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Recently, Dr. Daniel Amen was invited to consult on a tragic case that was presented on the Dr. Phil Show. Two years ago, at age 35, Josh was intoxicated on drugs when he stole his mother’s car and credit card. She called the police and had him arrested. In the bathroom at the jail, Josh used the laces of his shoes to hang himself. Josh physically survived his suicide attempt, but his brain was severely damaged from anoxia—a prolonged deprivation of oxygen.

The Devastation of Anoxic Brain Injuries

The brain is the most oxygen-hungry organ in the body. It uses 20% of the body’s total oxygen and it takes only a few minutes for a complete lack of oxygen to do horrible damage to the brain. Hanging and strangulation are not the only causes of anoxic brain injuries—they can also be caused by: The length of time that the brain goes without oxygen plays an important role in the prognosis of recovery. However, with a massive brain injury like the one Josh sustained, most people become completely incapacitated with a very limited ability for any type of recovery.
Anoxic Brain Injuries
SPECT surface scan that represents a case of anoxia. Notable decreases in blood flow throughout.
  Josh’s case is very sad indeed. For the past 2 years, he has been in a nursing home in a persistent vegetative state, kept alive by a feeding tube. He does not move, except through the brain stem reflexes of breathing, blinking, and coughing. His nervous system is deteriorating causing an increase in seizures, his hands are tightly balled, and his arms and legs are bent but rigid. After reviewing the medical records and learning more about the history of this terrible situation, Dr. Amen weighed in with his thoughts, based on his decades of medical practice using brain SPECT imaging. He explained that when the brain loses oxygen, brain cells quickly begin to die. Of the 170,000 SPECT scans done at Amen Clinics, the patients with anoxic injuries who have been scanned have the most severe brain damage he has seen. Dr. Amen also pointed out that with anoxia, the earlier interventions are done, such as hyperbaric oxygen treatment, infrared light therapy, or certain nutrients, the better the chance of reversing some of the injuries. However, in Josh’s case, Dr. Amen thinks the chance for any kind of recovery at this point is less than 1%, and that even if his brain could improve a little, Josh will never be Josh again. He would likely have a very, very low I.Q. because his brain is essentially dead. What complicates this awful situation, even more, is that Josh’s wife, Meagan, and his mother, Kelly, disagree on how to proceed after 2 years of seeing Josh in this condition. Meagan wants to bring him home, remove the feeding tube and let him pass away. Kelly, on the other hand, refuses to allow this and holds out hope that there will be some miraculous treatment that can improve his brain function. Even though he is still alive, Josh’s family has been grieving him in a way for nearly 2 years now. Without any resolution of the situation, they all are living with the chronic stress of unresolved grief.

Grief and Loss Dragons

In his new book, Your Brain is Always Listening, Dr. Amen writes about the inner dragons that breathe fire on our emotional brain (the amygdala). There are 13 different “Dragons from the Past” that evolve from the personal stories we tell ourselves based on our earlier experiences in life. We all have at least a few dragons, and most people have Grief and Loss Dragons. These show up as a normal reaction to losing someone we love, something important, or an attachment to ideas of what could have been. Like all dragons, they can be tamed with the right strategies, and it starts with accepting the reality of the loss and going through the healing process. For Josh’s family, the Grief and Loss Dragons are definitely breathing fire on everyone’s emotional brain. And sadly, these dragons can’t be tamed while he’s still alive. This drawn-out process will likely spawn Hopeless and Helpless Dragons as well as the Angry Dragons until this family can come to an agreement about what is best for Josh and for themselves. If you are having suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Your Brain Is Always Listening is written by psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and New York Times bestselling author Daniel G. Amen, MD. In this book, Dr. Amen equips you with powerful weapons to battle the inner dragons that are breathing fire on your brain, driving unhealthy behaviors, and robbing you of your joy and contentment. Order your copy here. If you want to join the tens of thousands of Amen Clinics patients who have already tamed their dragons and overcome their symptoms of addiction, anxiety, depression, trauma, and more, speak to a specialist today at 888-609-4318 or visit our contact page here. A wildly popular docuseries on Netflix explores the mysterious disappearance of Elisa Lam, a Canadian tourist who arrived in Los Angeles in 2013 only to vanish days later while staying at a rundown hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel airs the last known footage of the 21-year-old—a grainy video of her acting strangely in one of the hotel’s elevators. In the video, Elisa looks scared, frantically presses multiple buttons, appears to be trying to hide from someone, and makes some bizarre hand gestures. When the police released the video days after her disappearance, it quickly went viral, garnering millions of views and dozens of conspiracy theories. When Elisa’s lifeless body was found in one of the water tanks on the roof of the hotel, the mystery and theories grew exponentially. Was she murdered? Was she on drugs? Was it suicide?

DID MENTAL ILLNESS CONTRIBUTE TO ELISA LAM’S DEATH?

In the end (spoiler alert!), officials ruled it an accidental death and indicated that bipolar disorder was a contributing factor. Elisa had been diagnosed with bipolar spectrum disorder, which affects nearly 6 million Americans and is a severe mood disorder in which people cycle between depressive episodes and mania. On her Tumblr account, Elisa had written openly about having bipolar disorder and depression. Despite this, an army of Internet sleuths who emerged in the wake of her disappearance gravitated to more macabre theories about her death. Like too many people in our society, they overlooked the very real and negative impacts mental illness can have on a person’s behavior and life. The Netflix docuseries touches on Elisa Lam’s mental health struggles, but there is so much more you need to know about bipolar disorder. The Netflix docuseries touches on Elisa Lam’s mental health struggles, but there is so much more you need to know about bipolar disorder.
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7 SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT BIPOLAR DISORDER

1. People with bipolar disorder often stop taking their medication.

In the Elisa Lam docuseries, the coroner’s report revealed only traces of the medications prescribed to treat bipolar disorder, including antidepressants, a mood stabilizer, and an antipsychotic. Curiously, the amounts detected in her system were less than what had been prescribed, meaning Elisa was either skipping doses or taking less than recommended. In the docuseries, a psychiatrist suggests, “I think Elisa stopped taking her medications. And once she stops taking her meds, the risk for a mood episode goes way up.” It is not unusual for people with bipolar disorder to stop taking their medications. Bipolar disorder is typically very responsive to treatment. In fact, people with this condition often feel so much better after starting a prescription, they believe they no longer have an underlying issue and stop taking their meds. A 2016 review of existing research shows that as many as 70% of bipolar patients don’t adhere to prescription recommendations. Noncompliance results in worsening symptoms, increased hospitalizations, and a rise in suicidal behavior.

2. Some bipolar people experience psychosis.

Experts interviewed in the docuseries suggest that Elisa’s strange behavior in the elevator may indicate that she was experiencing a psychotic episode related to mania in bipolar disorder. Psychosis is associated with a disconnect from reality and can involve hallucinations, delusions, disjointed thinking, confusion, and a lack of self-awareness. In some people, it can lead to risky or dangerous behaviors.

3. Bipolar disorder increases the risk of suicide.

As many as 60% of bipolar patients attempt suicide at least once in their lifetime, according to a 2019 review in Medicina. In untreated bipolar disorder, an alarming 1 in 5 complete suicide. Does this mean Elisa Lam was intentionally trying to harm herself? We will never know the truth about what exactly was happening in Elisa’s mind as she climbed inside the water tank on the roof of the Cecil Hotel. But sadly, far too many individuals with this condition take their own lives.

4. Teens are vulnerable to bipolar disorder.

In the docuseries, it is revealed that by age 21, Elisa Lam had already been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This isn’t unusual, and in fact, it is most common for the onset of this mental health condition to occur in a person’s late teens to mid-20s. Elisa had also been diagnosed with depression, which research shows may be an early symptom of bipolar disorder. In fact, 1 in 5 adolescents who experience the onset of major depressive disorder will develop bipolar disorder—within 5 years!

5. Having bipolar disorder is stigmatizing.

The Netflix series reveals that Elisa wrote about her mental health issues on her Tumblr account, exposing how painful and isolating it can be. Among her posts, Elisa wrote: “Apparently, I’m bipolar. A few good days followed by a week of sleeping. That is the pattern.” “Depression sucks.” “I had a relapse.” “Fellow bipolars, you may be the only ones who understand what this is like.” “It’s a vicious cycle, isn’t it? I’m just so tired. So very tired.” “I don’t want to live like this.” “According to some people, I have a chemical imbalance. Can I just inhabit someone else’s brain?” Feeling stigmatized, misunderstood, and alone is common among people with bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric conditions. Finding others to talk to and share your feelings—whether it’s a mental health professional or a support group—can be helpful.

6. Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder.

Brain SPECT imaging shows that bipolar disorder is associated with abnormal brain activity. In bipolar patients at Amen Clinics, we see increased activity in the limbic system (emotional center), amygdala (fear center), hippocampus (mood and memory center), and cingulate gyrus (the brain’s gear shifter). Elisa Lam Docuseries and Bipolar Disorder

7. Many people are misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Many people are misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder after they have had a significant concussion that affects their prefrontal cortex and temporal lobes. When someone is misdiagnosed and given treatment for the wrong condition, it can make symptoms worse. Anyone struggling with symptoms of bipolar disorder should seek a diagnosis that includes brain imaging to rule out other factors and to help identify any co-existing conditions. Bipolar disorder, depression, mania, psychosis, and other mental health issues can’t wait. During these uncertain times, your mental well-being is more important than ever, and waiting until life gets back to “normal” is likely to make your symptoms worsen over time. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.

By Dr. Elissa Mendenhall N.D.

Meet my patient Ronnie. A retired sea captain in his sixties, he’s a cheerful and optimistic man. On first impression, you would never guess that he had been experiencing multiple panic attacks each day since before he was 16 years old. By the time he arrived in my office, he had been suffering with daily panic attacks for some 50 years.

Although he led a productive and active life and career, his panic disorder very much impacted his quality of life. In the past, he had tried a variety of anti-anxiety medications, such as escitalopram and fluoxetine, but he found no relief from them.

Ronnie also had an inflammatory bowel disease, collagenous colitis, which was symptomatic to some degree most days of the month. When it was very active, he would sometimes have 30 bowel movements a day. There were a number of foods and nutritional supplements that he couldn’t tolerate because they triggered diarrhea or painful cramping. In addition to the panic attacks, Ronnie had been having episodes of depression for days to weeks at a time without a known cause.

What Was Causing Ronnie’s Issues?

I postulated that Ronnie’s bowel disorder was increasing brain inflammation. In addition, the medication he was taking for the bowel disease—budesonide—was helpful at relieving his symptoms, but I was aware that it is in the glucocorticoid family of medications, known to trigger depression and other psychiatric issues.

I told him that it was possible this medication could be causing depression. That’s when we started tracking the times when he took the medication. Our sleuthing revealed that the times he was depressed did, in fact, correlate with the times he was using that medication.

Finding a Path to Healing

Pinpointing the medication as a contributor to Ronnie’s depressive episodes was only the first step. We also tested for hidden food allergies and changed his diet, which cooled down the inflammation in his brain and his digestive tract. After he changed what he was eating, not only did his bowel disease go into full remission for several months, but his panic attacks also became far less frequent. With his dedication and my guidance, he was able to reduce and eventually almost eliminate the use of budesonide, which resolved his depression.

The next step involved pharmacogenetic testing and found that he was incompatible with SSRI antidepressants and several other classic antidepressant medications. In fact, he had a genetic marker that is common in people with bipolar disorder. Even though he did not meet the diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder, his psychiatric prescriber saw the results of the panel I’d ordered and suggested he try a mood stabilizer medication (lamotrigine). With this, Ronnie’s panic attacks stopped altogether.

I had the privilege of working with Ronnie over the course of the next several years. During this time, he remained stable with only a few flares of mild anxiety and gut issues. Finally, after five decades of struggling, he was able to focus on the retirement and life he had envisioned. Freed from the grips of anxiety and disease, the sea captain ventured out to new horizons and began traveling the world with his wife. 

About the Author: Elissa Mendenhall, ND, Amen Clinics San Francisco Bay Area

Dr. Elissa Mendenhall, ND practices at Amen Clinics, which offers in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. Dr. Mendenhall is a naturopathic doctor who can prescribe both natural and prescription medications. 

People are struggling with suicidal thoughts, especially with pandemic-related anxiety, depression, and loneliness casting a heavy gloom. Japan is reeling from an alarming rise in suicide, with more people dying by suicide in a single month than by COVID-19 during the entire pandemic. And a November 2020 study in BMJ suggests preventive action must be taken now to strengthen mental health in order to avoid this distressing trend from emerging throughout the world. Approximately 9.3 million Americans reported having suicidal thoughts, according to CDC statistics from 2015. By contrast, an estimated 1.3 million attempted suicide that year, confirming that most people who have these thoughts don’t act on them. After 30 years of clinical practice at Amen Clinics, including thousands of suicidal patients, it’s clear that having thoughts about suicide isn’t uncommon. One of the most important findings from treating thousands of patients at Amen Clinics is this: Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
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SUICIDE IN THE BRAIN

You may think it’s your fault that you’re contemplating ending your own life. However, brain SPECT imaging reveals that people with suicidal thoughts often have abnormal activity in the brain. The brain imaging work at Amen Clinics, which includes over 300 people who have attempted suicide, has found that certain brain patterns are common in people with thoughts about self-harm. Amen Clinics brain imaging studies on suicide and brain function have been published in peer-reviewed journals, including Translational Psychiatry and The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences. These studies show that suicidality is associated with dysfunction in the brain’s limbic system (emotional centers), impaired impulse control, and low blood flow in a region known as Brodmann Area 25 that is commonly seen in treatment-resistant depression. “When my patients see their brain scans, it can be so helpful in reducing the shame, guilt, and self-blame they feel,” says Daniel Emina, MD, a neuropsychiatrist at Amen Clinics and the author of the upcoming book The Suicide Solution. “When people understand why they feel the way they do, and that there are ways to enhance their brain health and reduce suicidal thinking, it can be life-saving and life-changing. It can help them chart a path into life and freedom.”

8 WAYS TO FIND HOPE WHEN DARK THOUGHTS CLOUD YOUR MIND

1. Look for distractions.

If you get stuck on suicidal thoughts, picture a big red stop sign in your mind and say, “STOP!” Keep a list handy with ways to distract yourself from looping thoughts, such as taking a walk, exercising, getting in nature, reading an uplifting book, petting your dog, dancing to your favorite music, or eating a mood supportive meal (portion appropriate healthy fats, proteins, and complex carbs) that includes mood foods that fight depression. Consider channeling your negative emotions into creative actions (journaling, painting, cooking, making music, caring for others, etc.)

2. Challenge your negative thoughts.

Are you filled with thoughts like these? “I’m worthless.” “Life isn’t worth living.” “My family would be better off without me.” These are ANTs (automatic negative thoughts) that infest your mind and steal your happiness. Learning to question your thoughts is one of the most important tools you can use to find the light amid the darkness. Whenever you have one of these thoughts, ask yourself if it is true. Then ask yourself if the opposite of that thought is true and look for examples.

3. Remember to breathe.

“If you feel overwhelmed by suicidal thoughts, it’s common for your breathing to become quicker and shallower, which in turn can activate your fight or flight system, driving up your stress neurotransmitters, and impairing decision-making,” says Dr. Emina. Whenever you have suicidal thoughts, remind yourself to breathe deeply (deep belly breaths, not with your chest), taking twice as long to exhale as the inhale. For example, inhale for 3 seconds, hold it for one second, then exhale for 6 seconds. Doing this 10 times can help you feel better and clear your thinking.

4. Reach out to someone.

If clouds of dark thoughts descend on you while you’re alone, reach out to a family member, friend, minister, counselor, or any other person who will be supportive. “When suicidal thoughts are closing in on you, it can be hard to think about who to contact, so it’s a good idea to make a list of people in your support system so you’ll have it available when you need it,” says Dr. Emina. Simply add them to your favorites on your phone or use an APP like “My3App” to help you organize your safety net.

5. Don’t drink alcohol.

Over one-third of suicide victims consumed alcohol prior to their suicide attempt, according to statistics. Alcohol decreases blood flow to the prefrontal cortex, an area involved in impulse control, judgment, and decision-making. “When you drink or use other substances that lower activity in the frontal lobes, it can reduce your impulse control which can have devastating consequences,” says Dr. Emina. “When you’re in a stable state, you may think, ‘I want to die…but I don’t want to hurt my children.’ When alcohol fogs your thinking, you’re less likely to consider the consequences of your actions.”

6. Create a Hope Box

A strategy that many patients find helpful is to find a box and fill it with things that give you hope and that make you want to live. Make a list of the reasons why life is worth living. Include quotes, mantras, and verses that encourage you, photos of the people you love, mementos that are meaningful to you, and cards or letters that make you smile. Whenever you’re feeling down, open your Hope Box and let it fill you with inspiration.

7. Think about the legacy you’re leaving.

Remind yourself that children and teens who lose a parent to suicide are three times more likely to take their own lives, according to research in The Psychiatric Clinics of North America.

8. Seek professional help.

You don’t have to face troublesome thoughts alone. Finding a mental health care professional who uses brain imaging can help you understand your brain, optimize its function, develop strategies to challenge your thoughts, and find hope and healing. Work with a professional to create a pre-emptive safety plan to include reducing access to any potential methods of self-harm while creating a network of supports. 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, and thousands more who have contemplated it. We specialize in precision psychiatry that includes brain SPECT imaging to identify underlying brain abnormalities that increase the risk of suicide and offer personalized treatment plans to optimize the brain and lead to a happier, 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 love your life, find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here. Type 7: Unfocused Anxiety/Depression is characterized by feelings of anxiousness or low moods in addition to inattention, trouble concentrating, or in some cases, brain fog. This type is often seen in conjunction with ADD/ADHD. People with this type of anxiety and depression tend to lack motivation, have trouble achieving their goals, and tend to get easily distracted or off task. This holds you back at school, at work, and in relationships, which just makes you feel more depressed and anxious. Type 7: Unfocused Anxiety/Depression is characterized by feelings of anxiousness or low moods in addition to inattention, trouble concentrating, or in some cases, brain fog.
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COMMON SYMPTOMS OF TYPE 7: UNFOCUSED ANXIETY/DEPRESSION

People with Unfocused Anxiety/Depression typically have at least 4 symptoms from Pure Anxiety (Type 1) and/or Pure Depression (Type 2) plus at least 4 of the “unfocused” symptoms. Anxiety symptoms include: Depression symptoms include: Unfocused Symptoms TYPE 7: UNFOCUSED ANXIETY/DEPRESSION IN THE BRAIN SPECT findings with this type show decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex at rest and during concentration (often associated with ADD/ADHD), in addition to high activity in the ganglia (see Type 1: Pure Anxiety for more on the basal ganglia) and/or the deep limbic system (see Type 2: Pure Depression for more on the deep limbic system). Distinguishing Unfocused Anxiety/Depression from ADD/ADHD can be difficult because of the similarity in symptoms. However, brain imaging provides a window into the brain to see the areas with too little or too much activity. This allows for a more accurate diagnosis. A variation of Unfocused Anxiety/Depression is caused by overall reduced blood flow and activity in the cortex along with too much activity in the basal ganglia and/or deep limbic system. This pattern may be related to physical illness, drug or alcohol abuse, hypoxia (lack of oxygen), infections (such as Lyme disease), traumatic brain injury, or exposure to toxic mold or other environmental toxins. Symptoms of this variation also include frequent feelings of sickness, mental dullness, “brain fog,” or cognitive impairment. INTERVENTIONS FOR TYPE 7: UNFOCUSED ANXIETY/DEPRESSION There are many natural solutions for Unfocused Anxiety/Depression, including: Depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, infections, and other mental health issues can’t wait. During these uncertain times, your mental well-being is more important than ever and waiting until life gets back to “normal” is likely to make your symptoms worsen over time. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here. By Daniel G. Amen, MD Are you feeling anxious, hopeless, traumatized, angry, insignificant, or grief-stricken? Do you feel like there’s no way out of the emotional anguish that has haunted you for years or even decades? You may have “Dragons from the Past” running wild in your brain. And they could be stealing your happiness.

WHAT ARE DRAGONS FROM THE PAST?

Since the beginning of time, we have communicated with each other through stories. They help us understand our place in the world and teach us how to act or not act. They shape our perceptions and pass down knowledge and morals. Personal stories guide and direct our lives. How we interpret our experiences is one of the major driving forces behind happiness or depression, exhilaration or disappointment, rage, or peace. I call the stories that interfere with our lives “Dragons from the Past.” It’s a concept I learned from my friend Dr. Sharon May, a world-renowned psychologist. These inner dragons are still breathing fire on our amygdala (the almond-shaped structure on the inside of your temporal lobes involved in emotional reactions), driving anxiety, anger, irrational behavior, and automatic negative reactions. Unless you recognize and tame your inner “Dragons from the Past,” they will haunt your unconscious mind and drive emotional pain for the rest of your life. Unless you recognize and tame your inner “Dragons from the Past,” they will haunt your unconscious mind and drive emotional pain for the rest of your life.
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DISCOVER YOUR DRAGONS FROM THE PAST

Over time I identified 13 Dragons from the Past, including their origins, triggers that make them overpowering, and how they cause us to react. In my new book, Your Brain Is Always Listening, I introduce you to all 13 dragons from the past, including the Anxious Dragons, Wounded Dragons, Hopeless and Helpless Dragons, and Ancestral Dragons (my favorites). When I teach my patients how to identify their inner dragons, they start to recognize what’s fueling their fears, emotional pain, and unhealthy behaviors. Knowing which dragons are driving your actions and emotions is the first step to taming them.

HOW TO TAME YOUR DRAGONS

If your inner dragons have taken control of your brain and are driving anxiety, depression, and other problems, take heart. It doesn’t have to be this way. You can learn to tame your dragons and transform your life, so you can feel happier, more positive, and more in control of your own emotions. When you tame your dragons, you can break bad habits, stop self-defeating thinking patterns, and shore up your ability to cope with uncertainty. In fact, taming your dragons is essential for emotional well-being and good mental health. To help you do it, I’ve taken the most effective dragon-taming strategies—the same science-backed ones I use with my patients—and put them in my new book, Your Brain Is Always Listening. In this book, I’ll show you the simple yet powerful steps to stop letting your Dragons from the Past breathe fire on your brain and start taming them so you can overcome past emotional hurts and live the life you want. Your Brain Is Always Listening is written by psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and New York Times bestselling author Daniel G. Amen, MD. In this book, Dr. Amen equips you with powerful weapons to battle the inner dragons that are breathing fire on your brain, driving unhealthy behaviors, and robbing you of your joy and contentment. Order your copy here. If you want to join the tens of thousands of Amen Clinics patients who have already tamed their dragons and overcome their symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma, and more, speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here. The hallmark of Type 6: Cyclic Anxiety/Depression is a cyclic pattern of low moods or anxiousness. People with this type tend to experience major mood swings, their depression or anxiety comes and goes, or it increases and decreases in severity. Cyclical disorders, such as bipolar disorder, cyclothymia, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PDD), and panic attacks are part of this category because they are episodic and unpredictable. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is associated with winter blues, is a variant of this type. Type 6: Cyclic Anxiety/Depression is a spectrum disorder, which means you can have a very mild form or a very severe form, or anything in between. A person can have a mild form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or a mild cyclic mood disorder, or the problems can be so severe that they are debilitating or even life-threatening. Cyclic Anxiety/Depression must be closely and skillfully monitored, especially at critical times in the course of the disorder, such as when a person is experiencing intense stress, going through a hormonal transition, or changing medications. The hallmark of Type 6: Cyclic Anxiety/Depression is a cyclic pattern of low moods or anxiousness.
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COMMON SYMPTOMS OF TYPE 6: CYCLIC ANXIETY/DEPRESSION

People with this type generally have 4 symptoms from Pure Anxiety (Type 1) and/or Pure Depression (Type 2) in addition to at least 4 “cyclic” symptoms. Anxiety symptoms include: Depression symptoms include: Cyclic Symptoms

TYPE 6: CYCLIC ANXIETY/DEPRESSION IN THE BRAIN

Type 6: Cyclic Anxiety/Depression is associated with extremely high activity in the brain’s basal ganglia and/or deep limbic system. These areas of excessive activity act like “emotional seizures” as the emotional centers hijack the brain for periods of time in a cyclical pattern. Not surprisingly, SPECT scan findings for this type vary depending on the phase of the disorder. For example, a woman with severe premenstrual syndrome may show only increased focal deep limbic activity during the unaffected time of her cycle. However, during the worst time of her cycle, her scans may show not only increased focal deep limbic activity but also decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex (associated with trouble concentrating and impulsivity) and increased activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus (associated with getting stuck on thoughts or behaviors).

INTERVENTIONS FOR TYPE 6: CYCLIC ANXIETY/DEPRESSION

In some cases, people with cyclic mood disorders or anxiety may require medication to stabilize moods. This needs to be monitored very closely. There are other natural solutions that may be beneficial, including: Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, mood swings, and other mental health issues can’t wait. During these uncertain times, your mental well-being is more important than ever and waiting until life gets back to “normal” is likely to make your symptoms worsen over time. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here. Feeling depressed or anxious? If you seek help from a primary care physician or a traditional psychiatrist, you’re likely to walk away with a prescription for antidepressants or antianxiety medication and not much else. But pills aren’t enough to deliver optimal mental health. In fact, because most conventional healthcare provides make diagnoses based on symptom clusters alone, it’s not uncommon to be misdiagnosed or given the wrong treatment. This can make your mental health problems worse. In order to have a healthy mind, you must first have a healthy brain. To do that you must optimize the 4 circles of a whole life—biological, psychological, social, and spiritual. Integrative psychiatry helps you do it. In order to have a healthy mind, you must first have a healthy brain. To do that you must optimize the 4 circles of a whole life—biological, psychological, social, and spiritual. Integrative psychiatry helps you do it.
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Integrative psychiatry, a form of integrative medicine or functional medicine, takes a whole-person approach to mental health by helping you enhance all these areas of your life to promote better psychological well-being and cognitive function. Integrative psychiatry is based on solid science, and as science advances, so does this form of mental health with more sophisticated diagnostic testing, more effective therapies, and more powerful solutions. Integrative psychiatrists assess, diagnose, and treat patients based on the most cutting-edge scientific findings. Treatment may include standard-of-care options in addition to science-backed complementary and alternative therapies to foster healing. One study in the journal Psychiatric Services found that 35% of people use at least one form of complementary and alternative medicine for mental health, and that was over 10 years ago. That percentage is estimated to be much higher now as integrative psychiatry continues to grow in popularity.

Here are 7 ways integrative psychiatry can help your mental health.

1. Discover brain health issues that are holding you back.

Many people who are experiencing psychological issues have underlying brain health problems that are contributing to their anxiety, depression, lack of focus, memory loss, or brain fog. Integrative psychiatrists who use brain SPECT imaging can help identify undetected issues, such as traumatic brain injury, areas that are overactive, and areas that are underactive. With these insights, an integrative psychiatrist can provide precision treatment plans to enhance brain health.

2. Identify biological causes for mental health problems.

Issues such as mood swings, short attention span, and anxiousness can be related to physical issues. With integrative psychiatry, diagnostic lab tests can help root out biological problems that cause mental health symptoms. For example, Lyme disease, hormonal imbalances, and blood flow problems have been linked to psychiatric symptoms. In addition, comprehensive testing can reveal if there are any toxic substances that may be affecting your brain and mental health.

3. Find the best healing foods and nutritional supplements for your needs.

The foods you eat can either drive depression and anxiety or they can promote positive moods and calm. Psychiatrists who take an integrative approach to treatment evaluate your diet and assess any micronutrient deficiencies and make food and supplement recommendations based on your individual needs.

4. Provide strategies to improve the health of your mind.

For many people, negative thinking patterns and an undisciplined mind can fuel symptoms associated with mental illness. As part of a whole-person treatment plan, trained integrative psychiatrists provide patients with scientifically proven strategies to challenge the ANTs (automatic negative thoughts) that steal your happiness and gain control of your mind. And sophisticated neuropsychological testing performed by integrative psychiatrists can provide valuable insights into your cognitive function.

5. Develop routines that help reduce stress.

A highly stressful lifestyle can keep you stuck in psychological hell. Integrative psychiatrists provide people with evidence-backed relaxation protocols that help your brain and your mind. Learning to manage stress is an important part of any integrative treatment plan.

6. Learn how to create a support network.

Integrative psychiatrists know that who you spend time with matters. If you surround yourself with people who are negative or conflict-driven, or who engage in bad habits such as heavy drinking or drug abuse, it can drag you down. Working with a professional to assess your social circle and identify the “accomplices” who harm your psychological well-being and the “friends” who support your brain healthy habits can make a big difference.

7. Find your “why.”

Experts understand that having a sense of purpose in life can provide the motivation to get and stay healthy. An integrative psychiatrist can work with you to pinpoint what gives your life meaning. When you have a personalized integrative treatment plan that addresses all of your needs—biological, psychological, social, and spiritual—it helps put you on a faster path to a lifetime of healing. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can’t wait. During these uncertain times, your mental well-being is more important than ever and waiting until life gets back to “normal” is likely to make your symptoms worsen over time. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here. Type 5: Temporal Lobe Anxiety/Depression is related to too little or too much activity in the brain’s temporal lobes (involved in moods, emotions, and memory), in addition to overactivity in the basal ganglia and/or deep limbic system. The temporal lobes are frequently forgotten in psychiatry and rarely talked about in clinical settings (outside of temporal lobe seizure disorders). Yet the temporal lobes are an amazing part of the brain, personality, and perhaps even religious experience. They are very important to memory, moods, and emotions. When there are problems in this part of the brain, people struggle with temper outbursts, memory problems, mood instability, visual or auditory illusions, and dark or frightening thoughts. People with this type of anxiety and depression tend to misinterpret comments as negative when they are not, have trouble reading social situations, and appear to have mild paranoia. They may also have episodes of panic or fear for no specific reason, experience frequent periods of déjà vu, and be preoccupied with religious thoughts. People with this type are the most likely to exhibit aggressive behavior toward others or themselves. People with Type 5: Temporal Lobe Anxiety/Depression are the most likely to exhibit aggressive behavior towards others or themselves.
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COMMON SYMPTOMS OF TYPE 5: TEMPORAL LOBE ANXIETY/DEPRESSION

People with this type generally have 4 symptoms from Pure Anxiety (Type 1) and/or Pure Depression (Type 2) in addition to at least 4 “temporal lobe” symptoms. Anxiety symptoms include: Depression symptoms include: Temporal Lobe Symptoms TYPE 5: TEMPORAL LOBE ANXIETY/DEPRESSION IN THE BRAIN Brain SPECT imaging findings associated with this type show abnormal activity in the brain’s temporal lobes as well as increased activity in the basal ganglia (see Type 1: Pure Anxiety for more on the basal ganglia) and/or the deep limbic system (see Type 2: Pure Depression for more on the deep limbic system) at rest and during concentration.

INTERVENTIONS FOR TYPE 5: TEMPORAL LOBE ANXIETY/DEPRESSION

In traditional psychiatry, the most commonly prescribed antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However, decades of research have shown that SSRIs can make some people more aggressive and more suicidal. Based on the world’s largest database of brain SPECT imaging at Amen Clinics—over 160,000 scans and growing—people with temporal lobe abnormalities are at greater risk for a negative reaction to SSRI medication. But if nobody looks at your brain, they would never know that there is abnormal activity in the temporal lobes. Natural solutions for this type include: Depression, anxiety, aggression, memory problems, and other mental health issues can’t wait. During these uncertain times, your mental well-being is more important than ever and waiting until life gets back to “normal” is likely to make your symptoms worsen over time. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here. C’mon, admit it. Have you been diving headfirst into bottomless rabbit holes of depressing COVID statistics? Thumbing endless hateful political threads on Twitter that make you irritated and angry? Compulsively scanning your social media pages for posts that drive your anxiety? Sounds like you’ve been “doomscrolling.” The act of scrolling through your phone or computer for content that causes physical and mental distress is becoming more and more common these days. It’s so widespread now that the word doomscrolling has been recognized by Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com. Spending hours doomscrolling for stress-provoking content causes changes in your brain that drive anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive behavior, and addictions. Spending hours doomscrolling for stress-provoking content causes changes in your brain that drive anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive behavior, and addictions.
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WHAT DOOMSCROLLING DOES TO YOUR BRAIN

Think of doomscrolling like pouring toxic doom-and-gloom thoughts into your brain. The constant frightening images activate the brain’s fear circuits (amygdala), making you feel chronically anxious and afraid. Information is like crack. Brain-imaging research in a 2019 issue of PNAS found that information triggers the dopamine-fueled reward system in the same way as food, money, or even drugs. The authors suggest this neural mechanism explains why we are susceptible to clickbait. Doomscrolling is like clickbait on steroids. Neuroscience shows us that the human brain is wired for negativity and pays extra attention to anything that might harm us. That’s why all those scare-inducing headlines about spiking COVID cases, outrageous political maneuvers, looting, and rioting keep you glued. In a survey from the American Psychological Association, 56% of people said that regularly following the news causes stress. That’s just “following” the news, not even close to the obsessive clicking and consumption that comes with doomscrolling. Over time, elevated stress hormones shrink the major memory centers in your brain, increase inflammation, and put excessive fat around your waist With each click, you feel more anxious, more hopeless, more stressed. That fuels unhealthy behaviors.

HOW DOOMSCROLLING DRIVES UNHEALTHY BEHAVIOR

When you’re stressed to the max, you’re more likely to stay up late and skimp on sleep, more inclined to indulge in sugary treats that increase anxiousness and bad moods, and more apt to reach for an alcoholic drink or marijuana to calm your nerves. But these behaviors backfire.

6 STEPS TO STOP DOOMSCROLLING

If you want to kick your doomscrolling habit, follow these steps.
  1. Set time limits for scrolling. No more than 15 minutes at any one time.
  2. Add good news to your daily scrolling. Make it a rule to start and end your day with some positivity, such as the inspiring stories you can find at the Good News Network.
  3. Go on an intermittent information fast. Mentally unplug from your news sources on a regular basis.
  4. If you’re tempted to send a snarky reply to a post, say “STOP” and count to 10 before hitting the send button.
  5. Set up blocks and filters on your devices. If certain news sites or social media sites are particularly distressing, block them.
  6. Make your bedroom a technology-free zone and don’t use any devices right before bedtime, or it may make it hard to sleep.
Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, mood swings, and other mental health issues can’t wait. During these uncertain times, your mental well-being is more important than ever and waiting until life gets back to “normal” is likely to make your symptoms worsen over time. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.