Episode
Dr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
2:25:02
Published: Mon Jun 06 2022
Description
My guest this episode is Dr. Paul Conti, M.D., a psychiatrist and expert in treating trauma, personality disorders and psychiatric illnesses and challenges of various kinds. Dr. Conti earned his MD at Stanford and did his residency at Harvard Medical School. He now runs the Pacific Premiere Group—a clinical practice helping people heal and grow from trauma and other life challenges. We discuss trauma: what it is and its far-reaching effects on the mind and body, as well as the best treatment approaches for trauma. We also explore how to choose a therapist and how to get the most out of therapy, as well as how to do self-directed therapy. We discuss the positive and negative effects of antidepressants, ADHD medications, alcohol, cannabis, and the therapeutic potential of psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin and LSD), ketamine and MDMA. This episode is must listen for anyone seeking or already doing therapy, processing trauma, and/or considering psychoactive medication. Both patients and practitioners ought to benefit from the information. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Thesis: https://takethesis.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Dr. Paul Conti, Trauma & Recovery (00:02:48) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT, Thesis, Momentous (00:07:00) Defining Trauma (00:14:05) Guilt & Shame, Origins of Negative Emotions (00:21:38) Repeating Trauma, the Repetition Compulsion (00:28:23) How to Deal with Trauma & Negative Emotions/Arousal (00:37:17) Processing Trauma, Do You Always Need a Therapist? (00:45:30) Internal Self-talk, Punishing Narratives & Negative Fantasies (00:51:10) Short-Term Coping Mechanisms vs. Long-Term Change (00:53:22) Tools: Processing Trauma on Your Own, Journaling (00:57:00) Sublimination of Traumatic Experiences (01:02:34) Tool: Finding a Good Therapist (01:07:20) Optimizing the Therapy Process, Frequency, Intensity (01:14:51) Tool: Self-Awareness of Therapy Needs, Mismatch of Needs (01:16:35) Self-talk & Journaling, Talking to Trusted Individuals (01:19:00) Prescription Drugs & Treating Trauma, Antidepressants, Treating Core Issues (01:28:35) Short-term vs. Long-Term Use of Prescription Drugs, Antidepressants (01:32:18) Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) & Prescription Drugs (01:37:31) Negative Effects of ADHD Prescription Drugs (01:40:37) Alcohol, Cannabis – Positive & Negative Effects (01:44:53) Psychedelics: Psylocibin & LSD, Therapeutic Uses, Trauma Recovery (01:54:32) Sentience, Language, Animals (01:55:48) Psychedelic Hallucinations, Trauma Recovery (02:00:01) MDMA (Therapeutic Uses) (02:04:47) Clinical Aspects of MDMA (02:07:28) Language, Processing Trauma, Social Media, Societal Divisions (02:15:09) Defining “Taking Care of Oneself” (02:21:13) Dr. Conti, Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Momentous Supplements, Instagram, Twitter, Neural Network Newsletter Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer
Chapters
Dr. Jon Conte, author of Trauma, the Invisible Epidemic, joins the podcast to discuss trauma, its features, and tools for healing it, as well as how to use self-therapy and work with others to recover from trauma and grow from difficult circumstances.
00:00 - 07:50 (07:50)
Summary
Dr. Jon Conte, author of Trauma, the Invisible Epidemic, joins the podcast to discuss trauma, its features, and tools for healing it, as well as how to use self-therapy and work with others to recover from trauma and grow from difficult circumstances. The episode also includes an ad for InsideTracker, a service that provides personalized recommendations for lifestyle factors, nutrition, and supplementation to optimize health.
EpisodeDr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
PodcastHuberman Lab
Trauma can lead to a reflex of guilt and shame, causing us to bury it and create negative self-talk.
07:50 - 16:27 (08:37)
Summary
Trauma can lead to a reflex of guilt and shame, causing us to bury it and create negative self-talk. This can result in heightened anxiety, vigilance, and fear, but there is hope for healing with the help of supportive people and addressing the issues directly.
EpisodeDr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
PodcastHuberman Lab
Joe Polish interviews Dr. Gabor Maté about addiction and trauma, discussing how shame and guilt can be profound behavioral interventions and the roots of addiction can ultimately be traced back to trauma.
16:27 - 24:28 (08:00)
Summary
Joe Polish interviews Dr. Gabor Maté about addiction and trauma, discussing how shame and guilt can be profound behavioral interventions and the roots of addiction can ultimately be traced back to trauma.
EpisodeDr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
PodcastHuberman Lab
Dr. Andrew Huberman and Dr. Peter Attia discuss the way the brain reacts to trauma and how it attempts to recreate situations from the past to make them end positively.
24:28 - 30:11 (05:43)
Summary
Dr. Andrew Huberman and Dr. Peter Attia discuss the way the brain reacts to trauma and how it attempts to recreate situations from the past to make them end positively. They also talk about the maladaptive behavior people engage in to try to change the past and how it affects their future.
EpisodeDr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
PodcastHuberman Lab
Talking about traumas, be it ours or someone else's, is crucial to healing and confronting the emotions around it directly can leave a person feeling immensely better.
30:11 - 40:32 (10:20)
Summary
Talking about traumas, be it ours or someone else's, is crucial to healing and confronting the emotions around it directly can leave a person feeling immensely better. Once the conversation is started, there is often an anxious air of anticipation around how the listener will react, but the relief after the fact can be profound.
EpisodeDr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
PodcastHuberman Lab
This podcast discusses how to develop a healthier relationship with our self-talk and how to distance ourselves from potentially negative and limiting thoughts.
40:32 - 43:40 (03:08)
Summary
This podcast discusses how to develop a healthier relationship with our self-talk and how to distance ourselves from potentially negative and limiting thoughts.
EpisodeDr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
PodcastHuberman Lab
The concept of negative fantasies may make us feel better, but it doesn't actually lead to a better situation.
43:40 - 53:52 (10:11)
Summary
The concept of negative fantasies may make us feel better, but it doesn't actually lead to a better situation. Instead, it can create a maladaptive wiring system that hurts us more.
EpisodeDr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
PodcastHuberman Lab
Journaling can help bring clarity to one's thoughts and give a new perspective on patterns in one's life, whether it is done alone or in therapy.
53:52 - 1:04:16 (10:24)
Summary
Journaling can help bring clarity to one's thoughts and give a new perspective on patterns in one's life, whether it is done alone or in therapy.
EpisodeDr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
PodcastHuberman Lab
The speaker discusses the importance of rapport in therapy and how it can be beneficial to approach therapy like an interview.
1:04:16 - 1:09:42 (05:26)
Summary
The speaker discusses the importance of rapport in therapy and how it can be beneficial to approach therapy like an interview.
EpisodeDr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
PodcastHuberman Lab
The key to better mental health comes through self-awareness and owning our therapy.
1:09:42 - 1:17:40 (07:57)
Summary
The key to better mental health comes through self-awareness and owning our therapy. If we don't feel helped enough, it’s important to take ownership and talk to the therapist about their approach or look for a new match.
EpisodeDr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
PodcastHuberman Lab
By processing and bringing distressing experiences to the surface, we can make life changes and build more distress tolerance.
1:17:40 - 1:25:02 (07:22)
Summary
By processing and bringing distressing experiences to the surface, we can make life changes and build more distress tolerance. Low doses of some medications can also help intervene in negative pathways in our brain.
EpisodeDr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
PodcastHuberman Lab
The "diagnose and prescribe" system in mental health is flawed and can lead to adding more medication as a solution instead of treating the actual problem.
1:25:02 - 1:32:20 (07:17)
Summary
The "diagnose and prescribe" system in mental health is flawed and can lead to adding more medication as a solution instead of treating the actual problem. More focus on identifying the root cause of mental health issues could lead to less suffering and death.
EpisodeDr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
PodcastHuberman Lab
Many people take stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall to help them focus even if they don't have ADHD.
1:32:20 - 1:41:02 (08:41)
Summary
Many people take stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall to help them focus even if they don't have ADHD. However, this can be dangerous and addictive especially for adolescents and young professionals.
EpisodeDr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
PodcastHuberman Lab
The use of psychedelics can have immense benefits when used with the right guidance and in the right set and setting, similar to alcohol or cannabis.
1:41:02 - 1:49:34 (08:31)
Summary
The use of psychedelics can have immense benefits when used with the right guidance and in the right set and setting, similar to alcohol or cannabis. There is new data supporting the powerful impact of these medicines, and it has been shown to result in less communication in outer parts of the brain.
EpisodeDr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
PodcastHuberman Lab
Lesion studies have helped scientists understand the human brain by observing changes when someone experiences damage to a specific area.
1:49:34 - 1:55:34 (06:00)
Summary
Lesion studies have helped scientists understand the human brain by observing changes when someone experiences damage to a specific area. The insular cortex, located in the middle of the brain, is believed to be where our humanness lies.
EpisodeDr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
PodcastHuberman Lab
The use of psychedelics for medicinal purposes is very different from its stereotypical association with hallucinations.
1:55:34 - 2:03:10 (07:36)
Summary
The use of psychedelics for medicinal purposes is very different from its stereotypical association with hallucinations. Many people have life-changing experiences with a substance that helps improve their wellbeing and understanding of the world.
EpisodeDr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
PodcastHuberman Lab
The speaker discusses how clinical guidance can help individuals to properly process emotions, rather than just feeling good without problem-solving.
2:03:10 - 2:13:36 (10:26)
Summary
The speaker discusses how clinical guidance can help individuals to properly process emotions, rather than just feeling good without problem-solving. They also touch on the over-control of language in the age of social media.
EpisodeDr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
PodcastHuberman Lab
As a clinician, taking care of oneself means getting proper sleep, getting sunlight, and reducing anxiety in real-time.
2:13:37 - 2:19:46 (06:09)
Summary
As a clinician, taking care of oneself means getting proper sleep, getting sunlight, and reducing anxiety in real-time. These practices can help improve one's mental health and wellbeing.
EpisodeDr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma & Other Life Challenges
PodcastHuberman Lab
The Huberman Lab Podcast promotes supplements for mental and physical health at livemomentous.com/huberman.
2:19:46 - 2:24:40 (04:54)
Summary
The Huberman Lab Podcast promotes supplements for mental and physical health at livemomentous.com/huberman. While supplements may not be necessary for everyone, they can improve aspects like sleep, focus, and anxiety.