Bipolar disorder is in the spotlight these days thanks to several celebrities—including Kanye West, Demi Lovato, Bebe Rexha, and Halsey—who have gone public with their diagnoses. These high-profile individuals are among the 5.7 million Americans affected by bipolar disorder.
Considered a cyclic mood disorder, this condition shifts between manic episodes and depressive episodes that are characterized by severe changes in mood, energy, and activity levels. The discussions in the media and on social media have brought to light some of the common symptoms associated with the condition.
For example, manic episodes are characterized by:
On the other end of the spectrum, depressive episodes are associated with:
This is good information, but there’s one important aspect of bipolar disorder that nobody is talking about—the brain.
Brain SPECT imaging, which measures blood flow and activity in the brain, shows that people with bipolar disorder tend to have abnormal activity patterns in the brain. For the patients at Amen Clinics and their families, seeing their brain scans helps them understand that symptoms and behaviors associated with bipolar disorder are not “mental health” problems or character flaws, they’re “brain health” problems.
Unfortunately, millions of people in America who are suffering from bipolar disorder and other psychiatric conditions don’t get the help they need due to the stigma surrounding mental health. Reframing the discussion from mental health to brain health helps overcome that stigma because it shows that conditions aren’t moral, they’re medical.
For people with bipolar disorder, brain imaging can also reveal some surprising findings. For example, at Amen Clinics, SPECT brain scans show that many people who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder also have an underlying traumatic brain injury that has never been properly diagnosed or treated. Many of these people don’t even remember experiencing a head injury.
This hidden trauma can be the result of head injuries that happened months, years, or even decades earlier. Some of the most common causes include falls (falling off a bike or ladder, or falling down stairs), vehicle accidents, or sports-related concussions. Having a brain injury can exacerbate the ups and downs of bipolar disorder. The patient population at Amen Clinics shows that healing the underlying damage can be very helpful in reducing symptoms associated with bipolar disorder.
Brain imaging can also help detect other mental health conditions that commonly occur with bipolar. For example, research in Clinical Psychology shows that 62% of people with bipolar disorder also meet the clinical criteria for ADD/ADHD. Anxiety disorders and substance use disorders are also common in people with bipolar disorder.
Without the added help of brain imaging, bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed for other conditions, such as depression or schizophrenia. In fact, most people suffer from symptoms of the disorder for an entire decade before getting an accurate diagnosis. This can have devastating effects because following the wrong treatment plan can make symptoms worse.
When left untreated or mistreated, the condition is associated with a decrease of over 9 years in life expectancy. In addition, people with bipolar disorder are 15 times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population, and 1 in 5 people with the condition eventually take their own life.
Bipolar disorder is treatable and is generally responsive to a treatment program that is personalized to enhance brain health and that may include nutritional supplements, healthy nutrition, exercise, lifestyle changes, helpful forms of therapy, and medication (when necessary).
Bipolar disorder, ADD/ADHD, 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. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
Too many of us whine, moan, and complain about the hardships in our lives. And with everything 2020 has delivered so far, there are a lot of hardships to go around. You may be feeling that life is unfair or that you’ve been dealt a raw deal. Like many people these days, you may be wallowing in frustration, anxiety, anger, or depression.
The buildup of emotions due to the pandemic could be squashing your motivation and leading to creative destruction. It’s not uncommon for people to feel so overwhelmed by their emotions that they have trouble getting their work done let alone doing it creatively.
For others, the swirling emotions could be fueling a creative explosion. In fact, it is through our toughest trials that our greatest creative gifts tend to emerge. Take it from rapper Kid Cudi, who revealed in an interview with People magazine that “anxiety and depression ruled my life for as long as I could remember.” He says it took him a while to learn that “we can take our pain and turn it into something. I turn my pain into music.”
How can you be like Kid Cudi and turn your pain into passion that fuels your creativity rather than kills it?
Science shows that creativity is linked to emotions, and it appears that negative emotions may be behind some of the world’s greatest art. A 2008 study in Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin found that compared with social approval, social rejection was associated with greater artistic creativity.
A 2016 study used brain imaging in Scientific Reports to measure activity in the brains of jazz musicians as they created music. The researchers found that when the musicians were asked to play in a way that conveyed a positive emotion, it deactivated an area of the brain called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, an area involved in planning and monitoring behavior. This has been interpreted as a neural signature of being in a “flow state” or “in the zone.”
When the same musicians were asked to convey a negative emotion, the deactivation in the DLPFC wasn’t as pronounced. However, the negative emotions activated the reward centers of the brain, which are tied to drive and motivation. Negative emotions may make you more driven to create.
The act of engaging in a creative endeavor can enhance moods and emotions, according to research in the American Journal of Public Health. Because of this, it’s a good idea to find ways to channel your negative emotions in a creative way.
Don’t think you have to be “artsy” or “crafty” to get creative. Creativity crosses all domains—even mathematicians, business leaders, and neuroscientists need to innovate in creative ways. Here are some ways to turn your painful emotions into power through creativity.
ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, 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. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
When a loved one or family member has depression, it takes a toll on the whole household. Parents with a teen or adult child with a depressive disorder may feel an obligation to rescue them. Children with a parent who is struggling with the condition may think they’re at fault for their parent’s negative attitudes and behaviors. And having a spouse or significant other with this common psychiatric disorder may wonder if their relationship will survive.
Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting approximately 17.3 million Americans. And those rates are rising due to the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, twice as many people reported symptoms of the disorder during the pandemic compared to a 2014 national survey that asked about depressed moods. This means more Americans are living with someone who is depressed, which can make you feel anxious, angry, frustrated, neglected, or unloved.
One of the first steps to coping more effectively in life with someone with depression is to understand the symptoms and situations that may arise.
People with depression often have a hopeless outlook on life and feel helpless to change their situation. This attitude may be exacerbated by the pandemic, lockdown, and subsequent economic fallout. Beware that their negativity can be contagious and spread to others in the family.
These days, everybody is dealing with some level of social withdrawal due to stay-at-home orders, but depressed people may also withdraw from the people in your own home. This can make you and other family members feel shut out or disconnected.
Some people with depression—especially men—are more likely to have a short fuse and seem to get angry over the smallest things. When you’re the target of a parent’s, spouse’s, or teen’s angry outbursts or stinging criticisms, it can hurt. You may feel like you’re walking on eggshells in an effort to avoid setting them off.
A lack of energy and overwhelming fatigue are commonly seen in people with depression. Your loved one may be sleeping more and feel unable to handle their usual chores and activities. You might feel annoyed that they aren’t chipping in around the house the way you expect them to.
It’s very common for depressed people to feel apathetic about the activities they once enjoyed. You may find yourself saying things like, “Why don’t you go for a bike ride?” or “You should do some painting today.” Their lack of enthusiasm for life can trigger your frustration.
The inability to feel pleasure (called anhedonia) can also spill over into your relationship and cause marital conflict. A depressed spouse may not show as much affection to you, may not be interested in sex, or may not want to have a “date night.” You may take it all personally and interpret this as your partner falling out of love with you when really, it’s the depression that’s pulling them away from you. If your needs aren’t being met or it makes you feel insecure about their commitment to you, it creates more friction in the relationship.
Some people with depression seem to be living in a fog. Their lack of attention and forgetfulness may make you feel neglected or unloved.
Undiagnosed and untreated (or mistreated) depression increases the risk of addictions, which can be ruinous for families.
1. Adopt brain healthy behaviors. Rather than simply telling your loved one what they “should” do—such as exercising, eating right, meditating, and challenging automatic negative thoughts (ANTs)—lead by example. People are more likely to pick up good habits when they are surrounded by others who have healthy routines.
2. Don’t take it personally. This can be a real challenge, but try not to take the depressed person’s anger, apathy, or withdrawal personally. Try to step back and objectively see it as a symptom of the disorder. This can help keep you from feeling hurt, angry, or defensive.
3. Be willing to listen. People who live with someone who has depressive disorder often want to “fix” things by offering solutions. Sometimes, it’s more beneficial to simply listen when the depressed person wants to share how they’re feeling. Allowing them to talk about their emotions helps get those thoughts out of their head, which can be helpful.
4. Find your own joy. When you’re living with someone with depression, it can be easy to let them drag you down into their sadness and negativity. To avoid this, you need to take care of your own needs and do the things that give you pleasure. For instance, if you want to go for a hike, but your loved one can’t muster the energy to join you, do it yourself.
5. Notice what you like more than what you don’t like. Pointing out your loved one’s successes, no matter how small, is beneficial for everyone. Make an effort to notice what your loved one is doing right rather than harping on what they’re doing that bothers you.
6. Get support when you need it. If you’re struggling with the situation with your loved one, turn to trusted friends or extended family members for some support. Going to counseling or psychotherapy—in person or via telehealth—can be extremely beneficial in helping you learn more about depression and in gaining skills to help you cope more effectively.
7. Help loved ones get the help they need. Rather than simply trying to deal with your family member’s symptoms, encourage them to get an accurate diagnosis and a personalized treatment plan. Depression is associated with many biological issues, such as low blood flow, inflammation, head trauma, exposure to toxins (such as toxic mold), infections (such as Lyme disease), hormonal imbalances, diabesity (the combination of diabetes and obesity), and sleep problems. Finding and treating any underlying issues can help resolve depressive symptoms.
8. Know their depression type. Depression isn’t a single or simple disorder. There are multiple types and knowing their type can help get the right treatment. Brain SPECT imaging has helped identify 7 types of depression and anxiety.
Depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, 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. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
Did you know that taking antidepressants can sabotage your sex life? Sexual dysfunction is a common complaint among people taking antidepressants. Research in Drug, Healthcare, and Patient Safety shows that these medications can make you less interested in physical romance, decrease sexual excitement, cause erectile dysfunction and lubrication problems, and make it harder to achieve an orgasm, among other issues.
In turn, this can have a detrimental impact on self-esteem and can lead to relationship problems and marital conflict, which can drive you even deeper into depression.
Many people don’t realize that sexual side effects are common when taking antidepressants and that they can affect both women and men. In some cases, if you’re given a prescription for antidepressants in a brief office visit with a primary care physician or a healthcare provider, you may not be fully informed about these potential side effects. Sexual side effects are a common reason why people with depressive disorder stop taking their medication.
Problems in the bedroom can occur with any type of antidepressant, but they are more pronounced with SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). Common brands of SSRIs include:
A review of existing research on antidepressants and sexual dysfunction estimated that as many as 73% of people taking SSRIs experience sexual dysfunction. In one study in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, the frequency of sexual side effects was 65% for paroxetine (Paxil), 59% for fluvoxamine (Luvox), 56% for sertraline (Zoloft), and 54% for fluoxetine (Prozac).
First, let’s look at how SSRIs are believed to work in treating depression. These medications enhance the availability of the “don’t worry, be happy” neurotransmitter serotonin, which has been found to be in low levels in people with depression. Low levels of serotonin are also associated with obsessive thinking—the way you might spend every minute of every day thinking about a new love interest. This kind of obsessive thinking is comparable to obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is also characterized by low serotonin levels.
Serotonin-enhancing antidepressants blunt the emotions, including the elation of romance, and suppress obsessive thinking, a critical component of romance.
Brain imaging studies show that SSRIs also calm the anterior cingulate gyrus (where overactivity can cause obsessive thinking) and the basal ganglia (where overactivity is associated with anxiety).
By increasing the availability of serotonin in the brain and by lowering activity in these brain regions, people feel more relaxed, less anxious, and less obsessive. They also feel more blasé when it comes to romance. With a lower libido, you’re less interested in lovemaking.
Fortunately, there are alternatives to antidepressants that don’t cause sexual dysfunction. Saffron, a spice from the Crocus sativus flower, is one of them. People have been using saffron, which has over 150 active substances in it, for 2,600 years and it’s been associated with happiness and reduced anxiousness. Scientific research backs this up as more than 20 studies show that saffron is more effective than placebo and equal to the SSRIs Prozac and Zoloft, as well as other antidepressants, such as Effexor and imipramine, for depression.
What makes saffron different is that this natural herb has been found to enhance sexual function. In fact, some call it an aphrodisiac and some women have referred to it as the “Viagra for women.”
A 2018 study in Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine found that saffron has a positive effect on erectile dysfunction. In a 2012 issue of Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical & Experimental, researchers studied the effects of saffron on women with major depression who were experiencing sexual dysfunction from taking fluoxetine (Prozac). The women in the study taking 30mg of saffron a day for 4 weeks experienced a greater boost in arousal and vaginal lubrication compared to those taking a placebo.
Before taking any medication, it is wise to understand the potential side effects. Taking pills may seem like an easier and quicker solution to bad moods than taking the time and effort to develop brain healthy habits and build skills. But treating one problem only to create another one isn’t smart medicine. A better approach is to look for alternatives to antidepressants and other medications that provide comparable benefits without the unwanted side effects while you work on incorporating brain healthy habits into your life. That’s a win-win for you.
Depression, ADD/ADHD, 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. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
After 40 years of psychiatric practice with tens of thousands of patients at Amen Clinics, it has become clear that there’s one self-defeating behavior that is guaranteed to ruin your life. What is it?
Blaming others.
These days, there’s a tsunami of blame going around. Just scroll through your social media feed, and you’ll find angry, anxious, helpless, and sad posts from people blaming someone else for their current situation. Heck, you may even be one of those people posting about how others are to blame for your misfortune. But this is not helpful. In fact, it’s toxic thinking.
The tendency to blame others when things go wrong in your life is a hallmark of self-sabotage. It means that when anything goes wrong in your work life, in your relationship, or with your health, you’re quick to say it’s somebody else’s fault.
But blame triggers a dangerous downward spiral that leads to inaction and helplessness that just makes things worse. Here’s how it goes:
“It’s your fault.”
“My life would be better if it wasn’t for…”
“If only that didn’t happen, then I….”
“Nothing will ever go right for me, so why bother trying?”
Blaming others feels good at first. It basically absolves you of any feelings of guilt or responsibility for the things that are going wrong in your life. However, it also reinforces the idea that your life is out of your control and that others can determine how life goes for you. This is disempowering and causes much inner turmoil. Eventually, by giving up on trying to change things, it can lead to even greater problems in your life. Your career goes nowhere, your relationship disintegrates, or your health deteriorates. It can also lead to feelings of anxiety and depression.
Blaming others is a type of ANT (automatic negative thoughts) that infests your mind and ruins your day and your life. Of all the types of ANTs (there are at least 9 types of self-defeating ANTs), Blaming ANTs are the most toxic. They not only steal your happiness but also drain your personal power.
Is your mind ruled by Blaming ANTs? Ask yourself if you have a tendency to say things like:
1. “It’s their fault that COVID-19 infections are going up in my area.”
2. “It’s their fault I lost my job.”
3. “It’s not my fault I eat too much; my mom taught me to clean my plate.”
4. “I’m having trouble meeting this deadline because the client keeps changing his mind. I’m miserable, and it’s all his fault!”
5. “It’s my boss’ fault I did not get promoted.”
6. “It’s my child’s fault.”
7. “It wasn’t my fault that [I wasn’t prepared for the meeting, they never give enough notice, etc.]”
8. “That wouldn’t have happened if you had been better to me.”
9. “How was I supposed to know [the boss wanted the reports in two days. He should have told me, etc.].”
10. “If it was so important, why didn’t you remind me?”
In order to break free from the Blaming ANTs, you have to start taking responsibility. Rather than automatically placing blame on others, ask yourself this simple question:
“What can I do today to make things better?”
Think about things you can do to make yourself more valuable at work, to make your relationships better, to improve your health and well-being, to make your thinking more rational, and to make your brain healthier?
For example, at Amen Clinics, patients with relationship issues often tend to blame the other person. But when they look at their own behavior and admit that there are things they do that drive their partner crazy, it helps them stop the blame game. Then when they think about what they do that makes their partner happy, they can take ownership of their behavior and choose to do the things that make their partner smile. It makes them feel empowered to enhance their relationship with their words and actions.
Responsibility isn’t about taking the blame for everything, rather it’s about your ability to respond to whatever situation you’re in. Even in a pandemic when you may feel like so much is out of your control, you can still take responsibility for your own actions.
Make today the day you commit to stop blaming others and start asking what you can do today that will make the biggest positive difference in your work life, your relationships, and your brain and body health. After all, don’t you want to be in the driver’s seat of your own life?
Anxiety, depression, ADD, memory loss, 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. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
You may pride yourself on having really high standards, but if you’re one of those people who are so focused on getting every little detail just right, it could backfire. In fact, perfectionists face a troubling paradox—feeling superior for having such lofty goals but feeling inferior because you can never attain them.
Experts generally define 3 types of perfectionism:
All types can be damaging, but most experts agree that socially prescribed perfectionism can be the most harmful and even lethal, in some cases.
If you struggle with perfectionism, you aren’t alone. A 2019 study that evaluated more than 40,000 college students found a 33% rise in perfectionism from 1989 to 2016.
Perfectionists tend to set sky-high goals that aren’t attainable, which sets you up for failure. Either you fail to reach your goal, or you give up due to fear of failure. Either way, you feel like a loser.
People who are perfectionists are usually filled with lots of automatic negative thoughts (ANTs), especially All-or-Nothing ANTs (thinking that things are either all good or all bad) and Just the Bad ANTs (seeing only the bad in a situation). For example, if you have to create a multimedia presentation at work, you think that if it isn’t the best one ever created, it’s an abysmal failure. Those are the All-or-Nothing ANTs inside your head.
Here’s an example of how the Just the Bad ANTs can ruin your life. Let’s say you’re getting ready to go out on a first date with that really awesome person you’ve had your eye on for a while. You’re excited and you feel the need to be flawless, but as you’re getting ready, you notice that a pimple has popped up. So, the whole time you’re out to dinner, you’re so filled with obsessive thoughts about whether your date is staring at your pimple that you can’t relax and be yourself. Result? No second date.
Perfectionism often leads to paralyzing procrastination. On that report you need to write, you feel like you can’t start writing until you’ve looked up more sources, interviewed more people, and come up with the greatest introduction of all time. Before you know it, it’s the night before the deadline, and you have to bang out something to avoid being late. Now you’re berating yourself for letting it slide for so long. Once again, you feel like a failure.
Decades of research have found that perfectionism fuels mental health problems, such as anxiety, and depression. Even more disturbing is the link between perfectionism and suicide. A 2014 study in Review of General Psychology suggests that perfectionism is a bigger risk factor for suicide than previously thought. Research has found that among young people who die by suicide, nearly 70% placed high demands on themselves and had high expectations. Another study from 2007 in which researchers interviewed loved ones of people who died by suicide, over 56% of those who had taken their own lives were described as “perfectionists.”
A number of studies, including a 2002 paper in Cognitive Therapy and Research, have found ties between self-oriented perfectionism and eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa. People with anorexia have an intense fear of gaining weight and control their intake by attempting to create a perfect diet.
Even if you have spent a lifetime chasing perfection, you can learn to let go of your unhealthy tendencies.
If you’re struggling with mental health issues related to perfectionism and want to join the tens of thousands of people who have already enhanced their brain health, overcome their symptoms, and improved their quality of life 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.
Have you ever gone through a bad breakup or a divorce? Too many of us have suffered through it. Sadly, about 50% of marriages in America end in divorce, and that doesn’t include the dissolution of all the relationships between non-married couples. After the forced togetherness of quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic, that percentage could surge even higher. Research shows that after Hurricane Hugo, divorces, as well as marriages and births, increased, suggesting that facing a life-threatening event motivates people to take significant actions in their close relationships.
When relationship troubles or marital conflict lead to a breakup, we typically say it breaks our heart. From a biological and psychological standpoint, however, what we really should be saying is that it breaks our brain.
Look at Nick and Shawna. When they broke up, Nick was a mess. He couldn’t stop thinking about Shawna, hearing her voice in his head, feeling her touch on his body, and smelling her scent in his clothes. After being together for 5 years, everything reminded him of her—from songs to pictures to movies to waking up and going to bed. He couldn’t sleep, he felt constantly anxious and unbalanced, and he even had panic attacks when his longing for Shawna overwhelmed him.
What happens in the brain when you lose someone you love? Why do we hurt, long, or even obsess about the other person?
When we love someone, they come to live in the emotional or limbic center of our brains. They actually occupy nerve cell pathways and physically live in the neurons and synapses of the brain.
When we lose a lover through a breakup or divorce, our brain gets confused and disoriented. Since the person lives in the neuronal connections, we expect to see them, hear them, feel them, and touch them. When we can’t hold them or talk to them as we usually do, the brain centers where they live become inflamed searching for them.
Overactivity in the limbic system—the brain’s emotional centers—has been associated with depression and low serotonin levels, which is why we have trouble sleeping, feel obsessed, lose our appetites, want to isolate ourselves, and lose the joy we have for life. A deficit in endorphins, which modulate pain and pleasure pathways in the brain, also occurs, which may be responsible for the physical pain we feel during a breakup. Basically, we’re a neurochemical mess.
When a loved one leaves us, we have deep wounds that leave lasting scars. Many of us use alcohol or drugs to medicate the pain. There are smarter ways to cope with the loss of love.
No breakup or divorce is completely one-sided. Be honest about how your behavior may be contributing to the disintegration of the relationship and learn from what went wrong. Taking responsibility for your part also prevents you from feeling like a powerless victim. It empowers you to take action and make changes in your own behavior that will benefit you—and your future relationships—in the future.
If you feel strongly that your relationship is worth saving, marital counseling can help you explore ways to find some common ground. A therapist can help you learn to communicate more effectively so you can navigate rough patches and emerge with a stronger bond. In some cases where there is no saving the relationship, therapy can provide you with tools that can help you cope better with a breakup.
Brain imaging studies show that underlying brain dysfunction can ruin relationships. Impulsively saying hurtful things to a loved one, holding grudges, drowning in negativity that sucks the joy out of others, being constantly irritable, or flying off into a rage over small things—these are all signs of brain health issues. Brain SPECT imaging can help identify problems with brain function. Optimizing the brain can make marital therapy work faster.
If you do end up splitting, you may be tempted to drown your sorrows with ice cream or alcohol, to stay up all night bingeing on Netflix, or to cocoon under the covers by yourself. Don’t! Your brain is already hurting from the loss, so it’s important to treat it gently during this time. Watch what you eat, exercise more not less, and spend time with people you like. One of the most important keys to recovering from a breakup is keeping a regular sleep schedule. If you’re having trouble sleeping, consider supplements that promote relaxation, such as melatonin, magnesium, GABA, vitamin B6, l-theanine, and 5-HTP. This will help you heal from the hurt faster.
When you lose someone, there is a tendency to exclusively remember the wonderful things about them. Idealizing people impairs the grieving process and makes you hurt more. By focusing only on someone’s good qualities, the pain increases. Paying attention to their bad qualities causes the pain to decrease because we’re glad to be rid of them. Spend time writing out the bad times and your ex’s bad points.
At the beginning of a breakup, take some time to allow yourself to feel the pain. Crying can be a wonderful release of the built-up tension in your limbic brain. But after a good cry, eliminate the constant triggers to your nervous system. Go through the house, your computer, and workplace and collect the pictures and gifts, then hide them somewhere. Resist the temptation to permanently delete photos from your phone because you never know what might happen in the future. If you get back together, you’ll feel terrible about having deleted them.
When you act weak, needy, or demanding during a breakup, you literally push the other person away. You are no longer attractive or appealing. You seem and act like a victim. Forget the notion that being happy is the “best revenge,” being happy and feeling good about yourself is the best for your well-being. And it will help you approach a new relationship with healthier self-esteem.
Marital conflict, anxiety, depression, ADD, and other mental health issues can’t wait. During these uncertain times, your relationships and mental well-being are more important than ever and waiting until life gets back to “normal” is likely to make your situation worse.
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 couples, families, and individuals. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
Everybody feels blue once in a while. When you experience a death in the family, a divorce, a job loss, a health scare, or a global pandemic, you may feel down. But how do you know if you’re depressed or just sad? There’s a difference between normal feelings of sadness and clinical depression.
So you feel sad and blue and just want to cry. That may be normal if the feeling is temporary and goes away in a few days. It’s when crushing negativity lingers for weeks or months and you just can’t shake it that it’s a sign it may be depression.
If you’ve lost interest in activities you usually enjoy—whether it’s work, hobbies, sports, socializing with friends, or having sex with your spouse—it may be a symptom of depressive disorder. One of the most hallmark symptoms of this condition is no longer deriving joy from the things you used to think were nice, fun, or awesome. Psychiatrists call this “anhedonia,” a term that indicates an inability to feel pleasure.
Classically, people with depression tend to lose their appetite, eat less, and lose weight. In fact, loss of appetite can be an early sign of the condition, so if you’ve lost interest in eating, it’s time to pay attention. In winter depression, however, people tend to feel hungrier and put on weight. If you notice any changes in appetite or weight, it’s worth investigating. Be aware that the sudden onset of feelings of depression (and anxiety) in people who have never experienced them before can also be a warning sign of pancreatic cancer. Speaking with your physician and getting a CT scan of the abdomen may be recommended.
You may be surprised to discover that having thoughts of suicide is not unusual. In fact, a study among college undergraduate students found that 55% had thought about killing themselves at some point in their lifetime. Just because you have the thought that you want to end your life, however, doesn’t mean it’s true. You don’t have to believe every thought you have because your thoughts can lie, and they lie a lot. Your brain’s frontal lobes help protect you from acting on such thoughts. Having a suicidal thought doesn’t mean you need to share it. But if you begin to plan how you would carry out a suicide, you need to share with loved ones or with a mental healthcare professional because you need outsiders to protect you from yourself.
Brain imaging studies show that people with suicidal thoughts who make a plan or an attempt on their own life often have abnormal activity in the left temporal lobe. Problems in this area of the brain—often due to some form of head trauma—is associated with violence, either toward yourself (suicide) or toward others (homicide). Understand that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary feeling. In addition, taking one’s life damages loved ones. Children of parents who die by suicide are more than 3 times as likely to also die by suicide, according to a 2015 study in JAMA Psychiatry.
Do you find that you are sleeping more than usual or that you’re having trouble sleeping? A common pattern seen in people with depression is falling asleep, then waking up at 2 a.m., and being unable to go back to sleep. Smoking marijuana or drinking alcohol as a way to induce sleepiness can backfire and is likely to cause you to wake up in the middle of the night.
People with a depressive disorder often feel physically and mentally fatigued. “Brain fog” is a common complaint among those who have been diagnosed with clinical depression. If you typically feel energetic and mentally sharp but have been experiencing a prolonged period of low energy or a fuzzy memory, it can be a sign of a more serious issue.
Most people have fleeting moments when they feel worthless or hopeless, or are filled with guilt, but when you can’t get rid of these feelings for weeks or longer, it’s more likely to be a symptom of depression.
If you have several of the symptoms described above and they have lasted for an extended period of time, it’s time to get help. It’s also critical to find out what’s causing your depression. Research shows that biological risk factors—such as inflammation, head trauma, exposure to toxins, neurohormone deficiencies, and diabesity (diabetes and obesity)—can contribute to mental health issues, such as depression. Addressing these risk factors with alternatives to antidepressants can help minimize symptoms of depression.
Depression, anxiety, panic attacks, 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. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
Normally, you can handle life’s everyday stressors. You keep your cool when your ADD child can’t stay focused on homework. You work through any relationship issues with your significant other. You find healthy ways to decompress from your stressful job.
But not these days.
Any little thing in your life that isn’t humming along is becoming a compounded trauma due to what you’re experiencing from the pandemic, economic shutdown, and months of physical distancing. The result?
Your nerves are frayed. You’re losing your temper with your ADD child. Your marital problems seem insurmountable. You feel like you need a Quarantini—or 2 or 3 of them—to help you cope with work stress.
What can you do about it?
During a stressful pandemic, mental hygiene is just as important as washing your hands. If your head is filled with ANTs (automatic negative thoughts), it is only adding to your stress. Learning to question your thoughts and eliminate unhelpful ANTs can help you begin to see options and come up with solutions for your everyday stressors.
Are you so focused on taking care of others—your kids, your spouse, your coworkers—that you’re neglecting your own health and well-being? When you spend all your time helping others without giving yourself the self-care you deserve, you’re left with nothing in the tank. If you’re running on empty, you don’t have the bandwidth to handle additional stress. Schedule time in your day for self-care. Make it an appointment so you’re more likely to stick with it.
When you have low blood flow in the brain, especially in the frontal lobes, it reduces your ability to problem-solve, impairs judgment and decision-making, lowers your empathy, and makes it less likely that you’ll bite your tongue before saying something hurtful to someone you care about. Simple ways to increase blood flow to this area of the brain include physical exercise, meditation, and taking fish oil supplements that are high in omega-3 fatty acids.
Feeling like you’re all alone with nowhere to turn for help can compound the stress you’re experiencing. Find an ally with whom you can share your feelings. This is different from complaining, which typically centers on blaming or judging others. Sharing feelings helps you get negative thoughts and emotions out of your head so you can move ahead with constructive solutions to the issues you’re facing.
If you had been coping fairly well with your temper, anxiety, or drinking, or if your child’s ADD or behavioral problems had been treated effectively, but now things have spiraled out of control, it may be time to seek help from a professional.
Anxiety, ADD/ADHD, addictions, behavioral 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. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
Just for a moment, pretend that an “Evil Ruler” was running our world with the intent of causing more mental illness. (Note: this Evil Ruler is a completely fictitious character that I conceived of long before the coronavirus pandemic ever hit and that I wrote about in my book The End of Mental Illness. This fictional character is NOT a representation of any real-life political figures, political party, government leaders, policymakers, or any other person or entity).
These days, it seems this no-good fictional character has been going wild with the pandemic, the lockdown, the economic fallout, the protests, the looting, and more—all in an effort to make us more anxious, depressed, and stressed.
With the stay-at-home orders, the Evil Ruler has been promoting quarantine baking with high-glycemic and pro-inflammatory foods, spending hours on the couch binge-watching TV shows, and endlessly scrolling through social media feeds—all of which contribute to depression. And spending more time indoors robs us of much-needed vitamin D, which we get from sunshine Low levels of this important nutrient are also linked to depression and lowered immunity, putting us at greater risk of developing COVID-19 and having poorer outcomes from the virus.
In terms of COVID-19, we need “physical” distancing to help stop the spread of the virus, but we need a “social” connection more than ever. Calling it social distancing has inadvertently caused even more people to avoid others to the detriment of their mental health, since living alone and isolating from others has been shown to increase depression and other conditions. In addition, being alone or feeling lonely can cause people with addiction problems to slip back into unhealthy habits.
Encouraging us to obsessively wash our hands with sanitizers, wipe counters, and clean packages that come into the house exposes us all to more harmful toxins. Most household cleaning products are filled with toxic chemicals that poison the brain and increase the likelihood of psychiatric issues.
With news channels spewing out terrifying projections and showing scary images in an effort to “keep us informed,” it’s enough to fire up the fear and anxiety centers of the brain. The constant updates also keep you in a state of FOMO (fear of missing out) that keeps you glued to the anxiety-inducing messages, making you feel even worse.
Being faced with too many opinions and opposing viewpoints about the best ways to stay safe—for example, wear masks, don’t wear masks, wear masks sometimes—fuels uncertainty. When you don’t have clear direction on what to do it drives stress, anxiety, and feelings of powerlessness and depression
Suggesting that there are underlying forces that are intentionally causing the spread of the virus or the collapse of the economy for nefarious reasons ramps up paranoia and delusions, especially in people who already struggle with conditions like schizophrenia.
Airing commercials from pharmaceutical companies that make it seem as if taking a pill is all you have to do to overcome conditions like anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder does a disservice to us all. Taking medication should never be the first or only thing you do to address a mental health condition. In fact, there are many alternatives to antidepressants and natural solutions to calm anxiety that can help you feel better now and later.
The Evil Ruler continues to hammer home the traditional belief that mental illness is psychological. But brain imaging studies clearly show that conditions like ADD/ADHD, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia are not mental health issues, but rather brain health issues that steal your mind. Getting your brain right by following a brain healthy lifestyle will help heal your mind even during times of extreme stress, so you can resist the Evil Ruler’s efforts to create mental illness.
UPDATE from Daniel G. Amen, MD:
Depression, ADD/ADHD, 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. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.