Steven Bartlett - Daniel Amen

1) Dr. Daniel Amen, a clinical neuroscientist, talks about how most psychiatric illnesses are not mental illnesses but brain health issues. He believes that re-imagining mental health as brain health changes everything. He also mentions that there are simple things people can do to keep their brain healthy, such as engaging in new learning, eating fish, flossing, avoiding drugs and alcohol, and playing football. Additionally, he discusses the ACE quiz, which assesses the most common childhood traumas and how having four or more increase one's risk of the top 10 leading causes of death. Dr. Amen explains that there's something that can be done to change this and that he would help his patients through it.

2) Amen explains that most psychiatric illnesses are not mental illnesses, but brain health issues. He believes that if the brain is healthy, the mind tends to follow, and this completely changes the way he approaches his work as a psychiatrist. He also states that many mental health conditions are misdiagnosed as there is no understanding of what the root cause is. He explains that the brain is involved in everything we do, and it is the organ of intelligence, character, and every decision that is made.

3) Amen explains that the physical functioning of the brain and body is the first of four big circles that need to be assessed to optimize mental health, followed by psychology and the quality of the mind,what is going on in an individual's social circle, and then their deepest sense of meaning and purpose in the spiritual circle. He also mentions some high-profile clients, such as Bella Hadid, Miley Cyrus, and Justin Bieber and how he is a celebrity psychiatrist. He mentions that if one's brain is not healthy, doing therapy is not nearly as effective as first getting the brain right and then doing therapy.

4) Dr. Amen emphasizes the importance of maintaining good brain health through proper nutrition, avoiding toxins, and establishing healthy habits. He argues that we are all living in a constant war where things such as bad food, negative news, and addictive gadgets are trying to harm us. He stresses the significance of having a healthy brain to succeed in all aspects of life and explains how the habits of others such as smoking during pregnancy can impact one's brain health.

5) Amen discusses the connection between one's self-worth and decision-making abilities, particularly in regard to making choices that positively impact one's long-term health outcomes. He cites several studies, including the famous marshmallow test, which found that children who were better able to delay gratification had higher self-esteem and greater success across a variety of areas. Another study found that people who were conscientious tended to live the longest, while those who had a nonchalant attitude and did not take things seriously were more likely to die early from preventable illnesses and accidents.

6) Amen shares a personal story about his father who had belittled his son for advocating a healthy lifestyle for years. His father had always resisted Dr. Amen's advice until he experienced depression caused by illness, which made him realize that he needed to change. He persisted in helping his father and modeled the message of a healthy lifestyle, and his father finally listened, got healthier, and lived his last five years in lovewith his brain and body. He emphasized that although we may not get the recognition we want from those we care about, we need to stay consistent and model the behavior we want to see in ourselves and others.

7) Amen, a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, shares his personal experience of being ostracized by his colleagues after he began using brain imaging in his practice, which didn't align with the diagnostic orthodoxy. However, his perspective changed when his nine-year-old nephew, who showed violent behavior, was found to have a cyst in his left temporal lobe.

8) Amen talks about the importance of forgiveness and how it could lead to greater happiness. He states that forgiveness is a giftthat one can give altruistically to someone who has hurt them. He also shares a personal experience with his father, who initially refused to undergo brainscans but eventually agreed to it. They found that his anterior cingulate,the brain's gear shifter, was busy and that he could take supplements to calmit down and be more flexible. He believes that our brains are not fixed and canbe changed, which is the hopeful message of his life's work.

9) Amen talks about his experience with brain dysfunctions and how it affects behavior. He highlights the importance ofunderstanding that bad behavior could be a consequence of a brain dysfunction or mood disorder and gives an example of how medication helped his grandmother become a kinder person. He talks about how bad habits could lead to ruts in the brain and make behavior change difficult. He believes that some people are run by the four-year-old in their head and refers to the prefrontal cortex as the CEO of the brain. He states that decreased activity in the frontal lobes could lead to people making poor decisions, and he backs this up with thefindings of a study in Holl and showing that an elimination diet could reduce the symptoms of ADD. He concludes that brain dysfunctions are heritable, but environmental factors can exacerbate them.

10) Amen talks about how the brain structures of children can resemble either parent or neither in the case of incompatibility. He also delves into the topic of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which are 10 of the most common childhood traumas that can affect an individual's risk of developing physical and mental complications. Dr. Amen's wife also wrote a book about her experience with ACEs, which can increase one's risk of developing seven of the top 10 leading causes of death. Dr. Amen explains that childhood traumas can affect the brain structure of an individual and that EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) therapy can be used to help alleviate the effects of these traumas. EMDR therapy involves retelling the worst traumas while moving the eyes to direct the brain where it needs to go, and this process can help the individual dissipate the trauma.

11) Amen talks about how the Brain SPECT imaging helps with therapy and takes it to a whole different level. He says that it can help alleviate trauma as if someone did magic mushrooms without any side effects. He also discusses his mnemonic called "Bright Minds," which lists the most significant risk factors that cause brain damage or Alzheimer's disease, such as low blood flow, which caffeine can cause by 30%. Dr. Amen recommends avoiding caffeine as it is an addictive drug that blocks the chemical telling the body to sleep and increases cortisol. He talks about his patient Jeff, who gets his energy from 600mg of caffeine daily (two Venti Starbucks), and how difficult it was for him to cut caffeine, but it gave him clarity and unbelievable energy without any withdrawal symptoms.

12) Amen explains how the brain undergoes wild development from the ages of 15 to 25 and how myelin helps increase efficiency. However, many teenagers today are damaging their brains through unhealthy food, drugs, and alcohol - essentially throwing poison into the "construction zone." Marijuana is not innocuous, and teenage users have an increased risk of anxiety, depression, suicide, and psychosis.

13) Dr. Amen discusses the impact of environmental toxins on our bodies, particularly cosmetic products that may influence our hormone levels. He recommends reading "The Toxin Solution" by Joe Pisorno or the toxin section in his own book "The End of Mental Illness" which includes over a hundred scientific references. Dr. Amen emphasizes that before labeling something "pseudoscience," one should do their own research by visiting pubmed.gov.

14) Amen recommends checking hormone levels frequently to ensure that they are balanced. Women, in particular, should check progesterone levels as it drops about 10 years before menopause, which can cause anxiety, sleep disorders, and irritability. Hormones are crucial for brain function, and if they are not balanced, the risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia can increase. The doctor advocates for hormone replacement therapy to help individuals who need it. Additionally, to improve sleep, he suggests avoiding things that are known to impair sleep, such as caffeine, light, noise, and eating before bedtime.

15) Amen talks about a study he conducted called the "couples from Hell study," where he scanned 500 couples who had failed marital therapy but still wanted to be together. He remembers one couple, Gary and Judy, who were always in chronic conflict and hated each other, which was not good for their children. After months of not making progress with them, Dr. Amen decided to scan their brains and found that her frontal lobes worked way too hard and she had OCD tendencies; he put her on Prozac and him on Ritalin. They learned responsibility, empathy, listening, assertiveness, grace,and forgiveness, their brains were able to process it right, and after 33 years, they were still married and didn't see therapists anymore. Dr. Amen also talks about how important it is to see someone's brain before marrying them since he believes it is more important than seeing them naked.

16) Dr. Amen shares his personal experience of naming his mind after his pet raccoon and putting it in a cage, and then tickling or cuddling it to calm his mind. By separating from our thoughts, we can focus on the present and step outside of our minds. Balancing the brain type is another important aspect and can be done without drugs by writing down what we want and making sleep a priority. Low blood sugar is another issue that needs attention to improve the quality of thoughts.

17) Dr. Amen shares some advice on improving diet, exercise and supplements that can help boost dopamine and focus. He recommends low simple carbohydrate or ketogenic diets for spontaneous people, while cautioning that these diets are not suitable for persistent types. He also shares his own experience with firing people and his struggles with it.