Daniel G. Amen - Magnificent Mind at Any Age: Natural Ways to Unleash Your Brains Maximum Potential

Are You Wired for Success or Failure?

THE SECRET BEHIND WHY SOME PEOPLE ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS AND OTHERS DONT

A t the Amen Clinics we have been balancing troubled brains for more than twenty years. We see small children and the elderly and everyone in between. People come to see us because we use sophisticated brain imaging technology to help us understand and treat our patients, plus we use natural treatments whenever possible. It is through the lens of our imaging work that I discovered that when I improve how your brain functions, not only do I help you overcome problems such as attention deficit disorder (ADD), anxiety, depression, addictions, and anger, I also help you be more thoughtful, creative, energetic, focused, and effective.

After looking at nearly fifty thousand scans, it is clear to me that a balanced brain is the foundation for a life that is happier, healthier, wealthier, and wiser. That is the promise of this book: if you really understand how to develop and take care of your brain, your life will be better no matter what your age.

One question people often ask me is whether the mind is separate from the brain. The answer is clearly no. The mind and the brain are completely dependent on each other. Just think with me about Alzheimers disease, which is clearly a brain illness. Images 1.1 and 1.2 depict two brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans. These are the scans we do in our clinics. SPECT is called a functional scan, because it shows how the brain works; it measures blood flow and activity patterns. Image 1.1 is of a healthy person. It shows full, even, symmetrical activity. Image 1.2 shows a woman who has Alzheimers disease. The holes indicate very low activity in several important areas of her brain.

Image 1.1: Healthy Brain
Full, even, symmetrical activity

Image 1.2: Alzheimers Disease
Deterioration back half of brain

Do people with Alzheimers disease lose their minds? Yes, they do as the disease progresses. When you lose brain tissue you lose your memory and your ability to think clearly.

Image 1.3: Soldiers Brain Damage
Notice damage in the front of the brain.

Now lets consider brain trauma. Image 1.3 depicts a soldiers brain that was damaged in an explosion in Iraq. He was discharged from the army within a year of the accident because he kept getting into fights with other soldiers, something that did not happen before the injury. Does brain damage affect a persons ability to get along with others? Of course it does! Damage the brain and you damage the mind and most everything else in your life.

Image 1.4: ADD Before Treatment
Decreased frontal lobe activity

Image 1.5: ADD After Treatment
Improved frontal lobe activity

But what if we improve the brain? Does that improve the mind? Heres an example. Jenny, age sixty-two, came to see us for dyslexia and ADD. She had suffered her whole life, underachieved at school and at work, and felt defective and stupid. She had been divorced twice and was estranged from her children. I had treated her son for ADD, and he subsequently reached out to her. With the proper diagnosis and treatment she was able to feel much better and was able to make peace with her children. (See Images 1.4 and 1.5.)

A balanced brain is the foundation for a magnificent mind. Here is a recent letter I received from the mother of one of my patients.

(with permission)

Dear Dr. Amen,

I am the mother of Dale B. who was treated at the Amen Clinic approximately 8 years ago. Dale was 17 and in trouble with the law. He was brought to the clinic in shackles. After evaluation and treatment, Dale was able to be gainfully employed for 1 year in retail sales. He then joined the Army where he excelled. Dale immediately became an Army Ranger. Dale was able to make a success of his life because of the treatment he received at the Amen Clinics. Dale was killed in action in Iraq on 3/18/06 just 3 days before his 24th birthday. We take great comfort in knowing Dale died a Hero. I thought you might be interested in the part you played in this Heros life. Dale was buried at Arlington Cemetery with great honor.

Thank you,

Laura B.

Proud Mother of Sgt. Dale B.

Helping to unchain a young man from the shackles of failure to become a decorated war hero is a humbling experience. Even though Dales death was very sad, he died on his own terms, doing something he loved. The details of Dales story are unique, but the essence is not. I have received many, many letters thanking me for changing someones brain and changing his or her life.

Most people have the completely wrong idea about accomplishment and about what holds people back from realizing their dreams. The majority of people, like me before I began this work, take a commonsense approach. This is the same approach espoused by most self-help gurus, business executives, and head coaches who write how I won the championship books. Try harder, they say, be your own person, visualize your success, work longer, take responsibility, stop complaining, change your attitude, and do not let anyone get in your way. With diligent devotion, you can be anything you want in life. If you are not successful, then you are lazy, willful, or need an attitude adjustment. Look at me. If I can do it, you can too.

The problem with this approach is that it simply doesnt work for many people who sincerely try to incorporate it into their lives. It often backfires. The harder many people try, the worse their brains, abilities, and behaviors get. No doubt the tough love, kick-in-the-butt approach works for some, but it leaves countless others feeling demoralized, disconnected, hopeless, and unworthy.