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For years, people believed that once your brain fully developed around age 25, it was fixed—you were stuck with what you had. Thankfully, neuroscience has proven otherwise. Because of neuroplasticity, we now know your brain can change, heal, and grow at any age.

Your brain is involved in everything you do—how you think, feel, act, relate, and decide. It’s the organ of judgment, personality, intelligence, and every choice you make. It controls your entire body, yet it’s still the organ we understand the least.

As a graduate of Amen University, I was deeply impacted by Dr. Daniel Amen’s story. During his residency, he noticed something strange: in every other medical specialty, doctors look at the organ they treat—except in psychiatry. Psychiatrists rarely looked at the brain. That question led him to pioneer the use of functional brain SPECT scans to actually see how the brain works.

A traditional MRI shows brain structure—tumors, strokes, injuries. A SPECT scan shows brain function—what’s overactive, underactive, or out of balance.

On paper, I had been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) based on how I felt and behaved. But my SPECT scan told a deeper story. Over two days of testing—paper assessments, computer tasks, and the scan itself—it was revealed that I had an overactive cingulate gyrus.

In simple terms, the “gear shifter” in my brain was stuck. This gear shifter helps you move from thought to thought. When it’s overactive, you can appear tenacious and obsessive, and you may struggle to let things go. One of the ways this can show up is through depression.

As a lifelong learner, I’m committed to understanding brain health more deeply. We’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible. What I do know is this:

• Mental health is brain health.
• You cannot transplant a brain.

Brain health spans four key domains:

• Biological: Your physical body and brain.
• Psychological: Your thoughts, beliefs, and mindset.
• Social: Your relationships and connections.
• Spiritual: Your sense of purpose and meaning.

In upcoming posts, I’ll unpack each of these four areas in more detail. My goal is to raise your awareness—and then lovingly challenge you to move from awareness to action, one small step at a time.

You are always making a decision. Even “no decision” is still a decision.

I invite you to join me on this journey to change your brain and change your life—if you decide to.