WHAT IS THE RISK PERCEPTION GAP?

The risk perception gap is the discrepancy between how risky something actually is based on statistics or facts and how risky people think it is based on their personal beliefs, feelings, or instincts. According to research, this is a case of risk misperception where people categorize threats based on emotions rather than rationality or reason. 

For instance, some people may have an intense fear of occurrences like plane crashes, even though they are very rare, yet they underestimate more common and fatal risks like car accidents or heart disease. Such misperception leads to complacency or unnecessary fear as people try to manage real-world risks. 

COGNITIVE BIASES THAT DISTORT RISK PERCEPTION

Our brains often rely on mental shortcuts, also known as cognitive biases, to simplify information processing. 

These biases can be useful in quick decision-making, especially when managing complex life situations in limited time. Even so, cognitive bias and fear usually work hand in hand, bypassing logical thinking in favor of past experiences or instincts.

So, what are some of the most common cognitive biases? Here are four mental shortcuts that distort thinking:

Availability Heuristic

This is an important element of the risk perception psychology that explains how we judge the probability of an event based on how easily we can recall instances or examples. In most cases, this results from the level of attention some of these events receive from the media.

For example, after hearing about a plane crash, you are more likely to believe that air travel is riskier than it actually is. You may overestimate such a risk just because that memory is still fresh in your mind. 

Related: Phobias: Types, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

Neutral Bias

Our brains are hardwired to focus more on negative information than positive or neutral information. Naturally, your mind is attracted to negative emotions, experiences, or events because they are usually viewed as threatening or urgent.

For instance, if you see numerous positive reviews about a product but only one negative review, you’re more likely to focus on and remember the negative review. This can influence your decisions based on fear and caution rather than rationality. 

Probability Neglect 

Probability neglect is the cognitive bias where emotions like excitement or fear can cloud your judgment, making you overlook the actual likelihood of an event taking place.

For instance, watching a horror movie can make you so scared that you believe something dangerous could be lurking around you. This feeling of fear can make you exaggerate the risk in your mind and overlook the reality of the matter. 

Anchoring Bias

This is about how we tend to rely heavily on the first bit of information we come across, to make judgements or decisions. This piece of information is called the anchor. Anchoring bias causes your brain to cling to the first information you received and use it to judge everything that follows.

As an example, let’s say you hear that a certain purse costs $1,000. That price will stick in your mind. But later when you see a similar bag being sold for $700, it will feel like a bargain even though it’s still costly. 

COMMON CAUSES OF MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS

Without using functional brain scans—such as SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) or QEEG (quantitative electroencephalogram)—your doctor cannot tell if your inattention, depression, compulsions, mood swings, or aggression is from:

• Seizure activity
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Hormonal imbalances
• A genetic abnormality
• Undiagnosed sleep apnea
• Blood sugar abnormalities
• A premature aging process
• Infections, such as Lyme disease
• Low blood flow from vascular disease
• A brain that is working too hard and needs to be calmed down
• A brain that is not working hard enough and needs to be stimulated
• An inflammatory process, related to low omega-3 fatty acids or gut problems
• Lasting physical trauma from a car accident or from playing football in high school
• Toxic exposure from carbon monoxide or mold exposure, which needs to be treated

If mental health professionals don’t look at the brain, they are unnecessarily flying blind. That can lead them to miss important diagnoses, give the wrong treatment plan, and hurt the people they are entrusted to help.

HOW TRADITIONAL PSYCHIATRY MISSES THE ROOT CAUSES OF MENTAL ILLNESS

Jason is a prime example of how not looking at the brain can be life-threatening. He was 18 and in his first year in college at the University of Rhode Island when he first started hearing voices and having visual hallucinations.

Based on his symptoms, the university psychiatrist diagnosed him with schizophrenia and told his parents he would need to be on antipsychotic medication for the rest of his life. But the medication triggered suicidal thoughts.

Horrified, his mother called Amen Clinics, where Jason underwent a functional brain-imaging study.

Jason’s SPECT scan showed evidence of a past brain injury affecting his left temporal lobe, which when damaged is often involved in mood instability, dark thoughts, and hallucinations. It also showed low activity in his frontal lobes (where focus, forethought, and planning occur).

When he was 5 years old, Jason jumped headfirst into an empty bathtub and was unconscious for a brief period. He also had sustained several concussions from wrestling and playing soccer.

Since the age of 5, Jason had struggled with low-grade depression. His symptoms worsened when he was 12 years old and experienced bullying at school.

While at college, Jason started hearing voices. They constantly made mean comments about him and others. Often, the voices would speak at the same time. In addition, he began seeing gory visions of his own death, including being strangled by a snake.

After a comprehensive evaluation at Amen Clinics, including his personal history, SPECT brain scans, neuropsychological assessments, and more, his diagnosis changed.

Jason didn’t have schizophrenia. Rather, he had experienced a psychotic depression, which had been made worse by the prior brain injury, undisciplined thought patterns, and chronic stress.

Jason stopped taking his antipsychotic medication and began supporting his brain recovery with healing nutrients and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). He also did multiple sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to help heal his prior brain injury.

Within 4 months, Jason was remarkably improved and the following year he was back at school. If no one had ever looked at his brain and put him on a more effective treatment plan, his life would have been very different.

BENEFITS OF BRAIN IMAGING IN PSYCHIATRY

Functional brain imaging takes psychiatry from a generalized symptom-cluster diagnostic and treatment specialty without any biological evidence to a more objective specialty, one that is solidly based on using state-of-the-art brain mapping tools to help optimize the patient’s brain function.

Besides completely changing the way mental health professionals diagnose mental health disorders, functional imaging leads to completely different treatment protocols to improve brain function.

By finding the root causes of your symptoms—such as exposure to toxic mold, Lyme disease, or a past head injury—you can get more targeted treatment that works.

For example, if your depressive symptoms are related to toxic mold exposure, it’s unlikely that antidepressant medications are going to help. Unless you eliminate the mold, you’re going to continue struggling with low moods.

Similarly, if Lyme disease is causing psychotic episodes, but you’re diagnosed with schizophrenia, antipsychotics won’t work. You have to treat the underlying infection.

When brain scans help a psychiatrist get to the root causes, you’re more likely to feel better faster.

Looking at the brain also leads to more natural strategies to treat mental health conditions. Seeing areas of the brain that are either overactive or underactive helps physicians pinpoint lifestyle habits to optimize brain function.

If you’re struggling with mental health symptoms that aren’t responding to traditional treatments or psychiatric medications, it’s a good idea to consider a brain scan. Additional biological information can be so helpful in discovering why you feel depressed, anxious, angry, or unfocused. And it can give you a clearer roadmap to healing.