An Introduction - "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness"

            I will be covering this book throughout the next month and beyond. I am privileged to be reading such a unique piece of work that sheds a new light on what we already know (and don’t know) about the brain and the way it functions in our everyday behavior. The book, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life is a New York Times bestseller, and the author, Dr. Daniel G. Amen, owns many clinics which operate using the techniques outlined in this book.

This beginning of this book provides a general outlook on the parts of our brain that govern our emotions and the parts of the brain that play important roles in our lives and in our behavior. The introduction of the book also opens with a bold statement which states that many of our problems are fixable and derive from the improper functioning of our brain. Such problems may be observed through a novel cerebral imaging technique known as SPECT imaging (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography). But what effect does this have for us? This question (I assume) will be answered later in the book.

The introduction also opens with a peculiar case involving Amen’s nine-year-old godson and nephew, Andrew. Unlike other boys his age, Andrew had been experiencing extreme bouts of depression, coupled with intense feelings of suicide and homicide. These feelings drove him mad, and at one point he assaulted a young girl without the intention of doing so. After using SPECT analysis, the author determined that he had been missing his left thalamus! In its place was a large cyst which needed to be surgically removed. After searching for many neurosurgeons, one finally agreed to operate, and within a few days, Andrew was finally back to behaving like a normal child.

I found this book quite engaging, to say the least. The opening paragraph provides an excellent segue into talking about the brain’s role in defining our individuality (after all, every person has a different brain). Additionally, I find it interesting that we can associate certain parts of the brain with certain behaviours. This association has led mental health experts to search for new ways to tackle the issues that many of us face. The book states that there are “brain prescriptions” available that can help change your brain and improve yourself as a person. I look forward to reading about these in coming chapters.