get unstuck.
Diet: For many, eating a diet that is higher in complex carbohydrates (“smart carbs”) and lower in proteins is effective. Specifically, consume foods that are high in L-tryptophan, which is a building block of serotonin, such as sweet potatoes, hummus, salmon, turkey, eggs, nuts, and seeds.
Supplements: The nutraceuticals 5-HTP and saffron
Exercise: Burst training can be especially helpful for this type.
Stop your thoughts: Whenever you notice yourself getting stuck on negative or anxious thoughts, envision a red stop sign and think “STOP!”
Keep a journal for your thoughts: To help prevent anxious or negative thoughts from looping endlessly in your mind, write them down. This helps get them out of your head.
Consider options: Before automatically saying “No” to things, take a few moments to think about options. This helps you get unstuck and increases mental flexibility.
Depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, phobias, eating disorders, 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 or visit our contact page here. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, you may be feeling stressed, anxious, and perhaps even traumatized. Are you still obsessively scrolling through your social media feeds searching for items that confirm your beliefs that the other side is WRONG? Are you arguing with loved ones who don’t share your views? Do you have a queasy feeling about the future?
You may be struggling with post-election stress trauma (PEST), a real “pest” that is affecting people of all political persuasions all across America. The brain SPECT imaging work at Amen Clinics—over 160,000 functional brain scans and growing—shows how your brain type plays a role in your vulnerability for PEST and offers valuable clues to the best ways to get past it.
First, it’s important to understand how harmful PEST can be.
MENTAL AND PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF POST-ELECTION STRESS TRAUMA
KNOW YOUR BRAIN TYPE TO COPE WITH POST-ELECTION STRESS TRAUMA
To overcome PEST, you need to know your brain type.
The Spontaneous Brain Type (conflict seeking).
Don’t agree with some of your friends and family? If you know that talking about certain issues will upset others and you impulsively do it anyway, you may have this brain type. People with this brain type tend to be drama driven; they’re the ones who like to “poke the bear” to get a reaction. Brain SPECT imaging shows that this is associated with low activity in the brain’s frontal lobes, and people create conflict as a way to stimulate their sleepy brain. This type is common in those with ADD/ADHD.
The Spontaneous Brain Fix: Set boundaries for discussion topics when you get together whether it’s in person or virtually. For example, you may want to say that talking about politics is off the table. Instead, focus on what you have in common to keep relationships alive. To boost frontal lobe activity, eat a higher-protein diet, engage in daily aerobic activity, and consider nutritional supplements that stimulate the brain (including green tea, rhodiola, and ginseng).
The Persistent Brain Type (rigid thinking).
When you argue with reality, welcome to hell. If you’re stuck in rigid thinking patterns, such as “It’s my way or the highway,” you’re likely to feel extreme stress when elections don’t go your way or when others don’t agree with you. This can keep you locked into PEST, filling you with anger, depression, or relationship issues. SPECT scans show that cognitive inflexibility is often related to overactivity in the anterior cingulate gyrus (the brain’s gear shifter that helps you go from thought to thought or from behavior to behavior), along with low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. This is often seen in people with obsessive compulsive disorder, eating disorders, and other types of anxiety disorders.
When you argue with reality, welcome to hell.
The Persistent Brain Fix: To calm an overactive ACG and enhance flexible thinking, boost serotonin in the brain by eating “smart carbs” (such as sweet potatoes and hummus), salmon, turkey, eggs, nuts, and seeds; taking supplements like 5-HTP and saffron; and doing activities like burst training.
The Sensitive Brain Type (overwhelmed by negative thinking).
People with this brain type struggle with moods, can feel overwhelmed, and are likely to have lots of automatic negative thoughts (ANTs). When you focus on what’s wrong in your life, it can make you feel depressed and gloomy. This type is associated with too much activity in the deep limbic system, the emotional centers of the brain. It is common in people with mood disorders, such as depression.
The Sensitive Brain Fix: Whenever you have a sad, anxious, or negative thought, write it down and ask yourself if it is true. Questioning your thoughts can help you clean up the mental mayhem. In addition, calm the emotional centers of the brain with healthy fats, such as avocado, almonds, and salmon; take omega-3 fatty acids, s-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), and vitamin D; and do physical activities like dancing or team sports.
The Cautious Brain Type (fearful about the future).
Your brain is always listening and reacting to the inputs you’re feeding it. For people with this brain type, watching the news and scrolling through social media can fire up your brain’s anxiety center (basal ganglia) and trigger nervousness, panic, and fear. It is common in people with anxiety, panic disorder, and phobias.
The Cautious Brain Fix: One of the first steps to harnessing PEST is to pay attention to your news and social media consumption. Limit your daily diet of distressing news and inflammatory posts. Soothe the brain’s anxiety centers by avoiding caffeine, booze, and sugary sweets; supplement your diet with GABA, magnesium, and B6; and try calming activities like yoga.PTSD, 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 or visit our contact page here.
