What Do Your Brain And Butter Have In Common?

Did you know that the human brain – the thing that runs your life – is as soft as jello?
And that it’s encased in a skull with many sharp, bony ridges?
Your brain is easily damaged and it is critical to protect it at all costs!

Watch this short video where Dr. Amen demonstrates just how soft and vulnerable your brain really is.

If you would like to assess the health of your brain, take our new, free, online Brain Health Assessment based on 35 years of Dr. Amen’s clinical experience and research. It will give you insights and help personalize targeted recommendations to your specific concerns.

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Monika Brunschwiler

Thank you very much for this nice and informativ video, never realized this truth before – thanks ! (I heard of you through Brendon Burchard !

Dr. Daniel Amen

Glad it was helpful – most people don’t know how soft the brain is. Now you understand more about why it is so important to protect it!

Monika Brunschwiler

Yes – And I had an accident, 3.8.11, And hurt my head, lost my Memory so that I can not remember how I did fall OR was thrown down on a edgy Big cristal Stone ! The fellow that did thrown me down the Stairs in this edgy cristal Stone fears punishment from the court And denies everything …, now I just feel some changes on my Head but the doctor Told me not to worry it only might Be the skin on my head that Has changed hm ??? If I ‘d like to have my brain scanned how Do I explain this to a Doktor in zuerich ? OR did you even know a good Doktor in Zürich seitzerland to Check my Brain ? Monika from Zürich Switzerland

Dr. Daniel Amen

Monika, we don’t have any colleagues in Zurich, but SPECT is widely used in Europe. It may be worth trying to find a clinic that works with individuals who have had head injuries. In the US we have the Brain Injury Association of America. If there is a similar organization in Switzerland, perhaps they can provide you with some guidance.

Monika Brunschwiler

Thank you very much for your information.

Fran Stone

This is a very good visual. It really makes sense to avoid any sports or activities that involve possible concussions.

Dr. Daniel Amen

Yes! Concussions can have long lasting consequences. There are so many fun sports and activities with a low risk of head trauma – there are plenty to choose from.

Travis Wolfley

Dr. Amen, thank you for sharing this. I had some concussions in high school, and before the concussions I was basically not ever able to forget a word I had heard in my life! I also remembered almost everything I read word for word. In grade school I was always the kid who could not pay attention in class. I understood math to a profound degree and almost all my teachers would describe me as brilliant because I understood most of it without being taught it. But I got F’s in grade school and middle school because I never turned an assignment in(usually the teachers would fix my grades so they passed). Because of that I think I may be ADD. Also when I was 5 I fell 15 feet and hit my head. The last concussion was three years ago so I believe that I have mostly healed from it. But lately I have been struggling beyond belief with some of the craziest symptoms. I am 20 years old and in my third semester of college and honestly I’m not sure how I’m going to make it through without ruining my future. I have been struggling with with remembering names that I know, even some people I know well. Since the concussions I have been challenged a lot more academically, but it has never been this bad. Now I feel challenged socially as well. I never imagined myself hiding in my apartment because I’m afraid of running into a friend but I can’t remember their name or that I feel anxiety over interacting with people. I never imagined myself being as negative as I have been lately, this has never been me. I have almost always been the most positive person and people have felt that way around me. I have been struggling so much lately and sometimes I have been more depressed than I had ever imagined possible. I have struggled to get the energy to eat and to get good sleep and I have no idea what’s going on with me. Last semester in college I found mold in the apartment and I got horribly sick for a more than a week with constant and unending allergies. I don’t feel like I’ve really been the same since that semester. That semester was from 9/14/2015-12/18/2015. It was about midway into that time frame that these symptoms really started to get bad. My roommate kind of had them because he was in the same room as me but he was almost never there and he got almost no sleep with his 18+ credit hours. I never imagined this brain fog getting this bad and I don’t know what to do. I have an extremely difficult time explaining these symptom and the last doctor prescribed me Ibuprofen for it. That great for the pain, but the pain isn’t my greatest concern! I really need help. I am a college student and I have SelectHealth is my insurance provider. I don’t know what to do. I am headed towards failure in my classes this semester and it feels like my whole life is spinning outside of my control. Please help advise me. I would greatly appreciate your help!

Travis Wolfley

Dr. Amen, thank you for sharing this. I had some concussions in high school, and before the concussions I was basically not ever able to forget a word I had heard in my life! I also remembered almost everything I read word for word. In grade school I was always the kid who could not pay attention in class. I understood math to a profound degree and almost all my teachers would describe me as brilliant because I understood most of it without being taught it. But I got F’s in grade school and middle school because I never turned an assignment in(usually the teachers would fix my grades so they passed). Because of that I think I may be ADD. Also when I was 5 I fell around 8 feet and hit my head. The last concussion was three years ago so I believe that I have mostly healed from it. But lately I have been struggling beyond belief with some of the craziest symptoms. I am 20 years old and in my third semester of college and honestly I’m not sure how I’m going to make it through without ruining my future. I have been struggling with with remembering names that I know, even some people I know well. Since the concussions I have been challenged a lot more academically, but it has never been this bad.

Now I feel challenged socially as well. I never imagined myself hiding in my apartment because I’m afraid of running into a friend but I can’t remember their name or that I feel anxiety over interacting with people. I never imagined myself being as negative as I have been lately, this has never been me. I have almost always been the most positive person and people have felt that way around me. I have been struggling so much lately and sometimes I have been more depressed than I had ever imagined. I have struggled to get the energy to eat and to get good sleep and I have no idea what’s going on with me. Last semester in college I found mold in the apartment and I got horribly sick for a more than a week with constant and unending allergies. I don’t feel like I’ve really been the same since that semester.

I never imagined this brain fog getting this bad and I don’t know what to do. I have an extremely difficult time explaining these symptom and the last doctor prescribed me Ibuprofen for it. That great for the pain, but the pain isn’t my greatest concern! I really need help. I am a college student and I have SelectHealth is my insurance provider. I don’t know what to do. I am headed towards failure in my classes this semester and it feels like my whole life is spinning outside of my control. I would greatly appreciate your help.

Dr. Daniel Amen

Hi Travis,
I appreciate you reaching out. I can only imagine how distressing it is for you to know you are really bright but having all sorts of problems with your brain right now. I wish there was a way for you to get evaluated at one of our clinics because I believe we could really help you. If you cannot afford to get a full evaluation with SPECT scans, perhaps at least a consultation with one of our doctors or phone consult with one of our brain health coaches could be of benefit to you. We’d love to help you however we can. If you decide to call our patient care center, here is the phone number: 855-419-2872

Travis Wolfley

Thanks Dr. Amen. I really appreciate your help. Some of the symptoms I would not only describe as distressing, but mortifying, especially that lately it has not only been affecting me academically, but socially as well. At 20 years old I have been at a loss for how this would develop almost so suddenly over the last 6 months and seem to get worse progressively. What’s even even worse is that the two doctors I went to see had no understanding of it and weren’t helpful at all. After I went to them and felt so vulnerable explaining my symptoms one of them dismissed everything I said and basically told me it was all in my head! My parents don’t understand my challenges, and they view the challenges I’m facing from almost an entirely religious perspective. It has been very frustrating to be in a place where I feel no one understands me.

I will be willing to pay anything I’m able to, to cover the treatment. As a college student that will be difficult because I’m not making any money.I was hoping that since my insurance company is a nonprofit, maybe there is a way I can get my insurance company to cover part or most of it, and maybe they’ll be more willing to help. Do you know how I can check on that? If that will not work I could do some other things that could at least help to cover the monetary cost of treatment. I would be willing to work at one of your call centers, maintain a blog that exclusively refers clients to your websites, and make a testimonial until at least the monetary cost of treatment is covered. I would be very willing to work with you on this because at 20 I am at a time where help with this could not be more critical. My relationships and academics will have an exponential effect on the rest of my life and my family. I’m willing to do what’s necessary to try to pay for help because of this. I cannot emphasize how challenging these struggles have been and will be willing to do what’s necessary to get help asap. I would be forever grateful for anything that can help me out of this rut.

Dr. Daniel Amen

Hi Travis – I suggest you contact our patient care center (855-419-2872), let them know what’s going on and ask what information you would need to give to your insurance provider , and then contact your insurance company to find out what if any coverage they will provide.

Travis Wolfley

Dr. Amen, I started using stimulants 5 months ago on the day I replied. They have helped a bit to prevent me from failing out completely. I have out of network coverage but they only recognized 2 of the CPT codes. Honestly its been to the point that without the stimulants I couldn’t have written the reply to you five months ago or now. I would like the scans so that I can get access to hyperbaric oxygen therapy as I think that’s what would help. I have purchased your books change your brain change your life and Reclaim Your Brain: How to Calm Your Thoughts, Heal Your Mind, and Bring Your Life Back Under Control. I get plenty of sleep and have tried to implement everything in your book. They have helped and because of these efforts I have noticed that the stimulants work better and the depression isn’t as bad as I described it previously. Even though things have gotten better generally I am still often very confused as the symptoms often fluctuate from anything to a good week to a very bad week or month. I am very happy to have even had a good week after months of these symptoms so thank you for that in the books. Even with all this improvement I am at loss for what happened and why I am at a point where I need stimulants to accomplish routine things that used to be no problem. The stimulant also give me very severe headaches, but they are the only thing that helps me treat it at the moment or have any semblance of focus. Because of this I don’t take them everyday because how they make me feel.
I will soon be participating in a study that uses either PET or fmri imaging. Could I pay the fee to have those analyzed? There is no way I can pay the base fee of $2400 to have the SPECT imaging done. It is these same problems and unpredictability that caused me to lose my job in the first place and go from job to job for some time. It is these same symptoms which caused me to need to move back in with my parents after living completely independently and paying all of my college expenses myself. It is the same challenges that cause me to need the treatment that it out of reach financially at the moment. I also would like the scans because I really want to know what’s going on and get off medication that is giving me constant headaches. I think most of this is caused by mold toxicity from the apartment I lived in and I believe that’s a lot of why things have begun to improve. I want the brain scans so I can use them to avoid getting kicked out of college in the appeal for academic exception so I can stay in school and seek treatment. Is there any discount you can apply for college students? What suggestions can you give me for dealing with this even better? Thanks for your consideration and thank you for your groundbreaking work.
wolfletr@gmail.com

Sherry'ann Brunecz

Travis,, ,
Hi you don’t know me, , But I was your shoes over 30 years ago, , , You sound like you have the same type of symptoms as I do, , , I know it sounds a lot of Money but ~
NOT getting help & a scan can cost you what it cost me, ,
, , MY Marrage
, , MY Children
, , My Brother
, , Many Jobs
, , Many Homes
, , Success
Please Get the Scan ~ Before you do anything else in life ~
, ,

Call and Go get Scanned , ,

Beth Albright

Can You damage your brain falling off a horse many times wearing a certified equestrian helmet? I have been riding horses most of my life and have fallen off numerous times over the years. It’s part of learning to become a better rider. I Always wear my helmet when I ride. Thanks for posting this, it’s very eye opening.

Dr. Daniel Amen

Beth – the brain can get injured from the force of falls because the brain can essentially slam into the bony ridges inside the skull – even if there was not a direct hit to the head. Glad to know you always wear a helmet – it helps protect your skull from getting injured which is very important. If, after a fall ,you have any concussive symptoms (either immediately or even hours/days afterward), such as dizziness, confusion, headache, fatigue, nausea or visual problems, you should definitely seek medical help to assess for a concussion.

Dr. Daniel Amen

While there is no way to know for sure if the falls worsened your ADD, we do know that with concussive injuries, injury can occur to parts of the brain that make certain issues worse. If you are concerned about these are things, you should definitely discuss them with your doctor.

mathbrown73

Dr. Amen,
In 1999 I suffered a 40′ fall from my roof. In 2011 I was rear-ended in my vehicle by a King Co. (Seattle) Metro bus, which hit me while I and those in front of my vehicle were stopped–I recvd a double whammy when thrown into the next vehicle in line. Then in Sept. 2015, and March 2016 I was involved in rear-end collisions again.
I believe I have been experiencing TBI symptoms during this period of my life. What steps do you recommend?

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