Major depressive disorder, also known as clinical depression or depression, is the leading cause of disability around the world with close to 300 million affected, according to figures from the World Health Organization. While depression certainly needs to be taken seriously, it’s important for those who have it to know that depression is not a life sentence of gloom and doom. Indeed, depression is highly treatable.
We are not controlled by events or people, but by the perceptions we make of them.
In addition to seeking the guidance of a mental health professional, there are many actions you can take that will help you to successfully overcome this common mood disorder. Here are 7 to get you started.
7 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO OVERCOME DEPRESSION
1. Know your depressive type.
You need to know the type of depression you have in order to treat it effectively. Brain SPECT imaging at Amen Clinics has shown that there are 7 brain patterns associated with anxiety and depression, two closely linked conditions that occur together 75% of the time. With each type, different areas of the brain are activated. For example, the “Pure Depression” type often results from excessive activity in the deep limbic system—the brain’s emotional center with symptoms that range from chronic mild sadness to crushing major depressive disorder. Check out the 7 Types of Depression to help determine your type.
2. Eliminate your Automatic Negative Thoughts.
When you are depressed, rampant automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) randomly pop into your mind without your permission. Often distorted from the truth, these angry, unkind, hopeless, helpless, worthless, sad, or irritating thoughts actually affect your brain chemistry causing you to feel bad. You can work to eliminate these ANTs and develop a new habit of accurate, honest, and disciplined thinking, which can help you feel better by following these steps:
Step 1. Pay attention to what your mind says. Notice when you have ANTs and write them down, especially the most persistent ones.
Step 2. Identify the ANT. These are common examples of negative thoughts:
Thoughts that things are all good or all bad
Only seeing the bad in a situation
Thinking in words like “should,” “must,” “ought” or “have to”
Attaching a negative label to yourself or to someone else
Predicting the worst possible outcome for a situation with little or no evidence for it
Believing you know what another person is thinking even though they haven’t told you
Blaming someone else for your problems
Step 3. Question your thought. Is it true? Are you 100% certain it is true?
Step 4. How do you react when you think that thought?
Step 5. Who would you be without that thought? How would you feel?
You’ll find that shining the light of truth on the ANTs causes them to disintegrate.
3. Start a journal to record your moods.
Begin taking note of your moods, keeping a daily journal to record and measure your feelings—all of them, including joy, happiness, anxiety, fear, sadness, anger, grief, or other emotions. What you record at first will serve as a baseline to measure your progress as you begin to get better. If you have a tough day or a string of challenging days, your journaling may start to reveal trends. Perhaps your mood is low at the start of the week and gradually gets better, or you feel great at certain times of the day. Writing down your feelings also helps you to get them out of your head and allows you to gain perspective.
4. Start every day with “Today is going to be a great day.”
It may sound silly, but it works! Our brains have a negative bias. They store bad news for future reference in order to keep us safe. That’s why it is especially important to counter your brain’s natural inclination to look for the negative. When you state “Today will be a great day” aloud first thing in the morning, your brain will find the reasons why it will be so. This is a simple way to start training your brain to focus on things that are going right in your life.
5. Cultivate gratitude.
Don’t underestimate the power of gratitude to transform. A 2020 analysis of 50 research studies posted by the Happier Human suggests that gratitude can remarkably enhance your life in 31 different ways from boosting your self-esteem, to helping you reach your goals, to enhancing your relationships, physical health, and longevity. One study found that a daily practice of writing out 3 things for which you’re grateful can improve emotions, health, sleep, and relationships, as well as increase optimism and altruism.
Similarly, sharing gratitude in the form of appreciation of people in your life can increase your own good feelings while spreading it to others. So, write down what you are grateful for daily. And make it a practice to tell one person a week why you appreciate him or her.
6. Change your perception of events.
Consider this idea: We are not controlled by events or people, but by the perceptions we make of them. Our perception is the way we interpret ourselves and the world around us. While our 5 senses take in the world, our brains process the incoming information through our “feeling filters.” When we are feeling good, we translate information in a positive way. When we are feeling angry or temperamental, we perceive the world as negative toward us.
Because our perceptions of the outside world are colored by how we feel, we can often interpret events or the actions of others incorrectly. If you question the accuracy of your perception (especially the negative ones), you have a better chance of seeing things as they are. In fact, when you learn to challenge your initial negative perceptions and see other alternatives, you’ve traveled a long way toward emotional health!
7. Take mood-boosting nutraceuticals.
A number of nutraceuticals have been researched for their mood-boosting benefits with promising results. Make use of them! Over a decade of research has shown that saffron benefits mood, including a randomized controlled trial in the Journal of Affective Disorders that found saffron to be as effective as antidepressant medication in treating people with mild to moderate depression. Another study in World Psychiatry showed EPA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil, to have positive effects on mood. Additional research in The American Journal of Psychiatry showed that S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), folate, and vitamin D helped to improve low mood.
Nutrient deficiencies can be associated with depression. Make sure your multivitamin includes plenty of B complex and minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium, and selenium, as well as amino acids like acetyl-l-carnitine—which are all needed in adequate amounts to maintain a stable mood.
Pull Every Lever
To successfully overcome depression, do your best to “pull every lever” to promote brain health and a positive mood. While we’ve listed 7 things you can do to defeat depression here, there are many more, including exercise, consuming what we call mood foods, and achieving a healthy weight, to name a few. You may also find that in fighting depression, your overall health improves too!
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. Do you struggle to pay attention? Have trouble retaining important information? Put off big projects in favor of menial tasks? You may think this sounds like attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is also called attention-deficit disorder (ADD). But ADHD isn’t the only cause of attention problems. A host of other issues can sometimes be at the root of inattention, forgetfulness, and procrastination.
ADHD isn’t the only cause of attention problems. A host of other issues—such as anxiousness, stress, or lack of sleep—can sometimes be at the root of inattention, forgetfulness, and procrastination.
That’s what chef and wellness expert Radhi Devlukia-Shetty discovered when she visited Amen Clinics with her husband Jay Shetty. The couple wanted to see their brain SPECT scans so they could learn how to optimize their brains for ultimate health and well-being. In an episode of Scan My Brain with Daniel Amen, MD, Devlukia-Shetty says that her mind can be very creative, but structure, attention, and focus can be difficult. She has trouble starting on projects unless there’s a deadline approaching. In addition, she says that “names won’t stay in my mind” and wants to improve her recall.
Although these are some of the characteristics seen in people with ADHD, the wellness influencer’s brain scan and psychological assessment did not indicate this condition. According to Dr. Amen, when people who don’t have ADHD but who experience issues of inattention, forgetfulness, or procrastination, there are likely other issues at play.
INATTENTION AND ANXIOUSNESS
In some cases, anxiousness can get in the way of paying attention, processing memories or tackling a big project. On brain SPECT scans, anxiousness is often associated with a “busy brain”—meaning there is heightened activity in the brain’s emotional centers. People with a busy brain tend to overthink things, feel restless, and can have trouble concentrating. In addition, anxiousness can interfere with the memory-making process, making it harder to recall people’s names, what’s on your grocery list, or the details of that vacation you took as a teenager.
When it comes to working on a complex project, such as creating a new product, writing a book, or delivering a speech, anxiety can throw you off track. Having trouble making decisions, which is common among anxious people, can make it hard to know where to start. And when a project is so big that it makes you feel angst, you’re more likely to put it off rather than diving in. These issues may resemble symptoms of ADHD even though they are unrelated to the condition.
HOW STRESS IMPACTS FOCUS
We live in a stressful world. For some people, that stress builds up and impacts brain function in a negative way. This can lead to symptoms—such as restlessness, distraction, and inattention—that look like ADHD but have nothing to do with the disorder. Having chronic stress also negatively impacts areas of the brain involved in memory formation.
In some people, however, a little bit of stress can be a powerful motivator. Take Devlukia-Shetty, for instance. She says she performs best when under pressure. “When there’s a deadline, I can get things done and focus,” she says.
MOOD ISSUES AND CONCENTRATION
The energetic and bubbly Devlukia-Shetty does not grapple with low moods, but many people who do struggle with blue moods have trouble concentrating. Depression is linked to focus problems, forgetfulness, low motivation, and low energy—all issues also seen in ADHD.
THE SLEEP-ATTENTION CONNECTION
Sleep issues can have a powerful impact on the ability to pay attention, learn new things, or recall facts and events. For Devlukia-Shetty, who’s a good sleeper, this isn’t an issue. For others, however, not getting enough shut-eye produces ADHD-like symptoms. A lack of adequate sleep decreases blood flow to the brain, which disrupts concentration and memory while lowering energy and motivation.
WHAT’S STEALING YOUR ATTENTION?
Discovering what’s behind an inability to pay attention or focus is the key to finding the right solutions. Anxiousness, stress, low moods, and disrupted sleep can all contribute to inattention, forgetfulness, and procrastination. Brain SPECT imaging, which looks at how the brain functions is one way to gain a better understanding of what’s causing your symptoms.
ADHD, anxiety, 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. In recent years, researchers and health experts have recognized that anger, when used constructively, is an important, useful, and even beneficial emotion to well-being. It appears that anger, which can be destructive, also has a vital energy to it that motivates us to action, helps to improve communication in both personal and professional relationships, and promotes optimism, among other benefits.
Yet, for many people, anger is a fraught emotion. It can be misused to dominate and intimidate others in both work and personal relations—while others deny they have any angry feelings at all, as it may be too uncomfortable or scary to feel them.
Anger can facilitate greater cooperation and harmony in relationships. If the anger is justified, expressed constructively, and the response is appropriate, misunderstandings and conflict are often resolved.
Anger is a powerful emotion that requires some skill to manage. On the one extreme, unchecked externalized anger can turn to violence and aggression; and on the other, repressed, internalized anger can cause depression, health problems, and communication difficulties. Somewhere in the middle, feeling and constructively expressing anger are essential and necessary to health and well-being. Let’s take a look at several ways anger helps you.
6 SURPRISING BENEFITS OF ANGER
1. Anger Helps Us to Survive
Scientific research recognizes that anger has played an important evolutionary role in ensuring survival. Our primal “fight” response stems from anger. Anger motivates us to vigilantly detect threats and sharpens our focus. When our safety is at risk or we are attacked, our anger is automatically activated and drives us to defend ourselves, sometimes quickly and forcefully. Anger essentially alerts us when someone or something wants to hurt us and provides the aggression needed to overcome a stronger attacker.
2. Anger Motivates Us
Researchers have discovered that anger is associated with what’s called approach-related motivation. They assert that there are two basic motivational forces that underlie all behavior—the impulse to approach, or move toward something desired, and the impulse to withdraw, or move away from unpleasantness. Approach motivation comprises emotions, cognitions, and actions that are driven by the wish to achieve desirable results.
As it turns out, research shows that anger significantly activates the left anterior cortex of the brain, which is associated with positive approach behaviors. Conversely, emotions such as fear and sadness activate the right frontal cortex, which is tied to the more negative, withdrawal motivational system, marked by inhibition, timidity, and avoidance of some kind of punishment or threat. Thus, anger can potentially provide you with the energy that may be necessary to take action towards achieving certain goals or to correct difficult or unjust situations.
Of course, the physiological arousal that happens with anger is motivating too—a quickened heartbeat and breath, as well as tense muscles. They prepare one to take critical action. A more passive or calm emotional state does not have the same impact on the body.
3. Anger Gives a Sense of Control and Optimism
Anger provides us with a sense of control and corresponding optimism. Anger propels us to use our individual power, alone or collectively, to inflict costs or withhold benefits to get what we need. Individuals who constructively experience and express their anger are in a better position to fulfill their needs and control their destiny than those who suppress their anger.
Harvard researcher Dr. Jennifer Lerner, who studies emotion and decision theory, found in one study that anger and risk assessment were associated with optimism and risk-taking, whereas fear was associated with pessimism and risk-aversion. Additionally, the study noted that angry people are more similar to happy people than fearful people in how they assess risk outcomes! Now that’s a surprise.
In another study, Lerner examined Americans’ reactions to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and discovered that angry feelings evoked a sense of clarity and control on a large scale, helping to reduce fear, ultimately allowing people to come together for a common cause. Interestingly, those who became angry were less prone to anticipate future attacks, while those who were fearful worried about future attacks.
In short, when we are angry, we can feel more optimistic about our ability to change a particular situation. This empowers us to take action and move from an undesirable position to a desirable one.
4. Anger Increases Cooperation
Anger can facilitate greater cooperation and harmony in relationships. If the anger is justified, expressed constructively, and the response is appropriate, misunderstandings and conflict are often resolved. The constructive expression of anger in personal relationships is healthy and necessary. It allows for greater emotional intimacy and/or cooperation.
A study published in Society for Personality and Social Psychology determined that too quickly moving to forgiveness is not healthy, stating, “Sometimes expressing anger might be necessary to resolve a problem—with the short-term discomfort of an angry but honest conversation benefiting the health of the relationship in the long-term.” Conversely, failing to express anger in a relationship can be destructive, according to one research study.
This can apply to all different types of relationships. Ultimately, expressing our anger constructively teaches people to respect us.
5. Anger Can Lead to Self-Improvement
Anger can serve as an opportunity for spiritual and emotional growth. Anger can be an indication that there’s a deeper issue that needs to be addressed. A willingness to look at the source of our anger can be beneficial. Being both curious about and constructive in exploring our anger can provide insight into our faults and shortcomings, and lead to character development and greater self-esteem.
One study examined how participants’ recent expressions of anger had impacted them. More than half of the 747 participants responded that getting angry ultimately led to a positive outcome, and a full third of them observed that their experiences of anger had provided useful insight into their own faults.
6. Feeling Anger Expands Emotional Intelligence
Ultimately, having a willingness to embrace difficult emotions such as anger, rather than avoiding or repressing them, is a sign of emotional intelligence. When a person is emotionally intelligent, they do not resist anger, but instead, welcome it with curiosity and caution. Anger is potent, after all, and needs to be treated with care. People who practice this are more emotionally resilient as a result.
One study observed that “people who prefer to feel useful emotions, even when they are unpleasant to experience, must understand emotions and seek to regulate them in strategic ways.” The study also asserted that those who tend to only want happy feelings do not exhibit the same level of emotional intelligence or resilience. There’s a benefit to feeling and dealing with the unpleasant aspect of anger.
Working Through Anger
Science is still learning about how using our anger constructively helps us to be safe and healthy in the world. If you struggle with aggression and destructive anger or you have trouble expressing anger at all, talking to a mental health professional can help. Brain SPECT imaging can also provide valuable insights, as research shows that mild traumatic brain injuries can lead to aggression and violence in some people.
Destructive anger issues, intermittent explosive 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. When the responsibilities of parenting, work, and life are too much, parents can fall into overload, or worse, burnout—a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion experienced by parents and caregivers. Symptoms may include depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue, sleep disturbances, trouble concentrating, marital conflict, and even illness.
Since the spring of 2020, we’ve been living in a time of parental overload. The world pandemic brought an avalanche of responsibility on parents’ already burdened shoulders.
At times, you need a break from your kids, and they need a break from you.
A survey called “Stress in the Time of Covid-19,” conducted on behalf of the American Psychological Association from earlier this year found that 46% of parents with children under 18 said their stress level was high. Fast forward to today, and parents are still overloaded. Even though many parents have returned to work and kids have returned to school, the question of vaccinations and mask-wearing are new stressors.
A study from Yale University that examined stress on children during the pandemic found that parental “buffering” of stress was critical to the well-being of a family, and “parents who reported higher levels of parenting stress and anxiety-related symptomatology were less likely to effectively buffer stress.”
Parents can take measures to reduce stress and prevent overload. Here are several ways to help right now.
5 WAYS TO PREVENT PARENTAL OVERLOAD
1. Rest Better, Eat Right, Move More
Parents who take care of their brains and bodies by ensuring restful sleep, a brain healthy diet, and regular exercise are at less risk of having brain health issues such as depression, anxiety, and stress. Sleep disturbances are associated with an increased risk of a host of problems that busy parents shouldn’t have to contend with such as depression, diabetes, and heart health issues. It’s recommended that adults get 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Good sleep is associated with sharper brain function, stable mood, healthy weight, better athletic performance, healthy blood sugar levels, and stronger immune function.
A diet of brain healthy foods such as colorful vegetables, antioxidant-rich fruits such as berries, whole grains, healthy fats found in nuts, seeds, and fatty fish, and lean proteins will support healthy blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, and mood. There are even anti-anxiety foods that you can incorporate into your diet such as asparagus, avocado, and pumpkin seeds.
Daily exercise, either aerobic or strength training, is one of the best ways to keep stress levels in check while boosting your brain health and mood, according to research.
Proper sleep, diet, and exercise help to regulate parents, and make children feel secure. When parents are off, children know and tend to act up, making things worse.
2. Reduce Your Load
If you have the financial means or the support of family, take simple tasks off your plate. Are you carrying a heavier load than your co-parent? Ask for help. Instead of spending 5 hours on your day off cleaning your home, hire a cleaning professional or ask the entire family to pitch in. If you have in-laws nearby or another family member who can help with childcare, ask for help. The Wall Street Journal recently featured the development of new apps that will match families with an assistant to organize schedules, appointments, meals, and errands. If you can afford this kind of support, sign up.
Perhaps the greater load you are carrying is an emotional load. Mental health professionals almost uniformly recommend that parents have support in the form of friends, family, or professionals to talk to. Sharing your emotional concerns regularly with someone you trust can do wonders for your spirit as well as help you to find new perspectives or solutions you would not have come to on your own.
If expressing your emotions verbally is challenging, consider journaling to release your burdens. One study noted both emotional and physical benefits from expressive writing. Writing can help you to find ways to further lighten your load.
3. Notice What You’ve Done
Have you ever heard of the Zeigarnik Effect? It’s based on the work of Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik. He found that people remember and fixate on uncompleted tasks much more often than finished ones. Uncompleted and interrupted tasks take up mental space and cause tension. We get anxious when we can’t complete things.
For busy parents, living with never-ending to-do lists is a way of life. There are to-do lists at work and at home to manage, and they can cause significant stress.
Begin the practice of noting tasks completed each and every day. Have a list that you add to. Take note and savor the progress. You will never get your to-do list done, but you can find satisfaction and relief by giving your attention to what you have achieved.
4. Take Time to Be
One simple way to avoid being on overload is to take time out to just be. Do nothing. Maybe in the morning before the kids wake up, sip a cup of tea and daydream looking out the window. Schedule a bit of time on the weekend away from family not to do anything in particular. Maybe drive to the beach or a park and just sit and look out at the ocean or up at the clouds. Research shows that there’s great value in doing nothing. It’s a precursor to creativity. Taking these pockets of time may allow you to come up with creative ideas to better handle the load of work and parenting.
Consider time carved out to be a time of enriching solitude. When one deliberately chooses to have solitude time, research indicates that it can be beneficial to well-being and highly restorative. If you choose to be in nature, the benefits multiply. Spending just 20 minutes in nature will significantly lower your stress hormones, according to a 2019 study.
5. Get Out of Town
At times, you need a break from your kids, and they need a break from you. Get out of town. Visit friends, have fun, enjoy being out with your partner. If the idea of getting away for a couple of days is stressful, then start small with an afternoon or evening out with friends or a special date with your spouse.
One study showed that traveling to new places was associated with stress relief and well-being even a month after taking the trip. What’s more, it’s a good practice for your children to learn that they can be without you and receive care from other trustworthy and loving adults.
Make Well-Being A Priority
Ultimately, preventing parental overload means going to whatever lengths necessary to ensure your wellness. If you are already on overload, reach out to a mental health professional for help.
Stress, 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. Cancer. It’s one of the most dreaded words in the English language. It strikes fear in nearly all of us. It’s no wonder. The big “C” was the second leading cause of death in the U.S., according to 2019 statistics from the CDC. And depending on the type of cancer, treatment can involve painful surgeries and medications that have debilitating side effects. Despite this, many people suffering from psychiatric issues admit that they would rather have cancer than mental health problems.
Why would anyone prefer to have a horrible physical disease over a mental illness? As hard as it is to fathom, there are many reasons why psychiatric disorders are even worse than cancer.
As hard as it is to fathom, there are many reasons why psychiatric disorders are even worse than cancer.
When you have cancer, family members, friends, neighbors, and colleagues wrap themselves around you to offer support. People show up at your doorstep with homecooked meals. Parents offer to drive your kids to school or to after-school activities. They do your grocery shopping or drive you to medical appointments. When you have mental health issues, such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or bipolar disorder, people often shy away from you. They don’t know what to say or how to help, so they back off. This can leave you feeling like you’re completely on your own in your battle.
2. Feeling ashamed.
No one is shamed for having cancer even though the disease is strongly linked to lifestyle habits. Conversely, in our society, there is a stigma attached to having psychiatric disorders. In fact, many people with mental health issues say the shame and ostracism they experience is worse than the psychiatric disorder itself, according to research in The Lancet. If you’re anxious or depressed, people may tell you to “get over it.” If you have ADD/ADHD, they may push you to “try harder” to concentrate or stay focused. Can you imagine someone telling you to “get over” cancer, or to “try harder” to make it go away? When others make you feel like you’re to blame for mental health issues, it makes you feel even more helpless and hopeless. No one should be shamed for panic disorders, addictions, schizophrenia, or any other mental or behavioral issue.
3. Fear of consequences at work prevents treatment.
Although changes at work can follow a cancer diagnosis, they don’t typically prevent people from seeking treatment for the disease. When mental illness is the issue, however, fears about potential workplace discrimination can get in the way of treatment. Approximately half of American workers are apprehensive to talk about mental health problems in the workplace, according to a 2019 poll by the American Psychiatric Association. More than one-third of are concerned that if they seek treatment for mental health issues, they may face consequences, such as being fired. These fears keep many people from getting the psychiatric help they need.
4. Conventional psychiatry diagnoses conditions with no biological information.
Getting a cancer diagnosis often involves a battery of tests, such as bloodwork, genetic testing, advanced imaging (such as CT or MRI), and surgical biopsy. This leads to a high level of accuracy in the diagnosis, subtyping, and staging of the disease. Not so in traditional psychiatry. Most mental healthcare providers continue to make diagnoses based on symptom clusters alone—the same way Abraham Lincoln was diagnosed with “melancholia” over 150 years ago. This leads to alarming rates of misdiagnosis and keeps you from getting to the root cause of your symptoms. For example, by the time people visit Amen Clinics, they have already received an average of 4.2 diagnoses. This is why it’s important to visit a psychiatric clinic that tests and evaluates biological health in conjunction with psychological health. At Amen Clinics, a comprehensive evaluation may include brain SPECT imaging, bloodwork, and additional testing as needed.
5. Traditional psychiatry uses cookie-cutter treatments.
Advances in cancer research, diagnosis, and care mean that patients can receive targeted treatments for their type of cancer. Unfortunately, in conventional psychiatry, most providers continue to take a one-size-fits-all approach to treat mental health conditions. This often involves antidepressants for depression, anti-anxiety pills for anxiety disorders, and stimulants for ADD/ADHD. Although these medications may work for some people, they can make others worse. Prior to coming to Amen Clinics, people have tried an average of 5 medications without getting relief from their symptoms. Finding the most effective treatment plan for your needs depends on an accurate diagnosis and is the key to getting well.
When you consider these issues, it’s easier to understand how someone could say they would choose cancer over depression, anxiety, or some other mental health condition. For people with this perspective, getting a proper diagnosis thanks to brain imaging and a comprehensive evaluation can lead to a treatment plan that helps overcome all of these factors so healing can begin.
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. Are you feeling stuck? Can’t get motivated? Or can’t stay focused on your goals? These are all things that patients at Amen Clinics have been saying in the wake of the lingering pandemic. How can you tell if it’s the current circumstances that are to blame, or if you’re actually sabotaging your own life? Here are 17 traits associated with self-sabotage. See how many you have, then turn them around so you can get out of your own way and start moving in the right direction again.
Are you feeling stuck? Can’t get motivated? Or can’t stay focused on your goals? It could be self-sabotage that’s holding you back.
When you blame others, it makes you powerless to change your situation.
Get out of your own way: Taking personal responsibility—think of the word “responsibility” as the ability to respond—is the key to making the changes necessary to be happier and more successful.
2. You have no plans.
One of the greatest de-motivators is a lack of goals and planning. Without a roadmap for what you want out of your life, you’ll never get far.
Get out of your own way: Come up with a set of focused goals for your life and a plan to achieve them. Before you say or do anything, ask yourself “Does it fit?” Will it help you reach your goals?
3. You expect to fail.
If you allow your mind to tell you that you’ll never achieve what you want, your brain will find ways to prevent you from succeeding.
Get out of your own way: Change your mindset to expect to succeed. Your brain will help make it happen.
4. You repeat mistakes.
Making the same mistakes over and over again, which is often seen in people with ADD/ADHD or low activity in the brain’s prefrontal cortex (PFC), makes it harder to progress in life.
Get out of your own way:Enhancing activity in the PFC and learning from mistakes can help you grow and become a better person.
5. You’re rigid or inflexible.
If you’re one of those “It’s my way or the highway” type of people, you can get caught in rigid thinking patterns or behaviors that keep you stuck. This is often seen in people with overactivity in the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG) region of the brain.
Get out of your own way: Try to be more creative and adaptable and be more open to new ways of thinking or doing things. Calming the ACG by boosting serotonin naturally can help.
6. You’re unprepared or disorganized.
Nothing is more frustrating to a boss, co-worker, or customer than to be associated with someone who is poorly organized or unprepared for their daily tasks.
Get out of your own way: Create systems and alerts to help you stay on task and ask the most organized person you know to help you get organized.
7. You have trouble making decisions.
Do you worry excessively when making decisions? Indecisiveness, which can be a sign of anxiety, is associated with inaction as it leaves you paralyzed by fear of making the wrong decision.
Get out of your own way: Being able to make decisions in a timely manner keeps you action-oriented.
8. You’re impulsive.
If you have trouble waiting for the right moment to say or do something, it can backfire. This trait is commonly seen in people with ADD/ADHD.
Get out of your own way: Becoming more disciplined is the key to overcoming impulsivity.
9. You’re overly cautious.
Being unwilling to take reasonable risks may lead to a safe, predictable, and comfortable life, but also to one that may not be very satisfying or very successful. Fear of failure is often to blame.
Get out of your own way: Focus on taking “measured” risks.
10. You have trouble communicating.
Poor communication skills are at the root of most relationship problems at work or at home.
Get out of your own way: Develop healthier communication skills to elevate your relationships.
11. You’re surrounded by negative people.
Negativity is contagious, so if your social circle includes people who don’t believe in you, put you down, or discourage you, you’re likely to believe them.
Get out of your own way: Surround yourself with positive people who support and encourage you.
12. You’re dependent on others.
Insecurity or low self-esteem may cause you to encourage others to direct your life even though it can make you feel stuck and resentful. In addition, mindlessly following trends can have devastating consequences.
Get out of your own way: Shifting away from needing the approval of others to relying on your own opinion of yourself is key.
13. You have “stinking thinking.”
Negative thought patterns, which are typical in people with anxiety or depression, keep you stuck by making situations seem worse than they really are.
Get out of your own way: Challenging your automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) by asking if they are true can help you develop more accurate thinking patterns.
14. You fear success.
Do you feel like you don’t deserve success, or that people will be envious of you if you succeed? If so, when your goal is within reach, you may find ways to sabotage it.
Get out of your own way: Overcoming the guilt and fear associated with success can help motivate you.
15. You lack energy.
If you wake up feeling tired, you won’t have the get-up-and-go you need to power through your day. Often seen in people with depression and certain hormonal imbalances, fatigue keeps you down.
Get out of your own way: Getting quality sleep, engaging in physical activity, eating a healthy diet, and treating depression and hormonal issues can increase your energy.
16. You give up easily.
When things get hard, do you simply give up? Without follow-through and determination, you’ll keep coming up short. People who give up may lack focus or may be perfectionists who feel like they can’t live up to their own expectations.
Get out of your own way: Persistence is a trait that you must develop to get what you want out of life.
17. You have mental health (or brain health) problems.
Having depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, substance abuse; or suffering from the effects of a past concussion; or struggling with other issues that can get in the way of your ability to stay focused, motivated, and goal-oriented.
Get out of your own way: A healthy brain and mental wellness are the foundations for success in all areas of life. If you’re stuck, optimize your brain and mental health.ADD/ADHD, 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. At face value, Nikki Leigh appears to have it all. A bright and attractive actress, model, and host of the Positivity Time podcast, Leigh boasts nearly 5 million followers on Facebook. But she wasn’t always so popular. In fact, in a revealing episode of Scan My Brain, Leigh admits that when she was in junior high, she was bullied. “I had no friends and felt super alone,” she tells Dr. Daniel Amen, founder of Amen Clinics, in the video. “I had people beat me up.”
She tried desperately to get the people who didn’t like her to change their opinion of her and become friends, but it didn’t work. The bullying eventually got so intense that Leigh fell into depression. “I told my mom one day that I just didn’t want to live anymore, and she broke. I didn’t realize why, but I learned later on that her dad committed suicide,” she says.
Leigh’s brain SPECT scan showed overactivity in the emotional centers of the brain. Based on the Amen Clinics database of over 170,000 brain scans, the diamond-shaped pattern seen on Leigh’s scan is common in people with mood issues, anxiety, and worry.
Based on the Amen Clinics database of over 170,000 brain scans, overactivity in a diamond-shaped pattern in the emotional centers of the brain is common in people with mood issues, anxiety, and worry.
Can being unpopular in school lead to mental health problems later in life? The research is heartbreaking.
THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL COSTS OF UNPOPULARITY
Being unpopular can have devastating impacts on mental wellness, according to a decades-long study appearing in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. At the outset of this study in 1966, Swedish researchers asked 12,500 6th graders to choose the 3 classmates they liked working with best. The kids who were named by 7 or more of their classmates were deemed “favorites.” On the other end of the spectrum, students who were named by only one of their peers were considered “peripheral” and those who weren’t chosen by any of their schoolmates were categorized as “marginalized.”
When the children turned 50 years old several decades later, the researchers analyzed hospitalizations based on their peer status categories. The children considered peripheral or marginalized were more likely to have been hospitalized for physical or mental health issues. For example, men and women who had been in the marginalized group were approximately twice as likely as those in the favorites groups to have received inpatient care for mental health and behavioral disorders, including alcohol or drug abuse. Adults who were marginalized as children were also more likely to have died by suicide and to have a range of lifestyle-related diseases, such as heart disease or diabetes.
Another study out of Sweden in 2012 re-confirmed that being unpopular in school can make you unhappier and unhealthier later in life. In this research published in Plos One, middle-aged adults who had been unpopular in high school were more likely to have medical problems, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and poor cholesterol ratios. By age 43, those who had been ostracized as teens had a higher risk of having metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of all of these conditions.
Although this study only looked at physical health consequences, it’s important to note that these medical issues also increase the risk of psychiatric issues. For example, being obese carries a greater risk of depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia (fear of going out), and addictions. Being overweight is also associated with untreated ADD/ADHD and lower self-esteem. Research in the American Journal of Public Health also shows that among women, increased body mass index (BMI) is linked to a rise in suicidal thoughts.
Similarly, diabetes can take a devastating toll on mental well-being. Anxiety and depression are 2-3 times higher in patients with diabetes than in the general population, according to a 2016 study and a 2018 study. Findings from a 2015 study show that people with diabetes are also at greater risk for eating disorders, such as binge eating.
Feeling stressed from these findings? Take heart that even if you weren’t part of the popular crowd at school, you can overcome the health and psychological problems associated with being socially isolated. It starts with your mindset.
ADOPTING A MORE POSITIVE MINDSET
For Nikki Leigh, opening up about her difficult school days and starting a podcast called “Positivity Time” has helped her deal with the depression and suicidal thoughts she used to feel. On the podcast, she routinely expresses gratitude and shares random acts of kindness with her listeners. Leigh naturally gravitated to focusing her energies on being more upbeat, but there is science to explain why her strategy can be so helpful.
Positivity bias training is a proven practice that can help you overcome negativity, low self-esteem, and other issues, even if they were embedded in your psyche during your formative years at school. Positivity bias training basically means actively seeking out the positive in life—noticing what you like more than what you don’t like, showing gratitude, and changing the way you think.
With these techniques, you have the potential to emerge from decades of feeling bad about yourself due to your school experience. And when you feel happier and more self-confident, you are also more likely to adopt healthy habits that will further enhance your body and brain. It’s a win-win situation.
Depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, 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. Ever get angry? Who doesn’t? We all experience feelings of anger on occasion. For some people, however, irritability can escalate into rage or even violence. And it can happen in an instant. Anger that quickly gets out of control may be a sign of intermittent explosive disorder (IED), a mental health disorder. Talk about an ironic acronym, IED also stands for “improvised explosive device,” which is something that can detonate without warning and cause great harm. It’s similar to the way a person can explode in anger and cause lasting emotional (or physical) damage to anyone in their vicinity. IED can destroy relationships and kill careers.
If you can’t control your aggressive impulses, you may want to consider seeking professional help. Psychotherapy can be an important aspect of an IED treatment plan. Before you can work on gaining control of anger and aggression, you need to address any underlying issues that may be causing it.
ADDRESS POSSIBLE CAUSES OF INTERMITTENT EXPLOSIVE DISORDER
Researchers have spent decades looking into potential causes of and contributors to IED. Understanding what might be contributing to your anger issues and treating them is one of the keys to healing. Some of the most common treatable issues related to IED are emotional trauma, head injuries, other mental health conditions, and issues with brain chemistry.
Emotional trauma
One of the main findings from years of research into the causes of IED is that experiencing trauma is a common denominator among people with the condition. For example, a 2012 study in Psychiatric Research that looked at data on 5,575 individuals found that IED is associated with increased exposure to trauma, especially childhood trauma. Adverse childhood experiences that can contribute to IED include emotional or physical neglect, sexual or physical abuse, living with someone with an addiction or mental illness, and more.
Healing strategies: A non-invasive therapy that can aid in overcoming emotional trauma is called EMDR, which stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. This can be an important piece of the puzzle in understanding and coping with anger issues.
Head injuries
At Amen Clinics, which has built the world’s largest database of functional brain scans related to behavior, it has become clear that head injuries increase the risk of anger issues and IED. In a 2018 study in The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, researchers looked at the relationship between mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) and IED. Among 1,634 individuals involved in the analysis, those with IED were more likely to have experienced a mTBI compared with healthy controls and those with other psychiatric disorders. On SPECT scans at Amen Clinics, damage to the temporal lobes (located on either side of the temples behind the eyes) is often associated with anger, aggression, and violence.
Healing strategies: If your brain is injured, it makes it difficult to follow through on anger management techniques. To enhance brain function, put the brain in a healing environment with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), eating a healthy diet, eliminating environmental toxins, and avoiding alcohol and drugs.
History of mental health disorders
People with ADD/ADHD, borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and other psychiatric conditions are at increased risk of IED.
Healing strategies: Seeking treatment for these mental health problems can help make it easier to follow anger management strategies.
Brain chemistry issues
Some research suggests that abnormal levels of neurochemicals may play a role in IED. Specifically, low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin have been cited as a possible contributor to the condition.
Healing strategies: To boost serotonin naturally, eat a diet that is lower in protein and higher in complex carbohydrates. Natural supplements such as saffron and 5-HTP also increase the feel-good neurotransmitter.
PSYCHOTHERAPY STRATEGIES FOR INTERMITTENT EXPLOSIVE DISORDER
In addition to addressing any underlying causes of IED, a comprehensive treatment plan for IED will usually include psychotherapy and anger management. A number of techniques may be helpful, such as:
Cognitive restructuring: Learning to change the way you think about frustrating and stressful situations that typically trigger aggression can be beneficial.
Relaxation strategies: Engaging in a relaxation practice that includes deep breathing exercises, yoga, self-hypnosis, or guided imagery can help keep you calm when your blood starts to boil.
Coping skills: Therapists can help you develop a toolkit of coping strategies to help you deal more effectively with situations that typically set you off.
Group therapy: In a 2018 study, researchers concluded that “structured cognitive behavioral group therapy, with a focus on anger management and cognitive coping, may be a promising approach to the treatment of IED.”
Intermittent explosive disorder, head injuries, 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. Raven-Symoné gained a reputation as one of the greatest child stars of all time by appearing in the Cosby Show and Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper. As an adult, she continued to make audiences laugh with That’s So Raven and many other comedy series and movies. But in a revealing episode of Scan My Brain, she opens up to Dr. Daniel Amen about the depression, anxiety, and irritability in her life. There are times when she goes inside her brain and can’t say a word or express herself. She calls it “burritoing.”
What a great term for something that so many people with depressive disorder experience. It’s when you want to wrap yourself up and hide from the world. How can you tell if you’re struggling with “burrito syndrome?” Look for these signs.
“Burritoing”—what a great term from actress Raven-Symoné for something that so many people with depressive disorder experience. It’s when you want to wrap yourself up and hide from the world.
When you sink into a low mood, do you retreat from your loved ones? When they try to offer support or ask you to talk about what you’re feeling, do you tend to shut them out? Isolating yourself and withdrawing from friends and family is one of the most common symptoms of mood disorders. Shutting yourself off in your home or in your bedroom if you live with others increases feelings of depression. The more alone you feel, the more depressed you are likely to feel.
2. You sleep too much (or too little).
Major depressive disorder often comes with sleep issues. You may find yourself sleeping more than usual—cocooning in bed and taking numerous naps throughout the day. Or you may have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, tossing and turning all night. In fact, an estimated 75% of depressed people suffer from insomnia, according to a study in Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience. Still, you may be seeking solace by wrapping yourself up in your blankets in bed to try to get the sleep you need.
3. You have no energy.
In addition to sleep issues, you may lack any “get-up-and-go” energy. Forget things like going out to dinner with friends, you may not be able to motivate yourself to go to the mailbox or to head to the kitchen to make meals. And that low energy level may contribute to why you have a hard time collecting your thoughts, talking to anyone, or expressing yourself.
4. You have aches and pains.
Depression can manifest with physical symptoms like back pain, joint pain, or headaches. In fact, 85% of people with chronic pain also suffer from severe depression, according to findings in a 2017 study in Neural Plasticity. Other research suggests the biological connection between these conditions may lie in the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine, both of which influence mood and pain. When you feel achy and uncomfortable, it doesn’t make you want to venture out of your “burrito.”
5. You snap at others.
When you’re all wrapped up in your own misery, it can lead to anger and irritability. A 2013 study in JAMA involving 536 depressed people found that 54.5% of them expressed overt anger and irritability. If loved ones try to coax you out of your isolation, you’re likely to lash out at them. This can lead to people avoiding you, which contributes to your social isolation.
6 WAYS TO OVERCOME DEPRESSION AND “BURRITO SYNDROME”
1. Reconnect.
Take it slow. If you live with others, start by simply saying hi or good morning. If you live alone, send a text to someone you care about. It can be as simple as an emoji.
2. Develop a healthy sleep routine.
Getting the sleep you need is so important. Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day. Get into the habit of winding down in the evening by turning off your electronic devices a few hours before bedtime. Avoid alcohol and caffeine and practice relaxation activities, such as taking a warm bath, listening to soothing sounds, or reading (nothing stress-inducing though).
3. Get out of your pajamas.
To help regain your energy, get dressed every day. Even if it just means trading your PJs for sweatpants, making the effort to get out of your sleeping attire can change your frame of mind.
4. Get moving.
You may feel achy, but physical exercise is a proven pain reliever. Start small with just a few minutes a day of walking, yoga, or swimming. If you find it hard to motivate yourself, ask a friend to be your exercise buddy. Knowing someone else is counting on you can be encouraging.
5. Breathe.
If you’re feeling irritable and want to snap at someone, take a moment and breathe deeply. Inhale for 3-4 seconds, hold it for 1 second, then exhale for twice as long as your inhale. This can very quickly calm tension.
6. Seek treatment for depression.
Getting the treatment you need is the most important step you can take for your mental health. Be sure to look for a provider who understands that depression is not just one thing. The brain imaging work at Amen Clinics has shown there are 7 types of depression and anxiety and each type needs a targeted treatment plan.
Depression, anger issues, 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. Simone Biles, considered to be the greatest gymnast of all time, withdrew from the gymnastics team final at the Tokyo Olympics saying she wasn’t in a good mental space to compete. The 24-year-old gymnast, who told reporters that she was “super frustrated,” added that she began “fighting all of those demons” and couldn’t overcome them.
Those demons can from inside one’s own mind, but in today’s society, they can also come in the form of internet trolls. The young gymnast’s daring feats that have earned her a vaulted place in athletic history haven’t shielded her from online hate from Internet trolls who have blasted the superstar’s muscular physique, hair, and worthiness as a role model.
Earlier this year, Biles fought back against the faceless internet trolls. In an animated video featuring Biles called “VS Trolls” released in May 2021, the gymnast journeys through a world filled with bullies and haters who shame her and rob her of her self-assuredness. The gold-medal winner eventually defeats the trolls to reclaim her confidence.
Unfortunately, in real life, many trolling victims don’t fare so well. As people spend more and more time on social media, the malevolent act of trolling has mushroomed as well. Sadly, more than 1 in 3 people have been the target of internet trolls with abusive language, threats, unsolicited images, and more, according to a 2019 survey.
What’s behind this antisocial behavior and what makes some people so mean on social media?
WHAT IS INTERNET TROLLING?
Internet trolling, a form of cyberbullying or online harassment, is defined as posting disruptive content for the purpose of causing emotional distress. Sometimes, this is for the troll’s own amusement as they take pleasure in hurting others. Trolling can occur on any social media platform or in the comments sections on any form of online content.
These hateful, insulting, divisive, offensive comments may target someone for their physical appearance, personality, political beliefs, or any aspect of their individual being. Trolls may also reveal personal information about someone—known as “doxxing”—without their consent. The anonymity provided by the Internet emboldens trolls to type things they’d likely never dare to say to someone face-to-face.
WHAT’S THE HARM OF TROLLING?
Internet trolling can take a serious toll on people. Reading negative comments about yourself can make you feel awful, hopeless, powerless, vulnerable, overwhelmed, humiliated, and worthless. This mean-spirited behavior can have devastating consequences on mental health. Being the target of trolls has been associated with increases in depression, low self-esteem, trouble sleeping, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts and behavior.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF INTERNET TROLLS
What makes some people unleash such disruptive and distressing comments? Psychologists have been stepping up research efforts to gain insight into the psychology of internet trolls. A 2017 study in Personality and Individual Differences found that cyber-trolls tend to have high levels of psychopathy and sadism in combination with low levels of empathy. They also are more likely to be male, and researchers call the perpetrators master manipulators who enjoy causing emotional pain and distress in others. A 2019 study further explored the minds of internet trolls and found that narcissism is a common trait. And a 2021 study focused on Facebook points to what’s known as the Dark Tetrad personality factors (narcissism, Machiavellianism, and sadism) as indicators of greater trolling behavior.
WHAT BRAIN IMAGING REVEALS ABOUT INTERNET TROLLING
Many of these psychological traits are associated with abnormal brain activity. Here’s a deeper look at these traits and what brain imaging shows us.
Psychopathy
Considered a neuropsychiatric condition, psychopathy is associated with callousness, lack of empathy, impaired behavioral control, and in some cases, criminal behavior. A person with psychopathic tendencies may be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, a condition that is characterized by routinely exploiting, manipulating, and taking advantage of others. Neuroimaging studies have shown that personality disorders are associated with structural and functional abnormalities in the brain.
Sadism
A sadist, by definition, is someone who derives pleasure from inflicting pain on others or from humiliating people. Neuroscience shows that sadists enjoy feeling other people’s pain and watching them suffer. A functional brain imaging study in Archives of General Psychiatry on sexual sadism shows heightened activation in the frontotemporal region of the brain while sadists observe pain.
Low empathy
Empathy is the ability to feel other people’s feelings. It’s what helps guide us in our words and actions to avoid hurting other people. According to the lessons learned from over 300,000 brain SPECT imaging scans at Amen Clinics, low activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is associated with low levels of empathy. Logan Paul, a YouTube superstar, admitted he lacked empathy and came to Amen Clinics for a brain scan that showed decreased activity in the PFC, likely due to a head injury.
Narcissism
People with narcissistic personality disorder consider themselves special and typically don’t consider other people’s feelings. Narcissists may be charming and highly intelligent, but insecurity is often at the root of their bravado. According to neuroimaging research from 2013, narcissists have lower volumes of gray matter in brain areas involved in empathy.
Machiavellianism
A personality trait characterized by cunningness, emotional detachment, negative emotions, instability, and a willingness to take advantage of others, has been linked to abnormal brain activity. Neuroimaging studies have shown that when specific areas of the brain are damaged—from a concussion or traumatic brain injury, for example—the odds of Machiavellian behavior increase.
The good news is that the brain can heal—even in internet trolls. When you put the brain in a healing environment, it can change in positive ways that leads to more appropriate behavior and healthier interactions with others.
6 WAYS TO COPE WITH INTERNET TROLLS
If you’re the target of internet trolls, it can be devastating. But there are things you can do to minimize the impact of those hurtful comments and posts.
Limit your exposure. If you’re a public figure and routinely receive hateful comments, have someone on your staff monitor the comments and posts on your social media pages.
Ignore them. Trolls like to poke the bear and hoping to elicit a response. Don’t give them the satisfaction. Refrain from engaging in a “Twitter war” with them.
Reply with the facts, just the facts. If trolls are spreading falsehoods about you, simply correct the inaccuracies without engaging in any sort of a personal attack.
Block them. When things go too far and trolls threaten you or your loved ones, don’t hesitate to block them from your site.
Lean on your positive support network. Focus your attention on creating a community of family, friends, and followers who support you. When trolls try to drag you down, your supporters can buoy your mood.
Practice mental hygiene. The concept of mental hygiene is just as important as washing your hands. When nasty comments or negative thoughts start rolling around in your mind, challenge those thoughts. With practice, you can learn to develop healthy, rational thinking that helps you cope with those online trolls.
If you’re experiencing depression, anxiety, or thoughts about self-harm or suicide due to internet trolls, these feelings 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 888-288-9834or visit our contact page here.
