Doctor & Therapist To The Worlds Superstars: Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Bella Hadid! - Daniel Amen

Introduction

Dr. Daniel Amen, a clinical neuroscientist and psychiatrist, explains why he is passionate about brain health and how it can change the way we think about mental health.

Why Dr. Amen does what he does

• Someone Dr. Amen loved tried to commit suicide, which made him realize that most psychiatric illnesses are actually brain health issues.

• He fell in love with psychiatry in 1979 and has been pushing for looking at the brain as the organ of depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, etc.

• In 1991, he attended his first lecture on brain SPECT imaging (a nuclear medicine study that looks at blood flow and activity), which changed everything he did as a psychiatrist.

Childhood Trauma and Brain Health

Dr. Amen discusses how childhood trauma affects brain health and increases the risk of death from leading causes.

The ACE Quiz

• The ACE quiz is a tool used to identify common childhood traumas.

• If you have four or more ACEs, you have an increased risk of seven of the top 10 leading causes of death.

• If you have six or more ACEs, you die 20 years earlier on average.

Call to Action

Dr. Amen asks viewers to subscribe to his channel before starting the episode.

Subscribe to the Channel

• Two months ago, 74% of people who watched this channel didn't subscribe; now it's down to 69%.

• His goal is to reach 50%, so he asks viewers who like his videos or channel to hit the subscribe button because it helps grow his channel and attract bigger guests.

Introduction

Dr. Daniel Amen talks about his mission to end the concept of mental illness by creating a revolution in brain health.

The Importance of Brain Health

• Your brain is involved in everything you do, and when it works right, you work right.

• Even if you don't have a psychiatric disorder, your brain matters because it affects how you think, feel, act, and get along with others.

• Tony Robbins had mercury poisoning from eating swordfish which affected his success despite having great strategies for success.

Four Big Circles

• Dr. Amen thinks of people in four big circles: biology (physical functioning), psychology (mind working), social (what's going on in your life), and spiritual (deepest sense of meaning and purpose).

• Assessing these four circles and optimizing them at the same time is critical for being a whole healthy person.

Dr. Amen's Mission

• Dr. Amen's mission is to end the concept of mental illness by creating a revolution in brain health.

• His books bring many people to their clinics around the US where they educate and help people get well.

Trauma & Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Dr. Daniel Amen discusses how trauma can affect our brains and how mild traumatic brain injury is often overlooked as a major cause of psychiatric problems.

Causes of Trauma

• Trauma can be caused by infection, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle or not knowing how to manage your mind.

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

• Mild traumatic brain injury is a major cause of psychiatric problems and often overlooked because it's not visible.

• When your brain is troubled for whatever reason, you're sadder, sicker, poorer, and less successful.

• Tony Robbins had mercury poisoning from eating swordfish which affected his success despite having great strategies for success.

Introduction to the Brain Warrior's Way

In this section, Dr. Daniel Amen introduces himself and his work as a celebrity psychiatrist. He talks about his patients who are celebrities and how he helps them. He also discusses the concept of brain health and why it is important.

Dr. Amen's Celebrity Patients

• Bella Hadid stopped drinking because of Dr. Amen's help.

• Miley Cyrus has been seeing Dr. Amen for 11 years.

• Justin Bieber has worked with Dr. Amen and featured him in his docu-series Seasons.

Importance of Brain Health

• The world is full of negative news, bad food, and gadgets that steal dopamine.

• Diabetes affects 50% of the population, obesity affects 72%, Alzheimer's is expected to triple, and depression has gone up 400% since Prozac came on the market.

• The Brain Warrior's Way is about being armed and prepared to win the fight for your life.

Personalized Nutrition for Better Health

In this section, Dr. Daniel Amen talks about personalized nutrition and how it can improve brain health.

Personalized Nutrition

• Zoe is a company that offers personalized nutrition based on glucose testing.

• When looking for healthy options at a gas station or petrol station, most options are bad except water.

• Planning ahead by bringing healthy snacks can help avoid unhealthy choices.

Taking Care of Your Brain Hardware

In this section, Dr. Daniel Amen discusses ways to take care of the hardware of your brain.

Brain Health

• Doctors rarely screen for brain health, but Dr. Amen has looked at over 230,000 brains.

• It's important to have good habits to keep your brain young and healthy.

Brain Envy: How to Care for Your Brain

In this section, Dr. Amen discusses the importance of caring for your brain and avoiding things that can harm it.

Assessing Your Brain Health

• Freud was wrong about penis envy being the cause of problems; it's actually brain envy.

• The first step in caring for your brain is to assess its health through brain scans.

• Regularly assessing your brain health can help you make better decisions about how to care for it.

Avoiding Things That Harm Your Brain

• To care for your brain, you need to avoid things that harm it.

• BJ Fogg from Stanford suggests making tiny habits that are easy to stick with, such as asking yourself if a decision is good or bad for your brain before making it.

• Eating a diet high in simple carbohydrates (bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, fruit juice, and sugar) increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 400%, while eating a diet high in healthy fats (nuts and seeds, green leafy vegetables, healthy fish and oils) decreases the risk by 42%.

• Monitoring blood sugar levels and keeping fasting blood sugar under 90 can also help prevent Alzheimer's disease.

Engaging in Brain Healthy Habits

• Engaging in regular brain healthy habits is important for maintaining good brain health.

• Making small changes like choosing non-toxic water bottles or eating nuts instead of junk food can have a big impact on overall brain health.

• Regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and reducing stress are also important for maintaining good brain health.

The Link Between Self-Esteem and Delayed Gratification

In this section, Dr. Amen discusses the correlation between self-esteem, self-worth, self-image, and an individual's ability to delay gratification.

Correlation Between Self-Esteem and Delayed Gratification

• Walter Mitchell from Stanford conducted a study where he gave small children an opportunity to either have a marshmallow now or two later. The children who delayed gratification had better self-esteem and success in virtually every area of their life.

• A 90-year longevity study at Stanford found that people who were conscientious lived the longest. People with a nonchalant attitude towards life tend to make unhealthy decisions that can lead to preventable illnesses and accidents.

Personal Experience with Helping Loved Ones

• Dr. Amen shares his experience of trying to help his brother get healthy but realizing that he cared more about it than his brother did.

• He also talks about his journey of trying to help his father get healthy for 25 years despite being belittled and made fun of publicly. His father eventually got sick at age 85 and became depressed, but he followed all of Dr. Amen's advice and got better.

Overcoming Resistance When Helping Others

In this section, Dr. Amen shares insights on how to overcome resistance when helping others.

Dealing with Resistance

• Dr. Amen advises not to give up on loved ones even if they resist help. Keep doing what you do and be patient.

• He shares his experience of helping his father get healthy despite being belittled and made fun of publicly for 25 years. His father eventually got sick at age 85 and became depressed, but he followed all of Dr. Amen's advice and got better.

The Importance of Modeling Healthy Behavior

In this section, Dr. Amen talks about how he modeled healthy behavior for his brother and the impact it had on his brother's health.

Modeling Healthy Behavior

• Dr. Amen's brother lost 40 pounds and improved his health by modeling Dr. Amen's healthy behavior.

• Dr. Amen emphasizes the importance of modeling healthy behavior to patients and loved ones.

• Dr. Amen reflects on how his brother's acceptance of him was a turning point in their relationship.

Letting Go of Resentment

In this section, Dr. Amen discusses how to let go of resentment towards people who have been unfair or hurtful.

Letting Go of Resentment

• Dr. Amen shares his experience with being ostracized by colleagues for using brain imaging in psychiatry.

• After experiencing negativity from others, Dr. Amen became a warrior for change in psychiatry.

• Forgiveness is key to letting go of toxicity and resentment towards others.

The Power of Brain Imaging

In this section, Dr. Amen discusses the power of brain imaging in diagnosing and treating mental illness.

Brain Imaging

• Brain imaging helped diagnose Dr. Amen's nephew with a cyst that was causing violent behavior.

• After draining the cyst, the nephew's behavior returned to normal.

• This experience inspired Dr. Amen to become a warrior for change in psychiatry.

Empathy for Haters

In this section, Dr. Amen discusses the importance of empathy towards people who may have hurt us.

Empathy for Haters

• Dr. Amen shares a forgiveness method developed by a psychologist who lost his mother to murder.

• The method involves recalling the hate we've experienced and empathizing with the haters.

• By understanding where the haters are coming from, we can let go of resentment and toxicity.

The Power of Forgiveness

In this section, Dr. Amen talks about the importance of forgiveness and how it can positively impact our relationships and happiness.

Forgiveness is a Gift

• Forgiveness is a gift that we give to ourselves and others.

• Altruistically giving the gift of forgiveness can help us have more control over our happiness.

• Committing to forgiveness can be challenging but holding on to it can lead to positive outcomes in relationships.

Brain Scans and Forgiveness

• Brain scans can provide insight into why people behave the way they do.

• The anterior cingulate is responsible for flexibility in thinking and behavior.

• Seeing his father's busy anterior cingulate helped Dr. Amen forgive him for past behaviors.

• Low levels of serotonin are associated with high activity in the anterior cingulate.

Changing Our Brains

• We are not stuck with the brain we have; we can make it better through rehabilitation programs.

• NFL players who underwent rehabilitation showed improvement in brain function.

• Supplements designed for NFL players improved brain function in a mixed martial artist within two and a half hours.

Empathy Through Understanding

• Brain dysfunction may be responsible for negative behaviors that strain relationships.

• Increasing serotonin levels helped Dr. Amen's grandmother become kinder, showing how empathy can come from understanding brain function.

Behavior Change and the Brain

In this section, Dr. Amen discusses how behavior change can be difficult due to established habits in the brain, and how the prefrontal cortex plays a role in inhibiting behavior.

Habits and Pathways in the Brain

• Established habits become deep pathways or ruts in the brain.

• The four-year-old in our head often runs the show when it comes to making decisions based on established habits.

• Cravings are different from wants, and inhibiting behavior is key to changing established habits.

The Prefrontal Cortex

• The prefrontal cortex is responsible for executive function and inhibiting behavior.

• Decreased activity or smaller frontal lobes can lead to poor decision-making and impulsivity.

• ADD is often heritable but can also be caused by traumatic brain injury or psychological trauma.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)

• ACE scores are a measure of childhood traumas that can have long-lasting effects on health outcomes.

• Having four or more ACE's increases the risk of seven of the top 10 leading causes of death, while having six or more shortens lifespan by 20 years.

EMDR Therapy

Dr. Amen discusses his favorite psychotherapy, EMDR, and how it helped his wife overcome past traumas.

What is EMDR Therapy?

• EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.

• It involves a structured process of bringing up the worst trauma while getting the eyes to go back and forth to let the brain direct where it needs to go.

• The bilateral hemisphere stimulation helps dissipate the trauma instead of just talking about it.

How Does EMDR Help?

• Dr. Amen's wife underwent 10 sessions of EMDR therapy which changed the trajectory of her life by helping her move past her past traumas.

• Initially, patients may feel like they are reliving their trauma but it tends to dissipate with time.

• Patients still remember their trauma but it no longer haunts them.

Bright Minds: Preventing Brain Damage

Dr. Amen discusses his mnemonic "Bright Minds" which outlines ways to prevent or treat major risk factors that steal your mind.

Risk Factors That Steal Your Mind

• Bright Minds is a mnemonic that outlines 11 major risk factors that steal your mind.

• B is for blood flow - low blood flow is the number one brain imaging predictor of Alzheimer's disease.

• Low blood flow can be caused by caffeine, nicotine, marijuana, alcohol, sedentary lifestyle, and being overweight.

Caffeine as a Drug

• Caffeine is a drug and the most common drug. It's addictive and increases cortisol which puts fat around your belly and shrinks your hippocampus.

• Caffeine constricts blood flow by 30%, so Dr. Amen has his patients hold caffeine the morning of their scans to avoid artificially showing less blood flow than they really have.

• Cutting caffeine can lead to better energy and clarity, as seen in one patient who was struggling with brain fog and memory issues.

Strategies for a Healthy Brain

In this section, the speaker discusses various strategies to maintain a healthy brain.

Blood Flow and Brain Development

• Long-term restriction of blood flow to the brain through caffeine, marijuana, and other substances has a detrimental impact on brain development.

Retirement and Aging

• Prematurely aging the brain can be caused by dropping out of school or not engaging in new learning. Engaging in new learning helps create new connections in the brain.

• Being in a job that does not require new learning is a risk factor for dementia. Loneliness is also a risk factor for dementia.

Love Your Mouth

• Gum disease is linked to heart disease, depression, and dementia. Flossing regularly can help prevent gum disease and promote good oral health which is critical for maintaining good brain health.

Nutrition

• Eating red meat frequently can increase inflammation which is a root cause of many medical and mental health issues. Eating fish once a week can help increase gray matter in the brain while low levels of omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to smaller brains. The standard American diet consisting of processed foods from gas stations and fast food restaurants should be avoided as they are designed to addict your brain with their perfect crunchiness, meltiness, and aroma created by neuroscientists hired by these companies.

Genetics

• Genes load the gun but it's what we choose to do that pulls the trigger when it comes to our health outcomes including obesity and heart disease prevention programs that focus on lifestyle changes are important even if there's a family history of these conditions.

Head Trauma

• Playing contact sports like football, soccer, rugby, and boxing can increase the risk of brain injury. Texting while walking can also increase the risk of falls and head trauma.

Toxins

• Alcohol is not a health food and marijuana use has been linked to an increased risk of anxiety, depression, suicide, and psychosis in teenagers.

Myelin and Brain Development

In this section, the speaker discusses how myelination affects brain development and how it progresses from infancy to adulthood.

Myelination Progression

• When a neuron becomes myelinated, it becomes 10 to 100 times faster and more efficient.

• Myelination starts in the occipital lobes of infants at around two months old, allowing them to see better.

• Myelination progresses from the back of the brain to the front and is not complete until around age 25.

Damaging Brain Development

• Teenagers who consume unhealthy food or use drugs like marijuana can damage their developing brains.

• The speaker encourages teenagers to treat their brains as a valuable resource by avoiding harmful substances.

• General anesthesia for plastic surgery can also be damaging to the brain.

Hormone Disruptors in Personal Products

In this section, the speaker discusses hormone disruptors found in personal products and how they can affect testosterone levels.

Testosterone Levels

• There is an epidemic of low testosterone levels in young males due to hormone disruptors found in personal products.

• The speaker recommends using apps like Think Dirty or EWG to scan personal products for harmful ingredients.

Mental Health and Immunity

In this section, the speaker discusses how mental health affects immunity and infections.

Negativity's Impact on Brain Function

• Negative thoughts increase stress and decrease activity in the cerebellum, which can lead to confusion.

• The speaker encourages people to focus on positive thoughts and avoid predicting the worst.

Immunity and Infections

• People with low vitamin D levels are more likely to die from COVID-19 and other illnesses.

Vitamin D and Toxins

In this section, Dr. Amen discusses the benefits of vitamin D supplements and the impact of toxins on our health.

Vitamin D Supplements

• A prospective study showed that taking vitamin D supplements can decrease the risk of getting Alzheimer's disease by 40%.

• There are tens of thousands of studies on vitamin D and its impact, with darker-skinned individuals needing more sun exposure.

• It is important to get your vitamin D levels measured through a blood test and optimize it either by getting more sun or taking vitamin D3 with vitamin K2.

Impact of Toxins

• Environmental toxins can have an impact on our hormone levels, leading to issues such as sexless relationships and other hormone-related problems.

• Cosmetic products in our daily lives can influence our hormone levels, causing a decline in testosterone levels by about 50% over the last 20 years.

• The book "The Toxin Solution" by Joe Pizzorno provides a comprehensive overview of how toxins affect our health.

Hormones, Sleep, and Airbnb

In this section, Dr. Amen talks about the importance of hormones for brain health and how hormone replacement therapy can be helpful. He also discusses tips for improving sleep and the negative effects of caffeine, light, noise, and glucose on sleep. Lastly, he mentions how Airbnb can be a great way to earn extra income.

Importance of Hormones

• It is recommended to check hormone levels every year including DHEA testosterone thyroid estrogen and progesterone for women.

• Women have a higher incidence of Alzheimer's disease partly because their brains are used to having estrogen. When they go through menopause and don't have estrogen blood flow in their brain drops which puts them at greater risk for things like dementia.

• Hormone replacement therapy can be super helpful for people who need it.

Tips for Improving Sleep

• Three things to improve sleep: care about it, avoid things that hurt your sleep, do things that promote it.

• Things that hurt sleep include caffeine (especially if consumed later in the day), warm or noisy rooms with light (especially blue light), and eating before bed (which impairs blood pressure dip).

Airbnb as a Way to Earn Extra Income

• Dr. Amen loves using Airbnb as a way to cover bills while away from home.

• Your current property could potentially earn more than you think on Airbnb while you're not there.

No timestamps were provided for the discussion on Tana finding a pocket poodle in Northern California or the mention of perimenopause.

Tips for Better Sleep

In this section, the speaker provides tips for better sleep.

Rituals for Better Sleep

• The speaker recommends having a ritual before bed, such as saying a prayer and reflecting on positive things that happened during the day.

• Reflecting on positive things helps set dreams up to be more positive and increases happiness levels.

Brain Types and Happiness

In this section, the speaker discusses brain types and how they relate to happiness.

Understanding Brain Types

• There are 16 different brain types, with five primary types: balanced, spontaneous, persistent, sensitive, and cautious.

• Knowing your brain type can help you understand where you may struggle with happiness and how to work on it in relationships with others who have different brain types.

Examples of Brain Types

• Balanced people tend to have healthy brains and need basic foundational support.

• Spontaneous people are creative but can be impulsive and easily distracted. They love novelty and surprises.

• Persistent people are like "a dog with a bone" - they stay with things. They prefer routine over surprises.

Opposites Attract?

• While opposites may attract initially, differences in brain types can lead to conflict in relationships.

• A study showed that 80% of couples who failed marital therapy had one or both partners who needed a "brain tune-up."

Brain Scans and Successful Marriages

In this section, Dr. Amen talks about how he used brain scans to help a couple save their marriage and how he wouldn't marry someone without seeing their brain.

Using Brain Scans to Save a Marriage

• Dr. Amen used brain scans to help a couple save their marriage.

• The wife's frontal lobes worked too hard, which led to OCD tendencies.

• Dr. Amen put the husband on Ritalin and the wife on Prozac.

• After taking medication for a month, the couple learned important skills like responsibility, empathy, listening, assertiveness, grace, forgiveness that helped them stay married for 33 years.

Seeing Your Partner's Brain Before Marriage

• Dr. Amen says he wouldn't marry someone unless he saw their brain first.

• He met his wife Tana in 2006 and scanned her brain within weeks of meeting her.

Pairing Brains for Optimal Relationships

• There is no clear correlation between pairing brains for optimal relationships.

• Balanced brains tend to do well in relationships.

• Spontaneous types need partners who keep their dopamine flowing.

• Cautious persistent types tend to do well because they think about other people's feelings.

• Sensitive types make great therapists but are prone to depression due to high levels of stress.

• Fortune-telling ants can lead sensitive types into conspiracy theories.

Understanding Your Brain and Hiring to Cover Your Vulnerabilities

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of understanding your brain type and hiring people to cover your vulnerabilities. He also talks about disassociating from your brain and managing your thoughts.

Brain Types and Hiring

• Business leaders should know their strengths, vulnerabilities, and hire people to cover their weaknesses.

• Spontaneous business leaders should not hire spontaneous assistants as it can lead to stress and chaos.

• It's important to hire individuals who are calmer, more organized, and risk-aware if you tend to be a risk-taker.

Disassociating from Your Brain

• The speaker suggests giving your brain a name so that you can have a conversation with it. This helps create psychological distance from the noise in your head.

• Separating yourself from your thoughts allows you to manage them better. You can accept or reject what your brain says without attaching to it.

• Thoughts are just creations of neuronal function. Just because you have a thought doesn't mean it's true or helpful.

Managing Your Thoughts

• The frontal lobe should evaluate whether a thought is helpful or not. Pursue helpful thoughts and stay away from unhelpful ones.

• Writing down what you want in different areas of life (relationships, work, money, health) tells your brain what you want.

Intention and Sleep

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of intention and sleep in achieving success.

Importance of Intention and Sleep

• Having a plan for your life or business is important.

• Making sleep a priority is crucial to avoid being spontaneous. Lack of sleep can also lead to low blood sugar levels, which can cause problems.

• Eating right is essential. A ketogenic diet works well for spontaneous people, while a low simple carbohydrate diet works better for persistent types.

• Exercise, especially intense aerobic exercise, boosts dopamine levels. Simple supplements like l-tyrosine or focus and energy supplements can help with focus without causing overstimulation.

Conversation Cards

In this section, the speaker introduces conversation cards that are designed to foster connection between people.

Conversation Cards

• The conversation cards contain questions written by previous guests on the show.

• The cards have QR codes that link to videos of previous guests answering the questions.

• The guest picks a card at random and answers the question on it.

Mistakes and Apologies

In this section, the speaker talks about mistakes he has made in his life and how he has dealt with them.

Mistakes and Apologies

• The guest is asked what mistake he has made that he has been scared to address or reconcile.

• Firing people was something that was hard for him to do but realized it was necessary as a CEO.

• The guest is asked what brain type he has, and he responds that he is a balanced type with vulnerabilities in being persistent and cautious.

• The guest picks another card at random and is asked who the person he would most like to say sorry to but hasn't.

• The guest talks about his father, who died three years ago. He was angry with him for a long time but realized that he provided stability in his life. He wishes he had apologized for holding onto negativity.

Mental Health Industry

In this section, the speaker discusses the mental health industry and its shortcomings.

Mental Health Industry

• The speaker believes that the mental health industry is insane and needs to be reformed.

Psychiatry and Brain Health

In this section, the speaker talks about the importance of brain health and how it is affected by psychiatric medication. He also recommends a book on the topic.

Importance of Brain Health

• The brain is the driving force behind all decisions.

• It's important to love and treat your brain with respect.

• A book on brain health can help spread awareness.

Book Recommendation

• "Xanax or Valium" by Daniel Carlat is recommended.

• The book sheds light on a previously unknown area of mental health.

• The book leaves a message of loving and treating your brain well.

Nutrition for Busy Schedules

In this section, the speaker talks about his experience with Huel, a nutritional drink that has helped him stay healthy despite his busy schedule.

Huel Experience

• The speaker has been drinking Huel for four years.

• He invested in the company and plays a role on its board.

• Huel sponsored this podcast and believed in it before it launched.

Benefits of Huel

• Huel helps maintain nutritional balance during busy schedules.

• Listeners are encouraged to try out Huel and share their thoughts.

Blue Jeans Video Conferencing Tool

In this section, the speaker talks about Blue Jeans, an online video conferencing tool that he uses for meetings.

Blue Jeans Features

• Blue Jeans is an online video conferencing tool.

• It offers high-quality video and audio with no glitches.

• Blue Jeans Basic is a free version of the tool that includes immersive video experiences and high-fidelity audio.

Benefits of Blue Jeans

• The speaker uses Blue Jeans for meetings with his team.

• Listeners are encouraged to check out Blue Jeans and share their thoughts.