Change Your Brain, Change Your Life Quotes

“Your thoughts really matter. They can either help or hurt your deep limbic system. Left unchecked, ANTs will cause an infection in your whole bodily system. Whenever you notice ANTs, you need to crush them or they’ll affect your relationships, your work, and your entire life. First you need to notice them. If you can catch them at the moment they occur and correct them, you take away the power they have over you. When a negative thought goes unchallenged, your mind believes it and your body reacts to it. ANTs have an illogical logic. By bringing them into the open and examining them on a conscious level, you can see for yourself how little sense it really makes to think these kinds of things to yourself. You take back control over your own life instead of leaving your fate to hyperactive limbic-conditioned negative thought patterns. Sometimes people have trouble talking back to these grossly unpleasant thoughts because they”
― Daniel G. Amen, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness

“18–40–60 rule. It says that when you are eighteen, you worry about what everyone thinks of you; when you are forty, you don’t give a damn what anyone thinks about you; and when you’re sixty, you realize no one has been thinking about you at all.”
― Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“Stop worrying about what others think of you. Base your thoughts, your decisions, and your goals on what you want and what is important in your life.”
― Daniel G. Amen, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The breakthrough programme for conquering anger, anxiety and depression

“When the deep limbic system is less active, there is generally a positive, more hopeful state of mind. When it is heated up, or overactive, negativity can take over.”
― Daniel G. Amen, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness

“It is interesting to note that the people who had a good relationship with the person who died often heal their grief much more easily than those whose relationship with the deceased was filled with turmoil, bitterness, or disappointment. The reason is that a positive relationship is associated with good memories, and remembering and reprocessing these memories helps in the healing process. When people who had a bad relationship think back on it, they have to relive the pain. In their mind, they are still trying to fix what was wrong, to heal the wound, but they can’t. In addition, the guilt they carry with them impairs the healing process. Donna is a case in point. Donna and her mother had had a stormy relationship, fighting constantly over things that seemed insignificant in and of themselves. Yet in spite of their problems, the year after her mother’s death was the hardest of Donna’s life. Her husband could not understand the force of her grief; all he had ever heard her do was complain that her mother was selfish and uninterested in her. What he failed to understand was that Donna had to grieve not only over her mother’s death, but also over the fact that now she would never have the mother-daughter bond she had always wanted. Death had ended all her hopes.”
― Daniel G. Amen, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness

“healthy deep limbic pathways. Then a bond or connectedness between the parents and the baby can begin to grow. Without love and affection, the baby does not develop appropriate deep limbic connectedness and thus never learns to trust or connect. He feels lonely and insecure, and becomes irritable and unresponsive. Touch is critical to life itself. In a barbaric thirteenth-century experiment, German Emperor Frederick II wanted to know what language and words children would speak if they were raised without hearing any words at all. He took a number of infants from their homes and put them with people who fed them but had strict instructions not to touch, cuddle, or talk to them. The babies never spoke a word. They all died before they could speak. Even though the language experiment was a failure, it resulted in an important discovery: Touch is essential to life. Salimbene, a historian of the time, wrote of the experiment in 1248, “They could not live without”
― Daniel G. Amen, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness

“thoughts (ANTs) and talk back to them, you begin to take away their power and gain control over your moods. Kill the ANTs by feeding your emotional anteater. The “kill the ANTs/feed your anteater” exercise is for whenever you feel anxious, nervous, depressed, or frazzled. Here are some examples of ways to kill these ANTs:”
― Daniel G. Amen, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness

“feel that such obvious age-old “truisms” simply must be real. They think that if they don’t continue to believe these thoughts, they are lying to themselves. Once again, remember that to know what is true and what is not, you have to be conscious of the thoughts and have an intelligent perspective on them. Most negative thinking is automatic and goes unnoticed. You’re not really choosing how to respond to your situation, it’s being chosen for you by bad brain habits. To find out what is really true and what is not, you need to question it. Don’t believe everything you hear—even in your own mind! I often ask my patients about their ANT population. Is it high? Low? Dwindling? Or increasing? Keep control over the ANTs in order to maintain a healthy deep limbic environment. Whenever you notice an ANT entering your mind, train yourself to recognize it and write it down. When you write down automatic negative”
― Daniel G. Amen, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness

“A los dieciocho años, te preocupa lo que los demás piensen de ti. A los cuarenta, te importa un comino lo que la gente piense de ti. A los sesenta, te das cuenta de que nadie piensa en ti.”
― Daniel G. Amen, CAMBIA TU CEREBRO CAMBIA TU VIDA

“Here are the simple self-hypnotic steps I use personally to help me sleep. Lie on your back with your hands at your sides. Pick a spot on a wall that is a little bit above your eye level. Stare at the spot. As you do, count slowly to twenty. Notice that in a short while your eyelids begin to feel heavy. Let your eyes close. In fact, even if they don’t feel as if they want to close, slowly close them anyway as you get to twenty. Next, take a deep breath, as deep as you can, and very slowly exhale. Repeat the deep inhale and slow exhale 3 times. With each breath in, feel your chest and belly rise and imagine breathing in peace and calmness. With each breath out, feel your chest and belly relax and blow out all the tension, all the things getting in the way of your relaxation. By this time, you’ll notice a calm come over you. Next, tightly squeeze the muscles in your eyelids. Close your eyes as tightly as you can. Then slowly let the muscles in your eyelids relax. Notice how much more they have relaxed. Then imagine that relaxation spreading from the muscles in your eyelids to the muscles in your face, down your neck into your shoulders and arms, into your chest, and throughout the rest of your body. The muscles will take the relaxation cue from your eyelids and relax progressively all the way down to the bottom of your feet. After your whole body feels relaxed, imagine yourself at the top of an escalator. Step on the escalator and ride down, slowly counting backward from 20. By the time you reach the bottom, you’re likely to feel very relaxed. Then add relaxation imagery. In your mind choose a haven that promotes sleep. I like to go to a mountain cabin where there is snow outside and a crackling fire in the fireplace. Your haven can be a real or imagined place, as long as it makes you feel relaxed. If sleep does not come right away, keep the imagery in your mind and start counting slowly from 1 to 1,000. In my experience, most people will fall asleep around 300.”
― Daniel G. Amen, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“18–40–60, which stands for a rule I teach my patients, called the 18–40–60 rule. It says that when you are eighteen, you worry about what everyone thinks of you; when you are forty, you don’t give a damn what anyone thinks about you; and when you’re sixty, you realize no one has been thinking about you at all. People spend their days worrying and thinking about themselves, not you.”
― Daniel G. Amen, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.”
― Daniel G. Amen, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“One cinnamon roll can cost you 720 calories and will drain your brain, while a 400-calorie salad made of spinach, salmon, organic blueberries, apples, walnuts, and red bell peppers with oil and vinegar dressing will supercharge your energy and make you smarter.”
― Daniel G. Amen, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“400-calorie salad made of spinach, salmon, organic blueberries, apples, walnuts, and red bell peppers with oil and vinegar dressing will supercharge your energy and make you smarter.”
― Daniel G. Amen, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“huperzine A, acetyl-l-carnitine, vinpocetine, ginkgo for memory MEDICATIONS Anticonvulsants, such as Lamictal for mood stability, Aricept or Namenda for memory enhancement”
― Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“levels SUPPLEMENTS GABA, B6, magnesium MEDICATIONS Anticonvulsants, such as Topamax, Neurontin TYPE 6. Temporal Lobe Addicts SYMPTOMS Temper problems, mood instability, memory problems, learning disabilities BRAIN FINDINGS/NEURO-TRANSMITTER ISSUE Abnormal TL SUPPLEMENTS GABA, B6, magnesium for calming, or”
― Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“interest, sleeps a lot, low energy, self-medicates to improve mood BRAIN FINDINGS/NEURO-TRANSMITTER ISSUE High limbic activity, low PFC/check vitamin D and DHEA levels SUPPLEMENTS SAMe, vitamin D, or DHEA if needed MEDICATIONS Wellbutrin TYPE 5. Anxious Addicts SYMPTOMS Anxious, tense, nervous, predicts the worst, self-medicates to calm BRAIN FINDINGS/NEURO-TRANSMITTER ISSUE High basal ganglia/low GABA”
― Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“Adderall or Ritalin TYPE 3. Impulsive-Compulsive Addicts SYMPTOMS Combination of types 1 and 2 BRAIN FINDINGS/NEURO-TRANSMITTER ISSUE High ACG plus low PFC/low S and DA SUPPLEMENTS 5-HTP plus green tea and rhodiola MEDICATIONS SSRI plus stimulant TYPE 4. Sad or Emotional Addicts SYMPTOMS Sad or depressed mood, winter blues, carbohydrate cravings, loss of”
― Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“SUMMARY CHART OF THE AMEN CLINICS 6 TYPES OF ADDICTS TYPE 1. Compulsive Addicts SYMPTOMS Overfocused, worrying, trouble letting go of hurts”
― Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“BRAIN FINDINGS/NEURO-TRANSMITTER ISSUE Increased ACG/low serotonin (S) SUPPLEMENTS 5-HTP, inositol, saffron, or St. John’s wort MEDICATIONS SSRIs, such as Prozac, Zoloft, or Lexapro TYPE 2. Impulsive Addicts SYMPTOMS Inattentive, impulsive, easily distracted BRAIN FINDINGS/NEURO-TRANSMITTER ISSUE Low PFC/low dopamine (DA) SUPPLEMENTS Green tea, rhodiola, or L-tyrosine MEDICATIONS Stimulants such as”
― Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“THE”
― Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“example, music by composer Barry Goldstein is used for therapeutic purposes”
― Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“every day, write out five things for which you are grateful.”
― Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“Is it true? (Is the stressful or negative thought true?) 2. Can I absolutely know that it’s true? 3. How do I react when I believe that thought? 4. Who would I be without the thought? Or, how would I feel if I didn’t have the thought?”
― Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“Clearly, your behavior matters beyond yourself and is an important reason to get healthy now.”
― Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“the recent discovery that your habits and emotions can impact your biology so deeply that it causes changes in the genes that are transmitted to the next several generations.”
― Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“it’s been estimated that the brain has the storage capacity of three million hours of TV shows (7).”
― Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“the Freedom of Information Act and the pharmaceutical companies found that antidepressants, except for the most severely depressed patients, worked no better than placebos or sugar pills (4).”
― Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems

“relationship. The mothers of autistic children in their studies started out warm, but actually became more reserved when they did not get positive feedback from their children. The kind of love that is critical to making the parent-infant bond work is reciprocal.”
― Daniel G. Amen, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness

“petting.” This powerful finding has been rediscovered over and over, most recently in the early 1990s in Romania, where thousands of warehoused infants went without touch for sometimes years at a time. PET studies (similar to SPECT studies) of a number of these deprived infants have shown marked overall decreased activity across the whole brain. Bonding is a two-way street. A naturally unresponsive baby may inadvertently receive less love from its parents. The mother and father, misreading their baby’s naturally reserved behavior, may feel hurt and rejected and therefore less encouraged to lavish care and affection on their child. A classic example of this problem is illustrated by autistic children. Psychiatrists used to label the mothers of autistic children “cold” they believed the mother’s lack of responsiveness caused the autism. In recent times, however, it has been shown in numerous research studies that autism is biological and preceded any”
― Daniel G. Amen, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness