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By Melissa Quinn, MD

Marcia (not her real name) sat across from me in my office at Amen Clinics in Los Angeles. She felt good about the tremendous gains she had made in terms of her mood stability, sleep patterns, and anxiety level. Yet, according to her family, she remained short-tempered and easily irritated.

She’d been prescribed nearly every combination of medications but had experienced significant side effects on many of them. After I ordered genetic testing for her, we were finally on the right track.

When I suggested adding lithium orotate as part of her wellness plan, she looked at me stunned. Having a doctor recommend lithium brought up feelings of fear and confusion for Marcia. These sentiments are understandable, given that prescription lithium has significant risks, including hand tremors, increased urination, hair thinning, decreased thyroid function (over time), and more.

Lithium has been approved for the treatment of bipolar disorder and may also be helpful when prescribed “off-label” for conditions, such as treatment-resistant depression with suicidal thinking. When treating these illnesses, dosages of lithium can reach 1,800mg daily.

The supplement lithium orotate, however, contains much smaller quantities of lithium than the prescription form, generally ranging from 5mg to 10mg daily and in some cases, up to 20mg daily. Some clinicians are skeptical that such a low dosage can provide much support, but many clients have reported feeling benefits.

The Basics of Lithium and Lithium Orotate

Here’s some background on lithium orotate and some examples of how clinicians are using it. Lithium orotate is an over-the-counter nutraceutical that consists of orotic acid (a compound produced naturally in the body) and lithium (an alkali metal). Lithium is present in the diet, mainly in grains and vegetables, which is why the supplement is often called “nutritional lithium.”

In fact, lithium is so important to our health that it has been added to the World Health Organization’s list of nutritionally essential trace elements. The orotate compound is important because it delivers the lithium in its bioactive form so your body can absorb it.

Lithium is found in the drinking water in many cities, and research shows that there is an association of lowered incidence of crimes, suicides, and arrests related to drug addictions in these areas. Some researchers are even suggesting we should put lithium in drinking water as a way to reduce suicide. The research indicates that lithium at a low dosage has a beneficial effect on behavior. 

Prescription-strength lithium is regarded as a neuroprotective agent. It’s being studied in certain neurodegenerative disorders, namely, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Parkinson’s disease. It’s been shown to disrupt glycogen synthase kinase-3, a key enzyme responsible for the development of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles associated with Alzheimer’s disease. A study in the 2015 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease concluded that lithium treatment may have beneficial effects on cognitive performance in people with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.

Findings suggest that the supplement lithium orotate can promote a positive mood and supports cognitive function in the elderly.

Clinicians should be aware of the very important differences between full-dose prescription lithium and the low-dose supplement lithium orotate. When recommended appropriately, the supplement can be a beneficial addition to the clinical toolbox.

About the Author: Melissa Quinn, MD, Amen Clinics Los Angeles

Dr. Melissa Quinn is a psychiatrist who is double board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Her passion is to help people heal, get psychologically well, find the relief they deserve, and help them to become the best version of themselves. She helps children, adolescents, adults, and families get their lives back on track with a whole-person—and when appropriate—a whole-family approach. By developing her clients’ inner strengths, she shows them how to reach their highest potential.

She knows that people are seeking a range of solutions for prevention, health, and healing. As a result, Dr. Quinn became passionate about learning integrative approaches and was subsequently board-certified in Integrative and Holistic Medicine through The Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine. She later went on to peruse a fellowship in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) through Duke University. She enjoys working with a variety of clients, but she specializes in working with patients with ADHD, developmental and intellectual delays, anxiety, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and mood disorders.

After being a psychiatrist for over 30 years, I have come to hate the terms “mental illness” and “psychiatric disorders,” and you should too.

Here’s why.

Mental illness and psychiatric disorders conjure up stigmatizing images of lunacy in people who are mad, disturbed, unbalanced, or unstable, even though these adjectives apply to an extremely small percentage of people who struggle with mental health issues.

Being diagnosed with a mental illness or a psychiatric disorder insidiously taints or stains everyone who struggles with perceived issues of the mind, making them less likely to ever want to seek help for fear they’ll be diminished in the eyes of others.

By labeling these issues as mental health or psychiatric, people suffer in silence because of the shame they feel. Consider the rash of celebrity suicides of people who were too embarrassed or ashamed to ask for help (from Ernest Hemingway, Judy Garland, and Junior Seau to Robin Williams, Mindy McCready, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Anthony Bourdain). On the outside, they seemed like they had everything; on the inside, they were suffering.

If we do not erase—or at least lower—the stigma for these issues, many more people will unnecessarily suffer and die without getting the help they need.

But things are changing. We are now on the cusp of a new revolution that will change mental health care forever.

How Reframing Mental Health as Brain Health Changes Everything

My new book, The End of Mental Illness, discards an outdated, stigmatizing paradigm that taints people with disparaging labels, preventing them from getting the help they need and replaces it with a modern brain-based, whole-person program rooted in neuroscience and hope.

No one is shamed for cancer, diabetes, or heart disease, even though they have significant lifestyle contributions. Likewise, no one should be shamed for depression, panic disorders, bipolar disorder, addictions, schizophrenia, and other brain health issues.

Over the last 30 years, my colleagues and I have built the world’s largest database of brain scans related to behavior. We have performed more than 160,000 brain SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) scans, which measure blood flow and activity patterns, and over 10,000 quantitative electroencephalograms (QEEGs), which measure electrical activity, on patients from 9 months old to 105 years old from 121 countries.

Based on our brain imaging work, it has become crystal clear to us that, as psychiatrists, we are not dealing with mental health issues, but we are dealing with brain health issues. And this one idea has changed everything we do to help our patients.

Brain imaging has completely disrupted how we help our patients get well, and this information can help you, even if no one ever looks at your brain. The human brain is an organ just like your heart and all your other organs, and you can only be as mentally healthy as your brain is functionally healthy.

Fortunately, you are not stuck with the brain you have. You can change your brain and make it better.

The End of Mental Illness is written by psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and brain health expert Dr. Daniel Amen and relies on the latest neuroscience and leading-edge brain imaging to show that mental health is really brain health. In The End of Mental Illness, he reveals the 11 risk factors that can harm your brain health and create “mental health” problems. And he shares the proven strategies he has learned after 30-plus years of clinical practice that will help you minimize your risk factors, enhance brain health, and end mental illness. Order your copy today.

If you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD, or other conditions, understand that optimizing underlying brain health is the key to getting well. At Amen Clinics, we use brain SPECT imaging to help identify brain problems and areas that need optimization and to create a personalized treatment plan.

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.

When you hear the term bipolar disorder, what comes to mind? If you’re like most people, you probably think of mental illness. You might imagine someone who, due to a personal weakness, can’t control their mood swings and is wildly imbalanced. You may even think it’s a character flaw that causes them to have trouble with relationships, job performance, and schoolwork.

You’d be wrong.

Bipolar disorder is not a “mental illness”, it’s a brain disorder. It’s rooted in the biological functioning of the 3-pound supercomputer between the ears. Abnormal activity in the brain is associated with the severe ups and downs in mood, energy, and activity levels that are the hallmark signs of bipolar disorder.

Making this discovery changes everything about the way people with bipolar disorder, their families, and the rest of us should think about the condition.

Why A 53-Year-Old Woman Refused to Believe She Had a Problem

Sandy was 53 when her family took her to a hospital for help with her behavior. It wasn’t the first time. Just one month earlier, they had had her committed to another psychiatric hospital for delusional thinking and bizarre behavior—she had actually ripped out all the electrical wiring in her home because she heard voices coming from the walls. In addition to these symptoms, she was barely getting any sleep, her thoughts raced wildly, and she was irritable.

Her doctor diagnosed her with bipolar disorder (a cyclical mood disorder characterized by extreme mood swings from manic episodes to depressive episodes) and placed her on lithium (an anti-manic medication) and an anti-anxiety medication. After responding well, Sandy was sent home. But she didn’t want to believe that anything was wrong with her, and she stopped taking both medications. Her belief was actually supported by some members of her family who openly told her she didn’t need pills and that doctors prescribe them only to force patients into numerous follow-up visits.

Their advice was ill-fated, and within weeks of stopping the treatment, Sandy’s strange behavior returned. This was when her family made the decision to take her to the hospital. Once again, Sandy was extremely paranoid. Believing that everyone was trying to hurt her, she was always looking for ways to escape from the hospital. Her thoughts were delusional—she believed she had special powers and that others were trying to take them from her. At times, she also appeared very “spacy.” Sandy didn’t think there was anything wrong with herself, and her family was at a loss.

What Sandy’s Brain Revealed

In an attempt to understand what was going on with Sandy and to convince her that at least part of her problems were biological, her physician ordered a brain imaging study called SPECT. Normally a very simple procedure, it proved challenging with Sandy and required three separate tries. The first two times she ripped out the intravenous line, saying the clinicians were trying to poison her. The third time was a success because her sister stayed with her and calmed her down by talking her through the experience. The SPECT scans revealed increased activity in her limbic system and patchy increased activity overall. In other words, some areas showed increased activity, and some showed decreased activity. Brain imaging studies show that cyclic mood disorders often correlate with focal areas of increased activity in the limbic system specifically as well as too much activity across the surface of the brain.

Sandy’s Bipolar Brain

For Sandy’s family, this was powerful evidence that her problems were biological, not moral. As a result, when she refused medication, they were now willing to encourage her to take it. After she accepted their advice, her behavior normalized again. Once Sandy saw her brain scans, she agreed to follow a treatment plan that included medication.

How Seeing Her Brain Scan Helped Heal Her Symptoms

Seeing her own brain helped Sandy overcome one of the most clinically significant problems in people diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This brain disorder is usually responsive to medication. The problem is that when people with this condition improve, many feel so normal they do not believe they ever had a problem to begin with. It is difficult for them to accept that they have to continue taking medication when they think they no longer have a problem. Yet, prematurely stopping medication actually increases the chances of relapsing.

For Sandy, the brain scans visually demonstrated the biological nature of her mood swings and delusional thinking. Ultimately, this allowed her to understand the need to treat her condition and helped her avoid the relapses she had experienced in the past.

At Amen Clinics, where Sandy was treated, we use brain SPECT imaging as part of an overall evaluation to show our patients the biological nature of “mental health” disorders. Using brain scans helps our physicians more accurately diagnose and treat brain-based conditions, such as bipolar disorder.

If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of bipolar disorder or has been diagnosed with the condition and treatment isn’t working, getting an accurate diagnosis is critical to finding the relief you want from your symptoms. To find out how we can help you or a loved one, call to speak to a specialist at 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit.

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.

7 Conditions Commonly Misdiagnosed as Bipolar Disorder

• TBI: Head injuries can cause symptoms of depression, irritability, fatigue, and changes in sleep patterns—all things that can also be seen in people with BSD.

• Depression: Persistent sadness, loss of interest in usually pleasurable activities, and decreased energy are seen in both depression and in the depressive episodes of BSD. Because of this, it’s common for depression and bipolar disorder to be mistaken for the other.

• ADD/ADHD: The manic episodes of bipolar disorder and ADD/ADHD have many common symptoms, including impulsivity, racing thoughts, restlessness, trouble concentrating, and irritability.

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD):The feelings of hypervigilance, irritability, and sleep issues found in PTSD can mimic the symptoms of mania in bipolar disorder, leading to misdiagnosis.

• Anxiety: The racing thoughts, heart palpitations, and trouble sleeping that can come with anxiety are also signs of manic episodes of BSD.

• Schizophrenia:About half of all people with bipolar disorder experience psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions, which are hallmarks of schizophrenia. For this reason and because bipolar disorder is more common in the U.S.—about 2.8% of adults are affected by bipolar disorder compared with just 1% who have schizophrenia—people with schizophrenia are more likely to be misdiagnosed.

• Borderline personality disorder (BPD): Common traits seen in both BPD and bipolar disorder include unstable moods, impulsivity, irritability, and relationship troubles. This leads to an overdiagnosis of bipolar disorder. Research shows that 40% of people with BPD had previously been misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder.

The Consequences of a Bipolar Disorder Misdiagnosis

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.

The Path to an Accurate Diagnosis

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.

Even though we all worry at times, some of us aren’t able to turn off bothersome, intrusive thoughts. Although it may not warrant a visit to a therapist, having repetitive negative concerns circling through your mind can cause tension, stress, stomachaches, headaches, and irritability. Your day-to-day thoughts and behaviors also have a powerful effect on your brain chemistry. They can affect your moods, motivation, and ability to focus and follow through on things.

Maurie, 32, worried incessantly about his job and despite getting good performance reviews, he was sure his boss didn’t like him. The constant worry frequently upset him. He couldn’t get the thoughts out of his head—they looped over and over and over. No amount of rational inner dialog could get them to stop. The swirling thoughts filled Maurie with tension, gave him headaches, and made him feel irritable. He wanted help to make his mind stop spinning.

The Brain’s Gear Shifter at Work

People like Maurie, who get stuck on negative thoughts, often have too much activity in the brain’s frontal lobes, especially in an area called the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG). The ACG is like the brain’s gear shifter. It helps you go from thought to thought or from action to action. It is involved with being mentally flexible and going with the flow.

When ACG activity is heightened, usually due to lower serotonin levels, people can have trouble shifting attention. They are also prone to worry and hold on to hurts from the past and tend to have cognitive inflexibility and rigidity. In severe cases, it is associated with obsessive compulsive disorder.

A brain scan using a technology called SPECT showed that Maurie had an overactive ACG. Here are some of the strategies Maurie used to help him balance his brain and gain control of those racing thoughts.

5 Strategies to Stop Getting Stuck on Negative Thoughts

1. Practice Thought Stopping

Whenever you notice thoughts looping or getting stuck in your head, imagine seeing a traffic stop sign in your head and silently say to yourself, “STOP. THIS IS MY ACG GETTING STUCK!”  Some people have had success by wearing a rubber band around on their wrists and snapping it when they notice thoughts starting to loop. 

2. Notice When You’re Stuck, Distract Yourself, and Come Back to the Problem Later

A primary way to overcome a busy ACG is to notice when you’re stuck on a thought and do something to distract yourself. For Maurie, every time one of these negative thoughts came into his mind, he would sing a song. This worked for him. He liked the music, and he felt that it gave him a measure of control over his bothersome thoughts.

You may find it helpful to make a list of a variety of things you can do to distract yourself when you get hit by harassing thoughts. Here are some examples:

• Sing a favorite song.

• Listen to music that makes you feel positive.

• Take a walk.

• Do a chore.

• Play with a pet.

• Do structured meditation.

• Focus on a word and do not allow any other thoughts to enter your mind (imagine a broom that sweeps out all other thoughts).

3. Write Out Options and Solutions

When you’re stuck on a thought, write it down. This helps to get it out of your head. Seeing a thought on paper makes it easier to deal with it in a rational way. After you write out a thought that has “gotten stuck,” generate a list of things you can do about it and things you can’t do about it. For example, if you’re worried about possible layoffs at work, do the following:

Write out the thought:

“I’m worried that I will get laid off and will be out of work.”

Make a list of the things you can do to offset the worry:

“I can do the best job I can at work to make myself indispensable.”

“I can make sure the boss knows I am willing to learn new skills.”

“I can update my résumé and skills just in case I do get laid off.”

Make a list of the things you can’t do about the worry:

“I can’t make the decisions about layoffs for the boss.”

“I can’t control the timing of when layoffs might occur.”

“Worrying about it will not help.”

4. Seek the Counsel of Others

When all of your efforts to get rid of repetitive thoughts are unsuccessful, it’s often helpful to seek the counsel of others. Finding someone with whom you can discuss your worries can be very helpful. Often just talking about feeling stuck will open new options.

5. Boost Serotonin to Calm Your Busy Brain

People with an overactive ACG who get stuck on negative thoughts often do better when they boost serotonin. Some helpful ways to do it include:

• Eating complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes and garbanzo beans are a healthy way to boost serotonin.
• Exercising can be very helpful in calming worries because it increases brain levels of l-tryptophan, which can boost serotonin.
• Omega-3 fatty acids (the kind that are higher in DHA), 5-HTP, inositol, tryptophan, and St. John’s Wort are the most helpful supplements to raise serotonin and calm this part of the brain.

If your negative thinking patterns are impacting your performance at work or school, causing problems in your relationships, or keeping you from living the life you want, it’s time to seek help. At Amen Clinics, we have helped thousands of people change their thinking patterns and change their brain so they can feel better, perform better, and interact better.

To find out how we can help, call 888-288-9834 to speak to a specialist or schedule a visit online.

As a college freshman, Jenna was a competitive track and field athlete who loved spending her days in her running shoes. By the time she reached her sophomore year, however, things had changed. She was filled with sadness, felt like she had no energy, and had lost interest in training. When she mentioned it to her primary care doctor, she was diagnosed with major depression and given a prescription for antidepressants.

The medication boosted her mood—a lot! She felt like she was on top of the world. It also filled her with so much energy, she felt invincible and began training all day and staying up all night doing her homework. She also became sexually aggressive, hitting on the other track athletes even though she had a steady boyfriend. She even came on to her coach multiple times, which didn’t go over well and ended up with her almost getting kicked off the team.

What went wrong?

A Common Misdiagnosis

Jenna had been misdiagnosed. In reality, she had bipolar spectrum disorder (BSD), formerly known as manic-depressive disorder. People with bipolar disorder experience dramatic swings in mood, energy, and activity levels, going from depressive episodes to manic episodes in a cyclical pattern. The antidepressants Jenna took not only failed to work, but they were also making her worse by triggering a manic episode.

Jenna isn’t alone. Among people diagnosed with major depression, about one in three are estimated to actually have bipolar disorder. This is due to the fact that the two conditions share many of the same symptoms.

Shared Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder and Depression

Depressive episodes of bipolar disease are characterized by:

• Persistent sad or negative mood
• Loss of interest in usually pleasurable activities
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, and hopelessness
• Sleeping too much or too little, or waking up too early
• Decreased energy, fatigue, or feeling “slowed down”
• Difficulty concentrating
• Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts

These symptoms are very similar to those typically associated with depression. Women with bipolar disorder tend to experience more depressive episodes, which may increase their risk of being misdiagnosed with depression.

Manic Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

On the other side of the spectrum in bipolar disorder are manic episodes.

Manic episodes are characterized by:

• Abnormally elevated mood
• Inflated self-esteem
• Decreased need for sleep
• Increase in goal-oriented activity
• Grandiose notions, ideas, or plans
• Increased talking or pressured speech
• Racing thoughts
• Inability to “turn off the mind”
• Poor judgment that leads to risk-taking behavior
• Hypersexuality or hyperreligiosity
• Excessive appetite
• Inappropriate social behavior
• Irritability or aggression
• Delusions or hallucinations

Some people with bipolar disorder don’t experience mania to this level. They have what’s called “hypomania,” which is a less severe form of mania. People may feel like they have better energy than usual and a brighter mood but not so much that they engage in risky behavior.

The Key to Healing

The good news is that bipolar disorder responds well to proper treatment. Getting an accurate diagnosis is key. Jenna had struggled for a few years before she decided to get a brain scan to find out what was really happening in her brain. The brain imaging test called SPECT, along with a complete personal history and other assessments pointed to bipolar II disorder.

There are at least 4 types of bipolar disorder, including:

• Bipolar I disorder
• Bipolar II disorder
• Cyclothymic disorder
• Bipolar disorder not otherwise specified (NOS)

Knowing her condition type helped develop a treatment plan personalized for her needs. And seeing her brain scan helped her understand that her condition was real, so it encouraged her to take her medication regularly. Compliance is a problem for many people with bipolar disorder because when they start to feel better, they don’t believe they have a problem at all and often stop taking their medication. For Jenna, seeing was believing.

With the proper treatment and good compliance, Jenna’s moods stabilized, and she eventually became a successful and well-liked track and field coach at her alma mater. At Amen Clinics, we use leading-edge brain imaging technology called SPECT as part of an overall evaluation to accurately diagnose and treat bipolar disease. If you or a loved one is suffering from dramatic mood swings that are impacting your relationships or your performance at work or school, schedule a visit or reach out today to speak to a specialist at 888-288-9834.

What is Bipolar Disorder?

1. Bipolar I
2. Bipolar II
3. Cyclothymic disorder
4. Bipolar disorder otherwise not specified

• Periods of high energy and motivation
• A decreased need for sleep
• Selective racing ideas
• Grandiose or delusional thinking with exaggerated self-confidence
• Excessive involvement in risk-taking activities

• Periods of depression or hopelessness
• Fatigue and loss of energy
• Loss of interest in hobbies
• Inability to concentrate
• Thoughts of suicide

Treatment and Therapy for Bipolar Disorder

• We will begin by taking the time to explore your specific biological, psychological, social and spiritual influences.
• Next, we will perform neuropsychological tests to measure various aspects of your brain function.
• Then, we will perform two brain SPECT scans: one at rest and one during concentration.
• Finally, we will order lab tests to rule out nutritional deficiencies, hormone imbalances, toxicity, etc.— if deemed necessary.

How to Manage Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

Find a Clinic to Treat Your Bipolar Disorder

• Write down three things you are grateful for every day
• Learn to meditate; a loving-kindness meditation is especially effective
• Take a daily walk in nature
• Stop the ANTs (automatic negative thoughts): When you’re feeling mad, sad, nervous or out of control, note down your negative thoughts and talk back to them
• Take a good multivitamin/mineral, vitamin D, magnesium and an omega-3 EPA/DHA supplement daily

• If you’re a worrier or moody: Consider taking 5-HTP and saffron; eat more tryptophan-containing foods (eggs, turkey, seafood, chickpeas) with healthy carbs like sweet potatoes and quinoa
• If you lack focus: Consider taking Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, and ginseng; have more dopamine-rich foods/drinks, such as turmeric, green tea, lentils, fish, lamb, chicken, turkey, beef, eggs, nuts and seeds, high protein veggies (broccoli, spinach) and protein powders
• If you are anxious: Consider taking GABA and theanine; eat more GABA-rich foods, such as broccoli, almonds, walnuts, lentils, bananas, beef liver, brown rice, halibut, gluten-free whole oats, oranges, rice bran and spinach

ADD Core Symptoms

• A short attention span for regular, routine, everyday tasks (homework, chores, etc.)
• Distractibility
• Organization problems (like having a messy room, always running late, etc.)
• Procrastination
• Forgetfulness
• Problems with follow-through
• Poor impulse control (saying or doing something before thinking it through)

ADD Type 6 Symptoms

• Irritability
• Impulsivity
• Sensitive to noise, light, clothes or touch
• Periods of mean, nasty or insensitive behavior
• Grandiose or inflexible thinking
• Talks fast
• Racing thoughts
• Appears anxious or fearful
• May or may not be hyperactive

ADD Quick Facts

• Ring of Fire ADD has an overall hyperactive brain activity, which is a stark contrast to the other 7 types of ADD. When seen on a SPECT scan, there is a ring of hyperactivity around the brain, hence the term “Ring of Fire.”
• Possibly correlated with allergies or inflammation, Ring of Fire ADD has many symptoms, including distractibility, oppositional behavior, worrying and obsessiveness, hypersensitivity to the environment, and mood instability.
• Because of its status as the most intense of the 7 types of ADD, Ring of Fire ADD can sometimes be referred to as “ADD Plus.”
• Those with Type 6 ADD tend to have difficulty “turning off” their brains and typically feel overwhelmed with thoughts and emotions.
• People with Ring of Fire ADD often see, think, feel, and sense too much—anxiety can be especially heightened.
• Type 6 ADD is made worse with stimulant and serotonergic (serotonin-enhancing) medications alone.
• People can have both Ring of Fire ADD and bipolar disorder, and some studies suggest that as many as half of the people with bipolar disorder also meet the criteria for ADD.

Implementing these six tips will help you manage the symptoms of ADD Type 6:

Elimination Diet:

Decrease Hyperactivity with Physical Activity

Train Your Second Brain:

Only as Needed:

Become an ANT Killer:

Get a Customized Solution:

While each of the 7 types of ADD has its own unique set of symptoms, they generally share the same core symptoms:

• Short attention span
• Distractibility
• Organization problems
• Procrastination
• Problems with follow-through
• Poor impulse control

The 7 Types of ADD:

Type 1: Classic ADD

Type 2: Inattentive ADD

Type 3: Overfocused ADD

Type 4: Temporal Lobe ADD

Type 5: Limbic ADD

Type 6: Ring of Fire ADD

Type 7: Anxious ADD