One area of health that often faces many misconceptions is mental and brain health. Engaging in conversations about these topics can be incredibly beneficial as these vulnerable moments can lead to healing and human connection. Brentwood Lifestyle had the opportunity to sit down with Jason Wahler and Dr. Daniel Amen, director and founder of the Change Your Brain Foundation, to discuss brain and mental health.
Can you remember the first time in your mental health journey that you knew things were going to get better?
JW: Yes, I remember the first time things started to get better. It was when I opened up, got really honest about what I was going through, and admitted I needed help. When I did that, there was a huge sense of relief, and I knew this was the first step in the right direction. Through my process, I’ve created this AAA mantra that helps with any struggle I face: awareness, acceptance, and action. If I’m not aware of the problem, I cannot accept it, and if I cannot accept it, I cannot take action.
Can you tell us about the Change Your Brain Foundation and why you created it?
DA: Our mission at Change Your Brain Foundation is to end mental illness by creating a revolution in brain health. Let me explain what that means. Mental illness affects us all. Either you’ve personally struggled, or you love someone who has. The incidence of mental health problems is skyrocketing despite the pharmaceutical revolution. Too often, psychiatric medications don’t work. The brain imaging work we do at Amen Clinics—including over 250,000 brain scans—shows why. Most psychiatric problems are not mental health issues at all. Rather, they are brain health issues that steal people’s minds. But psychiatry remains the only medical specialty that rarely looks at the organ it treats – the brain. I want to change that. Looking at the brain with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans helps us see if the brain is overactive or underactive or if it has a toxic appearance. This helps psychiatrists ask better questions to find out why. For example, is it due to a past head injury, an infection like Lyme disease, or excessive alcohol use? Getting to the root causes of your mental health symptoms is the key to feeling better faster. I know that not everyone has access to one of our 11 nationwide clinics, or perhaps they can’t afford it.
That’s why my wife, Tana, and I created the Change Your Brain Foundation to support funding for treatment for people in need, cutting-edge brain-imaging research, and brain health educational programs. The foundation is helping us spread the message that mental health is brain health. It also provides scholarships for people in need to get brain scans and treatment through Amen Clinics.
What made you want to join the Change Your Brain Foundation, and why should other people also get involved?
JW: I have a deep passion for helping those who struggle with mental health and or addiction, as that was me years ago. I was lost, scared, full of shame, and didn’t see a way out. However, through hard work, determination, and support, I was able to make it through. I want to be a beacon of hope for those who are lost and don’t know where to turn. That’s why I joined forces with Dr. Amen and the Change Your Brain Foundation. We are focused on prevention, education, research, and solutions. We aim to end mental illness by creating a revolution in brain health. I believe it’s imperative that others get involved, as we are in the midst of a mental health crisis. Suicide and overdoses are at an all-time high, and more than one in four people around the world suffer from mental health disorders.
How can brain health impact mental health?
DA: Our brain-imaging work with SPECT scans shows that having a brain that works too hard or that doesn’t work hard enough is associated with mental health conditions. When your brain is healthy, you’re more likely to be mentally balanced. When your brain is troubled—for any reason—you’re more likely to have trouble with your mental health.
Whenever people share their own experiences with mental health with the public, it can help whoever sees them feel less alone in their mental health journey. How have you seen that so far in your own life?
JW: I think one of the most valuable things people can do is share their experiences, strength, and hope. I always say by expressing vulnerability, we create humility and allow others to connect and know they are not alone. That’s why I try to share my experience as often as I can, to let people know there’s a way out.
Is there something you incorporate into your daily life that will positively impact your mental health?
JW: I always say consistency and structure create safety. That’s why I have a daily routine, as it keeps me in check. When I wake up, I do a morning meditation, read my Bible, pray, and make a gratitude list of three things—not only what I’m grateful for but why. I eat a healthy breakfast, spend time with my kids, and then go to the gym. Throughout the day, I pause and pray and try to be of service to others when I can. At the end of my day, I do an inventory, not only on the areas I can improve upon but also on the areas I did well. This allows me to close out my day and start tomorrow fresh.
What do you think is the biggest misconception about mental health?
JW: I think the biggest misconception about mental health is that it implies weakness, flaws, moral failings, or a lack of willpower. In reality, mental health issues are multifaceted and primarily related to brain health.
DA: The biggest myth about mental health is that it’s all in your mind. This notion leads people to feel like their mental health problems are a character flaw, moral failing, or lack of willpower. Our work with SPECT shows that these are brain-based issues. This helps people see their symptoms as medical, not moral, and it offers greater hope for healing. Another common myth is that all mental health conditions are single or simple disorders. Brain imaging shows that each condition has multiple types and requires its own targeted treatment plan. For example, giving everybody with depression the same treatment might help some people, but it can also make other people worse. To get the most effective treatment for depression, anxiety, or ADHD, for example, you need to know your type.
Can you share what Change Your Brain Foundation has in store for the rest of the year?
JW: The Change Your Brain Foundation always has amazing initiatives to increase awareness and education, as well as provide scholarships to those in need. Currently, we have over 20 research projects underway, and we have created and partnered on multiple educational programs. The latest collaboration was with Dr. Oz and his foundation, HealthCorps. We created the “ANTS” program (Automatic Negative Thoughts), which helps our youth address negativity, low mood, lack of motivation, low energy, anxiousness, strained relationships, unrelenting stress, and feeling overwhelmed—all challenges our teens face.
Our work together has already impacted over 1,500 teens in Southern California. Lastly, our goal for this year is to provide over 100 scholarships for full evaluations. This includes a comprehensive assessment, a brain scan, a diagnosis, and a treatment plan with multiple follow-up sessions.
What would you say if you could give our readers one piece of advice about mental health?
DA: Love your brain. If people cared as much about their brains as they do their physical appearance, they would be so much healthier and happier.
JW: Just know you are not alone. You are loved, and you are worth fighting for. Simply reach out and ask for help. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, l and you can change! Remember, your greatest deficits can also become your greatest assets.
changeyourbrain.org