When struggling with mental health concerns like depression and anxiety, it’s easy to reach for “coping strategies” that aren’t actually helping us cope at all. In many cases, they are ways to distract, numb, or soothe ourselves that do not offer long-term relief. And, in the worst cases, they are “solutions” that create their own problems—secondary dangers that can include addiction, negative impacts on physical health, and even additional (more serious) mental health effects.
In other words, many of us start out trying to tackle one issue and potentially end up with many more, which only exacerbates feelings of unease. Here are 10 common tactics that remain typical fixes among those struggling with mental health concerns—and why they don’t work.
When struggling with mental health concerns like depression and anxiety, it’s easy to reach for “coping strategies” that aren’t actually helping us cope at all.
While many people with mental health issues seek medication as part of treatment, the reality is that many of them will not receive sufficient relief through this intervention. Studies have found that depression, for example, can be treatment-resistant, including one study that reported only one-third of these patients will fully respond to treatment with antidepressant medication. On the other hand, natural treatments—including the proper diet, physical exercise, supplements, neurofeedback, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, meditation, and breathing exercises—can be very effective for mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
2. Drinking your problems away.
Alcohol is one of the most culturally accepted drugs in our society, but it’s also the most dangerous, according to one study in which alcohol was deemed worse than heroin or crack cocaine in terms of its negative impacts (to both the individual using it and to others). But in addition to its harmful societal consequences, addictive nature, and detrimental health effects on the brain and entire body, it has a devastating impact on mental health. Causing issues from psychosis to sleep disturbances to hangover-related anxiety, it’s no wonder that studies have shown a strong association between alcohol dependence and depression.
3. Soothing your emotions with sugar.
We know that sugar addiction—a problem that many Americans struggle with—can stress you out, causing side effects like insomnia, panic attacks, aggressive tendencies, and anxiety. (Unfortunately, sugar substitutes, such as aspartame, have also been shown to increase anxiety symptoms.) Many people reach for sugar-laden “comfort foods” when they’re stressed out, while others consume sky-high sugar intakes by following the high-glycemic standard American diet. But these strategies will end up backfiring: Not only does this cycle encourage cravings and addiction, but high-sugar diets have been shown to be associated with adverse effects on mental health.
4. Smoking.
For those Americans who still smoke or vape—including “casual” users—many believe that the act of lighting up eases stress and anxiety. According to the Mental Health Foundation, nicotine hits the brain within about 10 seconds, so it seems to quickly boost mood and reduce anger and stress. However, because nicotine triggers the feel-good brain chemical dopamine, the brain turns off its natural dopamine-making mechanism, thereby depleting those levels among smokers (and making them more likely to reach for another to obtain another “hit”). Like with drugs and sugar, it’s an addictive cycle that soon creates its own problems—actually increasing anxiety and tension due to nicotine withdrawal symptoms and increased cravings.
5. Burying your head in the sand.
Explaining away or downplaying the difficult realities of mental health issues does not offer a long-term solution. Tactics like denial and avoidance occur for a variety of reasons, such as fear of the stigma still attached to mental health issues, or a lack of healthy coping skills. But finding better ways to face these concerns head-on will be more helpful in the long run—like seeing a mental health professional for anxiety or trying out natural solutions for depression. Avoidance, on the other hand, can cause those issues to be repressed, only to emerge in more severe ways, such as through self-harm, suicidal thoughts, or substance use disorders.
6. Buying things to feel better.
With the advent of online shopping, nowadays we don’t even need to leave our homes—or, for that matter, get out of bed—to go on a shopping spree. But the habit often called “retail therapy” is not a helpful coping mechanism. In extreme cases, it can even become a process addiction. Compulsive, impulsive, and/or excessive shopping can land people in severe debt or bankruptcy, negatively impact personal relationships, or simply crowd one’s home with unneeded purchases that ultimately increase feelings of stress and overwhelm. This “quick fix” is anything but.
7. Overeating or undereating.
When life seems out of control, many people seek to combat that sense of unease by overeating or binging on foods, especially unhealthy things like carbs and sweets. Others find their appetite has dwindled, or they avoid or restrict eating as a way of gaining some sense of control. In more advanced cases, these strategies can lead to eating disorders like bulimia OR anorexia (the most deadly mental health disorder). Binging can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes that leave us depleted, fatigued, and feeling unwell, while undereating or starving is associated with malnutrition, lack of energy, and decreased cognitive ability. (Even mild dehydration can cause a host of mental health effects, so it’s important to drink plenty of fluids, too.)
8. Promiscuous behavior.
While we know that those who are emotionally dysregulated may reach for crutches like alcohol, food, or smoking, others find different outlets for stress, anxiety, and depression—including sexual activity. But the combination of mental health issues and promiscuity can lead to dangerous behaviors. One study, published in Behavioral Medicine, noted that the female participants with a mental disorder were more sexually active than the males observed, and the characteristics of antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder predicted risky sexual behavior for women in particular—such as sexual assault, or not using protection and being exposed to HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases.
9. Sleeping too much.
Sometimes, pulling the covers over our heads feels like the best response to a crisis, but oversleeping can function as another avoidant behavior and can have its own negative health effects. The Sleep Foundation reports that, because depression can cause fragmented sleep, it can lead to feeling sleepy or fatigued, and about 15% of those with depression experience hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness). But sticking to the typical sleep recommendation (7 to 9 hours per night) is best for optimal health.
10. Moving to avoid problems.
Some people try to avoid or escape problems by literally fleeing the scene—trying a tactic known as the geographical cure. Moving can seem like a straight path to a fresh start or a new life, but people more often find that they’ve simply carried their problems along with them to a new location. Others stay moving without going anywhere—that is, keeping themselves overly busy with a packed to-do list every day, in an attempt to avoid dealing with mental health issues like anxiety. Again, facing these problems (and their root causes) is the only effective way to start combating their effects.
Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.Content updated from previous publish date.
Americans are the unhappiest they have been in over 50 years. Because of this, it’s not surprising that antidepressants are some of the most common medications used in the United States. And the number of people taking them is on this rise. During the pandemic, the number of new prescriptions for antidepressants spiked by close to 19%, based on a 2020 report. In 2021, statistics show that the number of prescriptions for antidepressants topped 337 million.
In 2021, the number of prescriptions for antidepressants topped 337 million.
When prescribed appropriately based on findings from a comprehensive evaluation that includes brain imaging, these medications can be helpful as a part of a treatment program for some people suffering from depression. But they don’t help everyone. In fact, they can make some people worse. Here’s why.
THE PROBLEMS WITH ANTIDEPRESSANTS
Most prescriptions for antidepressants are doled out after brief office visits with healthcare providers who do not look at the brain or consider any biological information. It’s like they are throwing darts in the dark at the problem. This diagnostic and treatment paradigm isn’t working.
In a large study in Health Technology Assessment, researchers found that over 50% of depressed people failed to reach full remission of their symptoms after taking antidepressants. And for one-third of people, remission continued to elude them after 4 courses of medication. One review in Evidence-Based Mental Health found that except for people with severe depressive disorder, antidepressants worked no better than placebos. These are depressing statistics.
For some people, antidepressant medication comes with unwanted side effects, including:
Weight gain
Fatigue
Nausea
Lower sex drive
Difficulty achieving orgasm
Heightened anxiety
Trouble sleeping or insomnia
Headaches
Restlessness or agitation
Constipation
Diarrhea
Dry mouth
Dizziness
Blurry vision
Tremors
Even worse, lawsuits have claimed that the antidepressant medication Prozac caused violence or suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Virtually all antidepressants have black box warnings, which, in simple terms means the FDA cautions patients in the strongest terms to pay close attention to potentially extremely harmful or dangerous threats to their health.
In addition to these risks, antidepressants can change how you feel in ways you didn’t expect. Antidepressant medication is intended to decrease negative emotions. However, according to an Oxford University study, the majority of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)—the most commonly prescribed type of antidepressants—effectively dampen all emotions, including love, happiness, and joy. In this study, participants reported feeling distant from their surroundings, and they no longer cared as much about important aspects of their everyday lives. They said it seemed like their personalities had changed.
These are serious downsides.
NOT ALL DEPRESSED PEOPLE ARE THE SAME
One of the reasons why antidepressant medication has such a high failure rate is that depression isn’t a single or simple disorder. Brain SPECT imaging studies at Amen Clinics have helped identify 7 types of depression, and each type requires a different treatment plan. Giving everyone with depression the same treatment will never work, and it can make some people worse.
For example, many practitioners prescribe SSRIs (such as Prozac, Zoloft, and Lexapro) as a first line of defense for patients who say they feel depressed. But these antidepressants don’t work for all 7 types of depression, and they exacerbate symptoms for several subtypes of the condition.
A pair of 2019 studies in Nature Human Behavior and The American Journal of Psychiatry suggests that brain imaging may help predict which antidepressants will work best for individuals.
Another reason why treatment failures are so high is that depression is not a disease; it’s a symptom similar to the way chest pain is a symptom. It doesn’t indicate what’s causing it. Chest pain can be caused by many different things. It’s the same with depression. Many factors contribute to depressive symptoms, including some biological issues that aren’t resolved by antidepressants. For instance, depression has been associated with:
In some people, addressing these underlying issues can be critical in overcoming sadness or low moods.
ANTIDEPRESSANTS AREN’T THE ONLY OPTION
If you’re struggling with depression, medications should not be the first or only thing you do to help your brain and your mind. To overcome depressive symptoms, think about using all the tools available, and focus first on the least toxic, most effective solutions. These may include:
Nutritional supplements (Did you know that 20 studies have shown that saffron is more effective than a placebo and equal to the antidepressants Prozac, Zoloft, Effexor, and imipramine for depression?)
Depending on your individual needs, medication may be necessary in addition to these other solutions. Getting a brain scan to more accurately diagnose your subtype of depression can be very helpful in determining which antidepressant is most likely to work for you. And follow-up brain imaging can show how well treatment is working and if any adjustments are needed.
Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples.Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834or visit our contact page here. How can someone with a million-watt smile, a powerhouse singing voice, and wild success feel so empty, so blah, so ho-hum? Just ask Grammy Award winner LeAnn Rimes. The superstar singer, actress, and author has spoken publicly about dealing with a lack of motivation, a shortage of energy, anxious thoughts, and a serious lack of joy in her life. To help her understand why, LeAnn visited Amen Clinics to get a brain scan and talked about it in an episode of Scan My Brain with Daniel Amen, MD. Her brain scan revealed some surprises about dopamine, depression, and anxiety.
For about 10 years, LeAnn Rimes has been dealing with a lack of motivation, a shortage of energy, anxious thoughts, and a serious lack of joy in her life. To help her understand why she visited Amen Clinics to get a brain scan.
Like many young people, LeAnn grew up with a lot of stress. Stress can take many forms. For some kids, it’s due to neglectful parents, domestic violence, abuse, food insecurity, bullying, or other issues. For LeAnn, it took shape in her teenage years when at the age of 16 she sued her father, who was her manager at the time, and her record label.
In the Scan My Brain episode, she told Dr. Amen the lawsuit against her father was due to financial mismanagement. And the one against her record label? “The record deal I signed is known as the worst deal in history,” she sighs. It took time to disentangle herself from it, and she recalls that period of her life as a traumatic one.
Despite this, LeAnn loved performing, and in her first 3.5 years as an entertainer, she did about 500 concerts. Her songs hit the charts and fans screamed her name everywhere she went. That kind of fandom can go to a person’s head—literally! That much excitement and adulation at such a young age can have a significant impact on the developing brain. In particular, it affects the brain’s reward system and dopamine production.
DOPAMINE AND MOTIVATION
Dopamine is a feel-good neurotransmitter that is involved in motivation, mood, and attention. It is released whenever something rewarding happens, such as eating that first bite of a tasty meal, having sex, buying something new, or getting a promotion. Think of these rewards as a dopamine drip, that gives you little doses of the neurotransmitter. In LeAnn’s case, performing on stage in front of thousands of fans as a teenager was more like a dopamine flood.
This can wear out the dopamine receptors in the brain, causing a person to need more and more excitement to feel happiness. When the receptors are worn out, it can be associated with depression, a lack of motivation, and low energy. It’s like the zest for life got squashed.
LeAnn says she feels a need to be in constant motion—recording music, doing interviews, and more. “They’re all dopamine drivers,” she acknowledges.
WHAT BRAIN SCANS REVEAL ABOUT DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND MORE
Brain SPECT imaging reveals so much about depression, anxiety, and more. SPECT is a neuroimaging technology that measures blood flow and activity in the brain. It shows areas of the brain with healthy activity, too much activity, and too little activity.
What did LeAnn’s brain scan show?
In the Scan My Brain episode, Dr. Amen explains that the singer’s brain scan reveals low blood flow in the temporal lobes—a common sign of a past head injury. LeAnn shares that she hit her head in a car accident when she was about 25. Concussions can be associated with moodiness and anxiousness. And it was a few years later that the singer’s struggles with depression and anxiety began.
The brain imaging work at Amen Clinics shows that mild traumatic brain injuries are a major cause of psychiatric symptoms, but few people know it because most psychiatrists never look at the brain. Considering there are millions of head injuries each year, there are likely millions of people with undetected damage to the brain that may be causing symptoms associated with psychiatric conditions.
HOW MEDICATION CAN CHANGE YOUR BRAIN
SPECT shows that medications can alter the way the brain functions. For the Scan My Brain episode, LeAnn’s brain was scanned multiple times—once while taking a medication called Vyvanse, which is a prescription medication that boosts frontal lobe function, and again when she was not taking the medication. Her brain scans on and off the prescribed drug show marked differences in activity.
While off the medication, her brain scan reveals heightened activity in the emotional centers of the brain, which is associated with depression. On the medication, the activity in the emotional centers is more balanced, however, there is increased activity in the basal ganglia, which is commonly seen in people with anxiety.
Seeing the images helped LeAnn understand the changes in the way she feels when taking or not taking the medication. On it, she says she feels more motivated but also more anxious. Off it, she’s calmer but moodier and lethargic.
HEALING THE ANXIETY AND EMOTIONAL CENTERS OF THE BRAIN
Medication isn’t the only way to balance brain function in the emotional centers or anxiety centers of the brain, improve moods, and calm anxiousness. There are many natural strategies to overcome depression and anxiety. In addition, there are several natural ways to balance dopamine in the brain. In the Scan My Brain episode, Dr. Amen introduces LeAnn to a few simple techniques to reduce negative thinking patterns that contribute to depression, anxiety, and worry. By incorporating daily brain-healthy habits, many people can reduce or eliminate prescription medications altogether.
Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples.Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834or visit our contact page here. Being leveled by depression or anxiety, unable to engage in daily activities, is no joke. But before seeking an antidepressant or other mood-altering medications, you may want to start by having your thyroid levels checked.
“Patients with hypothyroidism and those with depression can present with similar general symptoms,” according to the American Thyroid Association.
Because many mood disorders may have a fundamental root cause in thyroid disorders, it’s wise to have blood work done to see if you may be suffering from an underactive thyroid, in the form of hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s disease; an overactive thyroid, with a disease called Grave’s disease; or any number of other related conditions.
A gland shaped like a bowtie wrapped at the front of your lower neck, the thyroid is a key regulator of the body’s metabolic processes. It also oversees the production of many neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, serotonin and GABA, which explains its paramount role in brain health.
COMMON SYMPTOMS OF THYROID AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
For more than 200 years, the medical profession has identified the connection between optimal thyroid function and mental health.
An Anglo-Welsh physician named Caleb Parry all the way back in 1825 noted “nervous affectations” in people suffering from thyroid dysfunction. More than a century later, in 1969, depression was identified as a potential early sign of thyroid disease. It is also linked to schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, bipolar disease, ADD/ADHD, and other mental health problems.
Before seeing your doctor, look for additional symptoms that could indicate there is more than meets the eye in your mental health struggles. They may include weight loss or gain, hair loss, fluctuations in your body temperature—feeling generally too hot or too cold—changes to your menstrual cycle, or persistent troubles with diarrhea or constipation.
Other symptoms to look for include:
Sluggishness
Racing thoughts
Memory problems
Trouble sleeping or unrestful sleep
Cramps or pain in your muscles or joints
Brittle nails
Extra dry skin
Yellowing skin
Symptoms of psychosis
Episodes of mania
Attentional problems or difficulty concentrating
Swelling in the front of your neck, which could indicate a swollen thyroid
Some of these symptoms on their own, such as difficulty sleeping and concentrating, can be primary symptoms of depression. However, the existence of one or several at the same time also could indicate your thyroid is involved.
Blood work can reveal low or high levels of the three main thyroid hormones, including thyroid-stimulating hormone, or TSH; thyroxine, or T4; and triiodothyronine, called T3. If so, treating your thyroid first to re-establish optimal hormonal levels may resolve, or at least lessen, psychiatric symptoms.
KNOW YOUR THYROID BLOOD TESTS—AND YOUR DOCTORS
While standard thinking holds that healthy levels of TSH, or thyroid-stimulating hormone, should range between .5 and 5 in blood work results, not every medical professional agrees. A TSH test reveals just how hard the thyroid gland is working to keep a person’s metabolism working. The higher the test score, the harder the gland is pumping out hormones to jolt you into gear. Generally speaking, lower TSH test results indicate the metabolism is in balance, working well enough on its own, without this assist.
Some doctors, often those with a greater focus on lifestyle or integrative health, believe optimal results should always be below 2 or 2.5. The lower reading ideally indicates the gland is not over-stressed.
So be aware that some more traditional doctors may not prescribe thyroid medication when a test shows a TSH between 2 and 5. They may only do so when the test comes in above 5, or even higher. To treat subclinical hypothyroidism may require a visit to a functional or integrative doctor.
WHAT FACTORS WRECK THYROID HEALTH AND CONTRIBUTE TO MENTAL ILLNESS?
A wide variety of factors, acting alone or in combination, can conspire to undermine thyroid health, including dietary factors and exposure to environmental toxins.
One of them is a rapid loss of a large, or even moderate, amount of weight. When you lose weight rapidly, your thyroid slows, producing lower levels of TSH. This can throw off the delicate balance that the body must maintain in producing different thyroid hormones. In particular, rapid weight loss can result in a diminished ability to convert T4, also known as a “prohormone,” into the more active T3.
Dietary factors such as gluten sensitivity and celiac disease, both of which involve reactions to the gluten in wheat, can trigger thyroid disorders. For people with either, eating gluten can create leaky gut symptoms and release an antibody that can attack the thyroid. Given that celiac disease is often accompanied by thyroid disorder, one clinical study suggests gluten-free diets can help people struggling with thyroid health. Other studies have found that a failure to adhere to a gluten-free diet, for people with these risk factors, can contribute to a host of debilitating diseases such as osteoporosis, anemia, and increased risk of mortality.
Zinc deficiency is another risk factor, a particularly pervasive one given the depletion of zinc in many plants. Along with copper and selenium, zinc is required for the production of thyroid hormones. On the other side of the coin, thyroid hormones are necessary for the body to absorb zinc, which means hypothyroidism itself can lead to a zinc deficiency. When it comes to hair loss caused by hypothyroidism, often hormone supplementation won’t be sufficient without proper zinc supplementation.
Lastly, women with hypothyroidism who take supplemental estrogen for their health may need to increase the amount of thyroxine or T4 they take in order not to prevent a drop in their thyroid function.
SUPPLEMENTS FOR THYROID BALANCE AND HELP FOR MENTAL HEALTH
In addition to seeking a functional doctor, a wide variety of natural supplements can boost your thyroid health. These include ashwagandha; zinc (which supports healthy hair); selenium; the herb rosemary; l-tyrosine; potassium; chromium; and vitamins A, B2, B3, B6, C, and D. Consult with your doctor to ensure your supplements support and do not conflict with your medications.
If psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, attention issues, psychosis, or mania persist after regulating your thyroid levels, it’s time to seek help from a mental health professional.
Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples.Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.Content updated from previous publish date.
Has your sunny disposition recently turned dark and stormy? Have your occasional blue moods become your everyday norm? Or have you been feeling fearful for months or even years? It could mean that your brain is listening to Dragons from the Past. These inner “mental dragons” breathe fire on the amygdala (the almond-shaped structure on the inside of your temporal lobes involved in emotional reactions), driving depression, anxiety, anger, irrational behavior, and automatic negative reactions. This concept of mental dragons comes from Dr. Sharon May, a world-renowned relationship psychologist. Your brain is always listening to these Dragons from the Past and unless you recognize and tame them, they will steal your happiness.
Is your brain listening to Dragons from the Past? These inner “mental dragons” breathe fire on your emotional brain, driving depression, anxiety, anger, irrational behavior, and automatic negative reactions.
Over time, Amen Clinics has identified 13 different Dragons from the Past that can continue to haunt your present and sabotage your emotional well-being.
Abandoned, Invisible, or Insignificant Dragons—feel alone, unseen, or unimportant
Inferior or Flawed Dragons—feel inferior to others
Anxious Dragons—feel fearful and overwhelmed
Wounded Dragons—bruised by past trauma
Should and Shaming Dragons—racked with guilt
Special, Spoiled, or Entitled Dragons—feel more special than others
Responsible Dragons—need to take care of others
Angry Dragons—harbor hurts and rage
Judgmental Dragons—hold harsh or critical opinions of others due to past injustices
Death Dragons—fear the future and lack of a meaningful life
Grief and Loss Dragons—feel loss and fear of loss
Hopeless or Helpless Dragons—have pervasive sense of despair and discouragement
Ancestral Dragons—affected by issues from past generations
Almost all of us have at least one of these Dragons from the Past. If you’re like most people, you may have multiple mental dragons dragging you down.
WHAT PROBLEMS DO DRAGONS FROM THE PAST CAUSE?
Some of the most common Dragons from the Past are the Hopeless and Helpless Dragons, which fuel depression, withdrawal, and even suicidal thoughts. When your brain is always listening to the Hopeless and Helpless Dragons, it can drag you down into the dumps. How can you tell if these dragons are filling your brain with their negativity? Look for these common signs:
Feelings of depression
Social isolation
Resignation
A tendency to see the bad in situations—glass half-empty
Sadly, the Hopeless and Helpless Dragons are far too common among us. Even before the pandemic, these dragons were assaulting our brains. However, with illness and deaths due to COVID-19, months and months of isolating lockdown, and economic troubles, the ranks of this army of dragons are skyrocketing. Check out these alarming statistics:
Twice as many people reported symptoms of depression during the pandemic compared with a survey from 2014.
63% of people with pre-existing depression or anxiety surveyed by GoodRx said their symptoms were worse or much worse since the pandemic began.
At Amen Clinics, which has treated tens of thousands of people from over 150 countries, patients are saying their depression symptoms are more severe due to the pandemic.
WHAT TRIGGERS HOPELESS AND HELPLESS DRAGONS?
The Hopeless and Helpless Dragons are often born when stresses stack too high. They can also originate from chronic frustration. It’s a concept called learned helplessness. This is where you try to feel better, but it doesn’t work, so you try again, but it still doesn’t improve. You keep trying until eventually, you feel helpless and lose hope that your situation will change. These dragons can also come from a family history of depression, a pessimistic mindset, or a loss of control.
This breed of Dragons from the Past can be triggered in situations that remind you of feeling overwhelmed by stress or times when you felt powerless. Living through a pandemic, feeling like you aren’t in control of your life, or being stuck at home without being able to visit your family and friends can all trigger these sad dragons and rob you of your joy.
HOPELESS AND HELPLESS DRAGONS IN THE BRAIN
The brain imaging work at Amen Clinics—over 300,000 brain scans and growing—reveals a lot about depression, which is common in people who are always listening to the Hopeless and Helpless Dragons. Overactivity in an area called the deep limbic system is often seen with major depressive disorder.
An Amen Clinics study on 15,000 patients found that when there is excessive activity in this brain region, people are more likely to say they have feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, in addition to a tendency to be negative, to be wracked with guilt, or to have crying spells.
6 WAYS TO TAME THE HOPELESS AND HELPLESS DRAGONS
It is possible to overcome the blue moods and depressive symptoms associated with Dragons from the Past. Some of the natural treatments that promote positive moods and help tame the Hopeless and Helpless Dragons include:
Create a positivity bias. Purposefully start each day on a positive note. As soon as you awaken or your feet hit the floor in the morning, start the day by saying, “Today is going to be a great day” out loud. Since your mind is prone to negativity, unless you train and discipline it, it will find stress in the upcoming day. When you direct your thoughts to Today is going to be a great day, your unconscious brain will help you uncover the reasons why it will be so.
Train your brain in gratitude. Gratitude directs your attention to positive feelings and away from negative ones.
Get physical exercise. Breaking a sweat increases the release of feel-good neurotransmitters.
Take nutritional supplements. Nutraceuticals such as fish oil, saffron, and curcumins promote positive moods.
Try bright light therapy. Using an indoor light box has been shown to enhance moods and boost energy.
Write down your accomplishments and strengths. Rather than focusing on what is wrong in your life, pay attention to what is going well. Odds are, you will feel much better.
Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples.Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834or visit our contact page here. You’re out in the fresh air having one of the best hikes, swims, bike rides, golf games, or pickleball matches you can remember. The next thing you know, you feel a twinge. It could be in your knee, back, shoulder, hip, elbow, or foot, but it’s enough to make you cut your activity short and get home as soon as possible. You cross your fingers that you’ll make a quick recovery, but after a few days of rest and ice, the pain has gotten worse. You go to a doctor, who tells you to take time off from all exercise for at least one month. Ugh! When you’ve suffered a physical injury, the absence of exercise and all the feel-good properties that come from it can leave you feeling down and, according to research, could lead to depression.
When you’ve suffered a physical injury, the absence of exercise and all the feel-good properties that come from it can leave you feeling down and, according to research, could lead to depression.
Some of the contributing factors involved with depression from lack of exercise due to an injury include:
1. Coping with physical pain.
Experiencing pain is distracting at best and can overtake your ability to function. You might find yourself in “survival mode,” just trying to get through each moment of the day without feeling excruciating pain. This, of course, is no way to live and can take not only a physical toll but a mental one. You might notice that you’re more irritable, less tolerant of normal daily stressors, less patient, and more on edge in general.
2. Missing out on the mental benefits of exercise.
A 2010 study in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Physiology suggests that physical activity boosts our moods. Exercise also supports our overall health and wellness and can even ward off Alzheimer’s disease and other memory issues as well as encourage the growth of new brain cells, ease ADD/ADHD symptoms, help with maladaptive addictive behavior, increase the quality of sleep and balance out hormonal changes. Feeling great from exercise is in part due to the impact it has on stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which decrease during a workout. Physical activity also increases endorphins that help reduce pain and elevate your mood. When you suddenly stop exercising, these important benefits stop as well.
3. Not getting the social bonding benefits.
Perhaps you play a team sport, enjoy one-on-one activities such as racquetball, or small group gatherings such as golf. No matter how many people are involved, missing out on the social connections made during exercise can be a huge loss and one that feels difficult—if not impossible—to fill in any other way.
4. Being stuck inside.
We need our Vitamin D, and not just in a capsule; being outdoors, and exposed to nature has tremendous mental health benefits. Data from a 2013 study show that outdoor exercise improves mental well-being and if your sport of choice means spending time outdoors, the loss of time in nature can be debilitating.
5. Decreased feelings of self-worth.
Deriving our self-worth from a variety of sources is important, and exercise can contribute to feeling great about yourself. A 2016 study in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment suggests that physical activity is directly correlated to an increase in self-esteem. If you regularly set physical goals and work toward achieving them, you can feel a drop in your sense of value when you’re taken out of an exercise routine.
9 WAYS TO COPE WITH POST-INJURY DEPRESSION
Validating your feelings, knowing that they are a normal aspect of stopping exercise is important, but you don’t have to live this way indefinitely. There are effective coping tools that will lessen the negative emotional and mental impact of being laid out for a period of time. Here are nine tips for staying mentally strong while recovering from injury:
1. Stay social.
If your workouts involve other people, such as playing a team sport or even social running, tennis or golf, make plans to see your friends for lunch or enjoy spectator sports together while you’re healing. It might be tempting to socially isolate and watch television alone day after day, but by giving yourself a push to enjoy other people’s company can actually increase your pain tolerance by upping the level of pleasure and pain-relieving neurotransmitters that come from social interaction.
2, Engage in alternative movement.
If it’s safe to move your body without furthering your physical pain, do it. It might not be your regular physical activity, but if it won’t aggravate your injury then use this time to try new activities. Always check with your doctor first and if you get the green light, try something new. It could be as easy as walking around the block, swimming, or moving your upper body if you have a leg injury, for example. Or try more deliberate movement such as Qigong or yoga that can help relieve stress.
3. Exercise your mind.
Chronic pain can affect memory, so it’s important to keep your brain active. Crossword puzzles, reading, learning a new language, or watching interesting documentaries are all excellent brain exercises. Additionally, the mental distraction that focus and concentration provide can do wonders for your mood, as well as the gratification of accomplishing a goal such as finishing a jigsaw puzzle or speaking a second language more fluently.
4. Meditate.
In a 2008 study conducted on older adults who suffer from chronic pain, meditation was shown to significantly improve their mood, sleep, and ability to cope with pain, and even decrease their need for pain medication. This doesn’t mean you have to go to a two-week-long silent retreat; meditation can be practiced for as little as 10 minutes a day and still have a positive effect on your mood and ability to create calmness in the midst of feeling physical pain.
5. Journal.
Expressive writing is a well-researched tool that helps lower blood pressure, heart rate, decrease depressive symptoms, and increase feelings of acceptance and well-being. A 2018 article in Advances in Psychiatric Treatment supports the health benefits of expressive writing; even 15-20 minutes of writing a few times a week can help alleviate depression.
6. Set goals.
There is robust evidence that goal setting helps injured patients both psychologically and physically and is an integral part of the rehabilitation process. Work with your medical team to set physical goals for yourself as you heal from your injury, but also use this time to focus on other goals you may have put off. A template for planning how you will achieve your goals can help you along the way.
7. Seek support.
Given the dramatic change in your lifestyle, it could be necessary to seek extra support during this time. Keeping up with your social life and participating in fun, recreational activities is vital, but beyond that, you might feel the need to talk to friends about your condition and air out your feelings as you walk through this difficult time. Research shows that meaningful social connections improve mental health and decrease loneliness; just be sure to find safe connections where you can share openly about your emotions.
8. Eat well.
It might be tempting to reach for a giant pizza and your favorite sugar-filled chocolate bar while you’re recovering from an injury but be warned this can exacerbate feelings of depression and anxiety. Conversely, there are foods that can help boost your mood such as berries, lean protein, omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods, probiotics, dark leafy greens, and more. Stay on track with your nutrition and your mood, brain, and overall physical state will thank you for it.
9. Enjoy leisure activities.
Research published in the journal Leisure Sciences suggests that recreational activities such as listening to music, relaxing, and enjoying “downtime” are beneficial distractions from chronic illness and traumatic injury. Using time to lounge without having a specific activity or task helps people cope with the mental and emotional stress of physical injuries.
Depression and other mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples.Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834or visit our contact page here. Depression can be devastating, making you feel empty, hopeless, and helpless. At one point during the pandemic in 2020, over 30% of Americans reported experiencing depressive symptoms, according to a survey by Statista. Seeking treatment for major depressive disorder can be a frustrating process. In our society’s health care system, antidepressants are often the first line of defense. Over 13% of American adults were taking antidepressants before the pandemic, and that number is believed to have increased dramatically. But are they effective? And what types are there?
In part, this is because depression isn’t just one thing. The brain SPECT imaging work at Amen Clinics shows that there are 7 types of depression and anxiety. In addition, depression is a symptom that is associated with many causes, including head trauma, inflammation, infections (including COVID-19 and Lyme disease), neurohormonal imbalances, diabetes, obesity, sleep disorders, and exposure to toxins.
No single medication can treat all 7 types of depression or all underlying causes. They all need targeted treatment plans. Are antidepressants right for you? It depends on your individual symptoms and on your brain. A growing body of research, including studies in The American Journal of Psychiatry and Nature Human Behaviour, suggests that brain scans can help predict how well a person will respond to depression treatment with antidepressants.
Here’s what you need to know about commonly prescribed types of antidepressants.
ANTIDEPRESSANT TYPES: WHAT ARE SSRIs?
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are generally the first line of treatment for depression, making them the most commonly prescribed antidepressants in the U.S. SSRIs are believed to work by increasing the availability of serotonin in the brain. They don’t cause the brain to produce more serotonin, rather, they enhance the ability to use the neurotransmitter more effectively.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is involved in mood, sleep, and cognitive flexibility. It helps you be open and adaptable to change. Low levels of this feel-good neurotransmitter are involved in depression, anxiety, worry, poor memory, pain, aggression, suicidal behavior, poor self-esteem, being oppositional or argumentative, and being rigid or cognitively inflexible.
Researchers have found that serotonin receptors are plentiful in a region of the brain called the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG). Think of the ACG as a gear shifter that helps you go from thought to thought or from one action to another. Brain SPECT imaging shows that high activity in the ACG is associated with depression and low levels of serotonin in the brain. It’s as if the gear shifter gets stuck, so you get stuck on negative thoughts and behaviors.
In a way, SSRIs act like grease for the brain’s gear shifter, the ACG. They can be beneficial for a specific type of depression that Amen Clinics refers to as “over-focused depression.” In this type of depression, the ACG works too hard and is associated with being over-focused, worried, rigid thinking, inflexibility, being argumentative and oppositional, and holding grudges. Serotonin can help calm overactivity in the brain. However, if you also have low activity in the prefrontal cortex, which is seen in people with impulsivity, poor judgment, and lack of motivation, this medication can make a person more disinhibited, impulsive, and unmotivated.
There are several SSRIs on the market, including:
Lexapro: This is the most commonly prescribed SSRI.
Prozac: This was the first medication in the SSRI class to hit the market in the 1980s. Prozac tends to last in the body for a long time, and the side effects can linger for a long time. Typically, Lexapro is a better option than Prozac.
Paxil
Zoloft
Celexa
Luvox
ANTIDEPRESSANT TYPES: WHAT ARE SNRIs?
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) change brain chemistry by increasing the availability of both serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. As described earlier, serotonin is involved in mood regulation, sleep, and flexible thinking. Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in the body’s fight-or-flight response and increases alertness, attention, and arousal.
SNRIs provide a dual action—calming worries and rigid thinking while also enhancing energy and mental clarity. They can be beneficial in people who feel sad, blue, or negative and who have low energy, poor memory, or brain fog. In a meta-analysis of head-to-head studies, SNRIs have been shown to be more effective than SSRIs. Some of the most commonly prescribed SNRIs include:
Pristiq
Effexor
Cymbalta
ANTIDEPRESSANT TYPES: WHAT ARE NDRIs?
Norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs) are antidepressants that increase the availability of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. As explained earlier, norepinephrine is associated with alertness and energy. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is involved with mood, motivation, and attention. In some people with depression, NDRIs can be beneficial by increasing energy, mood, and motivation. This type of antidepressant may also be recommended for people who have both depression and ADD/ADHD, since dopamine tends to be low in those with this condition.
However, it is not recommended for everyone. In people who tend to be anxious, it can make them more anxious. In those who tend to be obsessive tendencies, it can make them more obsessive.
The most common NDRI prescribed for depression is:
Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
ANTIDEPRESSANT SIDE EFFECTS
All medications come with side effects. Some of the common side effects associated with antidepressants include:
Weight changes
Sexual problems
Trouble sleeping
Anxiety
Dizziness
Dry mouth
Headache
Gastrointestinal issues
Restlessness
Constipation
Sweating
Appetite changes
Nausea
Vomiting
At Amen Clinics, the side effects that patients complain about most are weight gain and sexual problems. In terms of weight, some antidepressants, such as SSRIs, may alter metabolism. And because they decrease function in the front part of the brain, which can diminish impulse control, leading to poor food choices. As for libido, SSRIs and SNRIs, but not NDRIs, are associated with erectile dysfunction, a lack of desire, and difficulty reaching orgasm—all of which can have detrimental effects on relationships and quality of life.
NATURAL STRATEGIES TO TREAT DEPRESSION
Antidepressants may be helpful for some people when targeted to their symptoms and brain, but they should never be the first or only thing you do for depression. There are many natural strategies for depression that can increase serotonin, balance dopamine, boost moods and motivation, improve energy, and enhance mental clarity. Adopting some simple lifestyle changes—including a brain healthy diet, physical exercise, and brain-directed nutraceuticals— can have a dramatic impact.
Depression and other mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples.Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834or visit our contact page here. Have you ever wondered what it might be like to feel different inside your head? For example, imagine that:
You don’t worry so much or get stuck on negative or fearful thoughts
You wake up each morning feeling motivated, rather than sad
You’re able to stay on task and get things accomplished
If any of these apply to you, think about how your life might be if you could change the emotions and behaviors that cause such challenges for you.
YOU’RE NOT STUCK WITH MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS
Many people who have symptoms like those above accept them as part of their life, resigning themselves to feeling nervous, blue, or scattered, thinking, “well that’s just how I am.” Or maybe they believe it’s too late for them to be happier, more focused, or less stressed.
Anyone who silently struggles in this way may not understand that conditions like anxiety, depression, and ADD/ADHD are not personal shortcomings, but rather a reflection of a person’s brain health. Therefore, when the underlying cause of someone’s symptoms can be identified and correctly diagnosed, effective treatment strategies can be created that lead to improvement or even elimination of symptoms.
Conditions like anxiety, depression, and ADD/ADHD are not personal shortcomings, but rather a reflection of a person’s brain health.
Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions. Feeling sad, empty, fatigued, pessimistic, and hopeless can make some days seem completely overwhelming. And, if you’ve felt this way for a long time, it’s easy to think this is how you’ll always feel. But the truth is, it’s possible for you to feel better.
Depressive symptoms can be caused by many different things, including traumatic experiences, hormonal imbalances, and even an unhealthy diet. So, by identifying the factors that led to the emergence of symptoms, specific strategies can help you heal and feel more vibrant again. Although an actual treatment plan for each person would be unique, some things that might be included in it are:
1. Try EMDR.
If a history of trauma is the underlying cause, psychotherapy with EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) can be very effective for healing and releasing the negative hold of past experiences.
2. Balance your hormones.
Hormone therapy (for men and women), when appropriate, can restore balance and relieve irritability and sadness.
3. Eat good mood foods.
If you’ve been eating a diet that includes lots of sugar and/or high-fat and processed foods, switching to one with fresh produce, healthy fats (i.e. avocados), and clean protein can increase energy, lift mood, and boost motivation. Alcohol is a depressant, so avoiding it is helpful too.
3 WAYS TO CALM ANXIETY SYMPTOMS
If you tend to catastrophize situations—always imagining the worst outcome, feel nervous all the time, worry incessantly, and have physical symptoms like chronic muscle tension or trembling hands, you may be dealing with anxiety. If this sounds familiar to you, you’re not alone—each year, about 40 million people in the U.S. have this condition too.
Fortunately, even if you’ve had anxiety symptoms for a long time, there are some simple therapies to reduce them, so they don’t continue interfering with your ability to relax and enjoy life. Here are 3 things you can do:
1. Breathe deeply.
If you feel like you’re always stressed out, incorporating a practice of diaphragmatic breathing can be really helpful for calming your mind. Here’s how to do it:
Breathing with your diaphragm (belly), rather than your chest, repeat this pattern 10 times—it only takes a few minutes.
Inhale for a count of 3 to 4
Exhale for a count of 6 to 8
You can even do this breathing exercise at work—no one will know—and it’s an easy way to manage anxiety on the fly.
2. Manage your mind.
Learning to pay attention and reality-test the fearful or automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) that plague your mind can help your thinking become more accurate, instead of being full of worries and doubt. Each time you catch yourself having an ANT, ask yourself the following questions:
Is it true?
Is it 100% true?
How does this thought make you feel?
How would you feel if you didn’t have this thought?
Next, flip the ANT to its opposite and see if that thought isn’t actually truer than the ANT is.
3. Consider nutraceuticals.
Natural supplements such as GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), magnesium, and L-theanine, as well as the scent of lavender can promote a sense of calmness and help you relax.
Incorporating multiple strategies can have a compounding beneficial effect on reducing anxiety symptoms.
3 TIPS TO MANAGE ADD/ADHD SYMPTOMS
Having lots of unfinished projects and a short attention span, being disorganized, distracted, and impulsive, along with a tendency to procrastinate are core symptoms of attention-deficit disorder (ADD), which is more commonly called attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This condition typically begins in childhood due to lower levels of dopamine in the brain and can cause behavioral issues as well as academic problems. Unfortunately, it often goes undiagnosed and untreated; thus, the challenges of it can carry over into adulthood. Head injuries and other insults to the brain can also lead to symptoms of ADD/ADHD.
Like other mental health conditions, ADD/ADHD is not a simple or singular disorder. The brain SPECT imaging work at Amen Clinics has helped identify 7 types of ADD/ADHD. Each of these requires a different treatment program, so knowing your ADD/ADHD type is critical. However, there are some simple strategies that can help anyone who struggles with this condition, including these:
1. Set goals.
On a sheet of paper, write down your important goals and put them in a place you can see and read every day. This helps you make better decisions about what you do—or don’t do—to keep your goals in mind and on track.
2. Move more.
Exercise regularly to discharge any feelings of restlessness and promote the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine because it helps to activate the front part of the brain, an area that is critical for focus, judgment, and impulse control.
3. Use digital reminders.
Be vigilant about using the calendar on your phone or wall to keep track of appointments, deadlines, and other important responsibilities. Commit to looking at it every night and each morning so you don’t forget what you need to do.
These treatment strategies are just a handful of the many ways you can help your brain become healthier and more balanced—regardless of your age or how many years you have been struggling with mental health symptoms. Through a process called neuroplasticity, the repetition of new behaviors can help rewire your brain to change the way you think and feel. It does take time—doing something once won’t do the trick—but with a commitment to yourself to work on improving symptoms, it is well worth the effort you put in.
Depression, anxiety, and ADD/ADHD can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples.Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here. For decades, most people have believed depression is a disorder caused by low serotonin in the brain. In fact, many physicians and mental health professionals have ascribed to what is known as the serotonin hypothesis too. However, a new study published in the journal, Molecular Psychiatry, has just turned this theory on its head.
A team of 5 researchers conducted a comprehensive review of all relevant studies about the various mechanisms of serotonin on depression that were published from the late 1960s to 2020. Altogether, the participants in these studies numbered in the tens of thousands. The authors concluded that there is no substantial evidence to support the widely accepted belief that depression is the result of abnormal serotonin levels in the brain.
For over 30 years of clinical practice, Amen Clinics has been saying that a serotonin imbalance may be present in some people with depression, but it is not the only cause of depressive symptoms.
For over 30 years of clinical practice, Amen Clinics has been saying that a serotonin imbalance may be present in some people with depression, but it is not the only cause of depressive symptoms. Depression is not just one thing.
While it was the most exhaustive analysis of the research to date, many others have also explored and questioned this subject since its inception more than 50 years ago. A 2020 peer-reviewed study in Frontiers in Psychiatry noted that some of the huge clinical trials of popular antidepressant medications done from 2005-2007 failed to provide prolonged relief of symptoms. And in 2009, Thomas Insel, the head of the National Institute of Mental Health at the time, noted in a journal article, “The unfortunate reality is that current medications help too few people to get better and very few people to get well.”
Nonetheless, millions of antidepressant prescriptions are written each year in the U.S. The most widely prescribed antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which increase the availability of serotonin in the brain.
With the news and social media platforms recently reporting about the seemingly debunked serotonin-depression link, many people are wondering, what, then, might cause them to feel depressed if it’s not a chemical imbalance?
In a sense, the answer is simple: Depression is not just one thing. In fact, depression is a symptom with many different causes, just as chest pain is a symptom of numerous health problems. For this reason alone, antidepressant medications may work for some people, but they aren’t going to help everyone who feels depressed.
7 CAUSES OF DEPRESSION THAT AREN’T RELATED TO SEROTONIN
Depression doesn’t happen in a vacuum—something causes the symptoms to emerge and for treatment to be effective, it’s critical to figure out what that is. Therefore, in addition to learning about a patient’s history and presenting problems, the physicians at Amen Clinics believe in the importance of looking at the brain with SPECT imaging to help them identify the biological underpinnings that could be driving symptoms. Over the past few decades, they have found many different potential causes of depression that aren’t connected to a serotonin chemical imbalance, including these 7:
1. Head trauma
Mood changes are very common after a concussion, although in many cases they may not occur for months. Some research has found that 30% of those who sustain a traumatic brain injury will develop depression.
2. Toxins
Long-term exposure to environmental toxins such as industrial solvents and pesticides, as well as toxic mold, can damage the brain, decreasing low blood flow in areas that are critical for mood regulation. Drinking alcohol and using recreational drugs are also toxic to the brain, plus alcohol and many drugs are depressants that exacerbate symptoms.
3. A history of trauma
Having a higher number of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, neglect, household domestic violence, incarceration, substance abuse, and other traumatic circumstances early in life is associated with an increased risk for numerous physical and mental health problems, including depression.
4. Chronic stress
When life throws curveballs that persist and are difficult to manage, the stress hormone cortisol might feel like it’s burning through your veins. Over time, stress can cause damage to the hippocampus, a part of the brain that is involved with memory and mood.
5. Hormonal issues
When thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, insulin, and other hormones are out of balance, your brain can be affected, making you vulnerable to feeling blue or irritable. Factors such as age, a poor diet, and stressors can disrupt healthy hormone levels.
6. Inflammation
Not only can it wreak havoc on your body, but an inflammatory response in the brain can damage neurons and affect how they function, putting you at risk for depression and other psychiatric issues. One of the most insidious causes of inflammation is high blood sugar that stems from diabetes and being overweight or obese. Infections like Lyme disease and COVID-19 can also trigger inflammation in the brain that leads to depressive symptoms and other problems
7. Food intolerances
Many people think of foods like gluten, corn, soy, and dairy as causing digestive distress—which they can do for those who are intolerant to them. However, these foods can also negatively affect your mood. In many cases, eliminating them from your diet for a couple of weeks, then adding them back in can reveal whether a particular food is an underlying reason for your symptoms.
Because there are many different causes of depression, there’s no way a single type of treatment is going to work for everyone. Furthermore, depression and anxiety are found together 75% of the time. And, through the brain SPECT imaging work at Amen Clinics, 7 different types of anxiety and depression have been identified.
TREATING DEPRESSION
Prescription antidepressants—regardless of what their mechanism of action really is—can be helpful for some people but not for everyone. However, there are myriad other non-pharmaceutical treatment options available that can be successful in reducing symptoms of depression. The key is knowing the root cause of depressive symptoms and which depression type you have, so you can get targeted strategies to help you feel better as quickly as possible.
Depression and other mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples.Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here. Talk therapy can be beneficial for overcoming trauma and other mental health conditions, but it can dredge up uncomfortable emotions, and it can take a long time to see results. What if there was a therapeutic option that worked more quickly without the emotional challenges? There is, and it’s called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. First developed in the 1980s, and now widely embraced by mental health professionals, EMDR has been shown to treat a number of conditions, most notably trauma,adverse childhood events, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as related mental health issues. And experts suggest it may be more effective than traditional talk therapy.
Case studies and research are indicating that EMDR therapy may be helpful in alleviating a number of mental health conditions related to trauma, such as depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, and other psychiatric conditions.
The process involves an EMDR therapist leading a patient through a series of bilateral (side-to-side) eye movements as they recall traumatic or triggering experiences in small segments until the painful memories no longer cause distress. EMDR essentially reduces symptoms of trauma by changing how memories are stored in our brains.
What’s more, preliminary case studies and research are indicating that EMDR therapy may be helpful in alleviating a number of mental health conditions related to trauma. Here’s what you need to know about this relatively new psychotherapeutic treatment and what conditions it can help.
THE ORIGINS OF EMDR
EMDR was first developed by a psychologist named Francine Shapiro in the 1980s. She conducted a study focused on 22 subjects who had suffered some form of trauma. After undergoing an initial EMDR therapy session plus follow-ups at 1 and 3 months out, the study showed that EMDR successfully “desensitized” patients’ traumatic memories and “dramatically altered their cognitive understanding” of the situation. Additionally, they experienced behavioral changes, which included being freed of their primary complaints of intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, interrupted sleep,low self-esteem, and relationship issues. The remarkable findings were published in 1989 in the Journal of Traumatic Stress.
HOW EMDR LESSENS TRAUMA
A traumatic event or series of events triggers the body’s fight-or-flight stress response, which is designed to increase our chances of survival. However, with trauma, the brain doesn’t process the event(s) properly, and it fails to file the memory as a past event. The stress response stays engaged, and the brain stays alert to danger, even when it is safe. Sights, sounds, or smells, get attached to the trauma memory, and they can become triggers.
EMDR therapy helps our brain to process the traumatic memory that has the stress response and triggers associated with it and allows for natural healing to occur. The fight-or-flight response is essentially removed from the memory, yet the memory is retained. The memory of the trauma seems to be reconsolidated in such a way that it no longer causes severe distress when later recalled. When the PTSD symptoms are resolved or lessened, other conditions are helped too.
5 MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT CAN BENEFIT FROM EMDR
1. PTSD
There are several forms of trauma: Nonviolent (emotional) trauma, adverse childhood events, and post-traumatic stress disorder. They all affect the nervous system and storage of traumatic memories in a similar fashion.
PTSD is the #1 condition EMDR was developed to help. As such, there’s a wealth of compelling research indicating its efficacy.
For example, a 2018 review of EMDR used to resolve PTSD examined a total of 2 meta-analyses and 4 randomized-controlled trials. The review concluded that EMDR therapy showed an improved diagnosis of PTSD and reduced its symptoms. It also helped reduce other trauma-related symptoms. What’s more, the studies reviewed indicated EMDR therapy to be more effective than other trauma treatments.
An earlier 2014 review of 24 randomized controlled studies suggested benefits from EMDR therapy for emotional trauma and adverse life events. In some of the reviewed studies, 84% to 90% of people who experienced a single trauma found relief from PTSD symptoms after just 3 EMDR sessions.
A Kaiser Permanente study involving 67 individuals with trauma assigned participants to either standard care treatment or EMDR. Compared to standard care, the EMDR group showed significantly greater improvement on measures of anxiety, depression, and PTSD, and a later follow-up showed the improvements were maintained at 3 and 6 months.
The American Psychiatric Association and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have recognized EMDR therapy as an effective treatment for PTSD.
2. Depression
Because EMDR has been proven to reduce rumination in patients with traumatic grief, researchers are now exploring it as a therapy to help those who suffer from major depressive disorder. So far, the research is promising.
A 2013 review found evidence that EMDR may be a potential new approach to treating depression but suggested that more evidence-based studies are needed to be conclusive.
More recently, research published in 2018 examined eight subjects with depression undergoing EMDR. Of the eight people engaged with the treatment, seven of them had shown “clinically significant and statistically reliable” improvement on the Hamilton Rating Scale for depression. The researchers concluded that EMDR is a feasible treatment for both recurrent and chronic depression.
A 2021 meta-analysis of 11 studies went further claiming that “EMDR may be considered an effective treatment for improving symptoms of depression, with effects comparable to other active treatments.” However, it recommended more studies on the long-term effects of EMDR.
3. Eating Disorders
Eating disorders have proven difficult to treat through conventional methods. Mental health experts are now exploring EMDR as a way to help since eating disorders are often a maladaptive response to traumatic experiences.
In one clinical case study, EMDR therapy played a critical role in the recovery of unremitting anorexia nervosa in a 17-year-old inpatient, helping her to return to a normal weight that was maintained at 12 and 24 months post-treatment. Another case report that examined EMDR and emotional eating found that the participant experienced an overall positive change in eating behavior. It also stated that EMDR might help to reduce weight over time and to improve results in maintaining weight after weight loss. A 2017 review published in Clinical Neuropsychiatry: Journal of Treatment Evaluation, concluded that EMDR holds promise for treating eating disorders, but recommended more scientific research for efficacy to be confirmed.
4. Substance Abuse
Similar to eating disorders, substance abuse issues are often associated with trauma and PTSD. When EMDR has been used to treat both trauma and substance abuse, so far, research indicates positive results, although further investigation is needed.
A case study followed 4 individuals suffering from both PTSD and substance abuse issues who underwent EMDR. The results suggested that the treatment of PTSD with the standard EMDR protocol “can have a positive effect on substance abuse disorder symptoms up to at least 12 months posttreatment.”
5. Comorbid Psychiatric Issues
In a review study titled “EMDR: Beyond PTSD” researchers claim that solid evidence shows that traumatic events can contribute to the onset of psychiatric disorders and can worsen their prognosis. The researchers sought to find if EMDR could help psychiatric comorbidities to trauma, including bipolar disorder, unipolar depression, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, and chronic back pain.
The review concluded that the available evidence shows that EMDR therapy improves trauma-associated symptoms in patients with comorbid psychiatric conditions. Additionally, it suggested that EMDR therapy could be useful in improving psychotic or affective symptoms, as well as helping with chronic pain conditions.
EMDR: A Viable Therapeutic Tool
The bottom line of the research on PTSD and other conditions shows that EMDR therapy is a viable and powerful psychotherapeutic tool on its own or in conjunction with other therapies.
Post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health disorders can’t wait. 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.
