June 8, 2011

Can Brain Malfunction Be Reason for Men Cheating?

This may not seem related to the subject of this blog, but it is.  I've heard a lot about Dr. Daniel Amen and the brain scanning he does to treat issues such as depression, anxiety, addiction, and apparently - cheating.  


I haven't formed an opinion on whether or not I trust his theory, but if I had and extra $5,000 - $10,00  lying around,  I'd check it out just out of curiosity.  It would be fascinating to see the results of Keven's brain, and my own.


Here it the entire article (its not long) and here is the gist of what it says:


"I think we should start by looking at their brains. How would we ever know if it was just bad behavior or a brain acting badly unless we looked? Psychiatrists, whom these people come to see for help, are the only medical professionals who rarely look at the organ they treat. Psychiatrists still make diagnoses today as they did in 1841, when Abraham Lincoln was depressed: by talking to people and looking for symptom clusters. Imagine if a cardiologist or an orthopedic doctor acted that way!"  
If he's right, then we should all be able to solve our issues with the right chemicals and nourishment of our brain.  That sounds way to simplistic to me, but it sure would be wonderful wouldn't it?  No more cheating spouses, no more psychopathic murderers, no more ADDICTS.


A lot of people think he's a "quack" and some of the reviews I've read from people who have been to his clinic and some of their stories are alarming.


As of yesterday, Keven is seeing a doctor we had used two years ago.  Some people also think his philosophy is wrong and that he is a "dangerous" doctor.  There has been an interesting controversy surrounding him but out attorney thinks he's a great doctor for addicts so .... I am trusting her judgement.


What are your thoughts on brain scanning etc?  Have you or anyone you know ever tried it?  Just curious.




Peace, Hope and Love, Barbara

8 comments:

Bar L. said...

Ron, I am trying really hard here to give men the benefit of the doubt but you keep reinforcing the obvious! ;)

Tori said...

Blake was seeing a great therapist years ago that HIGHLEY suggested we go to the AMEN Clinic. At the time we could have kind of paid for it but B's Dad was against everything including that. I read many success stories from his clinic and the Therapist had his own stories of success from some of his patients that went (For drug abuse) - he told me they can almost pin-point the issues with the scan and get the right medication from the start. This Therapist and nothing to gain from sending people there he just really believed in it. I wish B could go now......

Sue said...

That sounds interesting, but only one side of the coin. He's describing what happens physically, but then to me what we think and how we think and a whole lot of other issues come into play too. But yeah, it would make sense that in some cases someone's behaviour could be totally linked to the physicality of their brain, for sure.

In a completely unrelated issue, I see Yes! magazine's latest issue is on prisons. Don't know if you read it, but it looks interesting. http://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/beyond-prisons

Peace, hope and love to you and yours too, BarbaraLaylaLady.

Karen said...

It sounds too good to be true, really, in my opinion. But I read an article of a mother and daughter in my local paper who did something like this to treat (or cure?) their depression, and apparently it worked for them. I believe there is a lot in people's brain chemistry that may dictate their behaviour, give them tendencies to do certain things and not do certain things, but I wonder, if you start messing with someone's brain like that, are they really the same person afterward? And is that a good or a bad thing? I'm also on the fence about this one.

beachteacher said...

wow Ron...you're getting pretty randy lately LOL

beachteacher said...

I TOTALLY support this whole approach....and I feel that it's the reason that someone is first predisposed to addiction. Then, other factors...environment, trauma, etc. can work together (in the wrong way) to prompt an addiction getting the fuel to start the ongoing fire.
:(
My best friends' 2 kids went to the Amen clinic in Calif. when she lived out there..now they're back on the east coast. D's doctor(or should I now say former doctor) is a former partner of Dr. Amen, and he too is really excellent on the whole brain scan and correct med.s approach. Now that our son in in FLA., I'm sorry that he's not with him anymore.
I will get back to you on some specifics about my friend's experience with Dr. Amen treating her kids....both ADHD, one bipolar, and an addict, ..but who I would call a "milder" addict than what we all know.

Sue said...

Okay, I actually went and read the whole article (insert sheepish, "Yes, I commented before I read" emoticon here :)

Interesting. Everything is so linked, isn't it - previous injury, proper nutrition. What he says makes a lot of sense. However, the term "getting a brain makeover" sorta creeped me out.

susanj2008 said...

It makes alot of sense to me. The research they are doing today in regards to the brain is astounding. Maybe one day it will be common place to do an MRI of the brain to cure all kinds of psychological ills.
As for the cheating spouse do I think it could be psychological... absolutely...

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