Did you know that psychiatrists are the ONLY medical specialists who rarely look at the organ they treat?
Psychiatrists today still diagnose and manage conditions the same way they did back when Abraham Lincoln was being treated for depression: conduct a brief interview, quickly assess the symptoms, form a diagnosis based on those symptoms and then prescribe a high-powered medication. This method makes the patient a guinea pig and often does more harm than good since many medications come with adverse side effects.
At Amen Clinics, our primary goal is to improve your brain health and overall quality of life. If you’re dealing with a mental health problem, know that you’re not alone and that you’re not stuck with the brain you have – you can change it and we can help with the right method.
Our well-researched and proven process results in higher-than-average success rates utilizing the least toxic, most effective solutions to diagnose and treat your brain.
What We Treat
At our clinics, we treat a wide array of mental health conditions, including:
• Emotional issues such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder
• Behavioral challenges such as addictions, weight control, anger
• Cognitive problems such as brain fog or memory issues
• Brain injuries such as concussions and TBIs (traumatic brain injury)
• Learning or concentration issues such as ADD (attention deficit disorder), also known as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
If you’re struggling with any of these symptoms, it would be insane not to get an image of your brain.
Take a Look
At Amen Clinics, we believe that you can’t possibly know what’s going on inside your brain unless you take a look. Imaging changes everything. It removes the guesswork from the standard psychiatric approach of prescribing high-powered medications to mask symptoms, which is like throwing darts at a dartboard in the dark.
By contrast, the Amen Clinics approach is to look inside the brain and treat it with as natural a regimen as possible. We treat the root of the problem rather than just the symptom.
Amen Clinics has provided education and insight on the clinical use of brain imaging in psychiatry. Over the past 30 years, Amen Clinics has built the world’s largest database of brain scans related to emotional, relational and behavioral problems. Our study is comprised of brain SPECT images.
What is SPECT?
SPECT stands for Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography. Because brain activity is directly related to blood flow, SPECT effectively shows us the patterns of activity in the brain. SPECT allows physicians to look deep inside the brain to observe three things: areas of the brain that work well, areas of the brain that work too hard and areas of the brain that don’t work hard enough.
Amen Clinics has performed over 150,000 scans on patients from age 3 to 103. In addition to diagnosing and treating patients with symptoms such as ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, autism, addiction, head trauma and many other complex or resistant psychiatric problems, we’ve also scanned many health-conscious individuals interested in learning more about their brains and how to keep them optimized far into the future.
Benefits of SPECT Imaging
There are many advantages to taking a look inside your brain. Brain SPECT imaging can:
• 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 are 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
The Amen Clinics Method
The Amen Clinics Method combines the information gathered from SPECT imaging along with questionnaires, neuropsychological testing, and a detailed clinical history, which concentrates on 4 specific areas of your life: biological, psychological, social, and spiritual.
After gathering all this information, we’re able to create a targeted treatment plan specifically for your needs. Although treatment plans vary based on individual results, our aim is to use the least toxic, most effective solutions to help alleviate your symptoms. We prefer to heal the brain naturally, which means our doctors typically recommend diet, exercise and supplements first and foremost before medications.
A lesson that SPECT imaging has taught us is that one treatment doesn’t fit all.
We can help you and your loved ones overcome the stigma and suffering associated with ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, brain injury, addictions, memory issues, and other emotional and cognitive issues. If you’re ready to regain control over your life, call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit us online to schedule a visit. It’s back to school time already, which can mean helping your child adjust to a new classroom, new teachers, and for many—new distractions. Getting through this transition can be a challenge for those with undiagnosed or untreated ADD, and can wreak havoc on their lives – and yours! But, it doesn’t have to; learning more about the symptoms and treatment for ADD can lead you and your loved ones to healthier and more productive lives.
One of Dr. Amen’s scientific contributions is, through the use of brain SPECT imaging, he uncovered the 7 subtypes of ADD, each involving a unique pattern of activity in the brain. And, not surprisingly, that each of the ADD types requires a different treatment—not a one-size-fits-all ADD solution.
While each of the 7 types of ADD has its own unique set of symptoms, they generally share the same core symptoms:
This first type of ADD – what is known as ADHD (H = Hyperactive), is usually evident early in life. As babies, they tend to be colicky, active and wiggly, growing into children who tend to be restless, noisy, talkative, impulsive and demanding. Their hyperactivity and sometimes conflict-driven behavior gets everyone’s attention early on. Classic ADD tends to be more frequently seen in boys.
Those with this type are usually quiet, more introverted and appear to daydream a lot. They may be labeled as unmotivated—even slow or lazy. Inattentive ADD is common in girls and boys but is often missed because children with this type tend to have fewer behavioral problems and don’t draw the negative attention to themselves as do those with Classic ADD. Nonetheless, left untreated they may live life below their true potential.
People suffering from this type have most of the ADD features, but rather than not being able to pay attention, they become hyper-focused on certain things while tuning everything else out. These folks tend to get stuck or locked into negative thought patterns and behaviors. This type of ADD is often found in substance abusers as well as the children and grandchildren of alcoholics.
In addition to the core features of ADD, people with this type have symptoms associated with temporal lobe problems, such as problems with learning, memory, mood instability, aggression, temper outbursts, and sometimes, even violence. It is not unusual to see this type of ADD in people who have had head injuries.
In Limbic ADD, the core symptoms of ADD intersect with mood issues and are present over a long period of time. Commonly, people with this type suffer from not only the symptoms of ADD, but also with low self-esteem, sadness, low energy and motivation, and a loss of interest in fun activities.
With this type, people often have difficulty “turning off” their brains, typically feeling overwhelmed with thoughts and emotions, in addition to problems with inattention, distractibility and other core ADD symptoms. Ring of Fire ADD can also be related to some form of allergy, infection or inflammation in the brain, or to bipolar disorder.
With Type 7, the core symptoms of ADD are compounded by symptoms of anxiety such as worry, nervousness, tension and fear of being judged. Furthermore, the ADD symptoms in people suffering from this type tend to be magnified by their anxiety.
ADD is a neurobiological disorder with serious psychological and social consequences. Children, teens, adults, and parents need to know that it’s not their fault, they didn’t cause it, and there is hope. Amen Clinics is here to help you understand the ADD brain and provide treatment options that address more than just symptoms. Call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit us online to schedule a visit. For daily brain health updates, follow us onFacebook. If you struggle with symptoms of a brain-based disorder, ask yourself these questions:
Do you want a natural approach to treating your symptoms?
Are you suffering unwanted side effects of medication?
Do your symptoms interfere with your daily life?
Are you dissatisfied with the results from medications and therapy alone?
At Amen Clinics, we understand that no two people are alike and treatment is not a one-size-fits-all approach – especially in psychiatry. Where medication is indicated and appropriate, Amen Clinics doctors will prescribe them. But did you know that some psychiatric medications are actually toxic to brain function? As we formulate individual treatments plans, Amen Clinics doctors follow a simple guiding precept: find solutions that will treat the condition most effectively while imposing the least possible toxicity. This is why we offer many natural therapies for patients as they make brain-healthy life changes. Once such highly effective, non-medication treatment is called transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS.
What is TMS?
TMS is an innovative form of brain stimulation used to treat certain psychiatric and neurological disorders that have not improved through traditional approaches. TMS uses a non-invasive, painless, highly focused, brief magnetic pulse that stimulates activity in different areas of the brain – without the troubling side effects people often experience from taking medication. Sessions last about 40 minutes and patients can resume their normal activities immediately after each session.
The Importance of Imaging First
Amen Clinics is the only clinic in the world where you can get a SPECT image of your brain before innovative treatments, like TMS, so that we can help predict if a certain treatment is going to be successful. Research demonstrates that SPECT scans effectively help predict if a person is going to positively respond to TMS. Why is this so important? Because we know that depression, for example, is not one thing. For some people, their brains work too hard, and they can’t stop thinking about bad things. For other people, their brain activity is too low, and they can’t think at all. Thanks to imaging, we know if your brain is not working hard enough, we can use TMS to stimulate it in a way that increases brain function. But if it is working too hard, we can use TMS to calm it. If you treat every person with depression in the same way with TMS, it is no different than giving everyone with depression the same medication – you are NOT going to have the most effective results.
Amen Clinics results are better than other TMS clinics because we look before we treat. That way, we know how to treat more effectively. In fact, scan guided TMS results in an 80-85% success rate at Amen Clinics. Research supports our experience: that scan guided TMS provides better results than non-scan guided TMS.
“I basically have my life back. I feel so good; I will actually sing along with the radio. And I’m able to manage the demands of a busy working mom. The TMS therapy is truly a life-changing experience.”~Susan, a TMS patient
Although TMS was originally FDA approved for and used to treat depression, there is now substantial evidence that TMS can be helpful in treating a wide range of brain-based issues including addiction, anxiety, ADD, OCD, mild cognitive impairment and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
“TMS was a permanent solution. Instead of taking drugs for the rest of my life, I could do TMS for a month and see significant results that were permanent. I am happy, I’m losing weight, and I just feel like I have a life again. I believe that TMS gave that back to me.”~Vivica, a TMS patient
Imaging changes everything. To learn more about TMS or other natural therapies for depression, ADD/ADHD, anxiety, or memory issues, contact Amen Clinics today at (888) 288-9834 or visit us online.
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. In May 2012, former all-star NFL linebacker Junior Seau tragically took his own life. This came as a shock to everybody as Seau was loved by family, friends and fans alike. The circumstances of his death at the young age of 43 also carry many questions surrounding his struggles with depression and its connection to playing football.
What Research Says
Researches from the National Institutes of Health sought to answer some of these questions in the report they release that confirmed that Junior Seau suffered from a degenerative brain disease often linked with repeated blows to the head.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, is a neurodegenerative condition that can lead to memory loss, dementia and depression. Seau’s family donated his brain to the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C., to find out if he was one of many players whose time in the NFL led to CTE.
“It was important to us to get to the bottom of this, the truth,” Gina Seau added, “and now that it has been conclusively determined from every expert that he had obviously had CTE, we just hope it is taken more seriously. You can’t deny it exists, and it is hard to deny there is a link between head trauma and CTE. There’s such strong evidence correlating head trauma and collisions and CTE.” “It’s important that we take steps to help these players. We certainly don’t want to see anything like this happen again to any of our athletes.”
Junior Seau’s Diagnosis
Dr. Russell Lonser, the former Chief of Surgical Neurology at the NIH, said that because of the publicity surrounding Seau’s death, Seau’s brain was “blinded” during research so that nobody doing the diagnosis would know whose brain they were studying.
“The neuropathologists each examined tissue samples from three different unidentified brains. The official, unanimous diagnosis of Mr. Seau’s brain was a ‘multi-focal tauopathy consistent with a diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy,’ the NIH said in its statement. “In addition, there was a very small region in the left frontal lobe of the brain with evidence of scarring that is consistent with a small, old, traumatic brain injury.”
“Specifically, the neuropathologists found abnormal, small clusters called neurofibrillary tangles of a protein known as tau within multiple regions of Mr. Seau’s brain. Tau is a normal brain protein that folds into tangled masses in the brain cells of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and many other progressive neurological disorders. The regional brain distribution of the tau tangles observed in this case is unique to CTE and distinguishes it from other brain disorders.”
“The type of findings seen in Mr. Seau’s brain have been recently reported in autopsies of individuals with exposure to repetitive head injury, including professional and amateur athletes who played contact sports, individuals with multiple concussions, and veterans exposed to blast injury and other trauma.
Behavior Swings
In the final years of his life, Seau had wild behavioral swings, according to ex-wife, Gina, and 23-year-old son, Tyler, along with signs of irrationality, forgetfulness, insomnia and depression. He hid it well in public, they said, but not when he was with family or close friends.
Gina Seau said that the diagnosis was not a surprise. “We saw changes in his behavior and things that didn’t add up with him, but (CTE) was not something we considered or even were aware of. The difference with Junior … from an emotional standpoint [was] how detached he became emotionally,” she said. “It was so obvious to me because early, many, many years ago, he used to be such a phenomenal communicator. If there was a problem in any relationship, whether it was between us or a relationship with one of his coaches or teammates or somewhere in the business world, he would sit down and talk about it.”
Was CTE To Blame?
In his 20-year NFL career, Seau was never listed as having a concussion on any medical or injury report, but he joins a list of several dozen football players who were found to have CTE. Boston University’s center for study of the disease reported last month that 34 former pro players and, nine who played only college football, suffered from CTE.
Seau is not the first former NFL player who killed himself and later was found to have had CTE. Dave Duerson and Ray Easterling are others. Before shooting himself, Duerson, a former Chicago Bears defensive back, left a note asking that his brain be studied for signs of trauma. His family filed a wrongful-death suit against the NFL, claiming the league didn’t do enough to prevent or treat the concussions that severely damaged his brain. Easterling played safety for the Falcons in the 1970s. After his career, he suffered from dementia, depression and insomnia, according to his wife, Mary Ann. He committed suicide last April.
Your Brain on Football
Given how football is played, the problem the NFL is going to face is there is really no way to prevent these types of injuries. Helmets only prevent skull fractures. Your brain is very soft; composed of about 80 percent water and is the consistency of soft butter. Your brain is housed in a hard skull surrounded by fluid. When these hits happen on the football field, the head comes to an abrupt stop, but the brain which is suspended within the skull, continues in the path of motion where the head and helmet stopped. The brain then strikes that portion of the skull. Every time this happens neurons are being ripped and damaged. Over time these areas can lose function causing emotional, behavioral, and cognitive problems. It is imperative to bring this information to light so that more people understand the dangers of these contact sports and the detrimental effect it can have on their mental health.
We Can Help
If you are having suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Amen Clinics has helped thousands of people heal their brains and we can help you, too. With targeted treatment, you can change your brain and change your life. If you or a loved one is struggling with behavior issues or want to learn more about the effects of brain injury, please call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit our website to schedule an appointment.
