This Is My Brain On Drugs, Booze, EMF, & Trauma with Dr. Daniel Amen (Luke's SPECT Scan Results) #267

Today we’re looking at how jacked up my brain is — and how I'm going to fix it.

A few weeks ago, I traveled to the Amen Clinic in Orange County to work with Dr. Daniel Amen, one of America’s leading psychiatrists and brain health experts. My visit started with a SPECT scan of my brain, which is an imaging test used to get 3D images of internal organs. Then, we sat down for this interview to talk about my results and what I can do to improve my brain health, as well as what everyone should be doing to maintain cognitive health.

I was actually a little shocked and disappointed to learn that my brain has some fairly serious issues with brain flow. But if I’m going to get that news from anyone, at least it was one of the world’s foremost experts, who was able to provide some clear and concise directions for reversing the damage.

If you normally listen to the podcast, you might want to watch the video for this episode. We recorded the whole thing, and you’ll very literally get to take a peek inside of my head.

11:55 — What is a SPECT scan?

• The 3 main things that SPECT results can tell you about your brain
• Putting the scan into the context of your life

14:00 — The results of my SPECT scan

• Irlen syndrome, a visual processing issue as a result of traumatic brain injury
• My brain is good at sustained attention and processing speed, not so good with flexibility or executive function
• How addiction has affected my brain
• What a healthy brain looks like vs. an unhealthy brain
• Programs you can do to activate your cerebellum, such as Zing Performance
• The benefits of coordination exercises (and why people who play racket sports live longer than everyone else, even table tennis)
• How Kundalini Yoga affects your brain
• The long-term effects of trauma on your brain
• “Brain Envy”
• How maintaining good brain health as you age can extend your cognitive life 20 to 30 years
• Can you trick a SPECT scan?
• What happens when you scan a drunk brain
• Modafinil
• The cognitive benefits of regular hyperbaric oxygen therapy
• Would Dr. Amen let their kid play soccer or football?

50:50 — Mental Illness

• 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
• Why Dr. Amen hates the phrase “mental illness” — and why it’s not accurate
• When are psychiatric drugs useful versus harmful?
• Alternatives to psychiatric drugs
• What the brain scan of a mass shooter looks like
• The real work of healing trauma

01:09:05 — Dr. Amen’s strong feelings about psychedelics and microdosing

• The results of a brain scan after taking ayahuasca
• Why Dr. Amen things CBD and cannabis are negative contributors to brain health
• The dramatic negative impacts of smoking as a teenager
• Ways to heal trauma that have absolutely no negative side effects, like Kundalini Yoga
• Undiagnosed brain injuries are a huge contributor to psychiatric problems

01:25:50 — The biological effects of psychological and spiritual treatments

• The results of EMDR therapy on police officers who were involved in shootings
• A fascinating study on how prayer affects the brain
• The work of Dr. Joe Dispenza
• Physiological changes as a result of spiritual practices

01:35:00 — The different kinds of addiction

• Impulsive addicts
• Compulsive addicts
• Impulsive-Compulsive Addicts
• Sad addicts
• Anxious addicts
• Temporal lobe addicts
• Honoring the organ that makes us who we are
• The dangers of caffeine, sugar, and nicotine
• The Daniel Plan
• Change Your Brain, Change Your Grades
• How you change the world starts by changing yourself

01:40:58 — Nootropics

• Why Dr. Amen is a big fan of nutriceuticals, especially ginkgo, Rhodiola, ginseng, ashwagandha, and green tea extract (without caffeine)
• Paracetam/Aniracetam
• Modafinil
• Methylene Blue Nicotine (Blue Cannatine)

01:46:05 — The different types of ADD and how to treat them effectively

• “The ring of fire” Vs. “sleepy brain”

01:52:48 — Neurofeedback’s role in healing your brain

• Peak Brain Institute

More about this episode.

Watch it on YouTube.

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