Dr. Daniel Amen, founder of Amen Clinics, takes a groundbreaking approach to mental health. Dr. Amen is a physician and psychiatrist dedicated to ending mental illness by creating a revolution in brain health. He is widely known as one of the most influential brain health experts. He has co-authored over 80 professional articles and 40 books, including 12 New York Times bestsellers.
Recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as a 2024 Thought Leader in the field, his work is needed more than ever. The mental health crisis is recognized as a major concern by global medical organizations.
However, treatment for mental health issues remains imprecise. It typically involves trial and error, with medical professionals assessing and treating symptoms based on nothing more than observations and patient-reported experiences.
“Our brain-imaging work at Amen Clinics shows that mental health is really brain health,” Dr. Amen says.
His work demonstrates how looking at the brain can provide empirical evidence to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions.
At Amen Clinics, Dr. Amen uses state-of-the-art neuroimaging technology that measures blood flow and activity in the brain. This technology, called single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), produces brain scans that reveal areas of the brain with healthy activity, too much activity, or too little activity.
By visually identifying areas of the brain with abnormal activity, physicians can more accurately diagnose and treat the root causes of mental illness as opposed to treating symptoms alone.
Dr. Amen has been practicing this biological, psychological, social, and spiritual approach, now known as the Amen Clinics Method, since he opened his first clinic in 1989.
Today, Amen Clinics has the world’s largest database of functional brain scans related to psychiatry, with 250,000 scans and still growing. With 11 locations around the US, Amen Clinics has helped over 100,000 patients find relief from mental health problems, trauma, and other brain-related issues.
A New Approach to Mental Health Care
Dr. Daniel Amen’s mission has been consistent throughout his 40+ years as a physician and psychiatrist. He wants to shift the conversation from mental health to brain health. To accomplish that, he has dedicated his career to redefining how mental health is understood and treated.
The field of psychiatry remains the only medical specialty that rarely looks at the organ it treats—the brain.
In a traditional approach to mental illness, conditions are defined by clusters of symptoms. Doctors often prescribe medication to mask symptoms without getting to the root cause of those symptoms.
According to Dr. Amen, “making diagnoses and treatment plans without any biological information is insane.” Like physical illnesses, symptoms arise from dysfunction in the body—they don’t manifest out of nothing. In the case of mental illness, that dysfunction is in the brain.
Dr. Amen’s approach pivots away from traditional symptom clusters and shifts to brain-based diagnoses and targeted treatment plans to optimize brain and mental health
He argues that without directly assessing the brain, mental health diagnoses can be incomplete or misinformed.
“This leads to treatments that may work for some people but not for everyone. And in too many cases, they can make people’s symptoms worse,” Dr. Amen says.
One of the most important lessons Dr. Amen has learned from brain imaging is that mental health conditions are not singular issues; they all have multiple types. For example, the brain-imaging work at Amen Clinics shows that there are seven types of anxiety and depression and seven types of ADHD.
“Knowing your type is the key to getting the most effective treatment,” says Dr. Amen.
To develop his brain-based strategies, Dr. Amen spent years studying neuroimaging, earning his California nuclear brain imaging license in 1995. Nuclear brain imaging, such as SPECT, tracks blood flow in the brain to identify areas of overactivity and inactivity. It’s like taking a 3D photo of brain activity.
SPECT is a well-researched type of brain imaging, with over 15,000 scientific abstracts about it listed on PubMed, the National Library for Medicine’s database of biomedical literature.
These peer-reviewed articles include findings on the use of SPECT for depression, anxiety disorders, ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), PTSD, Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, and more
A growing number of scientific organizations are recognizing the benefits of using SPECT in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. For example, in 2021, the Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine unanimously endorsed SPECT for the evaluation of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression, ADHD, OCD, and bipolar disorder.
“This signals a new path forward for the field of psychiatry,” says Dr. Amen.
About the Amen Clinics Method
The Amen Clinics Method integrates brain imaging, functional medicine, and a holistic approach to help patients achieve better mental health.
This non-invasive approach begins with a comprehensive evaluation that includes brain imaging, neuropsychological testing, a detailed personal history, and lab work when deemed necessary.
Once the root cause of a mental condition is identified, the board-certified medical professionals at Amen Clinics design a personalized treatment plan based on the needs of each individual.
By offering a more personalized and targeted approach, Amen Clinics aims to optimize brain function and encourage better mental health outcomes.
Rather than relying solely on medication, the Amen Clinics Method emphasizes a holistic approach, which may include helpful forms of psychotherapy, lifestyle interventions, dietary changes, nutritional supplements, and innovative techniques.
“At Amen Clinics, we’re not opposed to using medication,” says Dr. Amen. “But it should never be the first or only thing you do for your mental health.”
With this unique brain-mind-body approach, many patients are able to reduce or eliminate their medications, according to Dr. Amen.
The Amen Clinics Method has delivered results for over 100,000 patients.
According to Amen Clinics patient testimonials, 85% report an improved quality of life following treatment. These are some of the highest published outcomes in the field of psychiatry.
The Amen Clinics Method has been producing positive results for decades, helping Amen Clinics expand to 11 locations across the US and earning Dr. Amen global recognition for his approach to mental health.
Today, Dr. Amen is recognized as one of America’s leading psychiatrists, with close to 7 million followers on social media.
A Revolution in Brain Health
Dr. Amen’s mission extends beyond helping the patients at Amen Clinics. His goal is to drive a broader shift in how mental health—and brain health—is approached globally.
Through the use of brain imaging and data-driven diagnoses, Dr. Amen is advocating for a new standard in psychiatric care, one that includes the biological aspects of mental health.
Through his books, television appearances, YouTube channel, and public speaking engagements, Dr. Amen is actively promoting the idea that mental illness should be treated like any other medical condition—based on evidence from the organ affected.
According to Dr. Amen, a focus on brain health can improve every aspect of human life.
“When the brain is healthy, people are happier and physically healthier, and they make better decisions,” says Dr. Amen. “This leads to more success in their personal and professional lives.”
Prioritizing brain health on a global scale will result in happier people, better interpersonal relationships, a higher quality of life, and so much more.
Dr. Amen envisions a future where mental illness is treated with the same precision as heart disease or diabetes, using imaging and other diagnostic tools to create more accurate, effective treatment plans.
His approach is steadily gaining traction, influencing both professionals and patients to consider brain-based mental health treatments as the way forward. In fact, thousands of healthcare providers have already been trained in his methods through his educational platform at Amen University.
Although the mental health crisis is worsening, Dr. Amen and Amen Clinics offer hope for individual patients and global change.
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