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Some people are calling it the biggest scandal to rock baseball since the steroid debacle. During the 2017 World Series, the Houston Astros engaged in a sign-stealing scheme that alerted their hitters to know what type of pitch to expect—fastball, breaking ball, change-up, and so on. The Astros went on to beat the Dodgers that year to win the World Series, but that title has been tainted since the cheating scandal came to light.

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has slapped the team with punishments, including a $5 million fine and the loss of first- and second-round draft picks for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. But some say this doesn’t go far enough.

It all makes you wonder, why did they cheat?

The Neuroscience of Cheating and Lying

Based on reviewing over 160,000 brain SPECT scans related to behavior from tens of thousands of patients at Amen Clinics, neuropsychiatrist Daniel Amen, MD, says, “Brain dysfunction is the number-one cause of bad behavior.” He suggests it’s likely that a combination of anxiety, obsessiveness, and a lack of a moral code are underlying factors when people engage in bad behavior. “From a neuroscience perspective, lower frontal lobe function often leads to cheating and lying,” he says.

Here are some specific findings based on SPECT imaging that show how abnormal brain activity is linked to cheating and lying.

Problems in the Prefrontal Cortex

The prefrontal cortex is the seat of impulse control, judgment, and empathy. When brain activity is low in this area, it leads to troublesome behavior, such as impulsively lying or cheating, poor decision-making, and a lack of empathy for anyone who may be hurt by your actions. It can also be associated with ADD/ADHD.

Abnormal Activity in the Anxiety and Fear Centers of the Brain

Anxiety often makes people fearful that they are not able to accomplish their goals on their own. Anxious types also have a tendency toward perfectionism, which makes you feel like you can only be valued (or loved) if you end up on top. When this type of anxiety takes hold, you may be more likely to lie or cheat to reach your lofty goals. Looking at the brain with SPECT imaging reveals that anxiety is often associated with abnormal activity in areas, such as the basal ganglia and the amygdala (the brain’s fear center).

When the Brain’s Gear Shifter Gets Stuck

Getting stuck on obsessive thoughts, such as the idea that winning at all costs is the only option, can cause you to get trapped in a course of action—even if deep down you know it isn’t the right thing to do. On SPECT, people with obsessive thinking patterns or compulsive behaviors often show unhealthy brain activity in an area called the anterior cingulate gyrus. Known as the brain’s gear shifter, it’s what helps you go from thought to thought. When it isn’t working right, you tend to get locked into looping thoughts and compulsive behaviors.

Group Dynamics Activate the Brain’s Reward Center

A 2011 study from USC found that the brain places a higher value on winning when you’re in a group than when you’re by yourself. In this trial, winning in a group setting increased activity in an area of the brain associated with rewards as well as an area involved in social reasoning. The study participants who won while in a group setting were more likely to engage in risky and competitive behavior to keep winning. This helps explain why people are more likely to try something stupid, such as cheating, in order to win when they’re with their friends (or teammates).

When Toxins Attack the Brain

SPECT imaging shows that people who abuse alcohol, illicit drugs, or prescription medications tend to have brains that have a toxic appearance. Brain scans of people with addictions show lower overall activity, which is associated with poor judgment and impulse control problems.

Hidden Brain Injuries Impair Judgment

A wealth of research shows that experiencing a blow to the head, say from a fastball to the temple, can lead to brain trauma that increases the risk of impulsivity, anxiety, poor judgment, drug and alcohol abuse, and more.

At Amen Clinics, we take a unique brain-body approach to diagnosis and treatment that includes brain SPECT imaging, as well as laboratory testing to check physical health, and other important factors that could be contributing to symptoms and bad behavior. By getting to the root cause of your symptoms and unwanted behaviors, we can create a more effective, personalized treatment plan for you.

If you want to join the tens of thousands of people who have already enhanced their brain health, overcome their symptoms, and improved their quality of life at Amen Clinics, speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.

Every year on Super Bowl Sunday, people gather around the TV to root for their home team and to place all sorts of bets—who will win, if they’ll beat the point spread, the total number of passing yards, and so on—all based on the predictions of sports bookies. But there’s one prediction that our brain imaging work says is a sure thing—you can bet that nearly every player on the field will have experienced some form of damage to the brain from playing football.

All those crushing helmet-to-helmet hits over a player’s career can cause mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) that often go undetected. As the number of hits to the head add up, it is associated with an increased risk of anxiety, depression, anger, attention problems, weight gain, brain fog, substance abuse, memory loss, and suicide. Football players literally have their brains, their mental health, and their lives on the line every time they take the field.

Football and the Brain

At Amen Clinics, we’ve been studying the brains of football players for decades. Our brain imaging work reveals that Pop Warner and high school players, aged 8 to 18, already show clear evidence of TBIs. The brain scans of college players show even greater damage. And the scans of NFL players are even worse. In the past few decades, Amen Clinics has performed several studies on active and retired professional football players, and the results are startling.

For a 2011 study on 100 active and former NFL players from 27 different teams, we took detailed histories, had the players perform cognitive tests and did both brain SPECT scans and QEEG studies on each of them. The results were very clear—playing football damaged multiple areas of the brain in greater than 90% of the players. There was persistent damage to the following areas of the brain:

To date, we have conducted 4 studies on gridiron greats. Our 2012 study in Translational Psychiatry found that as retired NFL players’ weight goes up—which it often does after they stop playing—the size and function of their brain goes down. Even a study sponsored by the National Football League itself found that retired players ages 30-49 were given a dementia-related diagnosis at 20 times the rate of age-matched populations, while players over the age of 50 received a dementia-related diagnosis 5 times the national average.

At this point, there is little doubt that playing football at any level can cause long-term cognitive and emotional trouble.

It’s Never Too Early to Start a Brain “Pre-hab” Program

That’s why every single person who plays tackle football—and anyone who is at risk from brain trauma, including firefighters, police officers, and military personnel—needs to be involved in a brain “pre-hab” program on a daily basis. You can’t wait to have a concussion or major head injury to start thinking about the health of your brain. You need to be pro-active about it.

What’s exciting is that our brain imaging work with football players shows that damaged brains can be healed. In a 2011 study we put 30 retired NFL players with damaged brains and cognitive impairment on a brain healthy program for an average of 6 months. At the end of the trial 80% showed significant improvement in blood flow to the prefrontal cortex, as well as the parietal lobes, occipital lobes, anterior cingulate gyrus, and cerebellum. And cognitive testing showed statistically significant increases in scores of attention, memory, reasoning, information processing speed, and accuracy.

10 Brain Pre-Hab Strategies You Can Bet On

On Super Bowl Sunday, think about your own brain health too. By putting your brain in a healing environment, you can boost your brain reserve, which is the extra cushion of brain function you have to help you deal with whatever stresses or injuries come your way.

Here are 10 simple pre-hab strategies you can bet on to protect your brain from injury.

  1. Always wear your seatbelt when you drive or ride in a vehicle.
  2. To prevent falls or other injuries, do not carry too many packages or boxes at one time.
  3. Wear a helmet when skiing, biking, etc.
  4. Avoid going up on the roof or climbing ladders.
  5. Slow down.
  6. Do not text and walk or drive.
  7. Be careful when going up and down stairs; hold the handrail.
  8. If you have had a head trauma, have your hormone levels checked and optimize any that are low.
  9. Take the herb peppermint to help with healing.
  10. Eat eggs to boost acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that helps with learning and memory

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

If you are in a profession that’s at high risk for trauma—such as football players, firefighters, police officers, and others—speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.

(Names have been changed to protect privacy.)

When someone in your family is struggling with a mental health condition—whether it’s anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD, bipolar disorder, addiction, memory loss, schizophrenia, behavioral problems, or PTSD—it impacts the whole family and can create dysfunction. Most people want to blame all the stress and drama on that one person and believe that if they could just “fix” that individual, everything would be resolved. In reality, it’s rarely that simple. In many cases, other family members are contributing to the problems due to undiagnosed issues.

Here’s how one mother learned this important lesson first-hand.

Was Maya’s Condition the Source of Dysfunction?

Jackie was constantly butting heads with her daughter, Maya, a 16-year-old junior in high school who had been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. Like many teens with this condition, Maya’s room at home was so messy it looked like it had been hit by a tornado. She had trouble focusing and was struggling to keep up with her schoolwork while also studying to take the SAT. Maya was having such a hard time, she started thinking she would never get into college, so why should she even bother studying so hard for the SAT?

Jackie was constantly hounding her daughter to study more and work harder and telling her she was being lazy, which only added to Maya’s discouragement. Jackie was a natural at taking charge and getting things done and expected everybody else to be just as good at powering through their to-do list, so she thought Maya was just being lazy with her study schedule.

On top of that, Jackie hated it when things were out of place, so she would get angry at her daughter for having so much clutter in her room. These negative thoughts would get stuck in Jackie’s head, and she would bring up things Maya did wrong years ago. It all added more stress to Maya’s situation and ratcheted up the mother-daughter tension.

Jackie was convinced that Maya’s ADD/ADHD was the source of all their troubles and if they could just get that under control then everything would be better between them.

When Brain Scans Reveal Undetected Issues

Jackie decided to take her daughter for a brain SPECT scan and a comprehensive evaluation so Maya could be “fixed.” After learning more about their relationship, however, the psychiatrist suggested that both Maya and Jackie get scanned. Jackie didn’t think she really needed to have her own brain scanned, after all, it was Maya’s brain that was the problem. But she agreed, assuming the doctor could use her own scan as a healthy example to compare to Maya’s.

After going through the process, Maya’s scan showed low activity in her prefrontal cortex (consistent with ADD/ADHD) combined with increased activity in her basal ganglia and amygdala (a tendency for anxiety and predicting the worst).

The patterns of abnormal brain activity in Maya’s scan related to ADD/ADHD didn’t come as a surprise to Jackie. But she hadn’t realized that her daughter’s negativity was rooted in brain activity that revealed a vulnerability for anxiety disorder. She had always thought it was just a bad personality trait.

Then it came time to review her own scan. What she saw was shocking.

How Do You Know Unless You Look?

Jackie’s scan showed excessive activity in the front part of her brain in an area called the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG), which is seen in people with obsessive compulsive disorder and in those who tend to be rigid and hold grudges. For the first time in her life, Jackie grasped that she had brain issues that were fueling the dysfunctional relationship she had with her daughter. “Fixing” her daughter wasn’t going to solve their problems. They both needed to enhance their brain health in order to have a peaceful relationship.

Seeing both of their brain scans also helped Jackie understand that her daughter’s brain simply worked differently from her own, so she stopped expecting Maya to tackle her studies the same way she had done when she was that age. It also helped her see how her parenting style had actually been making Maya’s issues worse. She realized that enhancing Maya’s brain was only part of the solution. She needed to optimize her own brain as well to be able to better support Maya.

With the help of their mental health professional, the two of them began personalized treatment plans using supplements and lifestyle interventions targeted to each individual brain.  Maya’s treatment plan focused on boosting activity in the PFC and soothing the basal ganglia, while Jackie’s program aimed to calm her overactive ACG.

After a few weeks, Maya was able to get better organized and stay more focused while studying. And with her own brain calmed down, Jackie stopped getting so upset about things being out of place and quit harping on Maya about things that had happened years earlier. When it came time for the SAT, Maya did better than she had anticipated and eventually got into her top choice for college. And she and her mom now get along much better, so they are both less stressed in general.

At Amen Clinics, when we use brain SPECT imaging to scan entire families, we often discover that one or more family members have a diagnosable mental health condition that has gone undetected. Without this knowledge, the family unit would likely continue to struggle. Optimizing all of the family member’s brains can be the key to a more loving and supportive home life.

If you want to join the tens of thousands of family members who have already visited Amen Clinics and enhanced their brain health, overcome their symptoms, and healed their relationships, speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.

Did you know that up to two-thirds of people who suffer from depression don’t find relief from the first antidepressant they try? And even after four courses of antidepressants, one-third of people with depressive symptoms still don’t get better? Neuroimaging and AI may be able to change that, according to a pair of recent studies in the American Journal of Psychiatry and Nature Human Behavior.

The new research from scientists at UT Southwestern shows that brain imaging can identify activity patterns in the brain that indicate if a person is likely to respond to a certain medication. The two studies are part of a national trial called EMBARC that is working to establish better ways to treat depression based on objective, biological evidence. They are hoping it will lead to less trial and error and more targeted, effective treatment.

“We need to end the guessing game and find objective measures for prescribing interventions that will work,” said Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, who oversees EMBARC and is founding Director of UT Southwestern’s Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care. 

The scientists are looking forward to a day when brain imaging, blood testing, and genetic testing will be standard practice in selecting a treatment plan for major depressive disorder.

What the New Research Shows

In the two new studies, which each involved over 300 participants, imaging tests measured brain activity at rest and during emotional processing. While in the brain scanners, study participants viewed photographs of angry or happy faces that were labeled with words that they had to read aloud. What made this tricky is that the words didn’t always match the emotion shown in the image. For example, a happy face might have had “Fear” written on it.

The researchers used AI to observe activity throughout the entire brain rather than just the emotional centers of the brain. The results found that people who had abnormal activity in the prefrontal cortex (an area involved in judgment, planning, and focus) were less likely to respond to treatment with SSRIs, a common type of antidepressant.

These studies further validate the use of neuroimaging in finding the best solutions for depression.

Brain Imaging Already Being Used in Depression Treatment

People with treatment-resistant depression who aren’t responding to antidepressants don’t need to wait for this type of technology to help them find the most effective solutions. Amen Clinics, with 8 locations nationwide, has been using brain SPECT imaging for 30 years, as well as lab testing, genetic testing, and a deep dive into the other areas of your life that might contribute to depressive symptoms.

The brain imaging work at Amen Clinics has identified 7 different types of depression and anxiety based on brain patterns. This helps explain why taking a “one-size-fits-all” approach to depression treatment will never work.

“Think of your brain patterns as a fingerprint,” said Dr. Jay Faber of Amen Clinics on CBS News, when asked about the new brain imaging and depression studies. “Everybody has their unique signature.”

When developing a patient’s treatment plan, the Amen Clinics Method takes those specific brain patterns into consideration, along with all the other factors that influence depression. And according to Dr. Faber, when patients who weren’t having a good response to antidepressants have a SPECT scan and are treated based on their brain patterns and other diagnostic information, “up to 78 to 80% are better.”

What Amen Clinics and these new studies out of UT Southwestern show are that neuroimaging is the future of psychiatry. While most psychiatric clinics are still years away from incorporating this technology into their clinical practice, at Amen Clinics, the future is now.

If you’re suffering from depression and aren’t getting relief, take advantage of the next-generation diagnostic testing available at Amen Clinics. We use brain SPECT imaging, as well as blood testing, genetic testing, and a comprehensive 4-circle approach that looks at all the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors that can contribute to depression symptoms. Based on all of this valuable information, we can create a targeted, personalized treatment plan that includes the least toxic, most effective solutions for your needs.

 To learn more or to schedule your comprehensive evaluation, please visit us online or call 888-288-9834.

In 2015, businessman Steve Easterbrook stepped into one of the most exalted CEO gigs in the nation, leading the franchise that virtually defines America in much of the world—McDonald’s. With a payday that soared to more than $15 million, you would think he would do everything in his power to ensure that he would keep collecting all that dough. But in 2019, he was fired for engaging in a consensual relationship with an employee that violated company policy. It’s been reported that he wrote, “This was a mistake.”

A mistake? Or a sign of a brain that isn’t working optimally?

Easterbrook isn’t the only person who has lost millions due to an impulsive decision. Remember when Roseanne Barr posted a derogatory tweet about Valerie Jarrett, an African-American advisor to President Barack Obama when he was in office? At the time, Barr was poised to rake in millions for the highly anticipated comeback of her massive hit TV show “Roseanne.”

Barr tried to backpedal, blaming her “bad joke” on a sleep aid. “It was 2 in the morning and I was Ambien tweeting,” she wrote. But ABC, the show’s network, didn’t accept her excuse and canceled her show. Barr’s comeback was a bust, and her bank account took a serious hit.

And who can forget the Tiger Woods scandal? The world’s most famous golfer was viewed as a hero until he rammed his car into a tree, which eventually caused his life to come crashing down. When the public learned about his numerous secret affairs, he tried to blame it on a sex addiction along with the sense of entitlement that comes with fame.

The golfer’s sponsors started dropping him, stripping him of millions in endorsement money. On a personal level, his wife left him and according to Forbes, took an estimated $100 million of his $600 million net worth at the time in the divorce settlement.

What happens in the brain of people who seemingly have it all and then throw it all away with their bad behavior?

When the Brain Doesn’t Hit the Brakes on Bad Behavior

The human brain is equipped with a sophisticated system that is intended to hit the brakes when we think about doing stupid things that will cause dire consequences—getting fired, losing your income, getting divorced, or going to jail, for example. In some people, however, the drive to engage in unhealthy behaviors—drinking too much or doing drugs, having affairs, posting something defamatory on social media, or taking naked photos (like Katie Hill who just resigned when intimate photos of the married Congresswoman surfaced showing her kissing another woman).

Here’s what can happen in the brain.

The brain’s reward system is an intricate network of brain circuits and neurotransmitters that work together to drive you to seek out rewarding things (such as food and sex) but that regulate self-control so you don’t overdo it.

This system involves the drive circuits (the nucleus accumbens and deep limbic system) that motivate you to seek out pleasurable things.

This is counterbalanced by the self-control circuit (the prefrontal cortex), which pulls the reins when you want to do something really dumb. It’s that voice in your head that tells you to think twice about the consequences of your actions. And it’s what gives you that 5-second delay that prevents you from pressing the “Post” button on your social media feed when you’re about to post something that will land you in hot water.

Functional brain imaging studies using a technology called SPECT show that the brain’s reward system works differently in people who exhibit bad decision-making, impulsivity, and poor judgment. On SPECT scans, it’s clear that activity in the brain’s drive circuits is too high while activity in the self-control circuit is too low. The drive circuits are basically pushing the pedal to the metal, and even if you’re trying to pump the brakes, they aren’t working. It puts you on a collision course for disaster.

Even if there are negative ramifications from your actions, the dysfunction in your brain’s reward system pushes you to repeat the behavior over and over again. For many people, it isn’t until they are faced with dire consequences, say losing millions of dollars, that they seek help for their problem.

Healing the Brain is the Key to Making Better Decisions

People may seek out psychotherapy or other support groups for help, and these can be powerful tools, but unless the underlying abnormal brain activity patterns are optimized, it’s unlikely that people will be able to follow through with the recommendations.

The good news is, you are not stuck with the brain you have. You can change your brain and change your life for the better! Brain imaging studies show that the right strategies—including natural therapies like changing your diet, taking supplements, and making lifestyle changes—can have a powerful and positive impact on the moment-by-moment functioning of your brain.

Thousands of people have tamed their impulsivity, improved their judgment, and boosted their ability to make better decisions—all by focusing on enhancing their brain health.

So, the next time you read about some famous person in the news who makes a seemingly colossal bonehead mistake that costs them millions, don’t just ask, “What’s wrong with them?” Ask “What’s wrong with their brain?” And ask the same thing if you or someone you love is making bad decisions that are negatively impacting your life.

At Amen Clinics, we use brain SPECT imaging as part of a comprehensive evaluation to help our patients see how their brain activity is influencing their behavior and decision-making. This is often a powerful first step to putting a stop to the unhealthy habits that are hurting their lives. We also use an integrated brain-body approach to healing the brain that includes biological, psychological, social, and spiritual areas of your life to help you address the problem more fully.

To learn more, call 888-288-9834 to talk to a specialist today or schedule a visit.

 

When you’re wracked with anxiety, filled with emptiness, or unable to stay focused, your family and friends may blame you for your problems and tell you that you just need to try harder. But no amount of willing yourself to be worry-free, forcing yourself to be happier, or trying to concentrate helps. It can make you feel like it’s all your fault and that your issues stem from personal weakness or character flaw.

When Feeling Bad Makes You Feel Worse

Sally was 40 years old when she was hospitalized for depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. She also had a short attention span, was easily distracted, couldn’t keep anything organized, and always felt restless. She had spent her entire life thinking she was lazy and felt bad about herself for not being as upbeat and carefree as her friends and colleagues.

She had dropped out of college because she couldn’t stay on top of her classwork even though she had an IQ of 140. Her marriage suffered because she tended to shut herself off from him when she felt down. And her son often got upset with her because she didn’t have it together like his friends’ moms. But she never sought help for her problems because she thought she had brought them upon herself. When she couldn’t simply “snap out of it” she started thinking she was worthless.

How Looking at Her Changed Everything

In the hospital, Sally continued to refuse treatment for her mental health issues. But when she was asked if she’d be interested in looking at her brain, she enthusiastically said yes. She was interested in getting more information to understand herself and why she was filled with anxiety and depression and sometimes thought about ending her own life.

Sally underwent two brain SPECT imaging studies—the first at rest and the second while she performed a concentration task. Her results were abnormal, and her brain showed patterns associated with anxiety and depression.

They also showed that at rest, she had good overall brain activity, especially in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), an area involved in planning, focus, follow-through, and organization. However, when she tried to focus, her brain actually dropped in activity, especially in the PFC. This is a classic pattern seen in ADD/ADHD whereas in people without the condition, concentration causes activity in the PFC to increase. This helped explain Sally’s lack of focus, inability to concentrate, and problems staying organized.

“You Mean, It’s Not All My Fault?”

When Sally saw the two brain scans in her hospital room and learned what they indicated, she started to cry and said, “You mean, it’s not all my fault?”  She finally realized that her issues weren’t simply psychological, and they weren’t a sign of some failure on her part. The problems she had suffered throughout her life had a biological basis—her brain wasn’t operating optimally.

Having ADD/ADHD—or any other mental health disorder—is just like needing glasses. People who wear glasses aren’t dumb, crazy, or stupid. Likewise, people who have ADD/ADHD aren’t dumb, crazy, or stupid. Their frontal lobes shut down when they’re supposed to turn on. And they need help to turn them back on so they can focus.

Brain-Body Treatment for a Biological Problem

This discovery helped Sally make sense of her life and finally opened her up to the idea of looking at her issues as biological problems that needed to be treated. But she didn’t want to simply take medication. She wanted to incorporate natural solutions as much as possible.

Her treatment plan was based on 4 Circles—biological, psychological, social, and spiritual—that influence mental health. From a biological standpoint, she agreed to start medication and also adopted a healthy nutrition plan, began exercising daily, and made sleep a priority. To help her psychologically, she began psychotherapy to help her deal with disappointments from her past. On a social level, she signed up for couples therapy and parent training. She also focused on developing a deep sense of purpose for her life to enhance her spiritual side.

In a short time, Sally felt calmer and more focused. She went back to school and finished her degree. Her relationship with her husband and son were better, and she no longer thought of herself as a failure, but rather as someone who needed help for a medical problem. When you understand mental health this way, you realize that not treating it really amounts to neglect. It’s like withholding glasses from someone who cannot see.

If you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD, or any other mental health issue, it’s time to stop blaming yourself. We use brain SPECT imaging as part of a comprehensive evaluation to reveal signs of brain dysfunction so you can see the biological basis of your issues. The Amen Clinics Method takes an integrative approach to diagnosis and treatment includes looking at the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of your life to identify areas that can be optimized so you can start feeling better fast.

Take the first important step to a better life and call 888-288-9834 to talk to a specialist today or schedule a visit.

 

When prescribed appropriately, psychiatric medications can be very helpful in reducing symptoms associated with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, ADD/ADHD, and many other conditions. But if you’ve been misdiagnosed and are taking prescription pills for a condition you don’t have, or you’re taking medication that isn’t right for your individual brain type, it can lead to unwanted side effects and even some questionable behaviors. Just look at what happened to Kate.

7 Minutes to Disturbing New Behavior

A minister’s wife, Kate went to her family doctor and told him she was stressed, depressed, and couldn’t sleep. After a 7-minute appointment, she left his office with three prescriptions: a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) called (fluoxetine/Prozac) for depression, a benzodiazepine (alprazolam/Xanax) for her anxiety, and a sleeping pill (zolpidem/Ambien). Within three days Kate started to feel better. After a week she was feeling really great. 

Then, while stopped at a traffic light, a man in a truck pulled up beside her. He winked at her, which was not unusual as Kate was an attractive woman. But what happened next was very unusual. Kate proceeded to unbutton her blouse and showed the man her breasts. Horrified at her own behavior she sped off, and the trucker tried to follow her. She managed to give the guy the slip and sped back to the safety of her home.

Still shaking from what she had done and unnerved at what might have happened if she hadn’t driven off, she went straight to her medicine cabinet. She figured the uncharacteristic change in her behavior had to be related to the new medications she was taking, so she tossed them all in the trash.

Why Kate’s Meds Weren’t Right for Her

Desperate for answers, Kate decided it was time to see what was happening in her brain. After she had been off those medications for several weeks, she underwent a brain imaging study called SPECT. It measures blood flow and activity in the brain and shows three things: areas of the brain with healthy activity, too much activity, or too little activity.

Kate’s brain scan showed low overall activity, especially in the front part of her brain called the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The PFC is involved in impulse control, planning, judgment, and decision-making. When activity in this area is low, people tend to be more impulsive, engage in risky behavior, and make bad decisions.

The three medications Kate had been given all decrease brain activity. This can be helpful in people who have too much activity in the brain, but not in Kate’s case. These medications further diminished activity in her PFC, thereby disinhibiting her judgment, lowering her impulse control, and leading to the embarrassing incident with the unbuttoned blouse.

Kate was lucky that she made the connection between her unusual behavior and the medications. Imagine if she had continued taking them and the kind of trouble she could have gotten into. It’s frightening!

Unfortunately, many people who are taking psychiatric medications don’t connect the dots between the pills they pop and differences in the way they act. They can go years without realizing that their medications are impacting their behavior in an undesirable way. This can lead to problems at work, troubled relationships, and many other issues.

How Psychiatric Meds Affect the Brain

Brain SPECT imaging studies show that some psychiatric medications—particularly benzodiazepines, sleeping medications, and pain pills like hydrocodone and oxycodone—have a negative impact on the brain. SPECT scans reveal that they suppress brain function in many people.

A growing body of scientific evidence, including studies in BMJ, the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, and the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, shows that these medications—especially benzodiazepines—increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. These are all conditions known to be associated with low blood flow to the brain. Because some psychiatric medications can harm the brain, it’s important to look for natural ways to heal the brain and reduce symptoms.

Brain Function is the Key to the Right Medications

Without looking at the brain there is no way to know if a person’s brain needs more stimulation or needs to be calmed down. Symptoms, such as hopelessness or nervousness, don’t always equate to underlying brain function. Kate’s brain clearly needed more activity, not less. Seeing a person’s SPECT scan can help understand how that person is likely to respond to various medications and can diminish the risk of prescribing the wrong ones.

Seeing her brain helped Kate understand her disturbing behavior, and she got much better with a treatment plan that was targeted at increasing her brain activity. This included exercise to increase blood flow to the brain; great nutrition and stimulating supplements—including rhodiola, ginseng, and green tea— to support her moods; melatonin and magnesium for sleep; and psychotherapy to learn how to deal with the stress of being a pastor’s wife.

At Amen Clinics, we take an integrative approach to diagnosing and treating our patients. Through our brain imaging, lab work, and extensive assessment of your personal history (including asking about the medications you’re taking), we are able to identify biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors that may be contributing to your symptoms. With this information, we can help you optimize areas of your life to enhance overall brain health to help decrease your symptoms.

If you would like help finding integrative solutions for your symptoms, call 888-288-9834 today to speak to a specialist or schedule a visit online.

When a loved one attempts suicide or dies by suicide, it may make you desperate to find the reason why. But suicide is incredibly complex, and there are no simple answers.

Consider Jesse, who was just 14 when she was admitted to the hospital after a suicide attempt. On the surface, it seemed that she had tried to take her own life because she had a terrible fight with her mother that night. Jesse had been doing poorly in school and couldn’t keep up academically with her friends, and her mother had berated her for it. But the real story went much deeper.

Jesse had a family history of depression on her father’s side, and her mother had many ADD/ADHD symptoms (although she refused to be evaluated and treated for it). Jesse felt sad and had a tendency to look at the negative side of things. She was also disorganized, had lifelong trouble focusing on her schoolwork, and was impulsive. She was diagnosed with depression and ADD/ADHD.

A brain imaging study showed that Jesse had increased activity in the brain’s limbic system (an area involved in setting a person’s emotional tone) as well as decreased activity in her prefrontal cortex (an area involved in impulse control and judgment). This brain pattern made her more vulnerable to suicide.

Suicide in the Brain

Brain SPECT imaging studies reveal underlying brain abnormalities in people who have suicidal thoughts or attempts. Amen Clinics has performed brain scans on more than 300 people who have made a suicide attempt and on far more who have considered taking their own life. Most of these individuals possessed some combination of the following traits—impulsiveness, negative thinking patterns, flashes of irritability or anger, and a lack of good judgment. For Jesse, it was the swirling negative thoughts, impulsivity, and poor judgment combined with life stressors that put her at increased risk.

Imaging studies reveal that people with suicidal thoughts and behavior often have the following brain abnormalities:

Head Injuries

Concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)—even mild ones that don’t cause you to blackout—increase the risk of suicide. Falling off a bike, getting in a car accident, or falling off a ladder can cause dramatic changes in brain function that increase anxiety, depression, impulsivity, anger, poor decision-making, and substance abuse—all of which make a person more likely to contemplate suicide. At Amen Clinics, 40% of patients have experienced head trauma, but many of them don’t remember it.

Temporal Lobes

Brain SPECT imaging studies show that abnormalities in the temporal lobes—and especially in the left temporal lobe—are common in people with suicidal thoughts and behavior. In a study performed at Amen Clinics, left temporal lobe problems were present in 62% of people who seriously thought about taking their own life or who made a suicide attempt.

Prefrontal Cortex (PFC)

Low blood flow in the PFC, which is associated with impaired decision-making, impulse control, and judgment, is commonly seen in suicidal people. Anything that lowers PFC activity can increase the risk of suicide in those who are already vulnerable. For example, alcohol lowers activity in the PFC, and a study in BMJ found that22% of suicide victims were drunk at the time of their death.

Anterior Cingulate Gyrus (ACG)

The ACG is the brain’s gear shifter and helps you go from thought to thought. When there is too much activity in this area, however, people have a tendency to get stuck on negative thoughts, which is one of the traits seen in people with suicidal thoughts and behavior.

Healing the Brain, Saving Lives

To help prevent suicide, it’s critical to healing underlying brain dysfunction. For Jesse, that included medication for her impulsivity and poor judgment, and psychotherapy to help her learn to change her negative thinking patterns. Over several months, her condition improved significantly. Her mood was better. School was easier for her. She had better frustration tolerance and impulse control. Her initial weekly visits after she left the hospital turned into every 2 weeks and then monthly by the end of the first year, and she maintained good stability.

Healing her brain helped save her life. The best way to prevent suicide or help someone after a suicide attempt is to help them heal their brain.

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

At Amen Clinics, we have treated hundreds of people who have attempted suicide, including Jesse. We use brain SPECT imaging to help identify underlying brain abnormalities that increase the risk of suicide and offer personalized treatment plans to optimize the brain and lead to a happier, healthier outlook on life.

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

 

By Rishi Sood, MD, ABPN

Imagine waking up every morning feeling sad, exhausted and hopeless.  You go to the doctor and after a brief visit, you are prescribed a medication that is intended to increase serotonin (the “happy” chemical).  After 4 to 6 weeks you are told that you should see improvement, but your symptoms get worse.   You return to the doctor and are told to discontinue the treatment and over the course of several years go through several medication trials and all sorts of psychotherapy, which do not help.  More aggressive approaches are tried.  However, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, ECT, and Ketamine (used in treatment-resistant cases) fail to provide relief.  Over this time period, your marriage ends, you become unemployed and the only purpose to continue living is to see your children grow.  Unfortunately, this had been Kevin’s journey when he arrived at the Amen Clinics New York in September of 2017.

When I met Kevin for an initial consultation, he shared that we were his last hope.  We agreed that we needed to take a deeper look to determine what we were missing.  We began by taking a detailed childhood developmental history.

It was evident that Kevin was exposed to early childhood trauma. His earliest memories were of his parents arguing with the quarrels turning violent when his father would drink alcohol.  His older sister would intervene, while Kevin would avoid conflict altogether and use video games to escape reality.  Kevin was described by peers and teachers as a shy, introverted, well-behaved boy, but what no one could see is how much Kevin struggled with focus.  When teachers would lecture, he would zone out or, as he described it “my brain would shut down.”  Completing homework took more than four hours when it should have taken one to two hours to complete.  Kevin was able to get “average” grades but often felt inferior as his parents would compare him to Asian peers who were excelling in their tight-knit community.  His mother would tell him to work harder and berate him for being lazy.  During his adolescence, Kevin turned to marijuana to numb his feelings of inadequacy and decrease overall stress.

Hearing this, I began to think of Kevin’s poor brain.  I had an idea of what could be going on but needed to actually look at his brain to really have a clear picture.

When we scanned his brain, several subcortical structures were much more active as compared to healthy controls for his age group.  A “diamond pattern” was seen in both resting and concentration states.  We often see this pattern in individuals who have experienced emotional trauma and suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  It was as if Kevin’s brain was on high alert ready to defend against any threat when there was no threat. 

Initial SPECT scans showing high activity in subcortical regions.

It was also evident that Kevin had frontal lobe dysfunction which worsened when he concentrated.  The frontal lobe is the “Executive Center” of our brain and governs concentration and short-term memory.  This explained Kevin’s struggles in school and in his marriage where he reported: “not being able to keep up with daily responsibilities which led to severe disaccord between me and my ex-wife.” 

In order to effectively help Kevin, it was imperative that both systems (frontal lobe and subcortical) needed to be targeted.  Upon review of prior treatment plans, both systems were in fact targeted but never together.

The first phase of treatment involved quieting the subcortical circuitry without causing further frontal lobe dysfunction.  Our research has shown that a particular class of medications (SNRI-Selective Serotonin Norepinephrine Inhibitors) can drastically reduce depressive symptoms when dealing with these specific brain patterns.  We started Venlafaxine (SNRI) and within six weeks Kevin began to report less obsessional thinking, and agitation and was no longer in a constant “fight or flight state.” 

To help further decrease the high activity in the emotional trauma circuitry, Kevin completed several sessions of Eye Movement Desensitization Processing (EMDR). During the EMDR therapy, Kevin attended to emotionally disturbing material (i.e. witnessing his father physically abusing his mother). The EMDR therapy facilitated the accessing of his traumatic memory network so that information processing was enhanced, with new associations forged between the traumatic memory and more adaptive memories or information.  Kevin reported that the memories “no longer controlled me, it was as if I was free from the past.”

Despite his improvement, Kevin continued to report struggling with attention which made sense as we still had work to do on his frontal lobe.  Kevin and I agreed to take more of a natural approach, before adding more medication.  We started Omega 3 Power and L-Tyrosine to increase dopamine levels.  Within two weeks Kevin reported improved concentration and within three months read a novel cover to cover for the first time in his life. 

Kevin understood that taking the medication and supplementation provided the scaffolding to aid in recovery.  To take his brain health to the next level he would need to do more.  Now that the depression had lifted, he was motivated.  Kevin began to exercise (High-Intensity Interval Training 3 times per week) and eliminated processed sugar from his diet.  This further increased energy levels and enhanced sleep.

In just 6 months, Kevin’s condition had dramatically improved and he reported having a “new lease on life.”

As I reflect on Kevin’s case, I cannot help but wonder, “What would have happened to Kevin had we not looked at his brain?”   I do not believe we would have been able to help Kevin.  This case highlights how critical it is to understand the interplay of brain systems and how optimization in a specific sequence can lead to dramatic improvement.  

We continue in our quest in helping others, with the hope that one day everyone will have the opportunity that Kevin had.  When Kevin changed his brain by doing the things we recommended, he changed his life.

About the Author: Rishi Sood, MD, ABPN

Dr. Sood values working with adults and children across all age ranges. He is experienced in mood and anxiety disorders, addiction, ADD/ADHD, impulsive/disruptive behavior disorders, Autism Spectrum, psychotic disorders, OCD, and PTSD. He uses dynamic as well as cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, family psychotherapy and works to integrate pharmacotherapy and alternative therapies to optimize brain health and function. Behavioral change is a process and Dr. Sood incorporates a motivational interviewing approach into evaluations to support the client and meet them where they are at, offering client-centered care. He firmly believes that clients do well with continued support in their journey toward optimal brain health.

 

Did you know that people who experience a mental health disorder at any time of life are at twice the risk of alcohol abuse and four times the risk of drug abuse? Addiction problems are particularly common in people with untreated ADD/ADHD. And the problems can start early. Kids and adolescents with the condition are 2.5 times more likely to develop substance use disorders (SUD) than their peers, according to research in the journal Pediatrics. And Harvard researchers have found that over half of all adults with untreated ADD/ADHD will abuse drugs or alcohol during their lifetime.

Cindy, 42, had fallen into that trap. She was abusing methamphetamines, had failed numerous treatment programs, and had lost her third job in a year due to tardiness and poor performance. As a child, she was described as hyperactive, restless, impulsive, disorganized, and a thrill-seeker. She had taken Ritalin for a short while, but her parents weren’t comfortable giving her mediation and told her she should just try harder in school. It didn’t work. By the time she entered high school, she was using drugs to help her pay attention in school. “When I speed, I feel clear and have energy and focus. I hate coming down, and I hate that I have to break the law.”

What’s Driving the ADHD/Addiction Duo?

People with ADD/ADHD tend to have trouble with impulse control even though they may start each day with good intentions to abstain from drinking alcohol or using drugs. Brain SPECT imaging studies show that children, adolescents, and adults with the most common type of ADD/ADHD (brain imaging shows there are actually 7 different types of ADD/ADHD) tend to have low activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), likely due to low levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine.

The PFC is part of the brain’s self-control circuit and is involved in judgment, impulse control, planning, and follow-through. When it is underactive, people can be impulsive, have trouble following through on plans, and have poor judgment. It makes it harder to stay away from substances even when you know they are detrimental to your well-being.

Dopamine is a feel-good chemical. Whenever we do something enjoyable, it’s like pressing a button in the brain to release a little bit of dopamine to make us feel pleasure. In some people, low levels of dopamine mean they need more and more of a substance to feel that joy. Alcohol, cocaine, and methamphetamine all cause dopamine surges that make these substances highly desirable.

Common Substances Abused by Type of ADD/ADHD

Many people with ADD/ADHD self-medicate with drugs or alcohol (or both) as a way to feel better, more focused, more together, less anxious, less depressed, and less overwhelmed. They aren’t necessarily trying to get high, they just want to feel more normal. The symptoms people experience and the substances they tend to abuse depend on which of the 7 types of ADD/ADHD they have.

Substance Abuse and Brain Function

Brain imaging studies clearly show that alcohol and drug use are harmful to brain function and exacerbate ADD/ADHD symptoms over time. Alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamines, and marijuana all decrease brain activity over time, sometimes significantly. For example, when a teen with ADD/ADHD uses alcohol to settle the internal restlessness, it is calming in the short-term, but it damages cellular activity, worsening symptoms in the long-term.

5 Natural Ways to Power Up the PFC and Boost Dopamine

There are several natural strategies that strengthen the PFC and boost dopamine to help people who have problems with impulse control and substance abuse. Here are 5 ways to do it:

If you or your child are struggling with poor impulse control, lack of focus, disorganization, or a short attention span, don’t wait to seek help. About 40% of kids and 80% of adults with symptoms of ADD/ADHD don’t get the treatment they need, which increases the risk of substance abuse. If you are using drugs or alcohol to self-medicate your symptoms, we can help you find healthier ways to feel better fast.

At Amen Clinics, we have treated thousands of children, adolescents, and adults with ADD/ADHD and addictions. We use brain SPECT imaging as part of a comprehensive evaluation to diagnose and treat the 7 types of ADD/ADHD and to decrease the stigma associated with substance abuse disorders. Talk to a specialist today about how our personalized precision psychiatry approach can help you. To learn more, schedule a visit today or call 888-288-9834.