ARCHIVE

When people are seriously hurt in horrific car accidents, burned in fires, or injured in violent crimes, first responders rush in to treat injuries and to offer emotional support. But who provides support to the first responders? Repeated exposure to gruesome injuries or loss of life can lead to emotional trauma for these everyday heroes.

It is estimated that 1 in 10 first responders will develop a trauma-related problem. And this puts firefighters, law enforcement personnel, paramedics, and others at increased risk of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, marital conflict, sleep disturbances, trouble concentrating, anger, and suicide. It is estimated that 30% of first responders will develop mental health conditions compared to 20% of the civilian population.

In addition, first responders are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty, according to the Ruderman White Paper on Mental Health and Suicide of First Responders. This study reported that in 2017, 140 police officers and 103 firefighters died by suicide compared to 129 police officers and 93 firefighters who died on the job. However, the research suggests that not all suicides are reported, so the numbers could be even higher.

What Brain Imaging Reveals about Suicide

Amen Clinics has done brain imaging studies on more than 300 people, including some first responders, who have attempted to take their own life. Some of the common traits found in these people include past head injuries, exposure to trauma, impulsivity, anger, and negativity.

• Concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs): First responders are at heightened risk of head injuries due to falls, blows to the head, vehicle collisions, exposure to explosions, and more. A 2018 study in JAMA shows that people with a TBI are nearly twice as likely to take their own life compared with those who have no history of head trauma. At Amen Clinics, 40% of the people we see have evidence of past head trauma on SPECT scans even if they don’t recall having experienced a concussion or TBI.

• Exposure to trauma: People who have been exposed to trauma and those who have post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) are at a higher risk of suicide. Brain imaging studies on over 1,000 patients with PTSD demonstrates increased activity in the limbic system (the brain’s emotional center), basal ganglia (the brain’s anxiety center), and anterior cingulate gyrus (the brain’s gear shifter that helps you go from thought to thought) in what looks like a diamond pattern. In 2005, Amen Clinics evaluated and treated 6 police officers who had been involved in on-the-job shootings, developed PTSD and were placed on medical leave. The “diamond pattern” was seen in all of their brain scans.

• Impulsivity: The area of the brain that is involved in impulse control is called the prefrontal cortex (PFC). When there is low blood flow to the PFC, it increases impulsivity. Suicide is considered an impulsive act.

• Anger: Irritability, aggression, and violence—traits associated with suicide—are commonly seen in people who have abnormal activity in the temporal lobes. An Amen Clinics study found that 62% of patients with suicidal thoughts or a past attempt showed abnormal activity in the left temporal lobe.

• Getting stuck on negative thoughts: Some people may fleetingly think that the world would be a better place without them in it. But they quickly move on from that thought. In people who make suicide attempts, they are generally unable to stop these thoughts from looping inside their heads. This is often seen in people who have too much activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG).

Change Your Brain, Heal Your Mind

The good news is you are not stuck with the brain you have. You can make it better. If you’ve had a head injury and been exposed to trauma, or if you struggle with impulsiveness, anger, or negative thinking, there are numerous therapies that can help you change your brain and heal your mind.

• Healing head trauma: People with head trauma have shown great benefit from therapies called neurofeedback and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). In addition, it’s important to have hormone levels tested as they are often low in people with head injuries.

• Soothing trauma and PTSD: The 6 police officers suffering from PTSD underwent a special psychotherapeutic technique called EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing). All of the officers reported significant improvement and went back to work. Their follow-up scans showed calming of the overactive areas.

• Controlling impulsivity: There are many solutions to improve blood flow to the PFC to boost impulse control. A higher protein, lower carbohydrate diet tends to help, as does physical exercise and certain stimulating supplements, such as green tea, rhodiola, and ginseng.

• Taming anger: To support temporal lobe activity, natural supplements such as GABA, magnesium, theanine, and taurine have been found to be helpful. Neurofeedback also enhances temporal lobe functioning.

• Getting unstuck: Optimizing the ACG involves training the brain to become more flexible and see options and new ideas. The supplements 5-HTP, saffron, and St. John’s wort are the most helpful to calm the ACG. In addition, learning to recognize when you’re getting stuck and distracting yourself is a helpful technique.

Our first responders deserve more support. Helping them understand that “mental health” problems are really “brain health” problems is an important step in ending the stigma associated with seeking treatment. Thinking of these issues as biological rather than psychological may encourage more of these heroes to get the help they need so that heartbreaking suicides may be prevented.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

At Amen Clinics, we have treated hundreds of people who have attempted suicide, including first responders, and many more who have considered taking their own life. We use brain SPECT imaging to help identify underlying brain abnormalities that increase the risk of suicide and offer personalized treatment plans to optimize the brain so you can have a healthier outlook on life.

If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal tendencies and would like more information on how to heal your brain and save a life, call us at 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit online.

By Kabran Chapek, ND

Having trouble concentrating? Feeling depressed? Struggling with brain fog? You may have been told you have ADD/ADHD, depression, or mild cognitive impairment. But that may not be the whole story. These may actually be warning signs of a past concussion and unless that underlying brain trauma is addressed, no amount of traditional treatments will work for your symptoms.

Just look at Jane, who came to see me at age 35. She had gone back to school to become a nurse and was struggling to keep up with her classwork. She felt overwhelmed, unorganized, forgetful, and depressed. She also complained of frequent headaches. Her previous healthcare provider had diagnosed her with “adult onset ADHD” and prescribed stimulants. The medication helped a little, but not a lot, even at higher doses. Jane’s life eventually became so unmanageable that her aging parents had to step in to support her.

The Secret Jane’s Brain Revealed

I ordered a brain SPECT scan for Jane. This test measures blood flow and activity in the brain and reveals areas with healthy activity, too much activity, and too little activity. Jane’s scan showed something that neither she nor her parents ever expected.

When I met with Jane and her parents, I asked her, “When did you suffer the brain injury?”

“What brain injury?” her mother asked, completely shocked. “I don’t remember Jane suffering from a brain injury.”

As we discussed her scan results, Jane recalled a number of concussions she had sustained as an adult in motor vehicle accidents, the most recent being a rollover accident. In this latest crash, Jane was able to walk away from the accident, although the emergency medical personnel who arrived on the scene insisted that she go to the hospital for an evaluation. At the hospital, she was evaluated and released the same day. 

Jane never suffered any symptoms typically associated with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) after the accident—she didn’t lose consciousness, feel dizzy, or even “see stars”—so there was no reason for anyone to suspect she had sustained a brain injury. That’s why when she began experiencing forgetfulness and had trouble concentrating, she didn’t think it had anything to do with the accident.

Why Concussions Are Often Overlooked

Most people don’t know that even mild brain injury can become chronic and cause long-term symptoms. The problem is this type of degenerative reaction is unpredictable. Jane was one of the 10 to 80% of people with a mild traumatic brain injury or concussion who develop chronic symptoms.

She and her family were surprised that her present problems were the result of a long-ago injury, but they were heartened when I told them that now that we knew the problem, we could take the appropriate steps to fix it.

If I had not evaluated her and recommended brain SPECT imaging, Jane probably would have continued down the path of one medication trial after another. Many times, doctors simply don’t ask about possible injury to the brain or actually look at the brain with imaging. Instead, the problems are frequently attributed to a psychiatric condition and the person is treated with medication like Jane was.

SPECT is one of the best tools available to identify areas of the brain hurt by a concussion or TBI. CT scans and MRI scans show damage to the structure of the brain, but they don’t show how the brain is functioning. In fact, it’s common for SPECT to detect functional problems even though a CT or MRI scan was normal.

Know the Warning Signs of TBI

I have treated many patients like Jane who were diagnosed with a psychiatric condition only to discover that a previously undiagnosed brain injury was contributing to the symptoms. Some of the signs and symptoms associated with a persistent brain injury that stubbornly does want to heal include:

• Fatigue (physical or mental)
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory problems
• Menstrual changes
• Poor motivation
• Impulsiveness
• Migraines
• Dizziness
• Sleep disturbances
• Mood swings
• Anger or irritability

If you or a loved one experiences any of these symptoms that may be related to head trauma, don’t be complacent. Seek help right away from a mindful physician who will take these symptoms seriously and who will look to see if there is underlying damage to the brain that needs to be healed.

In Concussion Rescue, author Dr. Kabran Chapek shares the specific programs and protocols he uses at Amen Clinics to put patients on the pathway to healing from symptoms related to concussions and TBIs. Order your copy here.

If you or a loved one is struggling with symptoms that may be related to a concussion or TBI, understand that treating the underlying damage to the brain is the key to feeling better fast. At Amen Clinics, our Concussion Rescue Program has helped thousands of people heal from concussions and improve their quality of life. Speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit online.

Did you know that a blow to the head or a whiplash-type injury can have lasting impacts long after any immediate symptoms—headaches, dizziness, blurred vision—have resolved? In fact, a concussion can have consequences that remain or emerge decades later.

What Is a Concussion?

A concussion is considered a mild form of traumatic brain injury (TBI), which occurs in over 2 million people each year.

Why is it so easy to damage the human brain?

Your brain is very soft, and it resides within a really hard skull that has multiple sharp, bony ridges. Whiplash, jarring motions (think Shaken Baby Syndrome), blast injuries, and bumps to the head can cause your brain to slam into the hard, interior ridges of the skull. 

A concussion can cause the brain to lurch back and forth, stretching and twisting delicate tissues. This can hurt the brain in many ways, including:

• Damage to nerve cell connections
• Ripping open brain cells that spill out proteins like “tau” that cause inflammatory reactions 
• Chemical changes
• Bruising
• Broken blood vessels and bleeding
• Increased pressure
• Lack of oxygen

5 Long-term Concussion Consequences

1. Memory loss

A study in PLOS Medical Journal found that people with a traumatic brain injury were 4 to 6 times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia within a year of the injury compared with people who had not suffered a TBI. This same 2018 study also reported that a concussion raises the risk of developing dementia over three decades later.

2. Abnormal tau proteins in the brain

Research shows that repeated concussions and TBIs, especially sports-related injuries in young athletes, can cause a proliferation of tau proteins within the brain. These substances are considered hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease and have been associated with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the neurodegenerative disease that has been documented in professional boxers and football players.

3. Loss of smell

Loss of smell is a common consequence of head trauma, and although it may sound inconsequential, it can be indicative of a serious problem. The area of the brain involved with smell (olfactory cortex) is near the memory centers, and they tend to deteriorate and die together. Having trouble smelling things like peanut butter, lemon, strawberries, or natural gas is associated with a higher incidence of significant memory problems, according to the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Scoring poorly on the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test strongly predicted those who would be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease later in life. 

4. Addiction

People who suffered a head injury prior to their 5th birthday or between the ages of 16 and 21 are at an increased risk of developing drug abuse, according to a 2014 study. Substances like drugs and alcohol are toxic to the brain and cause further damage that can negatively impact your life in many ways.

5. Mental health problems

Experiencing a head injury raises the risk of developing a mental illness, but surprisingly, few mental health providers are aware of this. Concussions and TBIs—even ones that occurred years earlier—have been linked to a rise in the following conditions:

• ADD/ADHD
• Anxiety and panic disorders
• Depression
• PTSD
• Borderline personality disorders
• Anger issues
• Psychosis
• Suicide

Have You Had a Concussion?

You might assume that you would readily remember if you had suffered a concussion, but a surprising number of people don’t recall experiencing a head injury. Some develop a form of amnesia surrounding the event, others think the bang on the head they got as a kid wasn’t significant enough to cause problems. Take some time to remember (or ask your parents) if you have ever experienced any of the following common causes of concussion:

• Fall out of a tree?
• Fall down the stairs?
• Fall off a horse?
• Fall off a roof?
• Dive headfirst into a shallow pool or the ocean?
• Fall off a fence headfirst?
• Have a car accident?
• Have whiplash?
• Sustain a work-related head injury?
• Suffer a concussion or head injury playing sports?

If you do recall a head injury, and you’re plagued with bothersome symptoms, it’s time to take action.

Consider Getting a Functional Imaging Study

A functional imaging study, such as SPECT or qEEG, may help pinpoint injured areas and is worth investigating if you are experiencing any issues with memory, substance use disorders, or mental health issues. Identifying past brain trauma can be a powerful first step to healing the brain and eliminating your symptoms.

At Amen Clinics about 40% of our patients have experienced a concussion or TBI, but many of them don’t remember it… until they see the damage in their brain scan or QEEG. Seeing the underlying biology of the brain allows us to create a personalized treatment plan to heal the brain and address the root cause of symptoms. For head injuries, we use a combination of the least toxic, most effective therapies, which may include neurofeedback, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), nutraceuticals, and medications, as well as simple lifestyle changes that can make a big difference.

If you’re tired of struggling with symptoms and think you may have suffered a concussion or head injury, find out how we can help. Talk to a specialist today by calling 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit online.

When you were a kid, did you ever wipe out on your bike? Fall off the roof? Or get in a car accident? Every kid takes a few tumbles in life—it’s part of growing up. But could an injury as a child or teen come back to haunt your mental health later in life? The answer is a resounding yes.

Take a look at Sadie, for example, who had been kicked in the head by a horse and lost consciousness when she was 10 years old. Fast forward to age 42, and Sadie often felt depressed, had memory issues, and had failed her sixth alcohol treatment program.  She desperately wanted to stop drinking but couldn’t follow through with any of the program recommendations because she was so impulsive and her memory was poor. Whenever alcohol was around, she just couldn’t say no, and she couldn’t remember the sobriety strategies she was taught. 

Neither she nor her family ever considered that her problems with substance abuse stemmed from that kick in the head from the horse. It never occurred to her that her brain might still carry the lingering effects from that accident. But a brain scan using a technology called SPECT showed severe damage to her prefrontal cortex (focus, forethought, judgment and impulse control) and temporal lobes (learning and memory) caused by that head injury she had long forgotten.  

When Sadie saw her brain scan, it jarred her memory about the head injury and its aftermath.  She remembered that her grades at school started to slip and that she became more rebellious at home. People treated her as though she was just a bad person, which made her feel sad and hopeless. She now realized how it all contributed to her problems as an adult.

This is critical to know considering approximately 812,000 young people under the age of 18 sought help in the emergency room for concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in 2014, according to the CDC. Children up to age 4 and teens 15-19 years old—along with seniors who are 65 and over—are the most likely to experience a TBI. Understanding the potential consequences of a TBI can help children and teens prevent the devastating fallout.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE BRAIN IS INJURED?

Your brain is soft—about the consistency of soft butter, tofu, or custard—and housed in a very hard skull. With multiple sharp, bony ridges inside the brain can be easily damaged. Whiplash, blows to the head, blast injuries, and jarring motions (think shaken baby syndrome) can all cause the brain to slam into those sharp ridges. This can cause damage in a number of ways, including:

• Bruising
• Broken blood vessels and bleeding
• Increased pressure
• Lack of oxygen
• Damage to nerve cell connections
• Ripping open brain cells, spilling out proteins that cause inflammatory reactions

TBIs can also damage more than just the specific area of the brain where you smacked your head. In some cases, injuries can occur in both the front and back of the brain or on both sides. This is the result of a contrecoup injury, a common pattern in which the force of a blow causes the brain to move violently in the opposite direction, slamming into the opposite side of the skull and damaging that side of the brain as well.

In addition, because your pituitary gland (the body’s mast hormone regulator) lies in a vulnerable part of your skull, it is often damaged in head injuries. This can cause significant hormonal imbalances, which are linked to many symptoms of mental illness.

THE BRAIN INJURY-MENTAL ILLNESS CONNECTION

As Sadie’s story shows, TBIs can also lead to mental health problems. Few people know this, however, because most psychiatrists never look at the brain. TBI has been linked to:

• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Depression
• ADD/ADHD
• Memory problems
• Learning problems
• School failure
• Substance abuse
• Domestic violence
• Job failure
• Incarceration
• Homelessness
• Murder
• Suicide

Finding relief from your symptoms can be difficult due to several factors. Many people, for instance, have no recollection of experiencing a head injury as a child, whether it was falling out of a tree, slipping in the shower, going through the windshield of a car, or having concussions from playing sports. And they certainly don’t connect the dots to the symptoms of anxiety, depression, ADHD, or PTSD they may be experiencing as an adult.

In addition, the typical treatments for these conditions don’t heal the underlying brain damage. Because of this, therapies can be ineffective, causing you to go from one treatment to another or from doctor to doctor in search of a solution.

HOW BRAIN IMAGING REVEALS PAST TBIs

For Sadie, seeing her brain scan helped her realize that her substance abuse issues, memory problems, and depression weren’t her fault. They were related to the head injury she had suffered more than three decades earlier. It also helped her understand why all those alcohol treatment programs, which can be so helpful for some people, didn’t work for her. Once she rehabilitated her brain, she was better able to follow the treatment strategies that helped her stay sober, fight off depression, and rescue her memory.

At Amen Clinics about 40% of our patients have experienced head injuries, but many of them have no recollection of suffering a concussion until they see the damage in their brain scan. Seeing the underlying biology of the brain allows us to create a personalized treatment plan that helps heal the brain while addressing other symptoms.

If you think head trauma may be contributing to your symptoms or if traditional treatment isn’t working for you, don’t wait to seek professional help. Schedule a visit today or call 888-288-9834.

In 2009, everything was going right for 20-year-old BMX bike rider Josh Perry. He had just won his first pro contest and was the first to complete a 360-barspin-barspin-tailwhip—a mind-blowing maneuver that earned him first place in the best trick contest.

The Accident that Changed Everything

Like all BMX riders, Josh was used to falling and getting back up. He’d had his share of concussions, but after a particularly bad crash in 2010 when he smacked his head hard, he got hit with something completely unexpected. The hospital doctor performed a brain scan then gave him the good news first—there was no swelling or bleeding from the accident. Then came the bad news. Josh had a brain tumor that was taking up nearly the entire left side of his brain, and it might be cancer. His doctor told him he needed to have surgery immediately and warned him, “You may not wake up, and you’ll probably never ride your bike again.”

Josh could barely make sense of the words—cancer, never ride again, not wake up. He was only 21, a professional athlete, and living out his dream. This couldn’t be happening to him. Fear, anxiety, stress, and worry set in. Then he got caught up in a victim mentality, wondering, “Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this?”

Making a Comeback

Things were looking grim for Josh, but he managed to make it through the surgery (the tumor was benign). Remarkably, just 5 weeks later, he was back on his bike. And two months after that, he was competing again. He had figured a way out of that victim mentality to get back to what he loved.

Today, after being diagnosed with 2 more brain tumors, he’s hit the brakes on his BMX career to become a brain and health advocate. And he’s loving every minute of it.

Sharing His Journey

Josh recently joined Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen for a 4-part series of The Brain Warrior’s Way Podcast to talk about his inspiring journey. You don’t have to have a brain tumor to benefit from the insights he’s learned along the way. They can help anyone who’s dealing with any kind of challenge—including the physical or mental consequences of a traumatic brain injury (TBI)—to rise above those difficulties and start living and loving your life again.

In this inspiring series, you’ll discover:

• The 3 things that helped Josh go from fear to fuel—to stop feeling like a victim and start feeling empowered

• What it feels like emotionally to see a big hole on your brain SPECT scan

• Why Josh thinks your mindset is key to overcoming the challenges life throws at you

• The powerful changes Josh made in his everyday life to overcome head trauma that you can learn from

• The one thing that is a major cause of anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, ADHD, school failure, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness, and incarceration…but that traditional doctors don’t look for

• The simple strategy Josh uses to stay focused on his purpose

• What prompted Josh to finally stop competing in 2017 (hint: it wasn’t another injury)

• Three questions you can ask yourself when things are going bad to get your mindset back to a better place

Listen to the 4-part series about brain trauma and recovery with Josh Perry, Dr. Daniel Amen, and Tana Amen on the Brain Warrior’s Way Podcast.

At Amen Clinics, we have helped thousands of adults and children with concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) to heal their brain. We use a combination of the least toxic, most effective therapies, which may include neurofeedback, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), nutraceuticals, and medications, as well as simple lifestyle changes that can make a big difference.

To find out how we can help you overcome the challenges you’re facing, talk to a specialist today by calling 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit online.

By Kabran Chapek, ND

The number one thing that I’ve learned while working at Amen clinics for the past 7 years is that brain injuries are a major cause of mental illness. What’s more, is that it’s not being recognized. Concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries are a silent epidemic because it’s not being recognized as a cause of mental illness. By evaluating the CAUSE of a mental health problem, at Amen Clinics we often find that it is a BRAIN HEALTH problem such as a brain injury, toxin, deficiency in nutrients or hormones, or an infection like Lyme disease. Let’s take the case of Brandon a 17-year-old young man from Kansas who came to see me earlier this year.

It was a warm summer night, and Brandon felt like he was on top of the world racing his four-wheeler back towards his parent’s farmhouse. The earthy smell of the Kansas Prairie filled his nostrils as he accelerated up the hill and headed around the corner, but he was going too fast and when his front right wheel hit a rut, the 400lb vehicle flipped over, and Brandon hit the ground 30 feet away and was knocked completely unconscious. When he woke up, what must have been several hours later, he was disoriented, and his head was pounding. He staggered the ½ mile back to the farmhouse. Brandon hadn’t noticed the blood dripping down the back of his head and soaking his t-shirt. His mother immediately called 9-1-1 and he was taken to the nearest emergency room which was 20 miles away.

At the emergency room, he was evaluated and a CT scan of his head and neck was performed. He had a skull fracture and subdural hematoma which explained the pounding in his head and dizziness. He was flown to the nearest trauma center for stabilization and surgery. After surgery, he felt 100% back to normal and was released shortly thereafter. Brandon was considered essentially cured with directions to not do any strenuous mental or physical activity and to rest for the next month.  He was lucky that he had survived, and he was expected to make a full recovery.

However, Brandon had difficulty finishing his senior year of high school. He felt depressed, fatigued, and uninterested in school. He started playing video games all night and smoking pot. He graduated and couldn’t wait to get out of his house and go to college at the University of Kansas. However, when he got there it was more of the same, video games and cannabis were the only things that made sense to him at the time and he didn’t make it through a full semester. 

His parents had no idea what to do for him at this point their previously straight A/B student had turned into a video game junkie and pothead. Thinking this was merely video game addiction they sent him to treatment for tech addiction of which there is one near Amen Clinics in Seattle called ReSTART.

He was prescribed Prozac to help with depression and began to make progress, however, he still struggled with motivation, organization, and he was diagnosed with ADD as well.

When we scanned his brain, it was clear that he had had a brain injury because we could see the injury clearly. He had a pattern called “crossed cerebellar diaschisis.”

To make the most out of his treatment and to improve his chances at having a self-sufficient life we needed to make some changes.

We started him on supplements to target the brain damage (Brain & Body Power Max) and supplements for his prefrontal cortex (Focus and Energy). He had more of an “acquired ADD” which was due to brain injury vs. an ADD that he was born with. There are no medications for brain injury that help to heal the brain but there is good evidence that supplements, diet, and lifestyle changes can. Amen Clinics published on this in 2011 with 30 Retired and Active NFL football players who were put on this same program and rescanned to demonstrate improvements.

Things began to come into focus for Brandon. He began to improve his motivation and engage in his recovery in earnest.

Another key to healing was Brandon’s diet. He had an interest in eating good food but didn’t know a frying pan from a pizza pan. Once we discussed that his brain uses 20-30% of the calories in his diet and that an injured brain often has difficulty fueling itself he was eager to try a few things. One of the dishes he learned to make was an egg scramble with vegetables like peppers, chard, and broccoli adding salt and pepper and curry powder. With protein, his blood sugar would be more stable, and his focus improved.

20-50% of patients with brain injury have damage to the pituitary gland. With a simple blood test, we were able to determine that Brandon had low testosterone and that it was due to a problem in his brain vs. of those with his testicles. Brandon had a condition called secondary hypogonadism were because of the damage to the pituitary gland in his brain testes were no longer getting the signal to produce testosterone. Signs of low testosterone are depression, fatigue, low sex drive, and irritability. All symptoms that Brandon was struggling with.

While Brandon’s energy and motivation had improved somewhat in about 8 weeks on the supplements, he received an additional benefit in mood, energy and drive with replenishing his testosterone stores. He found that he was more motivated to begin looking for work part-time while he transitioned out of the intensive stages of his treatment. At this point, Brandon’s depression had entirely lifted and he was hopeful. After 3 months however his treatment had plateaued, and he was still having some lingering memory and energy problems in that his endurance was not quite what it used to be when he was exercising, and he would become very sleepy if he read for too long.

We decided that he would embark on a series of HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments) and after 40 sessions he now felt in many ways better than he did before the accident. In part, he had grown up through the help he gained with treatment at ReSTART to help him structure his life and learn social skills and the day to day life skills that he would need to be independent and the brain function and healing that he would need to perform at an optimal level in both his relationship and his choice of work or schooling for the future.

What started out as a tech addiction, cannabis addiction and depression could be traced back to the sudden change in Brandon’s behavior after his brain injury. However, no one thought that healing his brain would be the key to his healing. Now it makes sense that was the only way he was going to have a chance at living a life with much higher functionality. At Amen Clinics we believe that taking a thorough look at the brain is a key to unlocking the answers that lead to lasting and sustained healing for patients.

About the Author: Kabran Chapek, ND, Amen Clinics Seattle

Dr. Kabran Chapek has been a staff physician at Amen Clinics since 2013. As a graduate of Bastyr University in the Seattle area, he is an expert in the use of functional and integrative treatments and collaborates extensively with many of the Amen Clinics physicians. He has a special interest in the assessment and treatment of Alzheimer’s and dementia, traumatic brain injuries, PTSD, and anxiety disorders. Dr. Chapek is the founding president of the Psychiatric Association of Naturopathic Physicians, an affiliate group of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.

• Schneider HJ, Kreitschmann-Andermahr I, Ghigo E, Günter K, Agha A. Hypothalamopituitary dysfunction following traumatic brain injury and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. JAMA (2007) 298(12):1429–38.10.1001/jama.298.12.1429. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17895459.
• Tanriverdi F, Ulutabanca H, Unluhizarci K, Selcuklu A, Casanueva FF, Kelestimur F.“Three years prospective investigation of anterior pituitary function after traumatic brain injury: a pilot study.” Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2008 Apr; 68(4):573-9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17970777.
• Kelly DF, Chaloner C, Evans D, Mathews A, Cohan P, Wang C, Swerdloff R, Sim MS, Lee J, Wright MJ, Kernan C, Barkhoudarian G, Yuen KC, Guskiewicz K. “Prevalence of pituitary hormone dysfunction, metabolic syndrome, and impaired quality of life in retired professional football players: a prospective study.” J Neurotrauma. 2014 Jul 1;31(13):1161-71. doi: 10.1089/neu.2013.3212. Epub 2014 May 8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24552537

Unfortunately, we hear news stories every day about another young person who has taken their life. To most people it is unfathomable someone who has so much to live for would feel such despair to want to die. But often we hear that the person who has taken their own life had head trauma.

Could a concussion make a person want to commit suicide?

After Dr. Daniel Amen, Founder and CEO of Amen Clinics, wrote a column on head trauma in a Northern California newspaper, he was contacted by a woman who told him a very sad story.  The woman said her daughter had been a model child up until the time she had a bike accident when she was about 18. She hit a branch, flew over the handlebars, landed face-first on the street, and momentarily lost consciousness. Since then, everything changed. The young woman went from being happy and cooperative to angry and moody. Therapy didn’t help, and the young woman eventually took her own life when she was just 20 years old. Her mother was heartbroken, especially when she discovered the connection between concussions and suicide and that there are things you can do to help heal the brain after a concussion. If only she had known earlier, she said.

What is a Concussion?

Concussions are a type of traumatic brain injury that temporarily interferes with normal brain function. Most people think that concussions always cause a person to black out or lose consciousness, but this isn’t the case. Many people who experience a concussion are never diagnosed and don’t even realize they’ve experienced one.

Concussions on the Rise

More than 2 million people each year suffer a head injury. And the number of concussions in the U.S. is rising, especially among younger people. The number of Americans diagnosed with a concussion rose 43% from 2010 to 2015. But among people between the ages of 10 and 19, it jumped up by 71 percent.

Some of the most common causes of concussions include:

• Motor vehicle accidents
• Falls
• Sports injuries
• Explosive blasts and other combat injuries
• Violence

The Hidden Dangers of Concussions

Concussions often cause headaches, nausea, confusion, fatigue, or amnesia about the event. These symptoms may last days, weeks, or even longer. But there are many other symptoms tied to concussions that may not appear until weeks or months after the incident.

Healthy Surface SPECT brain scan:

Surface SPECT brain scan of a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI):

For example, head injuries often damage the pituitary gland, an area within the brain that is involved in the production of hormones, including thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and more. When the pituitary gland is damaged, it can result in hormonal imbalances that cause mood and energy problems, as well as other issues.

Having a head injury also increases the risk of many mental health conditions, including:

• Depression
• Anxiety and panic disorders
• ADHD
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• PTSD
• Psychosis
• Suicide

Sadly, many people do not associate new symptoms of mental illness or suicidal thoughts with a head injury they suffered months or years earlier. Because of this, they may receive treatment for depression and anxiety, for example, but they often do not get the help they need to heal the underlying traumatic brain injury. Too often, this results in someone taking their own life like the woman’s daughter you read about at the beginning of this blog.

Healing Concussions

To complement other treatments, there are ways to help heal the brain after a head injury or concussion, including:

• Neurofeedback: This computer-based interactive therapy involves the use of video games to help people control their brainwaves. More than 1,000 scientific studies show that this non-invasive technology can help with TBI, depression, ADHD, addiction, and more.

• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT): This non-invasive treatment uses concentrated oxygen to promote faster healing. Research shows it enhances brain repair, as well as cognitive and emotional functioning after a concussion or traumatic brain injury.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

At Amen Clinics, we have helped thousands of people with traumatic brain injuries or concussions to heal their brain and improve their quality of life. We use a combination of the least toxic, most effective therapies, which may include neurofeedback, HBOT, talk therapy, and medications, in addition to small lifestyle changes that can make a big difference. If you or someone you love has suffered a concussion or head injury, find out how we can help. Talk to a specialist today by calling 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit online.

Will: Concussions Changed His Mental Health

What Will’s Brain Scan Revealed

Will’s Concussion Brain Scan: The holes indicate damage to the front and back of his brain.

Healthy Brain Scan: Full, even, symmetrical activity.

Here are 5 concussion symptoms that are often misdiagnosed as simple mental health symptoms:

1. Anxiety:

2. Depression:

3. Problems with focus and organization:

4. Memory problems:

5. Anger and irritability:

How Can a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) occur?

Is Hockey Safe for My Child?

Prevention is the Best Option for Brain Health

• Always buckle your child into a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt (according to the child’s height, weight, and age) in the car.

• Avoid high-risk sports and activities where you can hit your head. 

• Always wear a helmet and make sure your children wear helmets during contact sports, bike riding, horseback riding, skateboarding, snowmobiling, skiing or snowboarding. 

Women and Concussion

Explanations from the Experts

Know the Warning Signs

The Silent Epidemic

Safety Tips

Ask the Right Questions

Take a Look

Brain SPECT imaging can: