11 Warning Signs of Mental Health Issues You Should Know

Amen Clinics
June 2, 2025

11 subtle but serious mental health symptoms to watch for—early detection can lead to better outcomes and support when it matters most.

It’s easy to brush off a bad mood, poor sleep, or constant stress as “just life.” But what if these are early warning signs of something deeper?

Mental health problems often start quietly—subtle changes in thinking, feeling, or behavior that are easy to dismiss. Yet catching these mental health red flags early can make all the difference.

Whether you’re concerned about yourself or someone you care about, understanding the early symptoms of mental health issues is crucial. Ignoring them can lead to worsening symptoms, strained relationships, and even long-term consequences.

Here are 11 mental health warning signs you should never ignore—and what to do if you recognize them.

Mental health problems often start quietly—subtle changes in thinking, feeling, or behavior that are easy to dismiss. Yet catching these mental health red flags early can make all the difference.

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SLEEP CHANGES

When your sleep patterns start to change drastically, it could signal a potential mental health issue. For example, significant shifts in your circadian rhythm or physical health—such as insomnia or oversleeping—often point to conditions like depression or anxiety.

In a 2019 study, up to 90% of people with depression experienced sleep disturbances. Sleep problems can exacerbate feelings of stress and become a cycle that’s difficult to break.

2. APPETITE OR WEIGHT SHIFTS

Similarly, whether eating too little or too much, changes in your appetite can indicate underlying mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, or eating disorders. Sudden weight gain or weight loss can also be a sign of a mental disorder.

For example, research shows that appetite and weight fluctuations are common in people with major depressive disorder. Some people lose their appetite while others feel hungrier than usual.

3. MOOD CHANGES

If you’re experiencing low moods or having rapid or dramatic shifts in mood, it could be an indicator of a mental disorder. Persistent feelings of sadness, emptiness, or irritability are common signs of depression, which affects 29% of US adults at some point in their lives, according to a recent Gallup Poll.

On the flip side, feelings of euphoria that come and go may make you feel amazing in the short-term but might be a sign that something’s wrong. For example, people with bipolar disorder might fluctuate between high-energy manic states and deep depressive episodes.

If you or someone you know is experiencing chronic low moods or extreme emotional ups and downs, it could be time to seek help from a mental health professional.

Press Play to Discover the Warning Signs of Mood Disorders

In this video, Amen Clinics psychiatrist Dr. Jay Faber reveals a specific behavior pattern that’s a common sign of bipolar disorder.

4. SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL

If you’re increasingly isolating yourself from social activities or withdrawing from relationships you once enjoyed, it could signal a deeper issue that needs to be evaluated. Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities or avoiding interactions with friends and family can be a sign of depression or other mental health conditions.

Understand that this is not about the natural progression of certain relationships or growing out of certain hobbies. This is about having the desire to want to enjoy those parts of your life again—except your mind isn’t allowing you to feel that desire and continue enjoying it.

Social withdrawal is often linked to a lack of energy or motivation, both of which are common when dealing with mental health disorders. A NIMH report showed approximately 20% of U.S. adults experience some form of mental illness annually, with social withdrawal being a hallmark symptom.

5. TROUBLE WITH DAILY FUNCTIONING

If you are someone who previously excelled at work, school, or social activities, but you’re suddenly struggling to keep up with your tasks, it could indicate mental health issues. Research shows that it’s important to pay attention to daily functioning problems, such as:

Neglecting responsibilities and/or hygiene
Difficulty completing basic tasks like cleaning or organizing
Struggling to meet deadlines or keep up with workload demands
Experiencing difficulty concentrating or retaining information
Forgetting important appointments, commitments, or responsibilities

These may be signs of mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), also known as attention deficit disorder (ADD). When these are left untreated, your ability to work and interact socially can be significantly and negatively impacted.

If your performance has noticeably decreased in one or more areas of life, it’s important to explore the possibility of a mental disorder with a trusted and qualified mental health professional.

6. DIFFICULTY FOCUSING

Everybody experiences times when it’s challenging to stay on task. But if your problems with focus and concentration persist and get in the way of your success, it could be a sign of trouble. Focus and attention problems are hallmark signs of ADHD, but they can also be linked to other mental health disorders.

For example, research shows that cognitive issues like poor focus are experienced by nearly 50% of people with depression and anxiety disorders. If these symptoms interfere with work or daily life, you need to seek professional help to assess potential mental health disorders.

7. HEIGHTENED SENSITIVITY

A heightened sensitivity to environmental stimuli—think light, sounds, smells, or textures—can signal an overactive nervous system. This is then often triggered by stress, anxiety, or trauma.

If you find yourself avoiding public places, loud environments, or large crowds because you become overwhelmed by external stimuli, it could be a red flag. Your hypersensitivity may be a sign of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), ADHD, or anxiety.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) reports that anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults in the U.S. Many of those struggling with anxiety disorder also experience sensory sensitivities or overload as part of their condition.

8. FEELING NUMB OR DETACHED

When you start to feel detached from yourself or your surroundings, or lose interest in life, it’s important to give yourself space to learn why. This feeling of disconnection, also known as depersonalization, can make a person feel as though they are observing life from the outside.

This symptom is common in those with major depressive disorder, where emotional numbness can take over and result in apathy toward daily activities or people. If you find yourself or a loved one lacking initiative or experiencing emotional numbness, it’s important to seek help from a mental health professional.

9. ILLOGICAL OR DISORDERED THINKING

Mental disorders like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia can cause illogical thinking or delusions that lead people to believe in exaggerated or false thoughts about themselves or the world. These beliefs might include thoughts of grandeur or the idea that you have special powers to control events around you.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1 in 300 people worldwide experience schizophrenia in their lifetime, often manifesting as distorted thinking and perceptions. If someone’s beliefs seem out of touch with reality or become more outlandish, it may indicate a serious mental health condition that requires intervention.

10. NERVOUS OR FEARFUL BEHAVIOR

Excessive nervousness, fear, or paranoia can be symptoms of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or social anxiety disorder. Uncharacteristic behavior like erratic speech or avoiding everyday tasks due to irrational fears, often points to an underlying issue.

The NIMH reports nearly 30% of adults in the U.S. experience an anxiety disorder in their lifetime. Most of them report symptoms such as hypervigilance and hyper-avoidance of triggering situations. If you or someone you love seems to be living in constant fear, it may be time to seek professional mental health guidance.

11. CHANGES IN SCHOOL OR WORK PERFORMANCE

A sudden change in your performance at school or work can be an early warning sign of a mental disorder. Such changes may include:

Finding it difficult to keep up with responsibilities
Having trouble staying focused
Increased absenteeism
Experiencing conflicts with colleagues or classmates

If your productivity isn’t what it used to be, you may want to take a deeper dive to investigate what’s causing the drop in performance.

FINAL THOUGHTS: DON’T IGNORE SIGNS OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

Recognizing mental health symptoms early can be critical to getting the right help and support. They should not be dismissed lightly. Getting an early diagnosis means early intervention, so you can better manage your symptoms and improve your overall quality of life.

Anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we provide personalized, science-backed treatment plans designed to target the root causes of your symptoms. Our 360-approach includes brain SPECT imaging, clinical evaluations, innovative therapeutic techniques, medications (when necessary), and holistic lifestyle recommendations to promote the health of your brain, body, and mind. Speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.

Amen Clinics

Founded in 1989 by double-board certified psychiatrist and neuroscientist Daniel G. Amen, MD, Amen Clinics Inc. (ACI) is known as the best brain and mental health company in the world. Our clinical staff includes over 50 healthcare specialists, including adult and child psychiatrists, integrative (functional) medicine physicians, naturopaths, addiction specialists, forensic psychiatrists, geriatric psychiatrists, nutritionists, licensed therapists, and more. Our clinicians have all been hand-selected and personally trained by Dr. Amen, whose mission is to end mental illness by creating a revolution in brain health. Over the last 35-plus years, ACI has built the world’s largest database of functional brain scans—over 250,000 SPECT scans on patients from 155 countries—related to how people think, feel, and behave.

REFERENCES

Stickley, A., Leinsalu, M., DeVylder, J.E. et al. Sleep problems and depression among 237 023 community-dwelling adults in 46 low- and middle-income countries. Sci Rep 9, 12011 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-48334-7 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-48334-7#citeas

Simmons, W Kyle et al. “Depression-Related Increases and Decreases in Appetite: Dissociable Patterns of Aberrant Activity in Reward and Interoceptive Neurocircuitry.” The American journal of psychiatry vol. 173,4 (2016): 418-28. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2015.15020162

Witters D. U.S. Depression Rates Reach New Highs, GALLUP. May 17, 2023. https://news.gallup.com/poll/505745/depression-rates-reach-new-highs.aspx

National Institute of Mental Health. (2024, September). Mental Illness. www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illnesshealth

Keller AS, Leikauf JE, Holt-Gosselin B, Staveland BR, Williams LM. Paying attention to attention in depression. Transl Psychiatry. 2019 Nov 7;9(1):279. doi: 10.1038/s41398-019-0616-1. Erratum in: Transl Psychiatry. 2020 Feb 12;10(1):64. doi: 10.1038/s41398-020-0748-3. PMID: 31699968; PMCID: PMC6838308

Perini G, Cotta Ramusino M, Sinforiani E, Bernini S, Petrachi R, Costa A. Cognitive impairment in depression: recent advances and novel treatments. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2019 May 10;15:1249-1258. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S199746. PMID: 31190831; PMCID: PMC6520478

National Institute of Mental Health. (2024). Any Anxiety Disorder. Retrieved from www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder

Misdiagnosed The Secret Cause of Juan’s Depression and ADHD

Amen Clinics
April 28, 2025

When mental health meds don’t work, look deeper. Infections may be the hidden cause. Discover what helped turn Juan’s life around.

Have you or a loved one experienced mental health issues that had an unknown or mysterious cause? Were you prescribed psychiatric medication that addressed some symptoms but aggravated or created others? Or have symptoms not considerably improved with standard treatments?

That’s what happened to Juan, a 22-year-old college student. He had been taking psychiatric medications for more than a decade, but they weren’t working. He was struggling at school, trying to cope with unwanted medication side effects, and dealing with additional mental health problems that had developed.

Why wasn’t Juan getting better?

Drawing on this fascinating case study from Amen Clinics, this blog explores a common culprit that can lead to mental health symptoms as well as brain fog and memory loss. You’ll also learn how this underlying biological factor impacts mental well-being, how to find out if it might be driving your own mental health issues, and how to protect your overall health.

Thousands of SPECT scans at Amen Clinics have shown that immune system issues and infections must be considered when evaluating brain and mental health—especially when mental health symptoms aren’t improving with typical treatments.

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JUAN’S STORY: A HIDDEN CAUSE OF MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS

Juan had used stimulant medication to control his attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) since he was only 10 years old. As a child, he’d exhibited classic symptoms. He was easily distracted and had difficulty remaining seated or following instructions.

By the time he entered Amen Clinics as a 22-year-old pre-law college student, additional mental health symptoms were surfacing. Despite a high IQ, he was failing at school, struggling with depression, and experiencing suicidal thoughts for the first time ever.

Ritalin, his ADHD medication, improved his focus, but it also had major drawbacks, making Juan irritable, impatient, moody, and agitated. Even in Juan’s childhood, his mother noted these effects, but his family became resigned to his “grumpy” personality. He also experimented with alcohol abuse as an adolescent but quit when he was exhibiting noticeably aggressive behavior.

By college, he was having trouble sleeping. For his anxiety, now elevated due to his poor grades in school, he received a prescription for Xanax, but the medication caused memory problems.

At Amen Clinics, Juan’s SPECT scan showed overall low activity in his brain at rest, showing a toxic pattern that is unusual in someone so young. But, unlike in those with ADHD, activity improved with concentration. Why did his resting SPECT scan look so abnormal?

After ruling out possibilities like drug and alcohol use, environmental toxins, severe anemia, and a past history of oxygen deprivation (such as from a near drowning or heart attack), clinicians conducted an infectious disease panel.

Results revealed that Juan had been exposed to multiple infections in his past: Lyme, the Epstein Barr virus, Toxoplasma gondii, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Human Herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6). Because both Lyme disease and HHV-6 compromise immune system function, Juan became more susceptible to other infections.

Infections that mimic ADHD and infections that mimic depression can send people down a troublesome path. Taking prescription drugs for these mental health issues doesn’t get to the root cause of the symptoms and may lead to other issues.

Ultimately, Juan simply needed to be treated for his infections while building a stronger immune system. After treatments, Juan enjoyed marked improvements in his mood, temper, focus, and grades. He was even able to discontinue his ADHD medication—and successfully received his law degree.

CAN INFECTIONS CAUSE MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS?

When it comes to possible hidden causes of mental illness, many culprits can contribute. One common correlation—often overlooked—exists between internal infections and mental health. From cancers and HIV/AIDS to allergies and autoimmune diseases, infections can trigger symptoms that mimic ADHD, depression, and more.

To understand the link between immunity, infections, and mental health, it’s important to review the functions of the immune system. This crucial system of the body defends against attackers, both internal and external. Through these attacks, it strengthens to better handle future threats.

External attackers could be bacteria, viruses, or parasites, while internal invaders include cancer cells. In addition to providing defense, the immune system regulates tolerance—for example, how well you handle potential environmental triggers, such as allergens.

Back in 2016, 33 scientists worldwide wrote an editorial in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease about how the medical community often overlooks infectious diseases as an underlying cause of cognitive issues. They cited more than 100 studies demonstrating that significant stress or other immune system suppressants can activate dormant viruses in the brain.

The field of psychiatry that studies the link between the immune system and mental health is still in relatively early development, but experts believe it shows promise. According to a 2021 article published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity Health, scientists have long hypothesized a link between mental states and immune response.

Authors, citing research from 1985, noted that these speculations occurred long before the founding of psychoneuroimmunology, which is the area of research that studies these interactions. They added that in the previous decade, experts were increasingly exploring how to harness the immune system to improve psychiatric patients’ outcomes—an emerging field called immunopsychiatry.

THE LINK BETWEEN IMMUNITY AND MENTAL HEALTH

Immune disorders fall into one of five categories, all of which impact your brain health—and therefore your mental health:

Immunodeficiency disorders, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired autoimmune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), increase the risk for mental health conditions. For example, people with HIV are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and cognitive disorders, including dementia.
Allergies such as hay fever, as well as asthma and eczema, can be more than irritating—they can be life-threatening. And a 2018 study of more than 186,000 people found that those with asthma, hay fever, and eczema were 66 percent more likely to develop mental disorders, compared with allergy-free participants. Multiple studies have also linked asthma to increased risk for mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

Cancers such as leukemia and lymphomas directly affect the immune system, but any cancer can impact mental health. A 2023 article in Future Healthcare Journal noted that the prevalence of depression and anxiety among cancer patients has reached 20 percent and 10 percent, respectively. It also cited data that 35-40 percent of cancer patients have a diagnosable mental health disorder.
Autoimmune disorders occur when your immune system attacks your own tissues. Examples include MS, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Crohn’s disease, psoriasis, and type 1 diabetes. Having an autoimmune disease is associated with an increased risk for:

Mood disorders
Schizophrenia
Bipolar disorder
ADHD
Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease

Persistent, recurring infections may indicate a compromised immune system. Infectious illnesses include Lyme disease, streptococcus (strep throat), toxoplasmosis, syphilis, helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), HIV/AIDS, herpes, and more. These can lead to mental health problems such as mood disorders, as well as cognitive issues.

HOW TO STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

Fortunately, illness does not always follow exposure to infectious diseases. Based on many factors—the strength of your immune system, the level of exposure, your stress levels, and your daily lifestyle habits—you may not get sick when exposed.

Here are some tips to keep your immune system strong:

Care for your immune system. Know your personal medical history and check the health of your immune system with blood tests. Watch for allergies, asthma, rashes, or repeated infections. Get tested for common infections—especially infectious diseases that affect the mind, such as:

Lyme (Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochete that causes Lyme disease)
HIV/AIDS
Syphilis
Herpes simplex 1 and 2
Cytomegalovirus
Epstein Barr virus
Toxoplasma gondii
Helicobacter pylori
Chlamydia pneumoniae
Candidiasis

Avoid allergens and infections as much as possible. Try an elimination diet for 30 days. If you have a cat, avoid exposure to the parasite Toxoplasma gondii through proper handling and care. Wear gloves when gardening or handling soil and wash your hands thoroughly afterward. Avoid consuming raw or undercooked meat, raw cured meat, and unpasteurized milk.

Related: Is Your Cat Making You Crazy?

Adopt immune-enhancing habits. Boost your vitamin D. Lower your stress, as high stress levels can compromise your immune system and increase the risk for autoimmune diseases. Try diaphragmatic breathing, prayer, meditation, calming music, hypnosis, or watching a comedy to relax.
Take nutraceuticals to boost immunity. Everyone should take a multivitamin, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D daily. An integrative practitioner can help you determine additional supplements and nutrients to further improve immunity, such as:

Therapeutic mushrooms, including lion’s mane, shiitake, reishi, and Cordyceps
Aged garlic
Anthocyanins, found in fruit and vegetable extracts, blueberries, cranberries, and grapes
Echinacea
Omega-3 fatty acids
Probiotics
Turmeric
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Zinc

In this video, Dr. Eboni Cornish, Amen Clinics’ Functional Medicine Director for its Eastern division, shares the best supplements to promote a healthy immune system.

Click below to tune in:

INFECTIONS IN MENTAL HEALTH DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Thousands of SPECT scans at Amen Clinics have shown that immune system issues and infections must be considered when evaluating brain and mental health. And it’s especially crucial when mental health issues aren’t improving with standard treatments, such as in Juan’s case.

If you want to reduce your risk of developing mental health symptoms, take steps to strengthen your immune system, and limit your risks for and exposures to infectious diseases. Future research will undoubtedly continue to advance our understanding on the relationship between the brain, the immune system, and mental health.

HOW ANXIETY IMPACTS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM: THE HIDDEN CONNECTION

Anxiety isn’t just a mental health issue—it has profound effects on your entire body, including your immune system. While the common symptoms of anxiety, such as rapid heartbeat and muscle tension, are well-documented, many people don’t realize how chronic stress and anxiety can weaken their immune defenses, making them more susceptible to physical illness.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND ANXIETY AND IMMUNITY

When you experience anxiety, your body goes into fight-or-flight mode, triggering the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. In small doses, this response is helpful—it prepares you to react to danger.

However, when anxiety becomes chronic, these stress hormones stay elevated for extended periods, which can suppress immune function.

Key ways anxiety affects the immune system:

Increased inflammation – A 2017 study suggests that chronic anxiety can lead to elevated inflammatory markers in the body, contributing to conditions like digestive issues, joint pain, and autoimmune reactions. Inflammation can also increase the risk for a host of physical illnesses, including heart disease, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, arthritis, and cancer.
Reduced white blood cell production – White blood cells are essential for fighting infections. Long-term stress decreases their count, making it harder for your body to combat viruses and bacteria.
Delayed healing – Studies suggest that chronic stress slows the body’s ability to heal wounds and recover from injuries.

10 SURPRISING PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY

Tense muscles

Back aches, neck pain, and other forms of muscle tension are common in people with anxiety and panic disorders, according to decades of research. Feeling persistently fearful, worried, or anxious leads to tightness throughout the body, contributing to physical aches and pains.

If you’re experiencing frequent body aches, joint pain, or other issues that aren’t responding to standard treatments, you may want to consider that an emotional issue like anxiety may be involved.

Teeth grinding

Teeth grinding is common sign of anxiety. One study in the Journal of Research in Personality suggests that teeth grinding is more common in those who suffer from anxiety and is more severe during heightened states of anxiousness and stress. It is common to crack your teeth and damage your jaw because of teeth grinding.

Throughout the day, pay attention to your jaw. Is it tense? Are your muscles tight? Are you clenching your teeth? It is common to do this while asleep and could result in waking up with a headache or sore jaw.

Brittle Nails

Horizontal grooves across your nails—known as Beau’s Lines—can be a subtle physical sign of anxiety. These ridges may appear when stress disrupts normal nail growth. On their own, they may not raise red flags, but when combined with other symptoms, they could point to the physical toll anxiety is taking on your body.

More colds

When your mind is wracked with worry, it lowers your body’s ability to fight off germs. That’s why people with anxiety are more likely to catch a cold or flu bug. If you routinely get more colds than others, or you can’t fight off the flu, it could be a sign of underlying anxiety.

Loss of libido

An article published in Psychiatric Times suggests that anxiety can hinder sexual arousal and notes that panic disorder is correlated with sexual aversion. When a “fight or flight” response is activated, libido decreases.

While there could be other reasons behind a low libido, such as hormonal changes or relationship concerns, anxiety can markedly suppress your sexual desire.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

The gut-brain connection is real and powerful. The gastrointestinal tract is sensitive to emotion, and the brain is reactive to a disturbance in the gut. In fact, there is a two-way relationship between our gut and brain.

Anxiety can wreak havoc on digestion, and IBS causes issues such as bloating, constipation, loose stools, and intolerance to a wide variety of foods. According to a meta-analysis, people with anxiety are three times more likely to suffer from IBS.

High blood pressure

Research published in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment suggests an association between hypertension and anxiety. High blood pressure can be dangerous if left untreated and has its own symptoms such as headaches and blurry or double vision.

It is important to check your blood pressure regularly as it changes several times throughout the day.

Shortness of breath

The feeling of being unable to catch your breath is common in people with anxiety. It can increase nervousness as it is a frightening sensation to feel like you can’t breathe. This can trigger a cycle that is hard to break once it begins and can lead to a panic attack.

Notice whether you’re taking shallow or deep breaths throughout the day, not just when you feel a heightened state of anxiety. Anytime you find that you’re taking shallow breaths, make it a point to inhale more deeply and exhale more fully.

Weight changes

Anxiety can mess with your weight. Some research shows a correlation between anxiety, weight gain, and obesity. Eating sweets and other processed “comfort” foods not only intensifies symptoms of anxiety but can also lead to irritability and fluctuations in energy levels.

Related: 5 Worst Foods for Anxiety

Conversely, other scientific findings indicate that anxiety can act as an appetite suppressant and increase metabolism, but not in an advantageous way. People who lose weight as a result of anxiety suffer as they often aren’t getting enough nourishment.

Brain changes

Anxiety is associated with changes in activity levels within the brain. Brain SPECT imaging, which measures blood flow and activity in the brain, shows increased activity in the basal ganglia in people with anxiety.

Related: SPECT Made Ridiculously Easy

The good news is you’re not stuck with the brain you have. If your brain shows overactivity in the basal ganglia, you can take action to calm your brain.

Interventions that calm the brain include meditation, hypnosis, diaphragmatic breathing, practicing gratitude, challenging automatic negative thoughts (ANTs), and taking supplements like GABA, magnesium, and L-theanine (from green tea).

BREAKING THE CYCLE: STRENGTHENING YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

If you struggle with anxiety, taking steps to support your immune health can make a significant difference in your physical well-being. Here are a few strategies:

Prioritize sleep – Poor sleep can further weaken your immune defenses. Aim for 7-8 hours of quality rest each night.
Practice relaxation techniques – Activities like deep breathing, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation can help reduce stress hormones and support immune balance.
Eat an anti-inflammatory diet – Consuming whole foods rich in antioxidants, omega-3s, and vitamins can help counteract the immune-suppressing effects of anxiety.
Stay physically active – Moderate exercise boosts circulation, supports immune function, and helps reduce stress.
Seek social support – Connecting with loved ones and engaging in positive social interactions has been shown to improve both mental and immune health.

Press Play to Learn More About How to Calm Anxiety

In this video, Dr. Kandace Licciardi, a clinical psychiatrist at Amen Clinics, explores the mind-body connection and shares tips to soothe your brain and body.

Click below to tune in.

By understanding how anxiety affects your immune system, you can take proactive steps to protect both your mind and body. Addressing anxiety not only improves your mental well-being but also strengthens your ability to fight off illness and maintain overall health.

THE SCIENCE ON MEDITATION FOR ANXIETY AND STRESS

Decades of scientific evidence show that meditation can help to calm anxiety and stress and enhance brain function in important ways that help you keep your chronic worrying and panic in check. Let’s look at just some of the most interesting findings.

As effective as medication: A fascinating 2023 study in JAMA Psychiatry found that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a type of meditation training, was just as effective as escitalopram (a commonly prescribed anti-anxiety medication) for reducing anxiety symptoms. Over an eight-week period, both treatments led to similar improvements in anxiety levels.

Importantly, MBSR had far fewer side effects—only about 15% of participants experienced any, compared to nearly 79% of those taking medication. These findings suggest that MBSR can be a safe, well-tolerated, and effective alternative to medication for treating anxiety disorders.

Reduces emotional reactions: This study found that practicing a form of meditation called awareness-based compassion meditation (ABCM) can actually change how the brain reacts to negative emotions. Specifically, people who practiced ABCM showed less activity in the right amygdala—a part of the brain involved in fear and stress—when looking at upsetting images, even when they weren’t actively meditating.

The more compassion-based meditation someone practiced, the greater the calming effect on the brain. This suggests that meditation can help reduce emotional reactivity and anxiety, and that these brain benefits can carry over into everyday life.

Improves stress management: For an eight-week randomized controlled trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine, 93 people with generalized anxiety disorder either took part in MBSR or a stress education class. Both groups showed less anxiety by the end.

However, the MBSR group had significantly greater improvements in how they felt overall, responded to stressful situations, and how they talked to themselves during stress. In short, mindfulness meditation not only helped reduce anxiety symptoms, but also made people better at handling stress and thinking more positively.

Works quickly: Research on college students found that just five days of short meditation sessions using a method called integrative body-mind training significantly improved attention, mood, and stress levels. Compared to students who only did relaxation exercises, the meditation group had better focus, less anxiety and fatigue, lower stress hormones, and even improved immune response.
Improves heart function: It’s important to understand that cardiovascular problems and anxiety are often connected. In a presentation at the 2018 Experimental Biology annual meeting, researchers reported that just one 60-minute session of mindfulness meditation significantly lowered both anxiety levels and stress on the heart and blood vessels in adults with mild to moderate anxiety.

The calming effects lasted at least an hour after the session and could help protect vital organs like the brain and kidneys over time.

HOW MEDITATION REWIRES YOUR ANXIOUS BRAIN

Anxiety isn’t just a feeling—it’s a pattern of brain activity. Brain-imaging studies with SPECT scans at Amen Clinics show that anxiety is associated with overactivity in areas, such as the basal ganglia and amygdala. These are considered the brain’s anxiety and fear centers.

Meanwhile, the prefrontal cortex, responsible for logical thinking and impulse control, struggles to keep this response in check. This imbalance fuels persistent worry, fear, and even physical symptoms like a racing heart and shallow breathing.

Meditation offers a scientifically backed way to rebalance these brain regions. Regular practice strengthens the prefrontal cortex while calming the amygdala, making it easier to manage stress and respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively.

Research shows that even short daily meditation sessions can create lasting changes in brain function, helping to reduce anxiety at its root.

NEUROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS IN MEDITATION

Meditation influences brain function through several key mechanisms:

Amygdala Deactivation: Regular meditation practice has been associated with reduced amygdala activity, decreasing the brain’s fear response and alleviating anxiety symptoms.
Prefrontal Cortex Engagement: Meditation strengthens the prefrontal cortex, enhancing executive functions such as attention and self-control, which are crucial for managing anxiety.
Neurotransmitter Regulation: Meditative practices can balance neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, contributing to mood stabilization and reduced anxiety

MEDITATION TO CALM ANXIETY: 3 SIMPLE PRACTICES

Although there are several different types of meditation practices, many share the goals of increasing mental clarity and relaxation, while reducing self-judgment and fear-based thinking.

Contrary to some common misconceptions about meditation, you don’t have to sit cross-legged on the floor (but you can) and burn incense to reap its many positive benefits.

Here are three simple meditative practices you can use to help get your nervousness, fears, and runaway thinking under control:

Kirtan Kriya Meditation: This type of meditation takes only 12 minutes, but it is very powerful at instilling a sense of calm.

This meditation involves sitting comfortably and chanting the following simple sounds, “saa” “taa” “naa” “maa,” while repeating simple finger movements with your hands. Say the sound once as you touch the corresponding finger.

Here’s how it goes:

Touch thumbs to index fingers while chanting “saa.”
Touch thumbs to middle fingers while chanting “taa.”
Touch thumbs to ring fingers while chanting “naa.”
Touch thumbs to pinkie fingers while chanting “maa.”
Repeat the sounds for 2 minutes aloud.
Repeat the sounds for 2 minutes in a whisper.
Repeat the sounds for 4 minutes silently.
Repeat the sounds for 2 minutes in a whisper.
Repeat the sounds for 2 minutes aloud.

When you finish, sit quietly for 1-2 minutes. Try to hold onto your calmed mind and body throughout the day.

The Relaxation Response: This form of meditation was developed decades ago by Herbert Benson, MD, at Harvard Medical School. It’s one of the easiest ways to meditate and soothe your worried mind.

Here are the instructions:

Sit quietly in a comfortable position.
Close your eyes or softly focus on a spot on the wall if you aren’t comfortable with closed eyes.
Beginning at your feet and progressing up to your face, deeply relax all your muscles, keeping them relaxed as you move your awareness throughout your body. Relax your tongue too.
As you do this, breathe through your nose and become aware of your breathing. After each exhale, say the word “one” (or another relaxing word you choose) silently to yourself.
When distracting thoughts arise, don’t dwell on them, simply shift your attention back to your breathing and the word “one” (or whichever word you choose)
Try to do this for 10-20 minutes (but don’t set an alarm that will induce stress). Even if you can only do a few minutes at first, it will get easier with practice.
When you finish, sit quietly for several minutes, at first with your eyes closed (if they were) and open them when you are ready to. Stay seated for a few minutes after finishing.

As you do this meditation, don’t worry about whether you are successful in achieving a deep level of relaxation. Instead, maintain a passive attitude and permit relaxation to occur at its own pace. With practice, the relaxation response should come with little effort.

Diaphragmatic Breathing: Focusing on your breath for a few minutes is one of the simplest and quickest ways to give yourself a time-out and settle down your anxious mind. This is especially helpful if you aren’t in a place where you can do a regular meditation. You can even do this at your desk at work.

Breathing with your diaphragm (or belly) rather than your chest:

Inhale for 4 seconds.
Exhale for 8 seconds.
Repeat this pattern 10 times.

If you need to practice breathing with your diaphragm (instead of your chest) try this quick exercise:

Put one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Notice how you are breathing right now. If you’re breathing with your chest, do this:
Lie on your back and place a small book on your belly.
When you breathe in, make the book go up, and when you breathe out, make the book go down.
Once you get the hang of it, then do the diaphragmatic breathing described above.

The distress related to unchecked anxiety not only disrupts your mental health functioning, but it can lead to physical health problems too. However, by incorporating simple meditation practices such as these you can start to tame your anxious thoughts, manage your stress, and get back to doing the things you love.

MAKING MEDITATION A DAILY HABIT

The key to reaping these benefits is consistency. If you struggle to sit still for long periods, start with just five minutes a day. Use guided meditations, focus on deep breathing, or practice mindfulness while walking. Over time, these small efforts compound, leading to a healthier, less anxious brain.

By understanding how meditation positively alters your brain’s response to anxiety, you can approach your practice with greater motivation and clarity. This neurological perspective not only makes meditation more appealing but also deepens your commitment to this powerful tool for anxiety relief.

ADHD SYMPTOMS IN WOMEN

Most people think of ADHD as a condition that is primarily seen in males who are hyperactive and impulsive. In fact, women are just as likely as men to have ADD, according to a paper in The ADHD Report.

Surprisingly, a study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that ADD symptoms in women are often more severe ADHD symptoms than their male counterparts. But women tend to have a different type of the condition that comes with its own set of symptoms.

The brain-imaging work at Amen Clinics, which has the world’s largest database of functional brain scans related to behavior, has helped identify seven types of ADD.

The type that is most common in females is called Inattentive ADD. Although it’s the second most common type of ADHD, its symptoms go unrecognized by many medical professionals.

Related: Learn More About the 7 Types of ADD

Click on the link to access your free ebook: Getting to Know the ADD Types

Unfortunately, many women with Inattentive ADHD never get diagnosed. Instead, they’re labeled as slow, lazy, spacey, or unmotivated.

While people with Classic ADD, the most common type of the condition, bring negative attention to themselves with their hyperactivity, constant chatter, and conflict-driven behavior, women with Inattentive ADD tend to be quiet and distracted.

Rather than cause problems, they’re more likely to daydream or look out the window. They’re not as likely to be impulsive or to blurt out inappropriate or hurtful things. They’re frequently thought of as couch potatoes who have trouble finding interest or motivation in their lives.

Core symptoms of ADHD include:

Easily distracted

Short attention span
Difficulty following through (procrastination) on tasks or instructions
Difficulty keeping an organized area (room, office, desk, filing cabinet, car, etc.)

Has trouble with time, for example, frequently late or hurried, tasks take longer than expected, projects are “last minute” or turned in late
Forgetfulness
Problems with follow-through

Poor impulse control

Unique symptoms of Inattentive ADD include:

Problems with focus
Tendency to lose things

Makes careless mistakes
Poor attention to detail

Forgetful
Excessive daydreaming
Complaints of being bored
Apathy or lack of motivation
Tired, sluggish, or slow moving
Seems spacey or preoccupied

Women with adult ADHD are also more likely than men to have co-existing anxiety and depression, as well as sleep problems. This can make it more difficult to detect ADD in women and is another reason why brain imaging can be so helpful in getting an accurate diagnosis.

Many of the women who come to Amen Clinics with undetected ADHD had previously been diagnosed with mood disorders or other issues. Untreated ADHD in female adults can lead to serious consequences.

CONSEQUENCES OF UNTREATED ADHD

Having undiagnosed or untreated ADD comes with a very high cost. And it increases the risk of many other issues, including:

Anxiety
Depression
Addiction
Eating disorders
Obesity
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Sleep disorders
Divorce
Career problems

Press Play for Insights on ADHD and Relationships

Hosted by Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen, this episode of the Change Your Brain Every Day podcast explores how ADHD can wreak havoc on relationships and intimacy. Click below to tune in.

This causes many women with untreated ADHD to engage in unhealthy strategies to deal with their symptoms. For example, some may seek out stimulating substances or risky behaviors to cope with their issues.

Others may turn to antidepressant medications, anti-anxiety pills, and other medications to manage their discomfort. Not only are these medications ineffective in treating the underlying ADD, they also come with unwanted side effects.

Ultimately, it can lead to a downward spiral that leaves you feeling unfulfilled and unhappy with yourself and your life.

INATTENTIVE ADHD AND THE BRAIN

On her social media post, Clery shared her brain SPECT imaging studies, which showed low activity levels in the front part of her brain, especially when she tried to concentrate.

In people who don’t have ADD, concentration typically activates an area of the brain called the prefrontal cortex, which is involved with:

Focus
Time management
Planning
Organization
Critical thinking

In adults with ADHD, however, concentrating reduces activity here, making it difficult to pay attention. This is why simply telling someone with ADD to “try harder” or blaming them for not having enough willpower doesn’t help. Brain imaging shows that the harder they try, the worse it gets.

The prefrontal cortex is also involved in sustaining attention span. It trains your mind to focus on important information while filtering out less significant thoughts and sensations. Attention span is required for short-term memory and learning.

Through its many connections within the brain, the prefrontal cortex keeps you on task and allows you to stay with a project until it is finished. This brain region accomplishes this by sending quieting signals to other parts of the brain.

In the face of a need to focus, the prefrontal cortex decreases the distracting input from other brain areas, inhibiting rivals for our attention. However, when this brain region is underactive, less of a filtering mechanism is available and distractibility becomes common.

Studies show that problems in the prefrontal cortex often lead to decreased attention span, distractibility, impaired short-term memory, decreased mental speed, apathy, and decreased verbal expression. Underactivity or damage in the PFC can also lead to a decreased ability to express thoughts and feelings.

These are things women with ADHD may experience. However, they often chalk it up to being lazy, ditzy, or depressed rather than thinking it might be related to their brain function.

TREATING ADHD IN WOMEN

The brain-imaging work at Amen Clinics shows that even if your prefrontal cortex is underactive and you’ve had undetected ADHD for decades, you can still optimize your brain function and enhance your life.

With the right treatment, you can be more focused, more organized, and more motivated to reach your goals. This has positive implications for every area of your life—career, health and fitness, relationships, and self-esteem.

Many women assume that ADHD medication is the only treatment option. ADHD medications can be very effective for some people with the condition. Giving someone with ADHD stimulant medication can be like giving glasses to someone who has vision problems.

However, in some women, medications for ADHD can make symptoms worse. Every woman is different and requires a personalized treatment plan.

At Amen Clinics, targeted ADHD treatment plans may include diet recommendations, specific forms of exercise, personalized supplement suggestions, neurofeedback, behavioral interventions, psychological strategies, and medications (when necessary).

Related: Natural Ways to Help ADD

The good news is Inattentive ADD in women is usually very responsive to the right treatment. With an accurate diagnosis and the proper treatment program, you can change your brain, stop feeling bad about yourself, and start living the life you want.

HOW HEAT THERAPY SUPPORTS BRAIN HEALTH

Heat therapy is beneficial for health because it relies upon the body’s natural response to heat. Since the body works to maintain its baseline temperature, the application of heat is interpreted as a stressor. Through the process of adapting and readjusting, the body builds greater stress resilience.

Are saunas good for brain recovery? Research suggests that heat therapies like saunas (and infrared saunas) also help by boosting circulation, which promotes the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the brain. A 2018 study reported that saunas reduce the risk of vascular diseases, including neurocognitive diseases. They also can improve mortality and soothe common conditions like arthritis, headache, and flu.

These benefits were linked to saunas’ positive effects on the body’s circulatory, cardiovascular, and immune systems. The study noted that improved cardiovascular function occurred as a result of numerous factors, including:

Widening of blood vessels
Reduced arterial stiffness
Autonomic nervous system regulation
Beneficial changes in the blood’s circulating lipids
Lowering of systemic blood pressure

Cardiovascular health and mental health are closely interrelated, and these changes are beneficial for the brain, too. For example, a study published in 2020, which tracked nearly 14,000 men and women over 39 years, found that the practice of sauna bathing was associated with a reduced risk of dementia.

A narrative review published in Frontiers in Physiology explored the mechanisms behind this finding. Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease are associated with a loss of protein homeostasis. But heat shock proteins (HSPs), which are produced in response to stress (such as heat therapy), may protect against the protein changes seen in these diseases.

The review outlined various benefits of heat therapy, thanks to its ability to elevate HSPs:

Prevents or reduces the toxicity of protein accumulation
Enhances neuromuscular function
Improves muscle function, cerebral blood flow, and metabolic health
Protects against neurodegeneration, leading to reduced risk of developing neurodegenerative disease

Finally, exposure to heat promotes relaxation, helping to reduce stress and anxiety. A 2021 narrative review that evaluated heat therapy for pain management established that its benefits function in multiple ways within the body:

Activating temperature-sensitive nerve endings that block the processing of pain signals
Blocking the transmission of pain signals to the spinal cord and the brain (when used with pressure)
Relaxing muscles
Increasing flexibility and range of movement
Reducing stiffness in tissues and enhancing tissue extensibility
Increased metabolism and vasodilation, which increases blood flow and speeds up healing processes
Enhanced muscle strength

Interestingly, the review pointed out that heat’s pain-relieving effects “are partly mediated by transient receptor potential (TRP) membrane channels, of which seven respond to heat and two respond to cold temperatures.”

Press Play to Learn More About How Saunas Benefit the Brain and Body

In this video, Dr. Amen reveals some of the best ways to support the health of your brain and body, including how saunas can help. Click below to tune in.

COLD THERAPY: THE BRAIN-BOOSTING BENEFITS OF CRYOTHERAPY

When comparing cold therapy vs. heat therapy benefits, it’s important to first understand the goals of the treatment. Each offers different benefits for the body and brain.

How does cryotherapy help brain health? Cold therapy, like ice baths, cryotherapy, and cold plunges, has been shown in a 2021 study to reduce neuroinflammation, which can contribute to symptoms like depression and brain fog.

Another study, published in 2024, noted that exposure to cold provokes numerous positive effects in the body, including the brain, due to a stress response like the one involved in heat therapy.

In response to cold, hormones, neurotransmitters, growth factors, and cytokines (proteins that play a role in inflammation and immune response) are released into the bloodstream and the brain. The study added that a mild stressor like cold-water immersion can:

Activate neuroprotective pathways, decreasing neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative processes
Trigger the release of hormones and neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, serotonin, cortisol, norepinephrine, and β-endorphins. These are all linked to stress resilience and the emotion-related circuits impacted by depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Alleviate pain
Facilitate higher alertness, motivation, and energy
Reduce feelings of nervousness and distress
Increase the neural interaction between large-scale brain circuits (including prefrontal cortices and the anterior cingulate cortex)

A previous study found numerous positive effects of cold-water immersion at about 57°F. Subjects showed a 350% increased metabolic rate, while noradrenaline and dopamine concentrations were increased by 530% and by 250%, respectively.

At the same time, cortisol concentrations tended to decrease. All of these changes help boost motivation and mental clarity while offering a stress-reducing effect.

Cold therapy has also been studied for its assistance in muscle recovery. A 2024 review noted its benefits for reducing soreness and improving functional recovery after exercising, due to its ability to narrow blood vessels. This leads to:

Reduced inflammation and tissue metabolism
Pain reduction
Neuromuscular and hormonal changes
Decreased muscle swelling
Preventing injuries by improving tissue function and joint stability (leading to faster recovery)

HOW TO INCORPORATE HEAT AND COLD THERAPY INTO YOUR ROUTINE

When it comes to heat vs. cold, what’s the best temperature therapy for brain recovery? That depends on your goals. Here’s a quick summary to help you decide:

If you’re looking to reduce stress and anxiety, choose heat therapy. This can include saunas, warm baths, heated compression (such as a heat wrap), heating pads, and hot tubs or baths.

To reduce brain inflammation and promote recovery, choose cold therapy. This includes ice baths, cold plunge pools, cryotherapy, ice packs, and cold showers.

To optimize mental performance, alternate between both. This is called contrast therapy, and it’s been used for years to promote emotional well-being.

A study published in 2023, which examined the results of pairing a hot sauna with cold water, found that this combination created a more efficient brain. Subjects’ response time while completing behavioral tasks decreased significantly, indicating more alertness and mental clarity.

At the same time, participants reported perceived improvements in their physical relaxation and positive emotions.

Fortunately, incorporating hot and cold therapies into your routine can be a simple process performed at home—using heating pads, hot baths, and ice packs, for example.

With any temperature therapy, ensure a safe and effective amount of exposure. For example, a study found that men who used saunas four to seven times weekly, and in longer sessions (11-19 minutes or longer) were found to receive the most health benefits, including cardiovascular health and improved mortality.

However, too much exposure can be dangerous for health. As one case study found, sauna sessions of 30-60 minutes can lead to heatstroke, organ failure, and even coma.

Cryotherapy and cold exposure can also have adverse impacts if performed excessively or incorrectly, including hypothermia, burns, frostbite and nerve damage. A 2023 review evaluating these and other risks warned that they are preventable by utilizing proper procedures and safety recommendations.

Therefore, discuss any new therapy modality with your healthcare professional to find the right exposure for you.

THE FUTURE OF HEAT VS COLD THERAPY FOR BRAIN HEALTH

While modern medicine continues to make major advancements in technology and scientific study, some of humans’ most helpful healers are age-old—including cold and heat therapies.

Still, new research continues to emerge on the benefits of thermal therapies for brain injury, mental health, and cognitive decline. We can expect to learn more about how, why, and when they’re most helpful. We may also learn more about how temperature regulation might play a role in neuroplasticity and brain repair.

Ultimately, the more knowledge we have, the more individuals can take advantage of personalized approaches, finding the most effective mix of cold and heat therapies to meet their unique needs.

HOW COMMON IS HEARING LOSS?

Hearing loss is considered the most common neurological disorder in the world. According to 2025 statistics from the World Health Organization, disabling hearing loss affects approximately 430 million children and worldwide adults. Experts believe that by 2050, more than 700 million individuals will have hearing loss that is disabling.

In the US, roughly 15% of adults—about 37.5 million people—report some hearing problems. Hearing loss that requires rehabilitation becomes more common as a person ages. This is known as age-related hearing loss.

Among American adults, disabling hearing loss occurs in about 5% of those aged 45 to 54, 10% of 55- to 64-year-olds, 22% of people ages 65 to 74, and 55% of adults ages 75 and older, according to the latest statistics from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

Age Range	% With Disabling Hearing Loss
45-54	5%
55-64	10%
65-74	22%
75+	55%

Experts estimated that nearly 29 million Americans could benefit from hearing aids. Seeking treatment for hearing loss is critical for overall mental health and brain function.

HEARING LOSS AND THE BRAIN

Hearing relies on complex communication among neurons in the brain. A fascinating 2025 study in Nature Communications reveals the unique patterns within the brain responsible for processing sound.

To understand spoken words, the notes being played on a piano, or a fire engine siren, the brain’s neurocircuitry must be operating correctly. For example, hearing loss is associated with impairments in the brain.

Neuroimaging studies show that hearing impairment shrinks the brain. A 2023 brain-imaging study found that people with hearing loss had brain changes in several regions, including:

Temporal lobes: Involved in hearing and understanding language, as well as memory, moods, and learning
Frontal cortex: Involved in executive functions such as planning, forethought, and decision-making

Other findings in Neuroimage revealed decreased overall brain volume in older adults who were hard of hearing. Reductions in volume were also found in specific brain regions, including the right temporal lobe.

Which comes first—hearing loss or brain changes? Experts haven’t figured it out yet. Some research suggests that in people with hearing loss, the extra effort required to process sound may contribute to changes in the brain. Others have found that brain changes may develop prior to hearing loss or at the same time.

More brain-imaging research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms at work in hearing loss.

HEARING LOSS AND DEMENTIA

If you’re hearing impaired, you have a greater risk of developing dementia. In fact, hearing loss is one of the biggest risk factors for dementia, according to a 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. This report joins years of scientific evidence pointing to a connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline.

In a study from hearing experts at Johns Hopkins, researchers followed 639 people for approximately 12 years.

The researchers found that people with severe hearing loss are five times more likely to develop dementia than those with healthy hearing. In individuals with moderate hearing loss, the risk for dementia was tripled. And among those with mild hearing impairment, dementia was twice as likely to develop.

Hearing Loss	Dementia Risk
Severe Hearing Loss	5X risk for dementia
Moderate Hearing Loss	3X risk for dementia
Mild Hearing Loss	2X risk for dementia

Additional findings from the Johns Hopkins team shows that cognitive decline occurs more quickly in those with hearing loss. In a follow-up paper from the same research team, adults with hearing loss experienced cognitive decline 30-40% faster than those with healthy hearing.

Press Play to Learn More About Hearing and the Brain

In this episode of the Change Your Brain Every Day podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen discuss the fascinating connection between hearing and the brain with Brandon Salawich, the President and CEO of Starkey, the world’s largest U.S.-based hearing aid manufacturer. Click below to tune in.

Episode: Neuroscience and the Brain

HEARING IMPAIRMENT, MENTAL HEALTH, AND COGNITIVE DECLINE

Hearing experts have also noted increased risk for emotional and mental health issues among those with hearing problems, including tinnitus, which is a ringing in the ears. The following common mental health conditions seen in people who have trouble hearing are also linked to increased risk of cognitive decline.

Depression:

It’s understandable that losing your hearing can make you feel sad and blue. People who aren’t able to make out what others are saying miss out on so much. At family gatherings or holiday celebrations, grandma may feel left out of all the fun because she can’t follow the conversation.

A wealth of research points to a strong connection between hearing impairment and depression. For example, in one study, 19% of adults with hearing loss experience mild symptoms of depression while more than 11% struggle with moderate to severe depressive symptoms.

Other research shows that as many as 1 in 5 older adults with hearing problems experience symptoms of clinical depression. Having depression later in life is also linked to a 70% increased risk for dementia, according to findings in Archives of General Psychiatry.

Stress and Anxiety:

Losing your hearing can provoke a flood of stressful and anxious thoughts: Will I lose my job if I can’t follow critical conversations at work? What if I can’t hear my phone and I miss an important call? What if I don’t hear the smoke alarm, and I die in a fire? Will I become completely deaf?

Anxiety tends to increase as hearing loss worsens. On the flip side, research demonstrates that stress has been associated with the onset of ringing in the ears and the worsening of tinnitus. And research in BMJ Open has also tagged having an anxiety disorder as a risk factor for dementia.

Anger:

Irritability and frustration are common in people with hearing difficulties as well as in their loved ones. Not being able to hear what someone is saying can lead to misunderstandings and may trigger angry outbursts that negatively impact relationships.

How you view your hearing loss also plays a role in your emotional well-being. For example, perceiving hearing loss as a disability is linked to feeling angry, according to a study in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disorders.

In addition, research notes that anger is associated with risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing dementia.

Loneliness:

When you’re struggling with hearing loss, you may find yourself retreating from your friends and family. The embarrassment of having to ask people to repeat themselves may make you shy away from social gatherings.

This is backed by decades of science showing that hearing loss is associated with social isolation and loneliness, especially among women. This can feed a downward spiral of depression, anxiety, or anger and contribute to cognitive decline.

Making matters worse, research shows that loneliness is linked to a 40% increase in the risk for dementia.

COPING WITH HEARING LOSS AND RELATED SYMPTOMS

When hearing starts to fade, it’s important to address the issue rather than ignore it or hope it will go away. The condition tends to be progressive and untreated hearing loss is associated with increased risk for mental health problems and cognitive decline.

If you are struggling with mental health problems or cognitive decline linked to hearing issues, don’t hesitate to seek help. Learning to cope with the feelings you’re experiencing is just as critical as getting help for your hearing.

WHAT IS RIGID THINKING AND HOW DOES IT IMPACT MENTAL HEALTH?

Rigid thinking is a cognitive pattern in which you get stuck in fixed ways of thinking while failing to see alternatives. It’s a mindset where someone might think in all-or-nothing terms, leading to stress, frustration, and even feelings of helplessness.

When facing a crisis, rigid thinking can prevent someone from considering solutions that could improve their situation.

People who struggle with rigid thinking are often at greater risk for developing and compounding mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. An inability to view a crisis from different perspectives can exacerbate stress and make it harder to navigate even daily challenges.

When your brain feels “stuck,” it can lead to heightened emotional responses that cloud rational decision-making. That can spiral into a cycle of negative thoughts and chronic anxiety, so it is important to learn different ways to practice mental adaptability.

RIGID THINKING AND THE BRAIN

The brain-imaging work shows that people who are rigid thinkers tend to have too much activity in an area of the brain called the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG). Think of this region as the brain’s gear shifter, helping you shift from one thought to the next and from one activity to the next.

THE ALL-OR-NOTHING THINKING TRAP

All-or-nothing thinking, a common form of rigid thinking, involves viewing situations as either entirely good or entirely bad with no middle or common ground. This type of thinking is an example of automatic negative thinking, which can make a crisis feel much worse than it is, leading to feelings of hopelessness.

For example, if you face an unexpected setback at work, you might think, “I’m a complete failure,” rather than seeing it as a temporary problem to solve and learn from professionally. This cognitive distortion can lead to heightened stress, making it even more difficult to handle a crisis in the future.

Those who engage in all-or-nothing thinking are more likely to struggle with mental health disorders like compulsive disorders, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. That’s because it impedes flexible thinking, making it harder to evaluate situations rationally.

Learning how to overcome rigid thinking by recognizing this mental trap is a first step in regaining control of your life before, during, and after a crisis.

NEGATIVE THOUGHTS THAT SPIRAL INTO A CRISIS

Negative thoughts are often the product of rigid thinking. These thoughts can snowball, exacerbating stress and anxiety during a crisis.

The brain’s default mode in stressful situations is to latch onto negative thoughts, often exaggerating the problem at hand. This negativity leads to a self-perpetuating cycle that can worsen a crisis.

Researchers found that ruminating in those negative thought patterns makes it more likely that you’ll have trouble coping with stress. People who ruminate also have higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.

This biological response indicates how negative thinking impacts not only mental health but also physical health. Breaking this cycle of negativity is key to better mental adaptability.

THE ROLE OF PERFECTIONISM IN RIGID THINKING

Perfectionism, while often seen as a desirable or at least potentially productive trait, is another form of rigid thinking that can lead to significant stress when struggling with a crisis.

When you hold yourself to impossibly high standards, you can start to feel inadequate or disappointed when you can’t meet those expectations. Toxic perfectionism can cause you to focus more on avoiding failure than finding solutions, which more often than not ends up with you in a state of analysis paralysis.

A study from the Journal of Clinical Psychology found that perfectionists are more likely to experience mental health crises that often exacerbate feelings of inadequacy and fear of judgment.

When you’re in the midst of a crisis, it’s critical to embrace imperfection and practice self-compassion. This can be pivotal in overcoming this type of rigid thinking.

HOW RIGID THINKING LIMITS PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS

In a crisis, problem solving becomes even more important. If your house burned down in a fire, for example, you need your wits about you to handle insurance matters, find a suitable rental, and figure out what your long-term plan is.

You need to be able to look at the problem from different perspectives and come up with various potential solutions. When you’re trapped in a rigid mindset, however, you may only be able to see one way forward, which isn’t always the best course of action.

By learning to adapt and approach problems from multiple angles, you can reduce excessive mental strain during more stressful times.

THE EMOTIONAL TOLL OF RIGID THINKING IN A CRISIS

The emotional toll of rigid thinking is often profound, especially in times of crisis. When the brain is stuck in a fixed mindset, it can heighten emotions such as anger, frustration, and fear.

These emotions further cloud judgment and prevent rational thinking. A 2023 study shows that these also negatively affect your social life and relationships as those around you may not understand how to cope with the struggles you’re facing. Being overwhelmed by your negative emotions can make it even harder to break free from rigid thinking.

A 2018 systematic review reported that people who exhibit higher levels of emotional rigidity are more likely to develop psychological disorders. The rigidity stems from an inability to adapt emotionally.

Developing emotional regulation techniques can help improve emotional flexibility and reduce the impact of a crisis.

HOW TO OVERCOME RIGID THINKING AND BUILD MENTAL ADAPTABILITY

The good news is that you can calm an overactive brain and enhance mental adaptability. Here are a few examples of what you can do to help yourself overcome rigid thinking:

Try calming supplements: Nutraceuticals, such as 5-HTP, are helpful in raising serotonin levels to help calm the ACG.

Challenge automatic negative thoughts (ANTS)- Question their accuracy, seek reputable information, and consider alternative perspectives.
Practice mindful meditation – Build self-awareness to better recognize rigid thinking patterns and shift toward a more flexible mindset.
Engage in problem-solving activities – Puzzles, brainstorming sessions, or learning new skills to improve cognitive flexibility.
Expose yourself to new experiences – Try different routines, travel to unfamiliar places, or meet new people to expand your worldview.
Reframe setbacks as learning opportunities – Focus on what can be gained rather than dwelling on mistakes or failures.

Rigid thinking can sometimes feel like a natural response to stress. Similarly to how the body can tighten under tension, your thought process can worsen under mental strain.

Breaking free from rigid thinking takes practice and patience with yourself but developing cognitive flexibility can transform the way you handle challenges. By embracing new perspectives and strengthening your problem-solving skills, you can create a healthier, more resilient mindset that can help you handle future crises.

WHAT IS OXYTOCIN?

Oxytocin is a hormone and neurotransmitter made by your brain’s hypothalamus. Your pituitary gland stores and releases it into your bloodstream or to other parts of the brain and spinal cord, where it binds to oxytocin receptors and influences behavior and physiology. Healthy oxytocin levels are imperative for good mental health.

Oxytocin function plays a critical role in facilitating childbirth and milk production for breastfeeding, as well as in promoting the bond between parent and infant. In positive relationships, oxytocin helps facilitate greater trust, pair bonding, expressions of generosity, maternal behaviors, and social interactions, as well as reduced stress levels.

Releasing oxytocin enhances a sense of calm, contentment, and overall well-being while lowering anxious feelings when you are with your significant other—key elements in happy romantic partnerships.

The hormone oxytocin is also associated with protective behaviors in a social group setting. Remarkably, with social bonding, oxytocin has been shown to lessen pain levels and promote wound healing—as close relationships help to improve physical health. It appears we truly are better together!

WHAT HAPPENS WITH TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE OXYTOCIN?

As with other hormones, imbalances in oxytocin production can cause problems. Low oxytocin levels have been associated with low mood and feeling your survival is at risk. There’s also a link to autism.

Healthy oxytocin levels can decrease stress and cortisol and calm the nervous system, which may help romantic partners to be monogamous. However, if your hormone balance is off and there’s too much or too little oxytocin, it can have a downside.

When there is an excessive amount of oxytocin produced, it can lead to partners becoming overly attached to each other and too trusting. This can cause partners and friends to overlook alarming behaviors such as abuse.

Too much oxytocin increases the possibility of negative traits such as envy, gloating, and being overly protective. It can lead to groupthink, distrust of outsiders, and prejudice.

High testosterone, separation from a loved one, social isolation, bereavement, and acute stress are examples of things that can decrease the release of oxytocin.

Thus, keeping oxytocin balanced can be achieved by engaging in activities that tend to promote healthy levels of this vital neurochemical that is so important for your mental health.

If you are wondering how to increase oxytocin, here are 13 science-backed ways to boost your body’s levels of this brain chemical that enhances your overall well-being.

HOW TO INCREASE OXYTOCIN NATURALLY

1. Enjoy social time with friends.

We are social creatures, and our neurochemicals appear to support us in engaging socially with positive relationships. Simply spending time with your friends or social group helps to increase oxytocin, which lowers stress levels and boosts well-being, research says.

2. Touch

We are touchy people! That’s because physical touch is indeed powerfully healing—simply holding hands, giving a hug, or snuggling up calms our nervous system and can boost oxytocin, research has found. Hence, the cuddle hormone oxytocin plays an essential role in our physical and mental health!

3. Give or receive a massage.

Get some skin-to-skin contact. The nurturing and therapeutic act of giving or receiving a massage appears to release oxytocin, research suggests.

There are a host of benefits from massage that include reducing anxiety and pain, facilitating stress relief, and a greater perception of well-being.

4. Give a gift.

There’s a reason gift-giving is fun for the giver! It turns out that simply giving gifts (any kind of gift, it need not be extravagant) encourages the release of oxytocin. A little note, healthy sweet treat, or flower is enough to make you and the receiver feel good.

Make giving small gifts and extending kindnesses an everyday habit to get a regular boost of the feel-good neurochemical, experts at Cedars-Sinai suggest.

5. Share an eye gaze.

If you gaze into the eyes of someone you love for a minute, it can quickly create a calm and connected state that helps boost oxytocin. Research suggests this even extends to pets and strangers.

One study that conducted this experiment amongst strangers found increased affection between participants.

6. Enjoy listening to music you love.

There’s a neurochemical reason that listening to music makes us feel good as research has shown that it boosts oxytocin levels. But it’s not just listening.

Research shows that choral singing increases oxytocin levels too. It’s thought that the enhanced social connectedness in choir singing and listening to music together is what gives oxytocin a boost.

7. Attend a yoga class.

It is well-established that yoga helps to decrease anxious feelings, stress, and low mood while at the same time supporting restful sleep, and general well-being.

It’s not a surprise then that more recent research indicates it may also increase oxytocin levels.

8. Meditate.

Studies suggest that oxytocin is released when you practice loving kindness meditation. This is when you channel thoughts of love, empathy, and well wishes to yourself, those you love, and even those with whom you have conflict.

9. Engage in meaningful social interactions.

Investing in your relationships in ways that make the bonds stronger increases oxytocin levels, according to research. Thus, confiding your feelings in a dear friend or saying “I love you” to someone can trigger oxytocin synthesis.

These meaningful social interactions increase emotional intimacy and well-being.

10. Be of service.

We are rewarded with feel-good hormones like oxytocin when we do kind acts for others, a 2022 study suggests. What’s more, this neural chemistry gets stronger as we grow older.

Being of service to others is termed a “prosocial” behavior and is associated with greater life satisfaction. It’s also a wonderful way to boost or maintain healthy oxytocin levels.

Volunteer at an animal shelter or a retirement home, or perhaps mentor a young person. Not only do these activities increase opportunities for social interactions, but they also facilitate increased production of the feel-good hormones!

11. Pet your animals.

Humans and pets have had close relationships for millennia. It appears that we heal each other. Making physical contact by petting your dog helps reduce stress and elevate levels of oxytocin, our neurochemical of trust, research shows. (Physical touch increases your animal’s oxytocin levels too!)

Studies show that this also goes for cats and their owners. Perhaps that’s why pet therapy and emotional support animals have become so popular in recent years.

12. Break bread with a loved one.

In our fast-paced, digital world, too often we eat alone, on the go, or in front of a television screen. Take time out to enjoy a meal with someone you love. Sharing food and conversation are bonding activities that stimulate oxytocin production, research shows.

13. Make love.

Oxytocin is known as the love chemical for a reason. Physical intimacy and sexual activity are wonderful way to show affection to your partner and enhance your bond.

Neurochemically, sexual arousal and orgasm are reliably associated with higher levels of oxytocin in studies. Even physical touch such as caressing, hugging, and holding hands can trigger oxytocin release—more examples of why the love hormone is also known as the cuddle hormone!

One study involving women found more hugs with their romantic partner was associated with higher oxytocin levels.

BOOST OXYTOCIN TODAY

Now that you know how to increase oxytocin, it’s time to put it into action. Choose one of more of these natural ways to pump up your oxytocin production. Simply find the strategies that feel the best for you and make them part of your routine.

WHY YOU WORRY ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK OF YOU

There’s good reason why we are concerned about how other people view us. Social relationships are critical to our health, happiness, and overall well-being.

In fact, studies have found that close relationships are the most consistent predictor of happiness. For example, a decades-long study by Harvard University concluded that meaningful social connections have a more powerful influence on health and happiness than money or success.

Neuroimaging studies reveal that negative feedback leads to chemical responses in the brain. Other scientific findings indicate that fear of criticism is heightened in people who struggle with social anxiety.

Indeed, some people become overly concerned about what other people think of them. You may be one of them.

For example, are you one of those people who spends a lot of time fretting about what to wear at work or on Zoom calls? Do you replay every stupid thing you said in a meeting or a conversation and think of what you should have said instead?

On social media, do you only post the most flattering images of yourself or add filters to hide what you perceive as flaws so others will find you more attractive and likeable?

Constantly seeking validation from others or worrying what your friends, family, coworkers, and social media followers think of you can be exhausting.

It makes us more critical of ourselves, causes us to focus on our flaws (real or perceived), and zaps our self-confidence. Ultimately, it’s a recipe for unhappiness and leads to toxic perfectionism.

With social media, this issue has become inflated. And teens and young adults especially are more concerned than ever with what others think. Not getting enough “likes” or comments on a post can send people into a tailspin of negative thoughts that contribute to mental health conditions, including symptoms of anxiety and depression.

According to the latest statistics, more than one in five adolescents say they’ve experienced symptoms of depression or anxiety. Even more alarming is the fact that suicide rates among those ages 10-24 increased 62% from 2007 to 2021.

Some people are so concerned about how others view them they have what’s called rejection sensitive dysphoria. This condition, which is often associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is characterized by having severe emotional reactions to the slightest critiques.

Being overly concerned about letting others down can be so detrimental that it holds you back and prevents you from taking chances in life.

HOW NEGATIVE THINKING INCREASES WORRYING ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK OF YOU

When you’re overly concerned with how other people perceive you, it can fill your mind with automatic negative thoughts, or ANTs. The same way an infestation of ants can ruin a picnic a barrage of ANTs can ruin your day.

At Amen Clinics, the brain heath experts have identified nine types of ANTs, including a type called Mind-Reading ANTs.

These negative thoughts make you believe you can know what others are thinking and feeling without them saying anything. When you have Mind-Reading ANTs you may think, “Everyone thinks I am stupid,” or “They are laughing at me.”

Even trained psychiatrists with 25 years of education can’t know what anyone else is thinking unless they ask. A glance in your direction doesn’t mean somebody is talking about you or mad at you. A negative look from someone else may mean nothing more than he or she is constipated! You just don’t know.

Trying to read people’s minds can fill you with more negativity and worries about what they are thinking. It’s a vicious cycle that keeps you mired in anxious thoughts.

CONQUER NEGATIVE THINKING WITH THE 18-40-60 RULE

It’s a shame the 18-40-60 rule isn’t taught in schools. Think how much happier and less stressed you might have been if you had known this earlier.

Fortunately, you don’t have to wait until your 60th birthday to put 18-40-60 rule into practice. You can implement it in your life at any age. When you keep this rule in mind, it helps you eliminate those pesky Mind-Reading ANTs.

Whenever the idea pops into your head that someone else thinks you aren’t good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, or funny enough, ask yourself if it’s true or just an ANT.

In addition, post the 18-40-60 rule somewhere you can see it every day—by your computer, in the Notes app on your phone, or on a little piece of paper in your handbag, backpack, or wallet.

The next time you start worrying about what other people are thinking about you, look at it and remind yourself that most people are thinking about themselves, not about you.

ARCHIVE

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