Today’s guest is Dr Daniel Amen the globally recognised brain disorder specialist, physician, psychiatrist and author who has dedictaed much of the last forty years of his career to helping people from all walks of life, that have been suffering a range of problems that all stem from one specific source.
We’re talking about the brain. To offer some context the human brain has about 100 billion neurons, known to us as brain cells, and each of those neurons has multiple connections to other cells.
All in all there are about 100 trillion connections in your brain, performing all manner of functions that we take for granted on a daily basis, and not only that, many of us we do nothing to support it both now and for the future..
As the CEO and Founder of Amen Clinics, with 11 sites across the US, Dr Amen and his team have, over the years, built up the largest database of brain scans for psychiatry, with over 200,000 SPECT scans of people from 155 different countries around the world.
These SPECT (single-photon emission computer tomography) imaging scans have enabled Dr Amen to help thousands of patients regain control of their lives by focusing in on the exact area that is causing them issues and putting together a detailed plan to optimise their brain health.
His integrated approach combines cutting-edge techniques, personalized treatment plans, nutrition, and lifestyle modifications to address a wide range of conditions such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, and Alzheimer’s disease.
It’s remarkable work and the kind of breakthrough that has opened new frontiers in understanding brain function and its connection to various mental health disorders. His revolutionary approach allows for the visualisation of brain activity and highlights the profound impact of healthy brain function on our daily lives.
Dr Amen is incredibly passionate about his work and wants to see the way psychiatric medicine is treated and practised worldwide change for good. He is adamant that we must stop using the term mental illness as it shames people, perpetuates stigma, and prevents people from getting help.
Instead we must focus on the concept of brain health and address the multitude of things we can do, every day, to improve it and prevent issues occurring in the future. As Dr Amen points out, the brain is an organ just like your heart, lungs, and kidneys, yet as with most people who see cardiologists ,they have never had a heart attack; instead, they are there to prevent it from happening.
As an author, Dr Amen is a prolific author and has featured on the on the New York Times bestseller list 12 times with works including – Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, The End of Mental Illness and Feel Better Fast.
Dr Amen’s latest book, Change Your Brain Every Day takes a deep dive into the many lessons he has learned from studying the aforementioned SPECT scans, and how so often behavioural issues, feelings of depression, relationship problems and everything inbetween, can more often than not be attributed to issues in the brain.
For Dr Amen we must work harder to understand the physical functioning of the brain, or what he refers to as the hardware of your soul. And, by learning to manage your mind you will create happiness, inner peace, and success in life.
It’s a revelatory piece of work and takes in everything from blood flow and breathing to nutrition and diet and perhaps most significantly the bombardment of toxins we’re exposed to on a daily basis in the modern world, something that is playing havoc with our well-being.
Dr Amen has featured on a host of TV Shows and news outlets, from TED Talks, CNN, and The Today Show to Good Morning America, and The View. He has a huge following on social media and has become the go to guy for a host of celebrity clients from NFL players, to popstars and Hollywood A-listers.
I’m super excited about this one, we’ve talked to so many experts here on London Real over the years, and looked at every possible angle for self improvement, but, the brain is so often overlooked and when you hear just how significant a role it plays in every aspect of our overall health, be it, immunity, disease, energy levels, happiness, and all round behaviour, you’ll be shocked.
Dr Amen has a tone of practical advice and there’ll be so much to take awy, so be sure to tune in and share with friends and family alike.
“Your brain is involved in everything you do, including how you think, feel, act, and interact with others. Your brain is the organ of intelligence, character, and every decision you make.”