In October 2019, Instagram expanded its ban on graphic images of self-harm to include memes, drawings, comics, or graphics from films or TV. The move comes on the heels of research in New Media and Society, which found that nearly one-third of teens and young adults said they engaged in some form of self-injury after seeing self-harm [posts on Instagram.
In the study, which involved 729 young adults aged 18-29, 43% said they had seen at least one post on Instagram about self-harm. And 60% of those who saw such a post said it triggered thoughts about what it might feel like.
Self-harm is when a person intentionally causes injury to their own body. Cutting and burning may be the first things that come to mind, but some people may bang their heads against the wall; punch themselves; scratch, pick or pinch the skin; insert objects under the skin; drink bleach or other poisonous substances, or pull their hair. Typically, this type of behavior is not intended to be suicidal, but rather, it is used as a way to cope with emotional pain.
More commonly seen in adolescents, teens, and young adults, self-injury is on the rise, according to research in The Lancet Psychiatry. And it puts young people at an increased risk of suicide. Up to 40% of people who deliberately injure themselves think about suicide and estimates show that as many as 85% have attempted suicide at least once.
Researchers suggest the rise in self-harm may be tied to the increased prevalence of anxiety and depression in girls and young women, who are more likely to self-injure than males. No matter what’s driving this disturbing trend, it’s important to know the warning signs.
People who engage in self-abuse usually do it in secret and try to hide the signs from family and friends. Scars, burns, and other evidence of this behavior can be hidden under long sleeves and long pants. If you’re worried that a loved one may be practicing self-injury, look for these signs:
In addition to these telltale signs, it’s important to take note of any changes in moods, behavior, school performance, or relationships. Increasing impulsiveness, anxiousness, blue moods, a drop in grades, or social withdrawal can make someone more vulnerable to self-harm
Many people who self-harm have experienced physical or verbal abuse, bullying, childhood neglect, or sexual assault. They do it as a way to control their emotional pain, stress, and anxiety. When someone is feeling overwhelmed by their emotions, cutting and other forms of self-harm can actually blunt that pain. In fact, some experts view it as a form of self-medication, similar to the way some people use alcohol or drugs to deal with emotional issues.
A growing body of scientific studies has found that self-injury is often associated with other psychiatric issues, especially anxiety and depression. Up to 89% of people who intentionally harm themselves also struggle with anxiety and up to 79% suffer from depression, according to a review of existing research in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health. Other common conditions seen in people who self-harm include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), borderline personality disorders, substance abuse, eating disorders, and dissociative disorders.
Because self-harm is often a symptom or coping mechanism for a deeper problem, it’s imperative to get to the root of the problem and address the underlying issue.
If you suspect your tween or teen is cutting or engaging in some other form of self-harm, don’t get angry at them or punish them for their behavior. They need help. One of the best ways to handle the situation is to simply open the door to communication. Let them know you’re concerned about them, willing to listen, and ready to assist them in getting the help they need.
At Amen Clinics, we have treated many young people and adults who engage in self-harming behaviors. We use brain SPECT imaging as part of a comprehensive evaluation to uncover underlying issues of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other conditions. This information helps our physicians identify all issues that need to be addressed so we can personalize treatment using the least toxic, most effective solutions.
Our care specialists can be reached at 888-288-9834 or you can schedule a visit online.
Most people have heard of schizophrenia, the chronic mental health disorder that affects about 1% of the U.S. population and impairs a person’s ability to distinguish reality from fantasy. But did you know that schizophrenia is not a simple or single disorder? There are many faces of schizophrenia, and they are categorized into 5 subtypes of the disorder. A person can shift from one subtype to another during the course of the condition.
The American Psychological Association no longer officially recognizes the 5 subtypes as separate diagnoses and have reclassified them as symptoms of schizophrenia.
Paranoid schizophrenia is considered the most common form of this disorder. The primary traits of this subtype include having unfounded suspicions about others, feeling persecuted, and having delusions or hallucinations. Paranoid delusions are often focused on the irrational belief that others are trying to harm you. Some common examples of these delusional convictions include:
Julie is a good example of paranoid schizophrenia. At age 48, she had a history of hospitalizations for paranoid thinking, hearing voices, and delusional thinking. Her main delusion centered around being assaulted by someone who put an electrical probe inside her head that “blasted her with electricity.” She had been on multiple medication trials without success.
When Julie underwent a brain SPECT imaging study, it revealed that in a sense, Julie was right. She was being blasted with electricity. She had multiple focal areas of increased activity in her brain. But she also had very poor prefrontal cortex activity, which meant she was unable to process the physiological nature of her illness and developed delusions to explain the pain she experienced.
Based on the information from the brain scans, Julie was placed on a high therapeutic dose of an antiseizure medication, which lessened her pain and anxiety. For the first time, she was willing to entertain the possibility that her symptoms were the result of abnormal brain activity rather than an outside attack.
A repeat SPECT study 8 months later showed a marked decrease in the hot spots in her brain along with subsequent increased activity in her prefrontal cortex.
This form of schizophrenia is primarily characterized by disorganized thoughts and behaviors. In speaking, they may sound incoherent or talk in what’s commonly referred to as a “word salad.” A word salad is a seemingly random string of words that have no connection to each other and make no logical sense.
People with this subtype may also have trouble starting, following through on, or completing projects and tasks. They are also prone to acting inappropriately in social situations and may have a “flat affect”—a lack of eye contact or facial expressions.
This is considered the rarest form of the disorder and is generally accepted as an advanced stage of untreated schizophrenia. It is characterized by changes in movement. In some people, there may be a lack of mobility, remaining very still in certain poses for long periods of time, or appearing to be in a stupor. On the other hand, a person may exhibit excessive, agitated body movements. Other symptoms of this subtype include mimicking other people’s words or movements.
People who don’t fit neatly into any of the three categories described above are said to have undifferentiated schizophrenia. They may have multiple vague symptoms of delusions, hallucinations, disorganization, and/or catatonia.
A person who is no longer experiencing pronounced symptoms of delusions, hallucinations, disorganization, and/or catatonia is referred to as having residual schizophrenia. They may still have some of the traits associated with the various subtypes of the disorder but at a lower intensity. This subtype is also more likely to have what’s known as “negative symptoms”—things that may stop happening—that are seen in the condition. These may include:
In addition, people who are undergoing treatment for schizophrenia and who are experiencing a reduction in their delusions and hallucinations may be considered to be going through a residual phase.
At Amen Clinics, we have treated hundreds of patients with the various subtypes of schizophrenia. We use brain SPECT imaging as part of a comprehensive assessment to diagnose and treat our patients. We also assess other factors—biological, psychological, social, and spiritual—that can contribute to symptoms of mental health disorders.
If you (or a loved one) are suffering from symptoms of schizophrenia, it’s time to speak to a specialist at 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit online.
The holidays are supposed to be the most joyous time of the year to spend with family. But not everybody has one of those perfect Hallmark families. For some people, the holidays are filled with drama, chaos, and arguments, and the mere idea of heading home triggers painful memories and emotional distress.
Jenna hated going home for Christmas, and she started stressing about it weeks before her annual trip. She was a successful attorney with a nice condo and lots of friends, and she thoroughly enjoyed her life. But it was never good enough for her parents. As soon as Jenna walked through the door of her childhood home, her mother would start up with the needling questions: Why aren’t you married yet? Am I ever going to have grandkids? Did you gain weight again?
Her dad was even worse. He always drank too much and then start yelling at everyone. For Jenna, this triggered traumatic memories of Dad punching his fist through a wall when she hadn’t graduated as class Valedictorian, of him shaking her mother violently when they had shouting matches, and of him throwing a plate of mashed potatoes at the wall one Christmas day when she was just a kid.
Back in this toxic family environment, Jenna’s self-confidence and joie de vivre would immediately start to plummet, and she would revert back to the anxious, depressed, scared child she used to be.
She isn’t alone.
The holidays can be less than merry for many people. For those who suffered trauma or abuse as a child, family festivities can cause old emotional wounds to surface. People who are struggling with alcohol abuse may have trouble staying sober when there is so much focus on holiday cocktails. Anyone with an eating disorder may feel the familiar urges to binge or purge when faced with holiday meals. And individuals who have anxiety or depression may find that their symptoms intensify when the holiday season approaches.
Aside from family feuds and underlying mental health issues, there are many factors that contribute to seasonal struggles. With a little planning, however, you can overcome these holiday hazards for a more joyous season.
Buying gifts, hosting lavish feasts, decorating—there’s a lot that goes into making the holiday season perfect. All of this added stress can take a toll on brain health and lead to increased vulnerability to mental health symptoms.
Holiday Helper: Stay grounded with a few minutes of daily meditation or prayer and don’t take on more projects than you can handle.
The excitement of the season and holiday parties often lead to less shut-eye and more disrupted sleep. When you aren’t getting your usual 7-8 hours a night, it impacts your moods and cognitive function. Just one night of bad sleep can leave you in a brain fog and make you more irritable, anxious, and depressed.
Holiday Helper: Stick to your sleep schedule as much as possible.
Sold-out flights, overcrowded airports, and jam-packed highways can mess with your mental well-being.
Holiday Helper: Leave early for your destination, bring some soothing music, and give yourself an attitude adjustment. Put yourself in a “We’ll get there when we get there” mindset.
Starting in October, it’s like there’s a free-for-all in the food department. People toss out all their good eating habits and dive into unhealthy dishes that leave you feeling spacy, fatigued, and bloated. The food you eat has an almost immediate effect on your brain function and giving in to cravings around the holidays lowers your ability to handle stress and family drama.
Holiday Helper: If you know that your family is going to be feasting on unhealthy foods, bring some good-for-you snacks with you or offer to prepare a few brain healthy side dishes for the festivities. And if you are going to indulge in something decadent, follow the 3-bite rule.
Alcohol lowers activity in the brain’s prefrontal cortex, the area involved in judgment, forethought, and impulse control. Boozing it up at holiday parties or family gatherings sets the scene for drama and discord.
Holiday Helper: To avoid drinking altogether, volunteer to be the designated driver or ask the bartender or host for a non-alcoholic drink that looks festive. If you are going to drink, set a limit and be sure to eat something beforehand to minimize the effects of alcohol.
Sitting on the couch watching football with your extended family drains your energy and deprives you of the feel-good endorphins you get when you get your blood pumping with exercise.
Holiday Helper: Start your day with a morning walk or suggest playing a game of touch football (never tackle football!) during halftime.
If you dread the holidays and need help coping with the emotions that surface, Amen Clinics can help. If you want to join the tens of thousands of people who have already enhanced their brain health and overcome their symptoms 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.
The ice caps are melting! Sea levels are rising! The Amazon rainforest is burning! Orangutans will be extinct within 10 years! Planet Earth is dying!
Every day, we’re bombarded with distressing and disturbing updates about the impending threats of climate change and other environmental disasters. It’s enough to make you stressed, sad, and worried sick.
According to the American Psychological Association, one of the biggest dangers of climate change is the erosion of mental health in America. In a 2017 report called “Mental Health and Our Changing Climate,” the APA said the impact of climate change will “cause some of the most resounding chronic psychological consequences.”
Co-written with environmental organizations EcoAmerica and Climate for Health, the report also claims, “Gradual, long-term changes in climate can also surface a number of different emotions, including fear, anger, feelings of powerlessness, or exhaustion.”
Helplessness, hopelessness, and fatalism are on the rise, and the report suggests that climate change, natural disasters, and environmental catastrophes are contributing to mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance abuse, aggression and violence, suicidal thoughts and behavior, and more.
Some are calling it eco-anxiety.
If you spend your days fretting about the perils facing our planet, you aren’t alone. Millions of Americans and people around the world are expressing a deep sense of malaise about the possibility of impending environmental doom.
Greta Thunberg, a Swedish teenage climate activist, launched a school strike for the climate in 2018 and has since become a global icon. In Greta’s 2018 TED Talk, she sounded the alarm bell, saying “We are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction, with up to 200 species going extinct every single day.” That’s scary stuff! Her talk has already been viewed over 3.9 million times. And some 7 million people joined her #weekforfuture climate strikes in 2019.
People’s fears go beyond a personal level. You may not be worried about the impacts of climate change in your own lifetime. You may be more concerned about what it means for your children, grandchildren, and future generations. You may feel tremendous guilt that you haven’t done enough personally to reduce your carbon footprint and that your daily habits are making things worse for the future. At the same time, you may feel powerless to effect change on a meaningful scale.
The number of people experiencing eco-anxiety is rising. A 2018 Yale survey—Climate Change in the American Mind—involving 1,114 American adults found that 69% of Americans say they’re “somewhat worried” about climate change and 29% are “very worried” about it. About 56% of Americans think their families will be harmed by global warming, and 75% think future generations will be negatively affected.
Psychologists and psychiatrists are seeing a growing number of people who are feeling stressed about the environment. Eco-anxiety can cause many of the same symptoms seen in other anxiety disorders—panic attacks, nervousness, headaches, muscle tension, conflict avoidance, nausea, dizziness, and more. Fear of climate change can also be viewed as a form of phobia.
A 2011 report from the National Wildlife Foundation suggests the mental healthcare system is inadequately prepared to handle the increases in psychological disorders. The report says, “The American mental health community, counselors, trauma specialists, and first responders are not even close to being prepared to handle scale and intensity of impacts that will arise from the harsher conditions and disasters that global warming will unleash.”
What can you do?
If you’re suffering from eco-anxiety, there is help. Many of the therapies and treatments for anxiety disorders and panic attacks, phobias, and depression may be helpful in overcoming feelings of dread about climate change and the environment.
Amen Clinics has helped thousands of people overcome all types of anxiety disorders, panic attacks, phobias, and depression. We use brain SPECT imaging to help identify which type of anxiety and depression you have and to help find the least toxic, most effective personalized solutions as part of a brain-body approach to healing.
If eco-anxiety is has overtaken your life and is interfering with your work, school, home life, or relationships, it’s time to get help. Speak with a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit online.
Too many people give themselves excuses to stay sick, unhappy, and anxious. You may be one of them. You may say you want to make the changes necessary to boost your brain health and overcome depression or anxiety, but you don’t do it. It’s these excuses—or “little lies”—you tell yourself that keep you feeling bad and prevent you from doing what you need to do to gain control of your life and start feeling better.
Here are the most common little lies psychiatrists hear from their patients that devastate their physical and mental health. Be honest with yourself and take note if you’re lying to yourself about your willingness to change to improve your brain health and mental health.
Truth: Focusing on getting well is dramatically easier than being sick or losing your mind. The brain hates change. It likes to do what it has done. The exciting news is that you can change unwanted behaviors. Initially, change is hard, but with the right attitude and strategies, it can be very rewarding.
Practicing good behaviors, such as getting 7-8 hours of sleep, exercising, and saying no to constantly checking your social media feed (which has been shown to increase depression and loneliness) strengthens the willpower circuits in the brain. Alternatively, giving in to destructive behaviors, such as emotional explosions, mindlessly eating cookies at work, believing every stupid thought that pops into your head, or consuming excessive amounts of alcohol strengthens those particular circuits. Whatever behaviors you engage in are the ones you are likely to continue doing.
Truth: So many people with anxiety or depression use food, alcohol, cigarettes, or marijuana as a way to self-medicate their feelings, and they don’t want to deprive themselves of these short-term mood enhancers. But these substances actually make symptoms worse in the long run, and they lead to other issues, such as weight gain and addiction, that can exacerbate problems in every area of your life.
When you make poor health decisions you are depriving yourself of what you really want—lasting energy, happiness, a sense of calm, and good health. Getting well is about abundance, never deprivation. Eating a brain-healthy diet and avoiding harmful substances will help to deprive you of mood swings, panic attacks, depression, and even dementia.
When your mindset is one of deprivation and your focus is on what you cannot have, you’re more likely to remain mired in anxiety and depression. To feel better fast and make it last for a lifetime it’s critical to develop an abundance mindset, where you focus on the high-quality foods and good habits that will build and sustain your mental health. If you’re able to change your attitude about this, everything else will be easier.
Truth: Buying high-quality foods that fuel the brain and stabilize blood sugar, paying for exercise classes that boost blood flow to the brain, and seeking treatment for your mental health issues may seem pricey. But being sick is much more expensive than thoughtfully spending your resources to get and stay well.
With a better functioning brain, you will have more money, because the quality of your decisions will be better, which means you’ll perform better at work, at school, and in your relationships.
Truth: You may think that finding time to exercise, prepare healthy meals, and practice stress-management strategies like meditation is impossible. Sure, grabbing a doughnut or ordering takeout burritos or deep-fried wings provides a speedy meal, but it’s just as fast to grab an apple or orange or to order takeout salad bowls—and they will help you feel better and stay healthier.
It takes some planning to eat food that is good for you, but healthy meal kits or spending just one afternoon a week making big batches of food you can eat throughout the week can make daily meals a breeze. And you can find ways to sneak exercise into your day by taking your dog for a hike or walking to the grocery store. And you may want to trade just 15 minutes of TV time for a soothing meditation session.
Plus, spending time and energy to optimize your brain will help you live longer and be cognitively sharper, giving you much more time overall.
Truth: This is the gateway thought of continuing anxiety and depression. It is generally an excuse to justify doing the wrong thing for your physical and mental health. “Just a little can’t hurt” leads to just one cigarette that lowers blood flow to the brain, just one piece of cake that sets you up for mood swings, and just one drink that worsens anxiety and depression.
Stop lying to yourself. You deserve the truth.
If you’re struggling with anxiety or depression and are having trouble changing your habits, Amen Clinics can help. We use brain SPECT imaging as part of a comprehensive evaluation to see if there are any other signs of brain dysfunction that might be holding you back from being able to follow through on your goals. The Amen Clinics Method takes an integrative approach to diagnosis and treatment includes looking at the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of your life to identify areas that can be optimized so you can start feeling better fast.
Take the first important step to a better life and call 888-288-9834 to talk to a specialist today or schedule a visit.
When you hear about bullying, you probably think about kids or teens getting teased or tormented at school. But did you know that bullying can also occur between adults in the office? And it’s more prevalent than you might think.
According to a survey by the Workplace Bullying Institute, 27% of employees say they’ve been bullied in the workplace, and 21% say they’ve witnessed bullying. The main culprits? Bosses are the most common workplace bullies. What’s really surprising is that 72% of employees get in on the act by denying it happened, downplaying it, rationalizing the behavioral problems, or even encouraging the perpetrator.
Is someone willfully sabotaging your performance, giving you unwanted and undeserved harsh criticism, spreading rumors about you, humiliating you in front of coworkers, or intentionally excluding you from work activities? You could be the victim of bullying.
Workplace bullying can take a toll. People who have been targeted by a bully in the workplace are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a 2019 study in European Heart Journal. with people complaining of headaches, nausea, insomnia, and burnout. Being targeted at work can also lead to anxiety and depression.
People who are victimized at the office can experience a variety of anxiety disorders that remain long after the intimidation has stopped. The main forms of anxiety that affect victims include:
Unfortunately, exhibiting anxious behavior makes victims more vulnerable to continued abuse, which compounds the problem, according to a 2015 study in Anxiety, Stress, and Coping: An International Journal.
Depression is another unwanted outcome of bullying at work. People who have been subjected to intimidating or aggressive behavior at work are more than twice as likely as their peers to develop the condition. Among those who have experienced frequent bullying? They’re 10 times more likely to become clinically depressed, according to a 2014 study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Depression—which can drain your energy, make it hard for you to concentrate, and make you feel irritable and cranky—can prevent you from performing at your best on the job. This creates a downward spiral that can negatively impact your career and your life.
Every company has its own policies regarding bullying in the workplace. You may want to speak with someone in your HR department to discuss how to put an end to the behavior. But if your feelings of anxiety or depression are getting in the way of your daily life, or if the aggressive behavior has ended and you’re still reeling from its effects, it’s time to seek help.
At Amen Clinics, we have helped thousands of people learn to overcome feelings of anxiety and depression. The Amen Clinics Method takes an integrative approach to diagnosis and treatment that includes brain SPECT imaging as well as looking at the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of your life to identify areas that can be optimized.
If you want to stop suffering and start feeling better, call 888-288-9834 to talk to a specialist today or schedule a visit.
It’s the spookiest time of year, and although most kids and adults love joining in the frightful fun of Halloween, some people dread the annual holiday. If you’re filled with anxiety or experience sheer terror at the thought of October 31st festivities, you may have a mental health condition known as samhainophobia—the fear of Halloween.
The term samhainophobia has its roots in an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain that began some 2,000 years ago. Celebrated on October 31, the final day of the Celtic calendar year, it was viewed as a time when the division between the living and the dead became blurred. This allowed ghosts to cross over into the living world, where they could perform evil deeds if they so desired. People wore masks and costumes as a way to appease the roaming spirits to prevent them from their evil-doing. It’s easy to see how the Samhain rituals evolved into our modern-day Halloween trick-or-treating tradition.
Samhainophobia is more than just a general dislike or a mild uneasy feeling for Halloween. It’s what mental health professionals refer to as a “specific phobia.” Phobias are real, and they are considered a type of anxiety disorder that causes people to experience intense, unfounded fears that get in the way of daily life. Approximately 19 million Americans have some type of phobia.
If the thought of Halloween makes your heart race, causes your hands to tremble, or gives you a choking sensation, these are signs you may have a phobia. Other symptoms associated with phobias include nausea, sweating, dizziness, and panic. Children with samhainophobia may cry uncontrollably, act overly clingy, or throw temper tantrums when Halloween rolls around.
If you have a fear of the holiday, you may find it hard to go to work or to concentrate on your projects if the office is filled with Halloween decorations. If your child suffers from samhainophobia, they may be afraid of holiday-related events at school, and their coursework may suffer.
If you notice any of these symptoms or they interfere with your ability to perform your everyday activities and responsibilities, it’s a good idea to visit a mental health professional.
Experts agree that many factors play into the development of samhainophobia. For example:
In addition to these direct links to the fear of Halloween, there are other hidden factors that might increase your risk of developing a phobia. These include:
If you suffer from excessive anxiety about Halloween, take heart that there are ways to work through it.
A word of caution about medications: Although some healthcare professionals may prescribe pharmaceuticals to people who have phobias, be aware that brain imaging studies show that anti-anxiety pills, such as benzodiazepines, are harmful to the brain. It is best to avoid them.
Amen Clinics has helped thousands of people overcome all types of anxiety disorders, including phobias. We use brain SPECT imaging to help identify which type of anxiety you have and to help find the least toxic, most effective personalized solutions as part of a brain-body approach to healing.
If your phobia is affecting your work, school, home life, or relationships, speak with a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit online.
Your kindergartner shoved another kid at a birthday party—and it wasn’t the first time. Your second-grader threw a temper tantrum in class—again. Your adolescent child is getting into fights at school—on a regular basis.
What’s a parent supposed to do? If you’ve tried all the most trusted parenting strategies and nothing is working to calm the intense rage in your child, it’s time to look for the underlying cause behind the behavior. Uncontrollable anger is usually a sign of abnormal brain activity and can be associated with a range of mental health conditions and other issues.
Children with ADD/ADHD often experience frequent angry outbursts. In part, this is due to the impulsivity that is one of the hallmarks of the condition. Many youngsters with ADD/ADHD have low activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. This area is involved with impulse control, judgment, and decision-making. When activity is low in this region, kids tend to speak and act without considering the consequences of their actions. So, they are more likely to throw a temper tantrum when it is inappropriate or cause physical harm to a classmate or themselves.
In some kids, tantrums, meltdowns, and aggressive behavior are signs of anxiety. Anxiety is associated with increased activity in a number of areas of the brain, including the basal ganglia (involved in setting the body’s anxiety level) and the amygdala (the brain’s fear center). Being in a heightened state of alert can cause the body’s fight-or-flight stress response to kick into gear. For some kids, this results in going for the “fight” option rather than avoiding conflict.
Research shows that about half of all people, including kids, with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), experience intense bouts of rage and anger. People with OCD tend to have excessive activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG), which is the brain’s gear shifter. Too much activity here can make people get stuck on obsessive thoughts and get locked into actions. Children with OCD may have compulsions that help them cope with the distressing thoughts that loop inside their head. When OCD is left untreated and there is interference with those compulsions, it can cause kids to panic and react with anger.
If your child has ever taken a tumble off a bike or fallen down the stairs and hit their head, it can lead to lasting consequences, such as problems with anger and aggression. Even a mild head injury where they don’t blackout or get a concussion can cause problems. No amount of talk therapy will help a child overcome these issues unless the underlying brain injury is treated.
Aggression is often associated with abnormalities in the left temporal lobes. Located on either side of the brain behind the eyes and underneath the temples, the temporal lobes are involved in mood stability, memory, and learning. Brain imaging research shows that emotional stability is heavily influenced by the left temporal lobes. Problems with this area of the brain are associated with anger, dark or violent thoughts, and emotional instability. Temporal lobe problems are commonly due to genetics, head injuries, exposure to toxins (such as toxic mold, drugs, or alcohol), or infections (such as Lyme disease).
At Amen Clinics, we use brain SPECT imaging as part of a comprehensive evaluation to diagnose and treat children. This helps our Child & Adolescent Psychiatrists identify any dysfunction or damage in the brain, as well as any co-existing conditions, that need to be addressed. Based on this information, we are better able to personalize treatment for your child using the least toxic, most effective solutions for a better outcome.
To find out more about how we can help your child, call 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit.
Everybody feels anxious from time to time. You get a knot in your stomach when you’re going on a first date, your hands get sweaty when you have a job interview, or you can’t stop those racing thoughts about your financial situation. For some people, the nervousness, worry, and panic feel constant. You’re not alone.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health condition in the nation with 40 million American adults experiencing feelings of tension, apprehension, and fear each year. Seeking treatment often results in a prescription for medication. But anti-anxiety pills can be bad news.
Beware that traditional treatment with anti-anxiety medications can be harmful to the brain. For example, benzodiazepines—including Xanax, Valium, and Ativan—suppress brain activity and can make the brain look toxic (shriveled or low in activity). They have also been found to increase the risk of dementia.
Even more alarming is the fact that deaths from overdoses involving benzos quadrupled from 2002 to 2015, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. And a 2016 study found that the number of prescriptions being doled out for benzos has jumped by 67%. Now, an estimated 13.5 million American adults are popping these harmful and addictive antianxiety pills.
Because of their addictive nature, getting off benzos can be challenging. Stopping the pills abruptly can cause withdrawal symptoms, including a worsening of anxiety.
Fortunately, pills aren’t the only option to ease your anxiety.
Here are 6 things you can do to lower anxiety before resorting to medication.
Low blood sugar, anemia, and hyperthyroidism can cause symptoms associated with anxiety. When necessary, addressing those medical issues can help alleviate symptoms.
Slow and deep belly breathing, as well as meditation, can immediately increase a sense of calm.
Hypnosis and guided imagery can be very powerful in helping you overcome symptoms of anxiety.
Yoga and qi gong can help you achieve a more peaceful mindset.
The automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) that invade your thinking can make you feel awful. You do not have to believe every stupid thought you have.
Nutraceuticals—such as l-theanine, GABA, and magnesium—have been found to promote a sense of calm and relaxation. Try these before resorting to antianxiety medications that can be both addictive and toxic to your brain,
Find out more about these and other natural strategies to calm anxiety in this “Skills or Pills” episode of The Brain Warrior’s Way Podcast with Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen.
Amen Clinics has helped thousands of people overcome anxiety and panic attacks. We use brain SPECT imaging to help identify your particular type of anxiety to help find personalized solutions as part of a brain-body approach to healing.
If you or a loved one is experiencing debilitating anxiety, speak with a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit online.
In the field of psychiatry, there seems to be a new “diagnosis du jour.” A rising number of people are being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, also known as bipolar spectrum disorder (BSD). Up until the year 2000, bipolar disorder (formerly referred to as manic-depressive illness) was diagnosed at a rate that hovered around 0.4%-1.6%. By the 2000s, that number jumped to 5%-7%. These days, it’s reached fad status.
Many people walk into a psychiatrist’s office and say, “I’m bipolar” or they’ve been diagnosed with the condition. But there’s a problem—many of them don’t actually have the disorder, which is associated with dramatic swings in moods and energy levels that repeat in a cyclical pattern. A 2008 study found that 57% of people diagnosed with bipolar disorder had been misdiagnosed.
That’s what happened to Jessica. She was dealing with severe moodiness and after a 10-minute visit with her primary care physician, was diagnosed with the condition and given a prescription for mood stabilizers. But the medication wasn’t working. A functional brain scan using SPECT technology showed why. Jessica was suffering from the lasting effects of concussions she suffered from multiple bicycle accidents. She didn’t have bipolar disorder; she had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that needed healing. With the right treatment plan, her moods improved, and she started feeling like her old self again.
Being mistakenly diagnosed with bipolar disorder is problematic because the treatments for it typically won’t work to heal other conditions and could make them worse. Some people who have been misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder spend years going from one mood-stabilizing medication to another without relief. This can increase the risk of alcohol and drug abuse as a way to self-medicate and also raises the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior.
Because there are so many overlapping symptoms associated with bipolar disorder and other conditions, simply assessing symptom clusters isn’t enough to make an accurate diagnosis. Functional brain imaging studies using a technology called SPECT can help accurately distinguish brain patterns associated with bipolar disorder, ADD/ADHD, depression, TBI, and other conditions.
At Amen Clinics, we use leading-edge brain imaging technology called SPECT as part of an overall evaluation to accurately diagnose and treat mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and treatment isn’t working, it’s important to understand if you have been misdiagnosed. Getting an accurate diagnosis is critical to finding the relief you want from your symptoms, so don’t hesitate to schedule a visit or call to speak to a specialist at 888-288-9834.