Smithers Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center provides evidence-based care to individuals seeking treatment for substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions.
Columbia researchers have found that exposure to too much dopamine during mid-adolescent causes changes in the brain that lead to aggressive and impulsive behaviors during adulthood.
“We know that the good bacteria in your gut produces a lot of neurotransmitters implicated in mood, like norepinephrine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA),” says Dr. Drew Ramsey.
If you sink a lot of time into the behavior itself or on dealing with the damage—like applying makeup to cover up scars—that’s another good indicator of a BFRB, says Dr. Nicholas Crimarco.
Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman said the cumulative effects of mass shootings produces high levels of anxiety and fear across the country, even if you're hundreds of miles away.
While mass shooters tend to be disaffected young white men with a history of violence, identifying people who fit this description before they strike isn't always an option, Dr. Paul Appelbaum said.
"We need to stop using mental health issues as bad-faith arguments to prevent us from finding real solutions to this problem,” writes Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman.
"The problem of mass shootings is not due to mental illness: it's a function of inflammatory rhetoric, easy access to weapons, and a failure of political leadership," Dr. Paul Appelbaum tweeted.
Dr. Michael Stone said mass shooters are likelier to act in response to perceived slights and insults, quietly accumulated over time, until such grievances manifest themselves in violence.