Mad in America

DECEMBER 29, 2023

A traumatic brain injury in 2002 didn’t help anything. I tried going back to school after the brain injury, but between the bipolar disorder and the head trauma, I couldn’t handle the stress and pressure anymore. I was in ICU for 11 days, and on a ventilator for four of those days. So to back way up, as a kid I was brilliant.

Trauma and the brain 144

Trauma and the brain Bipolar disorder Construction Education 144

Mad in America

DECEMBER 17, 2023

From CPTSD Foundation : “Trauma is a word or a concept that does not resonate with everyone. They ‘don’t have trauma’ because they are ‘tougher’ than that. When they describe their pain points or struggles with me as a trauma recovery coach, I see them as symptoms of previous trauma.

Trauma and the brain 100

Trauma and the brain Childhood trauma Aging and mental health 100

Mad in America

FEBRUARY 2, 2024

I tell this story through the lens of akathisia (and a similar condition known as restless leg syndrome or RLS) since it was an early indicator for me that while I was being treated for the typical symptoms of bipolar, I was actually dealing with trauma. In May of 2021 I had a severe manic episode that led to psychosis.

Trauma and the brain 104

Trauma and the brain Hospitality Healthcare 104

Mad in America

APRIL 24, 2025

When the Covid-19 pandemic brought its cascade of anxiety, trauma, and grief, many Americans turned to antidepressants for relief. Antidepressants are Americas first-line treatment for the most common mental health problems, e.g., depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Recent studies and critiques are challenging the antidepressant status quo.

Neurotransmitters and mental health 108

Neurotransmitters and mental health Trauma and the brain Aging and mental health Pharmaceuticals 108

The Anxiety Guy

MARCH 31, 2025

Heres Whats Really Happening in Your Brain Dizziness from anxiety is one of the most unsettling symptoms people experience. If youve ever wondered why anxiety causes dizziness and whats really happening in your brain, youre not alone. Dizziness from anxiety is a major component to increased fear for health anxiety sufferers.

Self-awareness 105

Self-awareness 105

Mad in America

APRIL 15, 2025

Psychiatric medications are often offered as the default solutionbut without complementary options such as therapy, community support, or trauma-informed care, these prescriptions can become long-term crutches rather than bridges to healing. According to OECD data, South Korea has the highest suicide rate among member nations.

Aging and mental health 86

Aging and mental health Sleep and mental health Trauma and the brain Insurance 86

Mad in America

DECEMBER 21, 2024

From the safety of ones surroundings to access to proper nutrition, sleep, and social stability, the circumstances of life have a lasting biochemical effect on the brain. These areas of the brain impact how a person reacts to the world. Those with high ACE scores have brains physically different from those with low or no ACE scores.

Trauma and the brain 139

Trauma and the brain Construction Sleep and mental health Pharmaceuticals 139

Child Mind Intitute

APRIL 14, 2025

As with many clinical conditions, each childs genetic, brain-based, and environmental influences blend into a distinct profile. We need to rule out other causes of inattention (like anxiety or trauma) and ensure were capturing the childs full spectrum of strengths and needs. And ADHD is not only a disorder of childhood.

Trauma and the brain 119

Trauma and the brain Genetics and mental health Self-awareness Aging and mental health 119

Mad in America

MAY 2, 2024

Some neuroscientists argue that we should rather focus our efforts on the upstream social and structural factors, such as trauma and inequity , that create the conditions for mental health concerns to arise. A recent Neuroscience News article is titled “ Bipolar disorder can be detected with blood test. ”

Trauma and the brain 109

Trauma and the brain Neurotransmitters and mental health Genetics and mental health Biopsychosocial model 109

Lightwork

APRIL 10, 2025

These lingering wounds, known as unresolved trauma, can silently shape our behaviors, relationships, and daily experiences without us even realizing it. For women, unresolved trauma can manifest in unique ways, impacting mental health through anxiety, depression, and complex emotional responses. Many women share similar experiences.

Trauma and the brain 52

Trauma and the brain Sleep and mental health Self-awareness Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 52

Mad in America

NOVEMBER 16, 2024

T he text that follows is the English translation of a speech I gave at The Danish Psychiatry Top Summit in 2024. A video of the speech, with English subtitles, is available here. The summit features professionals, politicians, and people with lived experiences. This year more than a thousand people attended. Every year, the summit has a theme.

Trauma and the brain 130

Trauma and the brain 130

Child Mind Intitute

FEBRUARY 19, 2025

At the Child Mind Institute, we are dedicated to understanding how the brain develops and identifying ways we can support children and adolescents in building mental health awareness and resilience. Think of the brain as a network of interconnected pathways. Journaling is like exercising the brains emotional regulation muscles.

Resilience and coping 59

Resilience and coping Trauma and the brain Self-awareness Technology 59

Mad in America

NOVEMBER 6, 2024

She talks about understanding the place of her own childhood trauma and also the limitations of simplistic trauma narratives. She talks about understanding the place of her own childhood trauma and also the limitations of simplistic trauma narratives. She is also a writer and producer on Netflix’s 3 Body Problem.

Trauma and the brain 111

Trauma and the brain Poverty and mental health Psychedelic therapy Childhood trauma 111

Mad in America

NOVEMBER 18, 2024

I can think of many examples throughout my early career where I saw many people admitted to psychiatric wards having suffered an adverse life event, recent or past trauma, only to leave with prescriptions for multiple drugs to treat their new presumed diagnoses.

Trauma and the brain 140

Trauma and the brain Sleep and mental health Personality disorders Self-awareness 140

Mad in America

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

According to Moncrieff, mainstream psychiatry’s theory of drug action is that psychiatric drugs work by healing some underlying brain abnormality, thus supporting the concept of biological psychiatry. C urrently, antidepressants are among the most commonly prescribed drugs for a wide range of diagnoses, not just depression and anxiety.

Trauma and the brain 123

Trauma and the brain Family dynamics Bipolar disorder Community support 123

Mad in America

NOVEMBER 18, 2023

A fter years of work involving hundreds of people in dozens of countries, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have released their joint production, Mental Health, Human Rights and Legislation: Guidance and Practice ( WHO/OHCHR , 2023, referred to as the Guidance.

Genetics and mental health 145

Genetics and mental health Biopsychosocial model Trauma and the brain Legal 145

Mad in America

NOVEMBER 8, 2024

I was trying to recover from a mild traumatic brain injury. I was having nightmares and flashbacks from childhood trauma that I had successfully hidden in the recesses of my mind until that time. You said this when I described my nightmares and flashbacks and the confusion and terror I had as I remembered my childhood trauma. “It

Childhood trauma 135

Childhood trauma Trauma and the brain Hospitality 135

Mad in America

NOVEMBER 24, 2023

I had headaches, brain fog, and fatigue. Being a brain doctor, he focused on the headaches. “Maybe the journey isn’t so much about becoming anything. Maybe it’s about unbecoming everything that really isn’t you, so you can be who you were meant to be in the first place.”

Trauma and the brain 140

Trauma and the brain Sleep and mental health Genetics and mental health Aging and mental health 140

Mad in America

JULY 29, 2024

Mad in America and Mad in the UK are jointly publishing this four-part series on neurodiversity. This third part of this series on Neurodiversity consists of an essay by a therapist who has asked to remain anonymous for fear of the consequences for their job. The series is being archived here. In Part 1 and Part 2 , we—e.g.

Trauma and the brain 143

Trauma and the brain Construction Education Eating disorders 143

Mad in America

NOVEMBER 28, 2024

Concurrently, many mental health professionals carry a burden of their own trauma and are not healthy individuals. Trauma fragments our being as we disconnect from our experiences, suppress our feelings and hide away our wounded parts. When trauma is healed, so do our bodies. When trauma is healed, so do our bodies.

Hospitality 93

Hospitality Trauma and the brain Poverty and mental health Construction 93

The London Psychiatry Centre

JANUARY 3, 2025

When first-line treatments havent worked, sufferers and their loved ones often begin to wonder about the science of it all, asking: how does mental health affect our brain (and vice versa)? Read on to learn more about how mental health affects the brain. Brain function is key to both physical health and mental health.

Neurotransmitters and mental health 52

Neurotransmitters and mental health Trauma and the brain Bipolar disorder 52

The Art of Healing Trauma

DECEMBER 21, 2018

Healing Trauma with Guided Drawing, A Sensorimotor Art Therapy Approach to Bilateral Body Mapping, by Cornelia Elbrecht, is an in-depth instructional textbook for the somatic therapeutic approach Guided Drawing. Based on leading edge understandings about trauma healing and the body (sensorimotor psychotherapy, somatic experiencing, etc.),

Art therapy 52

Art therapy Trauma and the brain Self-awareness 52

Mad in America

DECEMBER 21, 2023

“We need to describe how human beings unfold and become very beautiful when listened to. Listening shows that the nature of human beings is nothing like socialized content. If this is true, what are we doing sending people off into the eyeshades on their psychedelic journeys? Cloud Shadow With Red Diffusion Light During the Disturbance Period.

Trauma and the brain 115

Trauma and the brain Psychedelic therapy Aging and mental health Education 115

The Art of Healing Trauma

JUNE 25, 2020

When we remember and then begin to do a writing practice about the memory, we are turning on many parts of our brains and awareness to interact with the memory, such as new knowledge, new experiences, and other frames of reference that did not exist when the experience happened.

Trauma and the brain 52

Trauma and the brain Self-awareness 52

Mad in America

AUGUST 17, 2024

By Friday, the effects of K2 had turned his brain into a monster, a stark contrast to the gentle young man we knew. Told by his mother, Pamela, and his oldest brother, Joe, it’s also a story of resilience, loving commitment, and a push for change against a system riddled with discrimination and harms.

Hospitality 118

Hospitality Trauma and the brain Mental health advocacy Mental health policy 118

Mad in America

JUNE 17, 2024

I was grappling with the pressures of balancing the needs of my teenagers, who were struggling in different ways, and my two preschoolers with developmental delays that no professional could explain — all while attempting to manage and overcome my own trauma from military service. Two police officers stood inside my entryway, watching us.

Trauma and the brain 123

Trauma and the brain Sleep and mental health Aging and mental health Self-awareness 123

Mad in America

FEBRUARY 18, 2025

I will always wonder whether I got worse because of me or because of damage to my brain? T his is all written to the best of my memory. I worked, I had a life. But then I languished on disability for twenty-six years. Dystonia, kidney failure, possibly the hypothyroidism was my lot for serving as a drug whore for psychiatry.

Trauma and the brain 127

Trauma and the brain Sleep and mental health Aging and mental health Legal 127

Mad in America

FEBRUARY 24, 2024

P sychiatry’s serotonin-imbalance theory of depression, long discarded by researchers, was finally flushed down the toilet by psychiatry and the mainstream media in 2022. And psychiatrists’ primary treatments for depression—their so-called “antidepressants”—are now circling the drain. 2) What approach to depression makes sense? Genes and depression?

Poverty and mental health 145

Poverty and mental health Childhood trauma Neurotransmitters and mental health Trauma and the brain 145

Mad in America

FEBRUARY 7, 2024

A new review published in CNS Drugs analyzes the current available treatment guidelines for monitoring the potential negative side effects of clozapine. Shockingly, based on their inclusion criteria, the authors only found one existing guideline.

Trauma and the brain 106

Trauma and the brain Childhood trauma Education Hospitality 106

National Council for Mental Wellbeing (NCMW - the

FEBRUARY 19, 2025

When substance use is layered with trauma or mental health challenges like PTSD, depression, anxiety or traumatic brain injuries, these feelings of shame and isolation deepen. These often include mental health challenges, substance use, and the complex interplay between the two.

Resilience and coping 96

Resilience and coping Trauma and the brain Aging and mental health Education 96

Mad in America

MARCH 13, 2024

Mandeville, LMFT – Scapegoat Recovery : “What is traumatic invalidation, and why is it important that adult survivors of family scapegoating know about this form of trauma? Questions to ask yourself As a scapegoat child, you may have had a lifetime of being invalidated, and you can’t help but carry that in to other systems.

Trauma and the brain 78

Trauma and the brain 78

Mad in America

JANUARY 31, 2025

E very time I put pen to paper about my story I shiver for I do not know what my pen will blacken the paper with. But I let it blacken, for maybe some part of the narrative will give further courage to another. That night, I dont know when, perhaps in October 2024, my sister was rushing me in her car through the night. I was calm and loud.

Sleep and mental health 100

Sleep and mental health Self-awareness Hospitality Legal 100

Center for Integrative Psychiatry

JANUARY 22, 2025

Gut-Brain Axis The gut-brain connection is critical to mental well-being. Imbalances in gut microbiota can contribute to anxiety, depression, and brain fog. Stress and Trauma Chronic stress and unresolved trauma disrupt brain chemistry and overall health. What Is Functional Psychiatry?

Nutrition and mood 52

Nutrition and mood Genetics and mental health Sleep and mental health Trauma and the brain 52

Zencare

APRIL 21, 2025

The trauma stories we carry. In this piece, well explore why we keep falling for these dangerous dynamics, how fantasy and unresolved trauma shape attraction, why audiences sympathize with TV show villains, and what Joe Goldberg can teach us about emotional survival and self-protection. On a trauma level, Joe mimics attunement.

Trauma and the brain 52

Trauma and the brain Self-awareness Art therapy 52

Mad in America

JANUARY 6, 2024

Below are excerpts from a talk given by Dina Tyler — a psych survivor, family counselor, and cofounder of Bay Area Hearing Voices, among others — at UCSF Grand Rounds last month. “I was and still would be non-compliant. I would never ever want to seek help in a psychiatric hospital ever again. Or did it come true?

Sleep and mental health 110

Sleep and mental health Trauma and the brain Hospitality Legal 110

Mad in America

OCTOBER 3, 2024

Recovering from protracted withdrawal was a huge challenge, and I had to approach it wisely, doing everything I could to survive the process and help my body and mind heal. In this article, I will outline what helped and what hindered my healing process. After moments of temporary improvement, sudden setbacks can occur.

Trauma and the brain 123

Trauma and the brain Breathing techniques 123

Roland Bal - Resolving Trauma and PTSD

FEBRUARY 28, 2023

The trouble is, when you are dealing with Complex Trauma or PTSD, that you seem to be constantly going through cycles of high activation and shutdown, which wears you down. Your adrenaline gets going and it might take hours or even days before you are able to regulate yourself and come back down from the activation.

Trauma and the brain 52

Trauma and the brain 52