Though this sometimes gets quite clinical, the patient examples bring home much insight on how your brain functions... and helps you to function. I would recommend this for anyone who battles with depression / ocd or any other function of 'normal' daily life that they struggle to control.

Once you start reading this book, you won't be able to put it down. You will read and re-read it. It makes alot of sense and goes deep into the brain. It's graphic in a sense that explains what we do to our brains in a physical manner. I liked that it showed a normal brain and a brain that has been abused by "substance abuse". It just goes to show that people don't realize that what they put in their body affects the brain itself but by seeing a true picture, it makes you want to stop and think.

"Change Your Brain Change Your Life" offers understanding about our brain from a perspective that is unique.

You gain understanding at an intellectual and emotional level. Intellectually, you gain insights into mental conditions ranging from depression, anxiety to attention deficit disorder. Emotionally, you are better equipped to understand individuals suffering from mental illness.

You become more tolerant and less judgmental if you or someone around you is going through challenges because of the way your or their mind functions.

This is an absolutely fantastic book, which is better read with "Nexus: A Neo Novel." Nexus by Deborah Morrison and Arvind Singh is a must-read about people overcoming psychological barriers at a retreat. It offers a hard-hitting experiential journey into people's lives and gives inspiration that by doing something instead of staying stuck, we can transform our lives.

Nexus: A Neo Novel

This book along with Rising Above Fear: Healing Phobias, Panic and Extreme Anxiety by Dr. Fredric Neuman has been a real help. Both help combat anxiety.

What comes first the chicken or the egg? If diagnoses is helped fine but only for confirmation of diagnoses. Behavior remains the primary focus of diagnoses. A lot of interpretation borders on subjectivity and cannot replace experience. Ongoing research may indicate that psychological testing is just a valid and reliable or perhaps more so. Availability and standards of practice are involved. Hopefully a tool for cases that cannot be resolved otherwise.

This book gives a remarkable overview of how and where certain disorders, like ADHD or anxiety, are manifested in the brain. It helps you understand that these disorders are biological; they are not all in your head as it were. For ADHD and other disorders, it gives excellent ideas to help re-train the brain as well as prescriptions like medicines, supplements, diet, exercise and other steps you can take to help re-train your brain. And it works.

What comes first the chicken or the egg? If diagnoses is helped fine but only for confirmation of diagnoses. Behavior remains the primary focus of diagnoses. A lot of interpretation borders on subjectivity and cannot replace experience. Ongoing research may indicate that psychological testing is just a valid and reliable or perhaps more so. Availability and standards of practice are involved. Hopefully a tool for cases that cannot be resolved otherwise.

This book gives a remarkable overview of how and where certain disorders, like ADHD or anxiety, are manifested in the brain. It helps you understand that these disorders are biological; they are not all in your head as it were. For ADHD and other disorders, it gives excellent ideas to help re-train the brain as well as prescriptions like medicines, supplements, diet, exercise and other steps you can take to help re-train your brain. And it works.

The claim that this book makes is a little misleading. Sure, the book itself was very informative about the physiology of each part of the brain and their functions. But the suggestions on how to regulate these brain functions were not life changing. 80% of the book was one story after another after another about how Dr. Amen saw a patient, preformed a SPECT study to diagnose their problem. Don't get me wrong, I believe in the validity of these studies and think SPECT studies should gain more credibility, but then all his patients were ultimately prescribed medication for their issues. How does this help me as the reader?

Take the insight you learned about each section of the brain, and use this book as just a stepping stone to finding the answers you're searching for.

I found this book helpful in understanding the functions of the different areas of the brain and the causes behind the effects of a malfunctioning brain. Not only did it give causes and effects but remedies to change these difficulties into positive solutions bringing a healthy approach to healing, increased function and over-all improvement in quality of life! If anyone you know demonstrates anxiety, depression, obsessiveness,(eating disorders, etc.) anger, or impulsivity, this is a must read! Not only is there light at the end of the tunnel. . . you can be guaranteed to get out of the tunnel once and for all!

Dr. Oz is about as real as it gets. Despite a Masters in Human Behavior and my life-long search to understand my mood swings and how to handle life as it comes, I am once again energized and hopeful that there might be a biopharmacological reason for the unexpected and unwelcome bouts of immobilizing depression that I have struggled with for over 60+ years. I have had little or no success with traditional talk therapy and physician prescribed anti-depressants. I am determined to seek out a "Specto" image of my brain to determine the best course of treatment for a burden that has severely impacted my own and the lives of my family and friends.

The guy on the back cover - Martin H. Stein has lost his credentials to practice medicine repeatedly since the book came out - overall the "science" in this book is NOT proven. If you need help with your life / thinking, etc. - often getting MUCH MORE SLEEP, and cutting way down on the stress in your life - along with exercise and eating right is enough to solve the majority of peoples problems (along with increases earnings - ha!). This was told to me by a MD who testified against Dr. Stein. TRY THAT FIRST! ...

To recap - The featured "doctor" who wrote a blurb on the back cover isn't allowed to practice medicine anymore.

This book(I listened to the cd's.) is an amazing insight into the human brain, how it works, and explains so many misconceptions about thinking in regards to our present mindset about behavior. It explains each part of the brain and behaviors that are represented by each part in a way that is easy to understand and connect to. It also gives great detail and information on behaviors, why we use them, and strategies to help us control or stop them. One very important idea that I appreciate is that the author, Dr. Amen does not believe in a one sided approach. He looks at each person/brain as unique and deserving of an individual prescription whether it be one prescription or a combination of approaches such as therapy, medication, awareness, diet, supplements, biofeedback, and other methods. Dr. Amen also emphasizes that most people do not purposely exhibit odd behaviors/thinking patterns. He shows through specific examples in his book that sometimes no matter how hard we try to make ourselves change/alter a certain behavior, there is often a medical reason why we cannot. Through his brain SPEC images he has shown this to his patients and their family members.

The book has helped me to see others whose behavior I was so frustrated with in a new light and now that I better understand it, I am able to improve my feelings and relationships with them. If there is someone you know that uses certain behavior/ways of thinking that impact their life or yours in a way that makes living very difficult, then reading this book is a must. The brain is an organ in our body, and when things go wrong in it due to genetics, head injuries, childhood trauma, neglect, abandonment... it effects how our brain functions. There are checklists, helpful hints, information, behavior modification techniques, and so much more that can be helpful to anyone whether you think you need it or not. So don't go on thinking that you or a loved one is "crazy" and nothing can be done. Read the book. Though it is filled with loads of information, you will take away from it what you need and can use.

This book has been great! Makes me much more tolerant of those I have been judgemental about. I feel compelled to give everyone I know this book, but that would be obsessive wouldn't it! I highly recommend it if you have family members who are having difficulty with ADD, drugs or maybe a tad dysfunctional. I am reading the next book now that is: Making a Good Brain Great: The Amen Clinic Program for Achieving and Sustaining Optimal Mental Performance

Excellent book! Gives a view on the brain that the typical medical world does not always show.

I found this book to be quite disappointing. After seeing Dr. Amen on the tv, he made it seem as if this book will give you useful methods and explanations for combating anxiety, depression, etc. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Rather, the book explains how there is a correlation between the under/over-activity of different parts of the brain and different mental health issues. After explaining which diagnoses correspond to which part of the brain, he offers very obvious and unhelpful tips. Even after diagnosing the problems in his patients, he always perscribes medications for treatment. The only thing this book solidifys is the fact that if you are in a situation where you are considering seeking professional health for a mental health issue, then you should definitley do it. It is those professionals, not this book, that can help you to develop a program to help you.

Instead of repeating other reviewers, let's focus mostly on some unmentioned and undeveloped content. The deep limbic system is responsible for such things as PMS, clinical depression, negative emotions, etc. These problems are exacerbated by ANTs (automatic negative thoughts) which become self-perpetuating with constant repetition. To eliminate them, the person needs to reframe negative thoughts and experiences as positive ones. Philippians 4:8 is cited as to the need for focusing on positive emotions. POLYANNA is mentioned favorably, including her statement that the Bible has about 800 "Glad Passages', indicating God's priority in this regard. Medications such as Saint-John's-wort can also be helpful in alleviating limbic-system dysfunction.

The basal ganglia are the person's natural "idle". When set too "high", they are responsible for such things as anxiety, fear, avoidance of conflict, the "freeze" response during emergencies, sloppy handwriting, TS (Tourette syndrome), OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), etc. To deal with problems related to the basal ganglia, the person should, besides killing ANTs, engage in guided imagery, diaphragmatic breathing, meditation/self-hypnosis, etc. Medications such as lithium and Valium can also help with basal-ganglial overactivity. In cases of basal-ganglial underactivity, as in ADD, the person often enjoys conflict with others as a form of self-stimulation.

The cingulate system is the person's natural "gear shifter". Problems with the cingulate include oppositional disorder in children, cognitive inflexibility, repetitive thoughts, and persistence of grudges. Such problems can be helped with SSRI drugs such as Prozac, as well as by physical exercise, the making of paradoxical requests, etc.

Other sections of the book include discussion of problems related to the prefrontal cortex and temporal lobes. The book concludes with a list of references, to articles in medical journals, which the research-oriented reader can use for further study.

I first saw Dr. Amen on a public television fund raiser. I was surfing
and stopped cold when the list of behaviors he was describing fit my current
boyfriend, I'm talking about all of them. He has had a rough go of it; I believe
he has had ADHD from birth (maybe never diagnosed), but two yrs he suffered
a brain aneurysm and stroke.
I needed help!
I tuned in and immediately sent for the book. It gave me so much insight into
creating a more successful environment to continue my relationship and it
empowered me with strategies to use to deescalate situations when circum-
stances arise. I haven't shared the book yet but I plan to because it makes so
much sense to me that the physical brain would dictate what is going on
behaviorally. I would love to attend some workshops of Dr. Amens', that is
my next goal.

One of the problems in today's treatment approaches--whether they be the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, the psychiatrist's counseling, the scans, the pharmaceuticals, nutritional imbalance, or altering behavioral disorders--is that they don't touch many of us who believe in cure by the power of God.By the Power of God: A Guide To Early A.A. Groups and Forming Similar Groups Today ; God and Alcoholism: Our Growing Opportunity in the 21st Century; and Cured! Proven Help for Alcoholics and Addicts. As a recovered alcoholic, I've done my turn in a treatment center, a psychiatric ward, a therapist's chair, Alcoholics Anonymous, and Christian fellowship. And I've profited from all. But sad it is that a popular book and approach such as this just doesn't cover help from the Creator. Belief in God, acceptance of Christ, study of the Bible, prayer, renewing the mind to God's word, and working with others were all part of the highly successful early A.A. fellowship.When Early AAs Were Cured and Why, Third Edition And I believe strongly that professionals like the good doctor should be introduced to, understand, and be able to work with the power of God as an element of healing much used and needed by many. All the areas of his practice involve human means, but they need to take account of spiritual help. Not self-help, not group-therapy, not rehabilitation, but embracing these within the original, old-school A.A. Christian approach.Dr. Bob of Alcoholics Anonymous: His Excellent Training in the Good Book As a Youngster in Vermont

I initially saw Dr. Amen on PBS television show. Something about him made me watch. I became very interested in what he was discussing and as a result purchased the book and CDs. The book was very interesting and well written. Very easy to understand, especially when reading about a rather technical subject. Dr. Amen made is easy with his explanations and use of examples. The CDs followed the book very closely and made everything fall into place. I have heard many public speakers and listened to hundreds of CD programs; Dr. Amen is best speaker I have ever listened to. He is articulate and clear and speaks with sincerity, care and knowledge. I plan to take the master questionnaire as soon as it arrives. In my opinion his work is ground breaking and has the potential to help many people. My only regret is that I live on the East coast and it would be very difficult to visit him. As I feel at this time, it would be my number one choice if I could have three wishes. I hope that anyone considering purchasing this book does so.

If you want to know more about your subc.I heartily recommend these CDs:

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
The Master Key System
Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World
The Science of Getting Rich
The Science of Mind
Think and Grow Rich: Original Version

Very interesting information. I ordered this book after seeing the author on a PBS fund-raising special. Takes some thought to use, but isn't that part of changing your brain?

To be brief, An Eye Opener.
Giving major insight as to who I am,
why I do certain things, & my thoughts on life in general.
You will absolutely see yourself being described in the
pages of this book!

I found this book to be very informative to say the least and actually, I think it could give hope to someone. There were times I thought it was more for another Psychologist, but it is mostly easy reading. I think a lot of people could find from this book that they may have the same types of problems described and know that there is help out there and hope. It's a book that should have been written.

Easy to read and invaluable not only to anyone who wants to improve the quality of his life, but also a great tool for writers who want to deal properly with emotions in the lives of their characters.

While it's true that no one has put such information into printed form for the layman before, everyone should realize up front that brain function is still largely a blank area in our map of the body.
Five centuries ago maps were made with a convention designed to discourage travel into areas that had not been mapped (very cautious, those cartographers). It usually went something like this; the cartographer would engrave "Here there be Tygers" or a warning in words of like meaning into the center of the blank area on the map plate before it was printed. A similar warning should be emblazoned across the cover of Dr. Amen's book.
Nothing in the book is misleading, as far as I can tell (not being a neurologist, but a safety engineer), and it is written in a very readable style. It's even funny and lighthearted where that is permitted by the subject matter. I really enjoyed the book, which I found to be somewhat more detailed and marginally more technical than the Doctor's PBS television program.
The problem with this book is that Dr. Amen actually gives advice on changing someone's brain function for fun and profit (well, okay, perhaps not for profit, except the personal gain of a different, and perhaps more tractable [wife, son, father] to deal with). He does not give instructions on dosing them with Welbutrin or Ritalin, but he does say that if you change your diet, or exercise more some of your brain function may change, and while that is not necessarily a bad thing - all of his examples were very successful and relieved problems that were in a few cases of some decades' duration.
This is the good side, and as far as I can see, it is truly well-intentioned. If everyone can stick to this approach, it should be possible to bring tens of thousands of people out of problematic behavior and restore them to the way they were before, or bring them out of problems that they have had since childhood and offer them what amounts to a new world.
The other side of Dr. Amen's approach is that it is possible to read his book and then make someone's brain function worse simply by going against the doctor's advice. I ask you to note that I bought this book with the idea that I could change some of my own behavior and that on the way there I found that the advice in the book could be perverted. I still rated the book four stars out of five. Nevertheless, purchasers of this book should remember that as I said earlier, brain function is still a largely unexplored area of the body, and meticulous care is advised when tampering with it.

The information on brain function was easy to understand, and interesting. The exercise prescriptions and self-tests were very helpful. Excellent book.

This was a worthwhile read, but I would recommend Thinking Your Way to Better Health by Dr. Andrew Goliszek, which in my opinion offers a wealth of new information on how to use the mind-body connection for health and self-healing.

This is an excellent book. I'm only halfway through it presently and it is the best of its type I have ever read. Anyone interested in human behavior should read Change Your Brain Change your Life.

Dr. Amen's book is more than a catalog of brain scans. Yes, it has brain scans and some pretty scary ones at that. But the scans are a way to show problems in brain functioning in concrete terms. We can then recognize how anxiety, depression, OCD and even anger can influence the brain.

Thankfully Dr. Amen doesn't just stop here by showing us the problem. He presents many interesting solutions from breathing, visualization, meditation and hypnosis. This is the best part of the book: Dr. Amen offers alternative therapies that can change our brain patterns and we can see the effect of these treatments also in scans.

This is an awesome book! Even better with "Nexus" by Deborah Morrison & Arvind Singh which looks at the journey of Logan Andrews through depression and finding spiritual healing at a spiritual retreat. "Nexus" nicely compliments Dr. Amen's book in offering an experiential journey of people overcoming personal pain.

Both books are a must read for anyone looking to transform their life!

Dr. Amen is the real deal. He's passionate, articulate and deeply committed to the betterment of lives. I've owned this book for a number of years and believe me when I say I have more than a few books on the brain, wellness and personal improvement in every area... and Change Your Brain, Change Your LIFE is by far the most tattered, dog eared, referenced book on the shelves. I've read it over and over and referenced it many more times than that.

As an expert in nutrition and fitness who is keenly concerned and interested in the connection between mind and body I've learned volumes from this book about the correlation between what you eat, how you think, your energy, your mood, etc... in fact I've levered much of this science to help in the creation of my Premium Nutrition Shake, Full Strength and in my nutrition guidelines for energy that you'll find in Strength for Life: The Fitness Plan for the Rest of Your Life.

If you struggle with focus, have wondered if you have ADD, could use more energy or just feel like you're less "on" than you could be, don't walk... RUN to get this book and read it cover to cover, now. It's brilliant and a lifetime resource!

Great book! It was insightful and empowering. Dr. Amen's writing style is easy to follow and his conclusions are supported by numerous case studies. I am recommending this book to everyone, regardless of whether they are in counseling. The ideas and prescriptions presented would be helpful to anyone.

Dr. Amen provides a succint, excellent presentation about how the brain works and the problems incurred when it malfunctions. As a person with bipolar disorder I definitely benefitted from this book. I encourage all people to read this book.

I watched a program 0n TV in which the author Daniel G. Amen discussed this book and and that is why i ordred it.So far I am enjoying reading it. As a person who has suffered from anxiety all my life, I was searching for answers and Dr.Amen's theories interested me very much.So far I am fascinated by his theories and hope to find value in them for me..I have not finished the book but will review it as soon as I have.

While the notion of brain evaluation to heal psychological conditions is very appealing to all of us, this is yet another "prophet" (more like profit), whose time has not come. The theory and research behind this work are idiosyncratic. Dr. Amen is the author, the theoretician, the writer and the prescriber of formulas for success in, what is simply, way too broad a range of areas to be meaningful. His research has not been replicated by anyone outside of his office and his theories are not supported by the scientific community at large. He has created an approach that looks and sounds too good to be true, and is too good to be true. I hope that the underlying intent of his work is to help and heal others and if that is the case, would expect him to begin collaborating with universities and research laboratories that are genuinely independent and able to evaluate his assessment tools and his diagnostic approaches on their own, and thereby help to hone what he is doing, so that it can be determined whether there is more to his approach than smoke and mirrors. I'm not especially comfortable being this caustic about a fellow professional's work, but I've seen the "breakthroughs" purported by many others along the way, and have dealt with the consequences of disappointed patients and family members, who have often spent substantial amounts of time and money, only to be more frustrated and confused than ever afterwards.

I was made aware of Dr Amen from a PBS show. I decided that I had to have his book, but I did not want to pledge what they wanted. So I shopped Amazon.com and really got a great value. The information in the book was right on target and the changes in nutrition are sound. This is one of the most valuable books I have purchased in the last 3 monthsChange Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness.

Fascinating. Links abnormal activity levels in certain parts of the brain to specific mental disdorders. Provides a vast array of treament options from self-help to surgery.

I loved this, I now have Mr Instability for my career problems and a quick laugh and this book for all others..great week!

I really enjoyed reading this book. The insights into other people's issues and how Dr. Amen helped them were fascinating. I really appreciated the fact that Dr. Amen did not just prescribe medication for eveything, sometimes therapy and other non-medication practices can be very effective in helping people. Just looking at the pictures of people's brains when they have abused their body and mind with drugs and alcohol is enough to make most people think twice about how they live their life. This is a very practical, insightful and easy to read book that I would highly recommend.
Angela Coldwell - Author of 100 Essential Steps to Less Stress and Anxiety

While Dr. Amen's brain scans are controversial, the premise is intriguing and provides good theories about brain health. The personality traits and behaviors associated with the different parts of the brain are especially interesting.

this book was not very helpful to me. It is more clinical than anything and hard to understand. I would not recommend it. I bought for anxiety issues and it was a waste of time and money.

THIS IS A GREAT BOOK TO HELP A PERSON UNDERSTAND THEIR BRAIN AND BE ABLE TO USE IT TO ONE'S ADVANTAGE. IT'S GREAT IN HELPING ONE TO FOCUS, PLUS MANY OTHER THINGS.

Another title of this book could be "Your Brain: How to Make the Better use of it. The suggestions are supported with interesting actual case studies. It is an easy and entertaining read.
Well worth the cost of the book.

"Change Your Brain, Change Your Life" is one of the best book on self-help for people going through depression, anxiety and ADD. I've experienced depression over the years and I found this book totally helpful.

It offers practical exercises that will help you to change your mental state. Definitely buy this book if you or someone you know is going through depression....You'll be glad you did!

"Nexus: A Neo Novel" and "Change Your Life" together are even better. "Nexus" offers an inspiring journey of Logan Andrews from the depths of despair to learning to overcome his personal pain. I could relate his experiences to my own with anxiety and depression.

I recommend that you buy both books!

This book is worth the money and the time to read it. As you read, people you know pop into your consciousness, often yourself. I wish I could have read it years ago, it would have made everything so much easier...! The tools included for changing things are remarkable - such as describing the ANTs and how to feed your anteater. It realy, truly works!

The content of the book is very practical and easy to read, however the print is quite small and the paper is newsprint quality. Overall I would recommend the book due to it's helpful content.

This has got to be the most informative, helpful book I have ever read. I have personally experienced depression, and have seen others suffer from other disorders. It's amazing to see why we do what we do, and understand, especially with PMS, it's not who we really are. Its the chemistry and "faulty wiring" that makes us respond and react the way we do. The key is to know you have something going on and you search for the help. This book will help you see that, if you know someone or know yourself that there are problems. I also have a grandparent with Alzhiemers. I highly recommend this book.

This book shows you how behavior is explainable in a biological medical way by studying SECT scans of brain functioning. Dr Amen, gives informative advice to change your life and no longer feel that you are damaged or crazy. I give this book four stars mainly because much of the information is also covered in his other books and at times is repetitive. For a new reader of Dr. Amen's studies it is perfect. Anyone who thinks they may have any of the symptoms or has been diagnosed with any of the disorders discussed in this book would be very pleased with this and other books by Dr. Amen. It allows the reader to really understand the workings of their brain. It provides guidelines for self diagnosing problems in order change your own brain and be the best person you can be. You are the best person to diagnose your problems, because only you know how you really feel. This book is really easy to read and helpful with exercises, nutritional advice, and supplement advice as well. I recommend this and the other books by Dr. Amen if you or someone in your life is struggling with behavior problems.

Links the physical brain and the mind in a new and interesting way. Shows how specific mental disorders can be overcome. When psychology improves there are unique changes in the brain as shown by photographs using nuclear imaging techniques.

I don't know about advocating natural remedies, including deep breathing, guided imagery, meditation, self-hypnosis, and biofeedback for treating disorders that are so frequently dealt with by prescription only. One can only imagine why people in the world are so screwed-up. Alcohol, drugs, depression, psychosis, bi-polar-mania, skizoid Freud. Will this book treat and cure us? Will this MD show us the way to faith and posterity? Drug freedom is merely a dream, doctors advocate drugs for anything and everything. Without drugs and changing your brain, will that change your life? Will that conquer anxiety, depression, obsessiveness, anger and impulsiveness? Perhaps, perhaps not. Enjoy what you have before you give it away or it is taken away from you.

I'm the author of the book KISSING FREUD, a facinating psycho comedy/drama, and the book DUBROVNIK, a thrilling spy/adventure story in the beautiful city of Dubrovnik, Croatia. Both books are available here at amazon.com/books. Enjoy.