Two individuals were diagnosed with major depression. They had the same symptoms, so logically, the same medication would be prescribed for both patients. However, after a depression brain scan was taken of each individual, it was discovered one had low brain activity and the other had high activity. Although their symptoms were the same, the depression brain scan of each patient showed different approaches were needed. If a depression brain scan had not been performed on each of these patients, they would have been treated the same despite the fact one had low activity and the other high.
Did you know psychiatrists are the only medical specialist that never look at the organ they treat? Every other medical specialist uses some form of imaging so they can view the organ they are treating.
You don’t have to be too smart to understand the brain or any organ is likely to be misdiagnosed without having a look at the organ. It is not a reassuring thought that psychiatrists are guessing when they diagnose people. I am beginning to understand why my son Darrell has had three diagnoses and still doesn’t have a treatment plan I feel fits him correctly.
A depression brain scan and other brain imaging is necessary
Dr. Daniel Amen is a psychiatrist who insists on taking brain scans so he can best treat his patients as he explains in the following video. Depression brain scans and other brain scans can show:
Blood flow and activity
High activity- too much activity
Low activity- too little activity
Good activity
A healthy or unhealthy shape
Cysts
For no apparent reason, a young boy had become violent. A brain scan was taken to discover he had a cyst. Most psychiatrists would have tried various prescribed medications to find what worked best for the boy, although, drugs would have never cured the problem. After the boy’s cyst was removed his behavior returned to normal, sweet and loving.
Brain scans of convicted felons
Photo by Carles Rabada I found Dr. Amen’s findings by scanning 500 convicted felons including 90 murders, interesting. Conducting this study proved people who did bad things often had troubled brains.
Astronomical costs of housing inmates
In a prior blog, I shared some staggering statistics concerning the number of inmates with mental disorders, (some research shows as high as 75-90%), and the astronomical costs associated with housing inmates. In 2017, the state of California reported that it now costs over $75,000 to house an inmate for one year. Another 2017 report was released reporting the costs associated with U.S. mass incarceration is now 182 billion dollars per year. (see “prior blog” link above to view sources) Outrageous!
It would bless so many lives and society in general if we would spend more resources on helping people who are not bad, but simply have an unhealthy brain.
Statistics have proven that some brains can change by following a brain smart program which is very encouraging.
Dr. Amen’s Brain-Smart Program
Eighty percent of those who followed Dr. Amen’s brain-smart program experienced an elevation in mood, increased blood flow and improved memory.
Dr. Amen’s recommendations
Here are a few of Dr. Amen’s recommendations to achieve these positive results.
Spend time with positive people
Keep learning new things which makes new connections in the brain
Question your thoughts- Don’t believe every thought you have.
Protect the head- the brain is soft and can be injured if caution is not used
No smoking, drugs, or alcohol- All are very bad for the brain
People who are obese have smaller brains so losing weight is giving yourself and your brain a gift of improved health.
Save Money
I truly believe societies could save a lot of money if we focused more on rehabilitating those with mental disorders rather than punishing them. Rehab focuses on rebuilding lives so people can get jobs to provide for their families. They could very likely become citizens who contribute to society by paying taxes and sharing their talents if someone cared enough to help them heal their brains.
Choose a brain
Dr. Amen compared the effects of both a healthy brain and an unhealthy brain.
Healthy brains are healthier, happier, wealthier, wiser, more creative, and more innovative.
Unhealthy brains are sadder, sicker, poorer, not as smart, rigid, and inflexible.
It is not difficult to choose which brain would improve societies across the world. I am hoping for better and more positive options to improve mental health disorders in America and across the world.
Top Featured Photo by Jesse Orrico
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL cookies. Privacy Policy.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
This piece of writing will assist internet users for creating new webpage or even a blog from start to end.