I've just started treating a 19 year old girl with depression and anxiety.  She also has a mild case of self injury.  I discovered a right frontocortical deficit on examination.  One thing that a healthy cortex is supposed to do is fire down to the amygdala and inhibit it.  The amygdala is part of the emotional brain that spits out depression, sadness, anxiety, fear, rage and anger.  Therefore, her cortex was not able to inhibit her amygdala.  Although the average patient begins to notice changes after about 3 weeks, she looked different after the first treatment.  I asked her how she felt and she said, "Calm and good".  I asked her to take note of how long that feeling lasted.  Specific proteins are made in the neurons when I administer treatment.  They have short half lives and disintegrate sometimes within minutes.  Neuroplasticity happens when the neurons continue to be fired and then they begin to "wire" together.  Physiologically, the proteins should last longer and longer as patients get treated and continue with their homework.  This young woman is experiencing that exact thing.  When I asked her how long the good feelings lasted on her first visit, she said, "about 20 minutes".  When I asked her how long they laster after her last visit (her 4th), she said they lasted the rest of the day.  She also reported that she told her psychiatrist for the first time that for the last week she had been feeling good.  Let's tell people that the brain CAN be changed and that there is so much hope for our bodies to heal!     Dr. Merry