Healing Anxiety and Depression: Based on Cutting-Edge Brain-Imaging Science Paperback – December 7, 2004

I know there are polarizing opinions regarding the validity of Dr. Amen's work, which is understandable. I myself am on the fence as to whether his brain imaging technology is truly the real deal, or a money making gimmick. He utilizes the example of a young person that they found a brain tumor in, and describes the fact that he had to have a total of 15 surgeries by the time he was like 18 years old! I might be incorrect about the numbers on that, but regardless. How is that many surgeries beneficial to a person that young?? No wonder they had a hard time trying to find a surgeon willing to perform the initial operation. It was a horrible example of a brain imaging "success" story.But anyways, I did give the book 5 stars, because regardless of your feelings on the brain imaging techniques, and despite the dismal example of a "success" story, it is inarguable that the book not only describes in detail, very real forms of depression/anxiety and how they can be managed. I am by no means a clinical psychologist, but I do have a master's degree in psychology, and have been a long time sufferer of minor depression and anxiety. I can tell you that depression and/or anxiety is not "one size fits all" and Dr. Amen does an excellent job in his book of detailing the different types. He writes in a vernacular that the general public can comprehend without a medical degree. He also goes on to provide management tips for the different types, including dietary changes, activity habits, etc. I love that Dr. Amen's motto is "skills not just pills" because too many sufferers of mental illness rely too heavily on pills, which is realistically the equivalent of putting a bandaid on a bullet wound. Life skills and coping strategies must be implemented in addition to any medications, and Dr. Amen stresses this in his book.I also like that Dr. Amen provides additional insight as to what substances the different types have a tendency to become addicted to, and behaviors to look out for. I read the entire thing cover to cover, and I feel like if nothing else, it's just such a good reference for anyone struggling to understand their emotional instability or mental illness. If someone is uninterested at first in seeking medication, there are some great tips in here for changes that can be made as a first step towards improvement. A very informative guidebook for both sufferers of such issues, and well as students and professionals in the field. Highly recommend.

I got this book because I love this author and he writes really good books on depression and anxiety.

Amen's "new program" actually has less to do with the patient's protocol than the physician's basis for selecting it. The author maintains that his research in "imaging" various brain patterns and wave activity in selected portions of the brain enables him to determine the precise sort of depressive-anxiety disorder (the author identifies seven) being experienced by the patient. Upon making this determination, the prescribed therapies are along familiar lines--tricyclic medications, SSRI's, SNRI's, etc. The photos are interesting and possibly useful (though not necessarily proof of cause and effect), and the readerly prose insures that the reader will pick up a good deal of information about the structure of the brain. Also, the author provides a questionnaire to enable a reader to approximate what the brain images might have confirmed, thus enabling him to determine his type of depressive disorder(s), if any. From there, the practical information and applications are likely to be of value in proportion to the amount of information the reader already has about depression and anxiety.The author covers psychotropic medications, cognitive approaches, exercise and other mainline therapies. He says very little about combinations of medications. And the book loses some of its credibility, in my opinion, in the discussion of alternative therapies that have been discredited elsewhere. There's no scientific evidence I'm aware of that would support the theory that supplements like GABA, l-Tyrosine, or l-Phenylananine alleviate anxiety-depression or even break through the blood membrane to become part of the body's own chemistry. Also, whether injections of testosterone and DHEA are sufficiently helpful to outweigh the risks makes questionable the author's apparent recommendation of them. Finally, some of the information already appears dated--for example, the assertion that Ambien is totally unrelated to the benzodiazapines and is non-addictive.Still, the book is quite comprehensive, provides much accessible and potentially useful information and, provided the reader exercises some healthy skepticism, should make the subject less daunting and confusing.

WOW! What a book. I have many books, on the above subjects, being a sufferer myself, and feeling like I'm hitting a blank wall trying to fully understand it, but also a book that actively helps you to accept there is more information about diagnosis, PROPER treatment available, and REAL solutions to these debilitating illnesses, not just psychotherapy, or medication. It delves into the psysiological reasons and chemistry of the brain and how SPECT scans can verify diagnoses and help to correctly pinpoint the specific type of illness you may have. I have read many medical books and was 'till now unaware of the physiological markers to look out for, but also that these scans help to pinpoint accurate treatment for your specific type, of which there are 7 main types. It is not for the novice necessarily as medical jargon is used, but is well worth the read and there are addresses and phone numbers for contacting doctors that help diagnose and treat patients.It helps to self diagnose to a point, and makes you feel like there is light at the end of the very long tunnel. About time a book like this has come along. I plan to use it extensively and rid myself of the bain I carry around daily!

Daniel Amen is a man of great intellectual astuteness. He brings new insight into his field of expertise.When it comes to understanding our brains and neurology, Amen is one of the best, but this book is a bit dated.