According to the National Institutes of Mental Health – 51 percent of the U.S. population will suffer from a mental health issue at some point in their lives.
Regrettably, the matter of mental health remains shrouded by misconceptions and harmful stereotypes. Many people with mental health problems feel that the stigma and discrimination they experience from their family, friends, employer, and society itself, makes their symptoms worse and delays the recovery process.
Frequently overlooked in the ongoing mental health conversation are pregnant women. How can these women get help for their mental or emotional challenges? The field of perinatal psychiatry is attempting to answer that question.
What is Perinatal Psychiatry?
A relatively new specialty, perinatal psychiatry focuses on the mental health of pregnant women rather than on women who have already delivered their baby. Since mental illness can present differently in pregnancy, it needs to be handled in a specialized manner. The needs of mother and baby must be considered when a mental illness is present.
Perinatal treatment methods vary and aren’t always clear-cut. What is clear is the overwhelming need to support expectant mothers with mental health concerns. Sadly, suicide from untreated mental illness is the leading indirect cause of maternal mortality.
The field of perinatal psychiatry has provided hope to many struggling mothers who have found relief from their symptoms with the proper treatment. One such success story comes from Dr. Neha Kansara, a psychiatrist at Amen Clinics in Washington D.C., who shares an inspiring story of how she was able to help one of her patients:
Sweet, lovely Jane, who normally arrived just in time for her appointment, showed up an hour early. I sensed something wasn’t right. Typically, Jane would be giggling and entertaining my staff, but today she appeared sad. I recognized nervousness the moment our eyes met.
“I’m pregnant,” Jane said. She started crying inconsolably. I sat beside her, calm and composed with my hands on her shoulders, providing her with a sense of comfort. “Dr. Neha, you know this is the end and my baby will die again.”
Jane suffered from chronic PTSD for repeated childhood sexual and emotional trauma. She was raped by her mother’s boyfriend and was pregnant at the tender age of 13. Facing the ugly complications that came with getting an abortion created fear towards pregnancy. Jane had begun to believe that she could never give birth to a healthy baby.
I asked what I could do to help. Jane said, “I want this baby alive. Do you think you can help me?”
Having knowledge of the field of Perinatal Psychiatry, I began researching different avenues that would assist a pregnant woman who has suffered through extensive years of trauma. One therapy option that looked promising was EMDR. After a few sessions of EMDR, Jane’s outlook began to improve, and she eventually gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an extensively researched therapy technique that’s been very successful in bringing quick and lasting relief for a variety of symptoms and issues. The focus of EMDR is to resolve or eliminate emotional discomfort by shifting how a memory is triggered in the brain and to help a patient see things in new and less distressing ways.
EMDR may aid in reducing stress from painful memories and is particularly useful for people with a history of abuse. Also, EMDR can support people seeking to overcome symptoms of anxiety brought on by alarming or life-threatening experiences. One of the ways EMDR accomplishes this is by helping to remove the emotional charges of traumatic memories.
What Are the Benefits?
EMDR can help people by:
• Reducing the frequency and severity of nightmares
• Managing the debilitating effects of panic attacks
• Improving the quality of sleep
• Developing coping mechanisms for stressful situations
• Minimizing anger outbursts during elevated incidents
• Processing negative beliefs and self-talk
• Healing emotional trauma from past experiences
• Restoring a positive outlook for the future
EMDR is non-invasive, has no side effects and is appropriate for people of all ages. It’s ideal for those who have been unsuccessful in managing their symptoms with medications or therapy and who seek a more natural approach to treatment. EMDR was selected by the armed services as the primary treatment modality for returning veterans suffering from PTSD and other traumas. Additionally, the World Health Organization recommends EMDR for treating patients with PTSD.
Individuals considering EMDR don’t need to consult with a medical professional before beginning treatment. Not all services are offered at each Amen Clinics location. Call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit our website to schedule a visit. When you hear the word “hypnosis,” your brain might conjure up the image of a magician at a carnival sideshow swinging a pocket watch in front of someone’s face and saying, “you’re getting very, very sleepy.”
Unlike magic show hypnosis, medical hypnosis is a holistic treatment that focuses on supporting and restoring the mind.
What is Hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is hypnosis that is guided by a clinical hypnotherapist. Hypnotherapy is a widely accepted tool in psychology. It is characterized by a heightened state of calmness that helps an individual quiet their emotional mind while increasing their focus.
By inducing a trance-like state, a therapist can help a patient begin the recovery process. With professional guidance, individuals can focus on their pains and struggles, which allows them to implement changes or regain control of their life in targeted areas.
What Does Hypnotherapy Treat?
Hypnotherapy has been used as a treatment for a variety of conditions, such as:
• Addiction
• Anxiety
• Chronic stress
• Depression
• Pain management
• PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder)
• Sleep management
• Weight loss
Additionally, hypnosis can help reduce phobias, improve digestive issues, and manage negative thoughts and behaviors. Hypnosis is a powerful tool to help you gain mastery over your own mind. Just as negative thoughts can make a body sick, promoting positive and nurturing thoughts (via hypnosis) can help heal your mind.
Preparing for Hypnotherapy
Before starting your hypnosis sessions, your healthcare professional may recommend that you eliminate certain unhealthy routines or behaviors that might interfere with the treatment process. These harmful habits may include: lack of quality sleep, alcohol or drug abuse, excessive caffeine intake, and living a sedentary existence. A practitioner might also give some simple tips, like unplugging electronics before bed to allow for more restful and brain rejuvenating sleep.
What Happens During a Session?
A hypnosis session is typically conducted in a quiet, relaxed environment. A clinician will make sure the patient is comfortable and then begin the session.
The therapist will ask the patient to reflect on troubling events from the past or current challenges. By changing a negative thought or experience to a positive one, a practitioner can help guide the patient along a path of recovery.
Unlike the frequently inaccurate ways hypnotherapy is portrayed in movies and TV, a patient is never unwillingly forced into unconsciousness or some abstract dream state. A patient is awake and in control of their thought process the entire session. The patient can hear the therapist’s direction and can choose whether or not to implement those suggestions.
Hypnosis Case Study
Dr. Daniel Amen has used hypnosis with his patients for decades, and the results have been remarkable. He shares one fascinating case study from when he was an intern at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center:
Many of my patients wanted sleeping pills. As you can imagine, it’s hard to sleep in a busy, noisy hospital. Before I gave them the pills, however, I asked if I could hypnotize them first. Almost everyone agreed, and it was very helpful.
One of my patients, a decorated World War II hero, had Parkinson’s disease and when he was in hypnotic trance for sleep, his intensive tremors went away. When I told the attending neurologist about it the next morning, he thought I was crazy. So, I repeated the exercise in front of the doctor, and the astounding results became my first clinical paper.
Find the Right Help
Since many practitioners offer hypnosis services, it’s important to identify a hypnotherapist that is properly trained in the therapy. Aside from qualifications, it’s important that you find a hypnotherapist that you’re comfortable with to ensure the effectiveness of the therapy. It might be a good idea to schedule an initial consultation to see how well you “click” with the therapist to make sure it’s a good match.
Hypnosis is a tool to help you (and other professionals) understand what’s going on inside your mind. It helps identify different therapies that might be helpful for you. Hypnosis is often accompanied by talk therapy, lab tests, and doctor’s visits.
If you’d like to learn more about how hypnosis can help promote better quality sleep, manage food cravings, break bad habits or just help you understand personal struggles with deeper clarity, ask your healthcare professional if hypnotherapy is right for you.
At Amen Clinics, we’re committed to treating our patients with the least toxic, most effective regimen possible, which may include treatments like hypnotherapy. Not all services are offered at each Amen Clinics location. Call us today at 888-288-9834 for availability at a clinic near you, or visit us online to schedule a visit.
Panic disorder is considered a psychiatric disorder that creates sudden moments of panic and fear without a reasonable cause, requiring panic disorder treatment. This disorder may affect you throughout daily life, causing a quick onset of overwhelming terror, and is also referred to as panic attack disorder.
Panic disorder can affect your life at any time, whether you are simply grocery shopping, driving your car, or even in your sleep. You may feel afraid to leave your house for fear of being judged, or you may feel nauseous at the thought of trying something new. The onset of a panic attack is likely a constant worry in your life and calls for expert panic disorder treatment.
Symptoms of Panic Disorder
If you’re experiencing chronic panic disorder symptoms including sudden shortness of breath, heart palpitations, dizziness, trembling, losing control of your emotions and thoughts, cold chills, clammy hands, and muscle tenseness that feels paralyzing, we have methods to help.
What is the most effective treatment for panic disorder?
First of all, when you sense a panic attack is about to strike, follow these steps to take back control. Panic disorder treatment starts with managing your panic attacks.
1. Stop and take three slow, deep breaths. Breathing quickly and from your upper chest triggers an adrenaline response when you instead need to breathe diaphragmatically.
2. Do not leave the area unless you are in real danger. To break your panic attack, you should stay and overcome your initial adrenaline reaction, showing yourself there is no reason to “fight or flight.”
3. Break your tunnel vision. When your fear sets in, you will quickly have tunnel vision and this will cause you to feel trapped. By looking slowly from side to side, you become aware of your surroundings and can begin reasoning that there is no danger.
4. Think of warming images and warm your hands. A visual cue can very strongly bring your focus off of any anxious thoughts you may have, so consider looking at pictures on your phone. Running your hands under warm water offers an immediate relaxation response.
5. Speak out loud in complete sentences. This will prevent you from hyperventilating and initially you will speak with short, blunt words, but as you gain control, you will also be able to express your emotions accurately.
How to Cure Panic Disorder
Here at Amen Clinics, we often talk about an acronym called ANTs, which stands for “automatic negative thoughts.” These thoughts may creep into your life at any moment, and strongly influence you when a panic attack strikes.
For each thought that comes to your mind, your body releases chemicals in response. This is true for both positive and negative thoughts. These thoughts are in your control, and you can learn to recognize them so that you define these negative thoughts — such as predicting the worst, reading people’s minds, feeling overly guilty, blaming others and labeling yourself — as untrue. To aid with panic disorder treatment, we highly recommend writing these thoughts down so that you can objectively address them.
If you find ANTs are ruining your life and the panic attacks never seem to go away, Dr. Daniel Amen is considered a maverick in his field by reviewing brain scans to help treat psychological disorders. While most psychiatrists address symptoms, Amen Clinics seeks instead to find the root cause of your panic disorder problem.
Treatment for Panic Attacks
When enrolling with our clinic to treat your anxiety or depression associated with panic disorder, we first assess you by taking the following steps:
● We will begin by taking the time to explore your specific biological, psychological, social and spiritual influences. ● Next, we will perform neuropsychological tests to measure various aspects of your brain function. ● Then, we will perform two brain SPECT scans: one at rest and one during concentration ● Finally, we will order lab tests to rule out nutritional deficiencies, hormone imbalances, toxicity, etc.—if deemed necessary
Can a panic disorder be cured?
At Amen Clinics, we are trained in treating people who suffer from chronic anxiety and depression. If you feel you have nowhere left to turn for panic disorder treatment, we believe there is always hope to relieve your symptoms.
Treatment will vary depending on your assessment. Two treatment methods that might be of interest to you include Hypnotherapy and Music Therapy.
Our staff at Amen Clinics are experienced in these fields to help you reach a state of relaxation without prescription medication. We can help guide you to reaching this state throughout moments of your day.
Find a Clinic to Treat Your Panic Disorder
Make an appointment by calling 888-288-9834 today or scheduling online, and review our locations to find the nearest clinic to your home.
We have eight locations across the country in cities including Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Washington DC, and Los Angeles. We also have locations in Orange County, CA, in Northern California, and in Bellevue, WA.
Do mass shooters brains look different than non-violent brains?
The answer is yes.
Our founder, Dr. Daniel Amen, spoke with ABC reporter, Frank Elaridi on the epidemic that we are facing today.
How Do Mass Shooters Brains’ Look Different on a SPECT Scan?
(See images described in video here)
First, what appears to be holes in the brain are not actually holes, rather they are areas of low metabolic activity, low blood flow. A SPECT scan is a map of brain metabolism. It shows how well the blood is flowing through arteries and veins in the brain. This is important because the brain must have oxygen and glucose to function (oxygen and glucose are carried to the brain through blood). Thus the holes that appear on a SPECT are not areas of lost brain matter, these are areas of low blood flow therefore impaired brain activity.
In each shooter exhibited in the video’s SPECT scans, one had lower blood flow to the pre-frontal cortex which controls forethought, impulse control and focus. One had significant damage to the cerebellum.
Could SPECT Diagnose These Types of People?
Neuroscientists actually know quite a lot about the human brain and the mind it generates. Through 150,000 brain scans over nearly 30 years at Amen Clinics, we have used SPECT scans as maps to make neural connections in thousands of patients.
The future of psychiatry will be paved through imaging. Currently, psychiatrists are the only medical specialists who rarely look at the organ they treat. Most continue to make diagnoses the same way they did years ago, based on symptom clusters and clinical observations. There is a better way. SPECT imaging is a clinically valuable tool for looking at brain function to help target treatment.
We Can Help
SPECT helps provide new answers to mental health issues and helps clinicians ask better, more targeted questions; such as about brain trauma, infections, ADD symptoms, seizure issues, or past emotional traumas. If you, or someone you love, could benefit from an evaluation at Amen Clinics, call our brain health advisors today at 888-288-9834 or tell us more online.
The World Health Organization ranks traumatic brain injury (TBI) as the leading cause of both disability and mortality in individuals below the age of 45. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two million new TBIs are reported each year in the United States as a result of falls, accidents, and concussions. Millions of others go unnoticed leading to what many researchers have called the “silent epidemic.”
TBIs, including concussions, are a major cause of psychiatric illness and few people know this, because most psychiatrists never look at the brain. In fact, TBI has been linked to:
• Homelessness
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Anxiety
• Depression
• ADD/ADHD
• School failure
• Job failure
• Murder
• Suicide
• Domestic violence
• Incarceration
What Research Has Shown
New research published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal shows that “even mild concussions sustained in ordinary community settings might be more detrimental than anyone anticipated; the long-term risk of suicide increases threefold in adults if they have experienced even one concussion.” An additional study reiterated the seriousness of traumatic brain injury stating it is “the leading cause of death and disability in young adults in the developed world” and that “individuals with mild TBI, with concussion, had an elevated suicide risk by 81 percent.”
This link between TBIs contributing to poor outcomes later in life was recently investigated in much greater depth. Research published in PLOS Medicine studied more than a million people born since 1973 and followed them to see how head injuries impacted their lives in the coming decades.
It was discovered that people who had suffered even a mild traumatic head injury (which was defined as a head injury which left them feeling dazed or confused) were 60 percent more likely to have died in the studied period than people who had no injury.
Even more of a concern, they were also 91 percent more likely to have been hospitalized for a psychiatric problem, 55 percent more likely to have done less well in education, and 52 percent more likely to have needed disability benefit.
How We Can Help
When Amen Clinics performed the first and largest study on active and retired NFL players, the results showed high levels of brain damage. This came at a time when the NFL was still maintaining that they didn’t know if playing football causes long-term brain damage.
We put the players on our program with The Amen Clinics Method and demonstrated that 80 percent of them could improve in the areas of a blood flow, memory, and mood.
That study provided even more compelling evidence that you are NOT stuck with the brain you have and you can make it better on a brain-healthy program.
Amen Clinics has helped thousands of people heal their brains and they can help you, too. With targeted treatment you canchange your brain and change your life. If you feel that you or a loved one could benefit from an evaluation, contact the Amen Clinics Care Center today at 888-288-9834.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) — including mild ones — can dramatically alter a person’s personality, negatively affecting memory, mood and aggression levels. One population with many brain-related behavioral problems is the homeless. So, does that mean that many of them have had a TBI?
YES, says a St. Michael’s (Canada) Hospital study.
What They Found
The researchers found that out of 111 homeless men studied: almost half of them had suffered at least one TBI episode in their life, and 87% of these took place before they became homeless.
When asked what type of head injury had been sustained:
• 66% reported at least one from assault
• 44% reported at least one from sports or another recreational activity
• 42% reported at least one from motor vehicle collision
• 42% reported at least one from a fall
Furthermore, a positive TBI screening result was significantly associated with a lifetime history of arrest or mental illness and a parental history of substance abuse. Findings from a separate study done at St. Michael’s Hospital Centre for Research on Inner City Health underscored the TBI-homeless link, showing that as much as 61% of those who are homeless or “vulnerably housed” have suffered a TBI, a figure seven times higher than the general population.
So, what can be done to heal a traumatic brain injury that has already occurred?
• Rest and rejuvenate with at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
• Refrain from using alcohol and drugs.
• Eat LOTS of colorful fruits and vegetables, which contain cell-supportive antioxidants and critical nutrients.
• PROTECT and LOVE your brain — do all that you can to prevent more brain injuries in the future.
How Can Brain SPECT Imaging Help?
• Help identify if there has been brain trauma
• Show brain blood flow deficits NOT visible in anatomical studies, such as CT or MRI
• Identify affected brain systems
• Help determine if there could be co-occurring conditions that need treatment
• Increase treatment compliance by showing pictures of results
• Provide scientific documentation that may help with special services or legal issues
Imaging Changes Everything
At Amen Clinics, we want to help you and your loved ones heal brain injuries before they affect your life. Call us today at 1-888-288-9834 or tell us more to schedule an appointment. If you’ve suffered a stroke, taking steps to improve your brain health and mood are critical. A study has found that people who become depressed after a stroke may have a tripled risk of dying early and four times the risk of death from stroke compared to people who have not experienced a stroke or depression.
“Up to one in three people who have a stroke develop depression,” said study author Amytis Towfighi, MD, with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Los Angeles, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “This is something family members can help watch for that could potentially save their loved one.” Towfighi also noted that similar associations have been found regarding depression and heart attack, but less is known about the association between stroke, depression and death.
What Research Says
The research included 10,550 people between the ages of 25 and 74 followed for 21 years. Of those, 73 had a stroke but did not develop depression, 48 had stroke and depression, 8,138 did not have a stroke or depression and 2,291 did not have a stroke but had depression.
After considering factors such as age, gender, race, education, income level and marital status, the risk of dying from any cause was three times higher in individuals who had stroke and depression compared to those who had not had a stroke and were not depressed. The risk of dying from stroke was four times higher among those who had a stroke and were depressed compared to people who had not had a stroke and were not depressed.
“Our research highlights the importance of screening for and treating depression in people who have experienced a stroke,” said Towfighi. “Given how common depression is after stroke, and the potential consequences of having depression, looking for signs and symptoms and addressing them may be key.”
The Risk
The risk of developing serious brain problems in a person who has a stroke is six to ten times greater than that in the general population. Even a stroke smaller than a pencil-head eraser increases the risk for dementia four to twelve-fold.
How to Reduce Your Stroke Risk
A stroke is a single, damaging attack, but the risk factors that lead to a stroke, such as high blood pressure, smoking, heart disease, and diabetes, develop over a long time. You can reduce your stroke risk by taking the following simple steps:
• Keep blood pressure under control. Check your blood pressure often and if it’s high, follow your doctor’s advice on how to lower it. Treating high blood pressure reduces the risk of both stroke and heart disease.
• Stop smoking. Cigarette smoking is linked to an increased risk of stroke and heart disease. The risk of stroke for people who have quit smoking for two to five years is lower than that for people who still smoke.
• Exercise regularly. Exercise makes the heart stronger and improves circulation. It also helps control weight. Being overweight increases the chance of high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart disease, and adult-onset (type 2) diabetes. Physical activities like walking bicycling, swimming, and tennis lower the risk of both stroke and heart disease. Talk with your doctor before starting a vigorous exercise program.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet and control diabetes. If untreated, diabetes can damage the blood vessels throughout the body and lead to atherosclerosis.
We Can Help
There are many ways to optimize your brain and your mind. You CAN create a brain healthy life by learning how to love and care for your brain and body. If you, or someone you love, could benefit from an evaluation at Amen Clinics, call our brain health advisors today at 888-288-9834 or tell us more online to schedule an appointment. First, we must acknowledge there is significant room for improvement in mental health care as there remains an unacceptably high number of suicides among veterans, and the success rates for PTSD, depression, and anxiety disorders have not improved in years.
In addition, the fallout from 9/11/01 will forever impact veterans, families and our society for at least 70 more years. PTSD, depression, and traumatic brain injuries (TBI), common among our veterans, all increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
These problems will not be solved without intense, long-term focus and commitment. Anything this country can do to improve mental health care to our war-injured, we should do. It is more than extending a helping hand.
Leslie and Her Story of 9/11 and PTSD
We asked Leslie how she deals with reoccurrences of PTSD, she says she doesn’t want to spiritualize the very real biological issues in her brain; but that for her, she begins by going to God in her soul and spirit in prayer and seeking His help and peace. She also seeks treatment from professionals trained in PTSD, along with reaching out to understanding family and friends. Writing and comforting others has also been therapeutic.
Leslie’s Daily Reminders
Leslie speaks kind reminders to herself, saying, “I am okay to not be okay. I am still beautiful, God loves me and He loves my brain that got so wounded by this trauma. I will climb out of the PTSD place, rung by messy rung. Sometimes when I am triggered it only takes a couple of days. But in the past, it has also taken weeks and even months to get balanced again.”
What Does PTSD Look Like on a SPECT Scan?
In a brain SPECT scan, PTSD shows up in a “diamond pattern.” The right temporal lobe, for example, involved in reliving and re-enacting past experiences and is one of the points of the “diamond” that lights up on a scan. Reliving past experiences or having flashbacks is one of the symptoms of PTSD.
When it is over-active, it tends to be hyper-vigilant which is why people with PTSD, when triggered, feel on the alert or that something or someone is out to harm them.
Amen Clinics Can Help Today
The good news is that PTSD can be treated. At Amen Clinics, we use a variety of natural methods, including eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and neurofeedback to help people with PTSD. If you or someone you love is suffering with PTSD, call us today at (888) 288-9834 or tell us more online to seek guidance.
