What Does Your Brain Say About You?

“You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” — Marcus Aurelius

I've often thought about how my brain and thoughts influence me, but I haven't taken any action. Some people reading this know me well, and I believe they can see that I can be positive but often think negatively.

Well, I finally took action on it. A friend of mine has been telling me about Dr. Daniel Amen and encouraging me to look into him. I found him fascinating. I am in a lot of pain, and he suggested I read the book “Change Your Brain, Change Your Pain.” As I read it, I felt like it was about me. I wanted more.

I spoke with the staff at the Amen Clinic and gathered more details. I decided to pay the fee and visit the clinic. The appointment included two brain scans (one active mind scan and one inactive brain scan). The scans took place on separate days. On the first day, I also completed a Total Brain Assessment, which involved sitting at the computer, answering many questions, and doing several puzzles. Then I would have multiple appointments with doctors and a patient coordinator.

Before I even entered the clinic, I had to complete assessments that the doctors would later use to evaluate me. The questions covered everything you could possibly imagine.

I must admit, when I walked into the clinic, I felt a bit uneasy because I wasn't sure what to expect. The staff was friendly and made me feel at ease as they handed me a stack of paperwork, which also included brain teasers and puzzles. 

The first test I took at the Clinic was the active brain scan. The test involved placing a tracker by IV, similar to a marker. Then, to make my brain more active, I looked at a screen that flashed letters. I was supposed to press the space bar on every letter except X. I did not perform well on this test. I pressed the X almost every time it appeared. Afterward, I went into another room where the scanner was. Dr. Amen played a key role in designing the SPECT scan, which the Amen Clinic uses to scan your brain. After that, I moved to another room to take the Total Brain Assessment (which I described earlier in this blog). On the second day, I returned for the inactive brain scan. Again, they put in the tracker, then had me rest for 25 minutes (I fell asleep), and then took me into the scanner again.

That concludes the in-clinic part.

Now for the fun part.  I got the results!!

I met via Zoom with one of the doctors from the Amen Clinic. She showed me pictures of my brain and started explaining things. My life finally makes some sense.

The biggest issue that came up in my brain scan was that I struggle with AD/HD. I was shocked! No wonder I had trouble focusing at school, processing information, and dealing with spelling and other grammatical issues. Also, the scan showed me that I have a mood disorder, which was very validating. It also revealed that I process information slowly and have difficulty catching on to projects. I was able to see the part of my brain that showed that I was not getting enough oxygen or blood flow.

The brain scan showed many other things. One key point: in all their testing, they look for your deficiencies, so in some ways, it was discouraging, but it gave me a good place to start working on myself.

After seeing the doctor who discussed my brain scans with me, I visited another doctor who reviewed all the blood work I had done. (22 blood tests.) The findings were just as interesting as the brain scans, but not as surprising.

It was an amazing experience. I realized I need to take better care of myself, and some things will change.

Have a great week.