How Do You Know Unless You Look?

Amen Clinics and Their Groundbreaking Methods with Brain Scans

We’ve made a lot of posts about the connection between our brains, our bodies, and our mental health. With all the new ground-breaking research, it’s impossible to deny that the raw physiology of our brains and central nervous systems plays a key role in how we feel and express our emotions. We already provide so many resources for our clients and practice some of these methods, but groups such as the Amen Clinics can help you take it even further.

For so long, we have operated under the assumption that having a mental health issue such as depression, anxiety, OCD, etc., means there is a definitive approach to every case. For example, medication and talk therapy combined is the go-to method for a lot of these conditions. However, Amen Clinics is pioneering the right approach to all mental health issues: each person is unique and their experience with their mental health is unique. Two people with depression cannot be treated the same. Sure, that sounds like common sense, but until recently, the field hasn’t truly practiced that.

What is Amen Clinics doing differently?

The main difference at Amen Clinics is their use of brain scans to treat their patients. By scanning the brain, they can identify different types of ADD, depression, anxiety, and so much more. They can see how these conditions affect their patients on a molecular level and craft a treatment plan designed specifically for them. 

Their core philosophy is “that we are not dealing with mental health issues, rather we are dealing with brain health issues that steal your mind.” We may not think about it very often, but when we think of these issues as “mental health issues” we automatically categorize it as an issue that can’t be seen and exists purely in someone’s head. We don’t always mean anything negative when we think about it that way, but we inevitably end up dismissing mental health issues. Thinking about these conditions as “brain health issues” completely changes how we approach mental health. By using brain scans, you can make these invisible conditions visible.

What is brain SPECT imaging?

Brain SPECT, or single photon emission computed tomography, is a brain-mapping tool that allows psychiatrists to more effectively review a patient’s brain patterns to determine the best medications or methods for treatment. By using SPECT, your physician can observe a few things: “Areas of the brain that work well, areas of the brain that work too hard, and areas of the brain that do not work hard enough.”

However, brain SPECT is for more than just mental health issues. Before recently, these scans were often used to treat dementia, Alzheimer’s, head trauma, schizophrenia, and other more serious conditions. Now, these scans are used for much more complex psychiatric issues. With the research and work Amen Clinics has conducted, they have determined that using scans will 8 times out of 10 alter not just the treatment plan but sometimes the diagnosis. This is truly revolutionary!

Where can I find out more about Amen Clinics?

Booking a consultation with Amen Clinics is easy. You can visit their contact page and get in touch with a coordinator. You’d be surprised at how many issues they treat and how helpful they could be for you. They treat conditions such as ADD, anxiety, depression, emotional trauma, weight issues, addiction, concussions, personality disorders, phobias, autism, anger issues, OCD, dementia, and on and on. 

Most importantly, even if you can’t make an appointment with Amen Clinics, we highly recommend you talk to your doctor about brain SPECT for a fully comprehensive approach to your mental health. Amen Clinics says something so crucial about their process that you should take to heart: “SPECT scans help families see their loved one’s problems as medical not moral, which helps increase compassion and understanding while decreasing shame, blame, and conflict.” After all, “how can you know what’s going on inside your head if nobody ever looks?”

Mental health is medical, not moral. Give yourself compassion and understanding. There is nothing bad or wrong about you if you need to seek help. In the meantime, our practice can also provide you with support. Reach out to us if you need help managing the difficulties of life. Visit our contact page for more information.