The Bagnalls’ Story
Jennifer Bagnall was settling into her new marriage when she accidentally came across a disturbing journal entry written by her new husband that said “Hang Myself”. That got her attention quickly and she convinced her husband David to get a brain scan to see what was going on.
Stephen, Firefighter
After living with PTSD for over 10 years, this first responder froze on the job. The guy who had been called to help was the guy who needed help.
From Self-Harm to Smiles: Angelica’s Story of Hope
Angelica's son had been suffering from extreme anxiety for years, but when he began self-harming and becoming aggressive towards others, managing the family dynamic became overwhelming. Angela tried the recommendations of many doctors, and nothing had worked until a friend recommended cutting-edge brain imaging to discover the root of the problem: the brain. After implementing a
From Self-Harm to Smiles: Angela’s Story of Hope
Angela's son had been suffering from extreme anxiety for years, but when he began self-harming and becoming aggressive towards others, managing the family dynamic became overwhelming. Angela tried the recommendations of many doctors, and nothing had worked until a friend recommended cutting-edge brain imaging to discover the root of the problem: the brain. After implementing a ne
Removing a Brain Tumor: The Brain Trauma Aftermath
In 1994, Dafi Shanti's life changed forever when a tumor was found inside her brain. She quickly went through surgery to have it removed, but the doctors didn't tell her there would be lingering effects on her cognition, mood, and behavior. These lingering effects ultimately held Dafi back in life and prevented her from passing an exam essential for her career. Luckily, Dafi had
ADHD: Addressing the Real Problem
Brian Kleindiest's son Cash always had a larger than life personality. But when his thirst for attention started to distract him from other areas of his life, his father began to search for answers. Brian knew the importance of brain health in addressing behavioral issue like ADHD, and after some research he ultimately decided to take Cash to Amen Clinics to get his brain scanned
How an Extrovert Completely Shut Down (and How He Recovered)
Mark Oschmann's wife Melinda had always called him "The World's Greatest Extrovert". However, after some intense work stresses led to a mental breakdown, Mark seemed to be forever changed. He had shut down, and Melinda was losing hope. Then she remembered a PBS show she had seen by Dr. Daniel Amen, where Dr. Amen discussed the role of brain health in mental health struggles. Meli
A Life with ADHD: Getting Better
John Miranda was always late, and had trouble focusing during his interactions with loved ones. It wasn't because John was a bad person, or that he wanted to be late or have conflicts, it's just the way his brain was wired. Some psychiatrists had pointed him towards medication, but that wasn't a road John wanted to go down. Fortunately for John, he came across a TV special from D
ADD & Genetics: Getting Help
Teri Bartusek had struggled with ADD symptoms for most of her life. Like many others, she found the psychiatric model of rotating medication experiments to be largely unsuccessful. She recognized similar symptoms in her son, as his life spiraled into addiction and incarceration. By chance she came across some of Dr. Daniel Amen's content, and it soon put her onto a path of brain
When You Can No Longer Hide Your Mental Health Struggles
On paper, Madison Babione's life was perfectly on track. Privately, however, she had been experiencing extreme automatic negative self-talk that was getting harder and harder to control. After a particular incident left her feeling hopeless with nowhere to turn, she was encouraged to get brain scans to see exactly what was happening. These SPECT scans, which map activity patterns
Solving the Mysteries of Behavioral Disorders with Brain Imaging A
When she was younger, Michelle Chen had come to fear her father's unpredictable temper. When she began to notice similar traits in her son Grayson, the stress that overcame her was almost unbearable. Although Michelle had previously learned about the importance of brain health in shaping behavior, it wasn't until her son Grayson had his brain scanned that she saw first hand what
Chronic Fight or Flight Syndrome and Self Medication
Dr. Neha Kansara sits down with Valerie Omage to discuss the circumstances that led her to a relationship with alcohol at an early age. Valerie reveals the price that came with the self medication, and how she ultimately turned her life around and found a healthier, easier path.
Want to schedule a visit? Our highly trained specialists can guide you through the process so y
“If I Didn’t Have Those Dogs During That Experience I Would Have Killed Myself”: Zach Skow’s Story
Pawsitve Change Co-Founder Zach Skow was on a dangerous path through his early life, and his crutch of cocaine and alcohol he left him with critical liver failure and little hope. The seemingly inevitable tragic story took a surprising turn, however, and Zach went on to find healing, hope, and ultimately success in the form of helping others.
Want to schedule a visit? Our
What Firefighting Does to Your Brain (and How You Can Fix It)
During her career as a firefighter, Dena Chavez was exposed to toxins, stress, and major sleep deprivation. The lasting effects seeped into Dena's day to day life, ultimately leading to divorce, anxiety, and depression. Firefighters (and all first responders) face unique challenges in maintaining optimal brain health, which is why it can be a huge advantage to scan the brain for
What to Do when You’re the Traditional Psychiatric System Fails You
Dr. Neha Kansara sits down with Amanda Specht to discuss Amanda's journey to better brain health. Amanda had been failed by the traditional psychiatric system and was put on meds that only made her significantly worse, until one chance encounter with a podcast episode changed her entire approach to her mental health, and ultimately changed her life.
Want to schedule a visi
Even if You’ve Been Bad to Your Brain, You Can Begin to Heal it
Throughout much of his early life, Mark Tullius was not good to his brain. Head damaging sports, marijuana, and alcohol abuse were just a few of the factors that were leading Mark on a dangerous path filled with self-loathing and dark thoughts. His journey took a turn, however, when he saw the results his wife had gotten from Amen Clinics and decided to make an appointment for hi
The Link Between Viral Meningitis and ADHD
At 10 years old, Robby Thompson experienced a bout with viral meningitis that left him with sudden severe ADHD symptoms. His life seemed to have been changed forever, until he happened to hear about SPECT imaging and mapping patterns of activity in the brain. By taking a look at the organ that was causing his struggles, and using that information to map out a plan, Robby was able
How to Bypass the Waiting Game for Mental Health Struggles
Eric Crane was diagnosed with Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder in his sophomore year of college, and it came to interfere more and more with his life until it was utterly debilitating. The casual "let's try this and then try that" approach from his doctors ultimately set his life's journey years back. Eric made the decision to get his brain scanned at Amen Clinics, and what the scan
The Path from Anxiety to Insomnia (and Finally to Sleep!)
Anne Chilcott's insomnia had been a struggle for ten years, but after losing her father, it soon became unbearable. After visiting Amen Clinics, Anne learned about anticipatory anxiety, and how the functioning of her brain was a major obstacle in her getting to sleep at night. Armed with new information and a path forward, Anne was finally able to get the rest she had been longin
I Was Told I Would Be on Meds for the Rest of My Life
Ray Graber had struggled with his mental health for years, and the psychiatrists he had seen told him he would be on meds for the rest of his life. In search of other options, Ray found the Change Your Brain Foundation, which offered him a new way to approach his mental health issues. By performing brain scans to map his brain activity, the doctors were able to give him a targete
Brain Imaging in Treating Social Isolation
Jesse Penland's struggles with anxiety and isolation began at a young age, and continued to persist into adulthood. Jesse had heard about the use of SPECT imaging to map patterns of brain activity, and ultimately decided to get his own brain scanned to find a more customized treatment plan. Unsurprisingly, his scan results correlated with the symptoms he had been experiencing, an
Getting to the Root of Anxiety and Brain Health
When traditional therapy wasn't getting her the results she wanted, Rachel Cunningham decided to get to the root of her struggles to find a way to make a real, meaningful difference in her mental health. After some research, Rachel got her brain scanned using SPECT imagery, and then used the data from areas of over or under activity to make sure she was using an approach that wor
