What's up, everyone? You have heard us week after we gush about volume and I'm going to tell you why it is so important. We've already seen great changes within ourselves once using this product and it's so easy. And the reason why it's so important is because chronic illness affects all of us in one way or another it's our loved ones or it's ourselves and that's suffering from diabetes or obesity autoimmune disease depression anxiety, all of these things that we're learning more and more about and they're actually starting inside of our gut and it's oftentimes College by the food that we're eating. So why I have i-i'm is so cool is that it actually test the microbiome in your gut and lets you know, what foods you should be eating and what foods you should be avoiding and it's just revolutionising the way that we can be our healthiest selves. And for the first time ever by them is now available for 139 for Are Better Together family, which is so exciting because it will really change everything that you know about food and what you're eating so go to VM.com together, that's VI om e.com / together, they will All you okay, and you just do this quick little test you send it back and they give you all your results in the easiest way and we can't wait to hear how it's benefiting you. So keep us updated. I'm on a journey to get better and I want to do it with you and I'm not just focusing on physical health. I'm focusing on everything emotional Wellness spirituality finances relationships and so much more every week. It will be my personal goal to bring us the world's leading healers experts and game-changers to our groundbreaking secrets and tips to getting better in all areas of life. Getting better isn't easy, but it's a whole lot easier together. Welcome to better together with me Maria Menounos. Happy Monday everybody. Welcome back. We are back in Los Angeles. Well, I'm back in Los Angeles finally here at AfterBuzz TV studios broadcasting from from here not from my Connecticut living room or library or we're very did some of our patreon episodes. I have very little voice. Unfortunately. This is my sexy voice. Yes didn't sound sexy yesterday yesterday. I sounded like Minnie Mouse and it was really embarrassing actually because I was in coffee. In getting a tea and for some reason every police officer in town was in there. And so I went up to order and I struck struck up a conversation with the officer I said, hey is this like the new headquarters what's going on? And he's like, no. I just wanted to buy coffee for all my team. I said, oh that's amazing. I'm like Let Me by I'm like, I'd love to buy for you guys. You keep us safe. Thank you so much. And he's like no. No, this is my tree for them. And I go to know I'd love to treat you guys and then we're like having this fight and I go wait. I don't want to ruin your treat. No, so if it's that kind of thing, then you do this. I'll get you next time. But I'm like, I swear I don't sound like this normally just so you know, normally you have a really like much better voice than this I go right now. I sound really like Minnie Mouse that's really cute, but forgive me everybody. Being under the weather our quote of the day the 18 to 40 to 60 rule. Oh boy. Okay at 18. You can care at 18. You care what everyone thinks at 40 you don't care what anyone thinks I don't really think I'm there yet shit 41 and I still kind of care kind of it's not all out of me. Yeah, it's not that bad. Okay, and it's 60 you realize no one ever cared about what you thought. Thought they were busy worrying about themselves. Dr. Daniel Amen who happens to Be Our Guest today bring up that problem with him. I know well I had the unfortunate grooming. Let's say of having it really embedded into my system that I had to care what everybody else thought of me. So unwinding all that training is you know is a thing. Yeah, you've made so much progress though. Have thank you for noticing again. I will call back to the fact that I'm sick. I realized I get sick once a year now and I fight it like hell and sometimes it will be a little more so than others like last year at our Christmas holiday party for AfterBuzz. I was ill and had lost my voice and so I rolled into our party this week as well last on Friday and had no voice again. It's like I can't go to my holiday parties ever and have fun. I'm always sick and I remember going to the doctor and Saturday morning and he was like, well, I really would love to give you a different antibiotic, but you're allergic to penicillin. He's like, I don't like giving you see packs all the time. I'm like, but I'm never sick doctor and he's like well last year actually at this very time you were and I was like, you're right. I really was I remember one year ago. Oh, yeah because of the Christmas party. Yeah, so I Bird when I was at the Holiday party this year that it felt familiar that I was sick last year the must be the weather change. Yeah, I think says everyone I know is sick right now. Well, I also think when you're running hard and life when you know, like the holidays are upon you like maybe that's kind of also you're starting to also load your stuff up with holiday parties and other things and I don't know. I don't know what the hell I'm saying. I'm medicated people. I have antibiotics in my system. I got Chloraseptic sitting over here. I keep having these crazy coughing fits that are like violent and really not good and I think because of the remaining tumor I have it's even worse because it affects my nerves around my face. And so I feel now like I have an elephant foot in the back of my mouth in moments. Imagine this massive foot, but it's like where your molar is. It's so crazy. I sure yes. Oh, it's the creepiest feeling in the world. So yeah, so yesterday I had a secret project. I was working on in the morning and I couldn't move it. I was in bed and a lot of times I can't stay in bed. I've ants in my pants. But this time I really needed to stay in bed. I wasn't feeling well, but I had no choice I had to go and I kept it short for My Little Secret project that's coming up. And I made it back home and got in a bed for the rest of the day and the rest of the night. So I think I could be a lot worse right now. Had I not yeah rested of yourself. So and you have another busy day today. Yeah, but when did you first meet? Dr. Raymond? Okay, so, dr. Ayman, like most people I don't remember and only here. Would appreciate that because he's a brain doctor and he's seen my skins and he knows that my brain needs a little hope. Let's see. How do I know doctor? Amen? I mean, I know I met him interviewing him for this show trying to think of who connected us. Maybe Kelly noon and Gore has but I really I really loved his approach to things and we went and scan my brain and he Told me where I needed to do some work and I've been applying the things so I do look forward to getting a second scan to see the progress. But I love what he's been doing in the Alzheimer's area. He's doing a documentary with Leeza Gibbons and the reversing of The approaching Alzheimer's that she was she was en route to Alzheimer's and it's in her family and they've reversed a lot of its progress with his protocols and they've been filming this. So I think he's pretty incredible. Of course, he works with the NFL concussion protocols and he's pretty gangster and and this new book the end of mental illness. I thought was really important because he wants to reframe the discussion from To health to brain health and I think that's really important because all of the stigmas really prevent people from getting help and a lot of people are confused by mental illness, right or brain health. They don't know what to do and it's it is it's a really hard thing the brain I know just from my my little experiences with brain tumors. It's really hard to predict. It's not one size fits all and and his approach. Is really interesting and I think it's going to really change the game because we have to too many people are being misdiagnosed too many people are getting on medications that perhaps are doing them more harm than good. And he's had so many case studies that have proven that there are other ways to kind of skin. This cat. I don't like that term because I don't like thinking of skinning a cat. So I don't know why I just said that but Do you know what I'm saying? Yeah, we all know someone Minnie Mouse hates cats. That's why yeah, so passive-aggressive being mini. I think I just channeled her. That's so messed up guys the book which comes out in March 2020. So and we'll put the link everywhere. It was so crazy that I haven't thought about it the way that he thinks about it and the fact that we have so many people around us who have been diagnosed with depression. Ian in the ones listed mainly depression anxiety PTSD add I know probably over a hundred people of diagnosed with one of them and if you look at the model of how psychiatrists are supposed to diagnose you, it doesn't even make sense. It's the most simple thing for the most complicated complicated thing which is our brains. So in the way he approaches I can't wait for you to talk to him about it because it just makes a lot more sense to approach people with like what are you eating? What are Daily habits, what's your mentality like all those things that you just don't really think about you're just like, oh, I feel bad. So I must be depressed. Well, and again, these are the not so exciting ways to attack stuff right because it requires a lot of dedication a lot of tough sacrifices, you know, he's going to take you down a Clean Diet path and that's not that fun for people trust me. I was in bed last night wasn't feeling good. And I was like, oh, I really wish we had Some snacks honey. And so we're thinking do we get donuts do we get pancakes? Do we get to Rito's? What do we get? Luckily? We were both too lazy to do anything and luckily. I still couldn't find anything on Postmates that made me excited. So we ended up with some coconut yogurt and an apple. Okay, that was a much better choice, but you know, it's easier to take a pill and want it to be done with but I know of a very good friend of mine who went to the doctor. Because he was talking to other friends and they're like you have ADD that's why you know, these things were happening to you caught on Adderall and was feeling amazing like crushing the game doing triple the work that he would ever do and all of a sudden started having these massive Lowe's and literally like not wanting to live it was really bad and getting sick and his friend was like, it's the Adderall and he flushed down the toilet. and a and that was it and he got definitely better but it's you know, it's kind of crazy how quick we are to just throw these different medications that people yeah and my one friend right now who they tried to prescribe but with a bunch of antidepressants and that is the only solution sometimes and I'm definitely not saying it's not but a lot of times that easier way of taking a pill that can Back to you in such a greater way like a mute your personality as opposed to just doing a little bit of the harder work in the beginning if you can if it makes sense for you and your body then that just reaps way longer benefits and you get to keep what's yours? Yeah. I mean it's hard, you know, everybody's different some people need it. Yeah, but I think dr. Raymond's going to be able to teach us a lot today. So let me tell you a little bit about His background so the Washington Post called. Dr. Daniel Amen the most popular psychiatrist in America and discover magazine listed his brain Imaging research as the top Neuroscience story for 2015. He's double board certified psychiatrist 10 time 10-time New York Times bestselling author with Blockbuster books, like change Your Brain Change Your Life healing add memory rescue and so many more in March 20 20 Book the end of mental illness which were talking about today will be published and we're going to be talking with him today, of course about that. So many of us are dealing with or know someone with mental illness, but what if the way we are being diagnosed is all wrong. Dr. Ayman is changing the way we are diagnosed and most importantly the way we can heal. So without further Ado let's chat with dr. Daniel Amen. Hey, everyone its Steph. If you're listening to this podcast, you've probably thought once or twice hey, Hey, I think I want to make a podcast too, and I have great news for you guys. I want to tell you about anchor it's the easiest way to make a podcast for a few reasons first and foremost. It's free. They have a bunch of tools that allow you to record and edit your podcast right from your phone or your computer. They distribute your podcast for you. So can be heard on Spotify Apple podcast and so much more you can make money from your podcast with no minimum listenership. It's everything you need to make a podcast in one place. So download the free anchor app or go to Anchor dot f m To get started. Dr. Raymond. Thank you so much for being on the show again. Hi Maria. What a joy to see you. Thank you. You're in Costa Mesa. I am our biggest Clinic where we get to do all the fun things we do. So what is the difference between Costa Mesa has clinic and all the other ones that you have? Well, it's about four times the size. But all the clinics do all the things we do from the Imaging work to things like hyperbaric oxygen helping people have brains and Better Lives. I love it. You know, this book isn't coming out for a few months, but we got our hands on the you know, the advanced copy and I really think you're going to To make major changes in this Arena which is obviously the goal of this book because you want to reframe the discussion you want to reframe how people discuss mental illness and you hate the word in fact mental illness and psychiatric disorders. So ever since I have been a psychiatrist, so I decided 40 years ago to be a psychiatrist after someone I love tried to kill herself and I brought her to see a wonderful psychiatrist and I came to realize if he helped her win just help her it would help her family. It would help her children, even her grandchildren as they would be shaped by someone who was happier and more stable, but I hated the term mental illness because what we deal. Our brain illnesses and if you don't separate those two things people think well, it's your fault you can snap out of it, but nobody thinks that of heart disease or cancer or have diabetes. And when I started looking at the brain in the late 80s, I'm like, these are brain issues. They are brain issues that steal your mind and Psychiatry hasn't decreased. Stigma one bit since the late 1970s when I decided to be a psychiatrist and it's time we do that and we do it by changing the discussion plus it's more accurate and not only does it decrease stigma people see their problems is medical and not moral. So it decreases shame and guilt it increases compliance and the thing I love the most This increases forgiveness and compassion from their families if we can see these as medical and not a choice on your part and so often and I went to a Christian medical school. I went to Oral Roberts University and many people there. It's like well you're depressed because you have sin in your life or you're depressed because you made bad decisions. And when I started looking at the brand I went no your Press because you had a brain injury or you're depressed because you have Lyme disease or you're depressed because you work in a toxic Factory that it's just so much more complicated than people think and so the end of mental illness is really about changing the Paradigm. And and what I've also seen is if you have better brain habits. You feel better you focus better your anxieties less and so the end of mental illness really is going to begin with a revolution in brain health. I love that. I love medical not moral because it's so easy in our culture to disregard people and say, oh they're just crazy. They're never going to get better and when you think about it as brain health now you think there could be a solution right there. There are solutions for diabetes and heart problems and thyroid issues. And so when you think about it like that there was hope but when you think about it as a mental illness the stigmas that are around that make it seemed so hopeless and and that their lesser or they shouldn't be a part of our society. I mean, it's really sad. It's really sad what happens I'm doing a program with the Newport Beach Police Department for six months of creating a brain healthy police department. And what we know about police officers is they have double the risk of suicide is the general population. I mean that really should just horrify us all and they're in a chronically stressful job. But to raise their hand and go help me. I'm anxious or help me sad or help me. I'm not sleeping or help me. My marriage is crumbling they often believe they're the helpers and that they should not need help and that's just not a helpful mindset what I tell them. I'm like look if you're a business person and your business was having And you denied it was having trouble your business is likely to become bankrupt and If you deny you have problems, you know, you may end up with an addiction lose your job lose your marriage. So getting people to say, oh, I want a better brain is so much more palatable than saying my mind is broken help me. Yeah also with the police officers They're in fight or flight constantly. So I'm sure that has a huge impact on the brain, right? No question that it actually Reef. It remodels their brain to make it always looking for trouble now at some point they need to be looking for trouble. So when they're on duty they need to be aware, but they don't need that when they go home and they're dealing with their teenage child. And so I talked to them about how to shift from this. Stay to that so being hyper-vigilant when you need it and then being able to shift away from it when you don't I remember when you scan my brain. That was one of the things that popped up for me because I'm always I've always been in fight or flight. So that's why I knew that about them. You dedicated this. I'm pretty sure if I remember correctly to your nieces, right? I did. Yeah, she spent the night with me last night Alizee who's 14 and almost 15 and family who's 10 they are loaded for mental illness. They have a family history of schizophrenia bipolar disorder addictions depression and but you know, I always say genes only load the gun. It's your behavior. What happens do you that Holds the trigger and unfortunately for them they were also raised in chaos with parents who suffered with addictions domestic violence depression and then about four years ago. They were taken by Child Protective Services into foster care. And at the time I had actually not seen them since they were very little because their mother and my wife were estranged from each other because of their moms drug abuse, but When I heard they were in foster care was actually the worst week of my marriage because I'm like, well, we have to go get them. That's not yeah and I wife. It's like you're gonna invite crazy into your life. Well, you know, I'm a psychiatrist. I've been dealing with crazy for a very long time and but what we decided to do was wrapped services around her mother really help her beat her addiction. And then on Mother's Day 2017. She got the kids back and then I adopted all three of them and and the end of mental illness is how do we eliminate mental illness in these girls and in their babies and grandbabies and this, you know, I've written 40 books. This one is my favorite because it's just right in the center of my purpose. I think one of the things that I loved about that story was that it seemed like such a quick turnaround, you know, someone who's got that many issues that they're dealing with and within what two years they're able to get their kids back and then the kids fared really well, they're a students and in doing so well what what were the things that you did for all three of them to get them better? So, you know, I talked about it in the book, you know, I think of people always and for big circles that there we all have a biology. So what's going on in their brain, you know, so for example, the mom had a DD. She also had that was never treated. She also had a very interesting visual processing disorder called the irlen syndrome IRL He and that's what be wise any yes, anyone who has headaches or can't concentrate. They're irritable their light-sensitive. They should be screened for this thing called irlen, and she had been in 19 car accident. So, you know, she was dealing with traumatic brain injury, but it's like why are you in 19 car accidents? And it was because of the visual processing problem, so So getting the mom ride and into a 12-step program, which has been very helpful for her. And then when I scan the kids it was actually a surprise. The the older one Alize is very bright, but she was really struggling with focus and in school and she had a terribly low blood flow scam. I'm like, why does her brain look so bad and I put her in a hyperbaric chamber. Her and gave her some supplements to really boost blood flow to her brain and she was her eighth grade graduation speaker. I mean, I like cried the whole time and the little one had a brain that was working way too hard that being taken by child protective service and being raised in a home of substance abusers, which is very common 60 million people in America grew up in either alcoholic or drug affected homes. And it traumatized you her brain was her emotional brain was just on fire and so balancing their brains and then teaching them. So that's the biological Circle. The psychological circle is teaching you not to believe every stupid thing you think and so I call it killing the ants the automatic negative thoughts that steal your mind and so working. On those helped actually have a children's book called Captain snout in the superpower questions and I had fun reading it to them. Then there's a Social Circle which is making sure they have a roof over their head making sure that we have more effective parenting techniques than yelling or Screaming. So getting the social environment right making sure they're in school. Owls that serve their needs and then there's this spiritual Circle which not very many psychiatrists talk about but I'm absolutely convinced. We all have souls. We all have a spiritual part to us. And so what is your deepest sense of meaning and purpose? Why are you on the planet and working with them taking them to church with us having them? know that the trauma is just it's not just about them that we can take the trauma and I talk in the book about something called post-traumatic growth only about 10% of people who go through a trauma develop PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder, but about another 10% actually take that trauma and become better that they actually realize that they can Survive that they can survive other things as well that they can see new possibilities and so working at it at biologically psychologically socially and spiritually that's really how we end mental illness. And the problem is today people are getting psychiatric drugs and seven-minute office visits going you have a chemical imbalance take this and completely ignoring three. Of the four circles that cause mental health challenge. I want to talk about that because you have said that medication can be Insidious and of course in a way where it's addictive right you bet and it can also change your brain to need them in order to feel normal. So when is medication good and when is medication not so good and how does the The everyday person identify that for their family member or for themselves because there aren't a million. Dr. Raymond's right? There's only one doctor. Amen. If they can't get to you how do they figure this out with the population of doctors that exist that maybe aren't caught up. Well, that's the reason I write I mean besides I love writing I write so that I can take what I've learned and give it away. And so so let's start with I am not opposed to psychiatric medication. I absolutely think they have a place but it should never never be the first and only thing you do and that's basically what's happening 85% of Psychiatric drugs are prescribed by non psychiatric Physicians or nurse practitioners or physician assistants in seven-minute office visits. And when you start something most people don't know that many of them are very hard to stop and that they change your brain. That's what I meant by being Insidious. They change your brain to need them in order for you to feel normal. So in the end of mental illness I actually talked about well, what are the things you should do before you go on an antidepressant head-to-head against antidepressants exercise has been shown to be equally effective. So walk like you're late 45 minutes four times a week. So first thing I love that walk like the late head-to-head against antidepressants omega-3 fatty acids have been found to be equally effective take 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids a day. Head-to-head against antidepressants learning how to not believe every stupid thing. You think we call it killing the ants will you explain that fact, will you explain Kelly has automatic negative thoughts the thoughts that come into your mind automatically and ruin your day in second grade. They should have taught you that whenever you feel sad or mad or nervous or out of control write down what you're thinking. And then ask yourself. If it's true, can you absolutely know if it's true and I have eight different kinds of ants like just the bad ants where you're only focusing on what's wrong rather than seeing the big picture of the things that are wrong. But also the things that are right or fortune-telling ants where you're predicting things are going to turn out badly or labeling and swear you label yourself or someone else with a negative term. He's a jerk. She's cold, you know. Ever it is because whenever you label somebody you lump them with all the people that were jerks and you can't deal with them anymore. And so labeling is very destructive. And and I've just found and other researchers have found that when we teach you how to manage your mind how to discipline your mind you're way less depressed. And so one of the first techniques I give my patients is I I want a hundred of your worst thoughts and then I'll teach you how to get rid of them. And when you shine a light on the ants, you know, they scatter and the problem with ants is they infest things and they link so one and two I can't speak in public. Very common Aunt will link to I won't get the job which that Aunt will then link to I won't be able to pay my rent which And links to I'm going to be homeless which then links to my wife's going to divorce me and all of a sudden just because you're anxious about a presentation. You see yourself homeless and divorced and learning how to break up. Those ads is a skill. I believe we should teach all children because it'll help decrease depression. Hey everybody Steven here from the booth. Sorry to interrupt for a second, but I have to tell you about Spotify on Spotify. You can listen to all your Favorite artists and podcasts in one place for free you don't even need a premium account Spotify as a huge catalogue of podcasts on every topic including Better Together, which I'm hoping you're listening to right now on Spotify. You can follow your favorite podcast. So you never miss an episode premium users can download episodes to listen to offline wherever you are and you can easily share what you're listening to with your friends on Instagram. Remember Marie always says to be nice people make good choices and be present and one of the things you can do presently is make a good choice to go download the Spotify app and search for better to Other you can browse other podcasts in the your library Tab and you can make sure to follow us here. So you don't miss an episode of better together. And so before the antidepressant exercise omega-3 fatty acids learning how to discipline your mind and then if and then we need to make sure your thyroids. Okay, we need to make sure you don't have inflammation in your body, which is a very common cause of depression and dementia. So looking at things like your C reactive protein a measure of inflammation or your omega-3 index. It's just really important and the heart if you will of the end of mental illness is if you want to keep your brain healthy or rescue it if it's headed to the dark place, you have to prevent or treat the 11 major risk factors that steal your mind and that's where I think is causing the Fidelma cries and mental health issues. So the timing of this interview is great because last week we were talking about your gut microbiome and how it affects everything in the vagus nerve that takes it up to the brain and how the brain and depression and all of these illnesses even Alzheimer's are really connected to the gut. I want you to explain to people from your perspective how important diet is for brain health. So there's this fascinating study from Australia where researchers looked at two outer Islands one had fast food restaurants the other one didn't they measured their omega-3 index. So Omega 3s compared to Omega 6 is in your body the island without fast food restaurants had significantly higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their bloodstream. And 5 times less the level of depression. So the island with fast food restaurants low Omega-3s five times the incidence of depression. It's the food food is so important and one of my favorite writing devices in the end of mental illness. There's a whole section called if I was an evil ruler and I wanted to create that's it Erica. So this is like the Side of me how would I do that? And I would create the food system we have here in the United States where we have many food deserts where a lot of children. They actually don't know what vegetables are. I mean, it's truly horrifying that fast food has really overrun us and I think that's part of the epidemic rise. Eyes of mental health problems. I published two studies on weight. That showed is your weight goes up the actual physical size and function of your brain goes down which scare the fat off anyone but now 40 percent of America is obese. I mean when you and I were growing up that that wasn't even a discussion and now it's of epidemic proportions because when we took Out of food, when fat became the enemy it was replaced by sugar and the incidence of obesity is just insane. I'm so proud of you though for doing the microbiome podcast. That's so smart because you have these hundred trillion bugs in your gut and you have to think of them as your friends. You need to feed them and love them and nurture them because when they're unhappy you're unhappy - they make neurotransmitters like serotonin, they detoxify you they help you with digestion. They're just absolutely critical to brain health and when your guts not right you have a higher level of inflammation. So I talked about that in the inflammation chapter and it's just something that so many people are suffering from and they have no idea and people don't know that gluten, you know, and gluten there's all this controversy should Have gluten should I not have gluten? Well, cause his leaky gut in a hundred percent of people who eat it. So is that really in your best interest? Yeah, and it leads to so many diseases. That's the thing is got health is your overall health for everything and and it's interesting because just like the ants link up all these poor choices link up and so your diet poor choices and diet. You can confirm this obviously, but wouldn't your poor choices in Diet also lead you to poor sleep poor sleep will then lead you to poor performance your brain, you will be more depressed because you've now eaten shit and you're not sleeping. That whole cycle is really bad, too. I love that. It's absolutely true. So the mnemonic and the book is bright Minds. Those are the 11 major risk factors that steal your mind an S is sleep because when you don't sleep or you eat poorly, it drops blood flow to your brain, especially the front part of your brain. So the front part of your brain is really important. It's the most human thoughtful part of your brain. It's called the prefrontal cortex largest in humans than any other. Mold like by far its 30% of the human brain 11% of the chimpanzee brain. So it's really what separates us from all other animals and it's involved in things like Focus For Thought judgment impulse control organization planning empathy it watches you. It's like the voice in your head that says don't do that. Don't say that. and when you don't sleep or you beaten bad food blood flow to that part of the brain drops and then you start making bad decisions and our success in life either with our relationships or our money or help is you know, just as you said it's a sum of all the decisions that we make and so if we're not loving our brain nurturing our brain sleeping for our brain feeding, In our brain, we can go to all the Tony Robbins seminars. We want Tony and I are friends. Yeah, Tony and I are friends and I'm like, you got to get the hardware right first and then you can program it properly which is funny because if you go to one of his seminars, I'm also friends with Tony. He does an entire day on diet and food and so he understands how important that is, but it's interesting because this summer I actually diagnosed Kevin my husband with just that issue. He was not sleeping and hasn't slept really in 20 years. We allow the dogs to sleep with us and all of our dogs aged out and passed in this last year and they needed multiple bathroom breaks in the middle of the night, which meant he never slept. He was eating really poorly and all of a sudden sometime just before the summer and around the summer. He was not Kevin he Very very depressed very angry not himself and you know, you've scanned his brain and you told them about his different brain traumas that have affected him and I was talking to our therapist and I said, I'm telling you he isn't sleeping that is the worst part of what he's dealing with right now and then as diet and when I owe made them aware of that at first he scuffed it off then he thought about and he's like, oh my God, you're right I go that's your problem. He's been making the adjustments again. Because he was on the train with you for a while after your appointment and and he has the irlen syndrome as well as you know, but this was a big thing for him and he's made a complete turnaround and became Kevin Again by sleeping better. We kicked the dogs out as hard as that was we kick the dogs out of bed and we stopped he stopped eating bad things at night and even during the days eating better, but I can't express how much how important. That is for people and so I wonder for people who are struggling to prize. Yeah, or we could say his brain just needed better nourishment and sleep and whole idea behind the end of mental illness is let's stop calling these things because because I actually hate the term depression because it depression is like chest pain, you know, people are never get a diagnosis of chest pain. Why doesn't tell you what's causing it or what to do for it, right even not going to give everybody with chest pain nitroglycerin because you assume they have a blockage now. I mean chest pain could be from grief. It could be from an infection. It could be from a blockage it can be from pneumonia could be because you have too much gas, you know get a diagnosis of chest pain depression is exactly the same way. It's why Pression does not mean you have a Prozac deficiency people don't that virtually all psychiatric drugs including Prozac have black box warnings. Why? Why does the FDA think they should have black box warning because you give it to the wrong person. You can hurt them and getting a good night's sleep. There's no black box warning or exercise or not believing every stupid thing you think or taking probiotics to get your gut help? Improved that's or kicking the dogs out. Right? Because if you're not sleeping or you're exposed constantly to the allergens from animals, it impacts your immune system, which is one of the primary means risk factors and that can keep you awake which then causes this negative Chain Reaction. So give him my best. I'm so happy. He's doing better. Well, I well I have a question Maria. Yeah, and for dr. Ayman I wanted to know. How do you break the cycle because we talked about the ants and now we're talking about how lack of sleep can lead to faulty brain health, but you know, what if it's the anxiety from the ants keeping you up at night, then then kind of creates the self-fulfilling prophecy of negativity. What are like, I know you go through it a little bit in the book of how to dismantle your aunt's but could you give us an example on are of like taking one kind of thought and how you dismantle it and break it down? Absolutely. So I saw someone last week who was really depressed and irritable and anxious and the thought was that was keeping him up is that I am going to be like my father now his father abandoned his children and was an addict and that thought just kept running. Round in his brain. And so the first thing you know, I love going to the Whiteboard my office and so we wrote The Thought down. So whenever you are sad whenever you're mad whenever you're nervous or you can't sleep write down what you're thinking and then ask yourself. What kind of ant it is and explain that in the book, but you know, is that an all-or-nothing aunt or just the bat aunt or fortune telling and so for him? It's a fortune-telling app where he's predicting things are going to turn out badly, even though he doesn't have evidence for so I'm going to turn out like my dad write it down identify it fortune telling and and then they're basically five Super Simple questions and part of these come from my friend Byron Katie and her book loving what is but I'm going to turn out like my dad fortune-telling. Is it true? That's the first question and right away. He said no. He said I'm with my children. I'm with my wife. It's just a negative thought that bothers me and I'm not a fan of positive thinking I'm just not positive thinking means I can go to the restaurant for lunch have three pieces of cheese cake and it will not bother me, right? I'm a fan of accurate thinking so what's the truth? The second question is is it absolutely true with a hundred percent certainty. I'm going to be like my dad and he's like, it's absolutely not true. The third question is what drives unhappiness it drives pain. It drives suicide. Sometimes the third question is how do you feel when you believe the thought you're going? Turn out like your dad. I hate myself. I feel like scum. I lost I'm a failure. So you see the negative thoughts that are usually not true provide the fuel for anxiety depression even suicidal ideas. The fourth question is how would you feel if you didn't have that thought if you couldn't have that thought and almost always would people tell me is I would feel feel free And then we take the original thought whatever it is in this case, you know, I'm going to be like my dad and we turn it to the exact opposite. I'm not going to be like my dad and then you go. Well, is that true and he had so many examples where it was true. But if you don't write the thoughts down they linked with other ants and they torture you and there's a certain brain pattern especially for my In to have busy brains is when they get a thought in their head. It's like a little mouse on an exercise wheel on the mouse can't get off it Loops. It just goes over and over and over again fine. I get them to write out the thought and take it through that super simple process is their rational brain is beginning to take over their emotional brain and you always want there's always this this Dynamic tension between your prefrontal cortex your thoughtful brain. So I think of it as the writer and your emotional brain think of that as the elephant that left untrained it'll cause a stampede and ruin your lives and the lives of other people you need to discipline or train your emotional brain and you do it by having a strong prefrontal cortex or a strong thoughtful. Does that make sense? Definitely? Thank you. So I know Kevin suffers from these ants linking up right and he'll tell me the same thing. I just hate that this is how I think or how I feel if he does this exercise which he does do some of it he always asks, is this absolutely true from what he learned from you and that will get his rational brain actually working. But how much do you have to do that exercise before you've disciplined your mind to not go? There anymore is is there a way to never have to go there again like to heal yourself of those negative patterns and that negative thinking. So a hundred times so a hundred times to start and then you have to teach it to someone else because but you teach it you really know it and you know, I dearly wish you know, I only had to do one 5-mile walk and my body would just stay healthy, but but that's ridiculous. Right and as I discipline my habits for My body I have to do the same thing for my mind and in the book. I also talked about tiny habits. What's the smallest thing I can do today that will make the biggest difference and whenever you feel sad mad nervous or out-of-control write it down and then just go is true. And you know, if you do this a hundred times very quickly. You just go what's the opposite of the thought that's bothering me like, you know, I had a thought my wife never listens to me and Right now I can go my wife often listens to me and then I can find 15 examples in the thought won't bother me, right but you have to do a hundred of them and then other tiny habits I love is the most important one is this takes 3 seconds ask yourself before you're going to go do anything. Is this good for your brain or bad for it? And if you love yourself and you have Information you'll start making better decisions and the decisions I make for my brain or never because I should do it yuck. I don't want to do that. I actually grew up right near where you live and went to Our Lady of Grace Catholic school. And so I have a lot of should ants in my head. She's don't I do things because I love myself. So is this good for my brain then I want to do. It fits bad for my brain. I don't want to do it and have this cool Concept in the book. I love on I only want to love food that loves me back then. I mean, I don't know if you've ever been in a bad relationship. I certainly have and I'm not doing that anymore. I'm just not and I'm damn sure not going to do it with food. So people go but I love Doritos and it's like but doesn't love you back and if it doesn't love you back, why are you in a relationship with something that you know, that's like a therapy moment so good. I love how you you explain things. And your analogy is because it's so true. Why would you think you could you know walk five miles and all of this stuff? It just makes so much sense and I think asking yourself is this good for my brain is a really great question. And every time I want to buy a chocolate or bag of Doritos, I'm going to say is this good for my brain? The bag of Doritos is actually a weapon of mass destruction. Yeah, and, you know food companies purposefully, they hire neuroscientist like me to get the perfect melting us the perfect crunchiness the perfect saltiness so that it will addict' your pleasure Center. So when I was growing up lays, Had a commercial bet you can't eat just one and what they were basically saying is we have created an addictive product. So you can't just eat one. And that's the evil rule. It's an evil ruler strategy to make us fat depressed and feeble-minded my job as a gape. That is horrible. I mean, I guess I kind of knew that but then just hearing it from you. Yeah, that is just creepy. Well. Tremont I am so grateful for your time between my voice and our time constraints today have to have to leave it there but I will say and my show every day with make good choices for a reason and hopefully this interview will help people make better choices for their brain health and and change that conversation. And before I let you go. I have one last question. What are you doing in your daily life to get better? So I start every day with today is going to be a great day. And it feeds my mind to look for what's right rather than what's wrong and I end every day with what went well today and I love that exercise so much because you know, my life probably like yours is just so busy that you go from this to that and it just causes me to reflect on What I loved about the day which actually sets my dreams up to be more positive because I'm feeding my brain things. I love and things that make me happy and with better sleep than it's easier when you wake up to go today is going to be a great day. I love it. Thank you so much as always and because of you I'm dancing again. I have to say I'm so happy. I love love love it. And so when we scan my brain next time I expect to see major improvements. Well such a joy to see you again. I look forward to and news. All right, guys, what have we learned? Dr. Raymond has opened the doors wide open to the way that I think about mental illness or the in existence. So to speak of Mental Illness, but just brain health. Yeah. I'm texting a bunch of people right now. It was the show man. It wasn't it amazing. It's amazing how self-destructive we as humans are it seems like it's just like you go from You go from having a great day to just little negative thoughts is peeling away at your personality and just make leading to everything else. Yeah, now we'll think about them like ants linking up. It's like, oh, I see the pattern. Let me spray some raid on that shit invited sir. Go away go away. And it's true though. And I offer up what was going on with Kevin in case someone identifies with that because it makes so much sense and even Even the therapist wasn't connecting it the therapist started thinking other things that could also be true. Who knows but I said, I think I figured it out. The man hasn't slept in 20 years definitely in the last like 10 really bad with our dogs. It's not even just not sleeping. It's he's like working 18 hours a day and not sleep exactly. It's all of that. And so now if you're feeding your body shit, if we all look at our bodies like cars it got up. Premium gas and to get to where you want to go. You can't put in milk inside of that car now milk is a bad example. You can't put Windex in that car and think it's going to go wherever you want it to go. It's just not you got to put the proper fuel in for your body to work. And so it's not fun. Like I said, trust me I understand but I'll tell you I really made so many so many conscious efforts since volume. To avoid liquor like I don't really drink ever anymore. Last time I drank I think was my birthday in June and maybe I've had a glass or two of wine since but my Bud Light fridge is pretty alone. I've been giving you know my Bud Light fridge no love and I really worked hard to make such better choices and I can tell in my toilet. What gotta go there. As your stool says everything it's the same thing. I all these things keep clicking this why I love this show because everyone is kind of saying same thing but different expertise, but you don't know you're not doing that because you're making good choices you're doing that because you love yourself you. Yeah, you learn that it wasn't good for you. Yeah, so it was like you like you love yourself enough to be like, I don't need that then if that's what it means if it means me living a healthier longer life. Yeah. I'm cool with with no snow. Aha. Yeah, we're going to talk more about that in the after show. But before we let you guys go thank you again, of course for tuning in to our Better Together show. If you like the show, if you love the show, please rate comment subscribe. It means everything to us to hear from you guys. Do we have any new comments to share today? Stephen? Yeah. I have one. I have two things. I wanted to share one comment. And one cool thing one is a comment. Bye Clarice Gomez Who Says awesome podcast Maria host of The Better Together. Cast highlights all aspects of Health wellness and more in this can't miss podcast the host and expert guests offer insightful advice and information that's helpful to anyone that listens. Thank you. And then I launched a and we launched a Better Together Facebook group for all of our fans of better together. And when you request to join, you can find the link in the description of this episode or on Maria's Facebook page or our Twitter. 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So we keep seeing you guys come over and we're so grateful for you joining if you haven't joined yet just go to patreon.com/scishow. / better together with Maria and you can join us at any different level and we are so grateful for all of you guys who are joining and we want everybody to migrate over there. So head on over it's really easy. And I think that's it. Anything else guys. Not just really thought this was dope episode really cool hearing him talk. Yeah. Yeah really cool. So any words for many because she's not coming back many's out this week gone mini you love you, but get that. How to Disneyland many will be heading back to Disneyland guys. Maria Menounos will be back next Monday. I apologize for the voice. I hope some of you found it sexy and not annoying. I don't think it's quite sexy voice. Just FYI, cuz I know the difference when you have sexy voice, it's like cool. This is like a mini. That's nice dorky Minnie Mouse voice. Anyway, thanks for joining us. Have a great day everybody wherever you are scam. Has something to say I just want to save you want to get the book the end of mental illness shoot. I forgot the the promo damn Yes, actually, okay. So if you want to get the book you can pre-order it right scam. Yes on Amazon Amazon the end of mental illness by dr. Daniel Amen. You can also visit. Dr. Emmons clinics at www.minettis.com. We've been there. It's amazing. They scan your brain. They tell you what you need to do, and it's I think so. You just go to Amen Clinics.com. And of course this book is going to teach you so much it releases March 3rd, but you can pre-order it on Amazon in the meantime follow us at Maria Menounos at Doc underscore. Amen. That stuff's abroad Steven Lim you photo and remember be nice people make good choices and be present.
Join our new Facebook Group! He is a double board-certified psychiatrist and ten-time NY Times bestselling author, with such blockbuster books as Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, Healing ADD, Memory Rescue, and many more! In March 2020, his book The End of Mental Illness will be published, and we’re talking with him all about it today. So many of us are dealing with, or know someone dealing with mental illness, but what if the way we are being diagnosed is all wrong? Dr. Amen is changing the way we are diagnosed, how we think about brain health and most importantly the way we can heal. Pre-Order The End of Mental Illness: How Neuroscience Is Transforming Psychiatry and Helping Prevent or Reverse Mood and Anxiety Disorders, ADHD, Addictions, PTSD, Psychosis, Personality Disorders, and More: https://www.amazon.com/End-Mental-Illness-Neuroscience-Transforming/dp/1496438159   Visit Amen Clinics: http://amenclinics.com Supplements: https://wholefoodsmagazine.com/supplements/features-supplements/smart-supplements-for-sharper-calmer-happier/  ---   This episode is sponsored by  · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. 