Magnificent Mind at Any Age

Magnificent Mind at Any Age:  Treat Anxiety, Depression, Memory Problems, ADD, and Insomnia is an impressive book by Daniel G. Amen, M.D.

I just finished reading this remarkable easy-to-read guidebook to healing and helping both oneself and others.  Dr. Amen is a psychiatrist, who amazingly is taking a new approach to treating brain conditions.  While most psychiatrists throw medication at their patients, Dr. Amen performs SPECT scans to determine what is going wrong in the brain.  After he makes his assessment, he is able to *effectively* prescribe supplements, diet, exercise, and medication if truly needed. 

Dr. Amen's approach to brain health is refreshingly different from that of typical mainstream psychiatrists, who are basically educated by pharmaceutical companies.  And sadly, the pharmaceutical companies really do not care to much about the patients but rather care about money.  Unfortunately, our family has had first-hand experience with this.

Even without having a SPECT scan, it is easy to use this Dr. Amen book to help oneself with various "mental health" issues. He writes of:
(1) Six "First Steps to a Healthier Brain",
(2) "Fourteen Bad Brain Habits That May Affect All Age Groups",
(3) The Prefrontal Cortex,
(4) The Deep Limbic System,
(5) The Basal Ganglia,
(6) The Temporal Lobes,
(7) The Cerebellum,
(8) Six Types of ADHD - and appropriate *healing* treatment for each,
(9) Seven Types of Anxiety and Depression - and appropriate *healing* treatment for each, and
(10) Natural Ways to Heal Memory Disorders, Insomnia, and Pain
PLUS much, much more!

I do have to add a little disclaimer to my raving review of Dr. Amen and this book...
While I am very impressed at Dr. Amen's approach, I do feel that his treatment uses slightly bandaid-ish methods rather than addressing the root problem.  For example, much research has shown that most depression and anxiety conditions are actually due to dysfunction in the thyroid and adrenal glands.  Therefore, treating thyroid and adrenal deficits *appropriately* would provide true and permanent healing.

With that said, I am still a huge fan of Dr. Amen!  He provides amazing help and surely has saved many lives that would otherwise have been ended due to pharmaceuticals.  I am hoping to soon be able to take my oldest son to see Dr. Amen and get a SPECT scan.  I'd love to get a SPECT scan of myself, too.