Episode
#464: Tim Ferriss — My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse
Description
For me, this is the most important podcast episode I’ve ever published.In it, I describe the most life-shaping, certainly the most difficult, and certainly the most transformative journey of my 43 years on this planet. I’ve never shared it before.My dance partner and safety net in this conversation is my friend Debbie Millman (@debbiemillman). She has been named one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company, and she is the host of Design Matters—a great show and one of the world’s longest running podcasts. She is also Chair of the Masters in Branding Program at the School of Visual Arts and Editorial Director of Print magazine, and she has worked on design strategy for some of the world’s largest brands.But I didn’t ask Debbie to join me because of her bio. I asked Debbie because she’s a close confidante, she’s an excellent interviewer, and she’s been an incredible support for me in the last few years, including late-night emergency phone calls. She and I have also experienced similar trauma but have taken two *very* different paths to healing using *very* different tools. So, you get a two-for-one deal in this conversation. All resources mentioned in this episode, and many more, are listed at tim.blog/trauma. And if you remember only one thing, please remember this: there is light on the other side. I wouldn’t have believed this even five years ago, but I now consider myself living proof that deep, lasting change is possible. Don’t give up. You are never alone, and it is never hopeless. I’m right there alongside you, as are millions of others.Much love to you and yours, TimSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Chapters
Debbie Millman, host of the podcast Design Matters, shares her personal journey in dealing with trauma and how it has shaped her life.
00:00 - 01:52 (01:52)
Summary
Debbie Millman, host of the podcast Design Matters, shares her personal journey in dealing with trauma and how it has shaped her life.
Episode#464: Tim Ferriss — My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferriss discusses the importance of speaking openly about recovering from childhood sexual abuse with guest, Debbie Millman.
01:52 - 09:16 (07:24)
Summary
Tim Ferriss discusses the importance of speaking openly about recovering from childhood sexual abuse with guest, Debbie Millman.
Episode#464: Tim Ferriss — My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses uncovering long-buried memories of childhood sexual abuse and how it impacted their mental health and behavior, leading to a near-suicide attempt in college, and a realization that multiple personal issues were all downstream from the trauma they experienced.
09:16 - 22:16 (13:00)
Summary
The speaker discusses uncovering long-buried memories of childhood sexual abuse and how it impacted their mental health and behavior, leading to a near-suicide attempt in college, and a realization that multiple personal issues were all downstream from the trauma they experienced.
Episode#464: Tim Ferriss — My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The Joyful Heart Foundation was founded by actress Mariska Hargitay to help combat sexual violence and provide support for survivors.
22:16 - 34:15 (11:58)
Summary
The Joyful Heart Foundation was founded by actress Mariska Hargitay to help combat sexual violence and provide support for survivors. The organization focuses on ending the rape kit backlog and offers a wide range of resources and programs for those affected by sexual assault.
Episode#464: Tim Ferriss — My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses how different therapeutic approaches help in dealing with trauma and emphasizes on having someone as a safety net while undergoing intense therapy or experiences.
34:15 - 45:28 (11:12)
Summary
The speaker discusses how different therapeutic approaches help in dealing with trauma and emphasizes on having someone as a safety net while undergoing intense therapy or experiences. They also acknowledge the ability of traumatized people to empathize and deeply feel other people.
Episode#464: Tim Ferriss — My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
MDMA and psilocybin, also known as empathogens, are being used successfully to treat patients with severe PTSD.
45:28 - 59:00 (13:32)
Summary
MDMA and psilocybin, also known as empathogens, are being used successfully to treat patients with severe PTSD. Research has shown that facing away from your therapist while on a sofa can engage with your subconscious in a much faster way than conventional talk therapy.
Episode#464: Tim Ferriss — My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
It's important to work with both trained psychologists and medical doctors to find the right medication and dosage for your mental health needs, particularly when dealing with anti-depressants with an onset period of several weeks.
59:00 - 1:04:47 (05:46)
Summary
It's important to work with both trained psychologists and medical doctors to find the right medication and dosage for your mental health needs, particularly when dealing with anti-depressants with an onset period of several weeks.
Episode#464: Tim Ferriss — My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The desire to kill oneself is not a desire to destroy the physical body; those struggling with suicidal thoughts shouldn't believe everything they think.
1:04:47 - 1:11:09 (06:22)
Summary
The desire to kill oneself is not a desire to destroy the physical body; those struggling with suicidal thoughts shouldn't believe everything they think. Tools like ketamine and psilocybin, and even MDMA for PTSD, can allow individuals to find relief without harming themselves.
Episode#464: Tim Ferriss — My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares their personal journey on exploring different methods to overcome trauma and develop healthier neural pathways to lead a better life, and the realization that keeping busy and overstimulating oneself can be a way to avoid feeling certain things.
1:11:09 - 1:21:04 (09:54)
Summary
The speaker shares their personal journey on exploring different methods to overcome trauma and develop healthier neural pathways to lead a better life, and the realization that keeping busy and overstimulating oneself can be a way to avoid feeling certain things.
Episode#464: Tim Ferriss — My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
By dealing with and managing trauma, individuals can calibrate future experiences in a more measured way instead of attaching all previous trauma to a new event, causing an exaggerated panic response.
1:21:04 - 1:28:17 (07:13)
Summary
By dealing with and managing trauma, individuals can calibrate future experiences in a more measured way instead of attaching all previous trauma to a new event, causing an exaggerated panic response. Giving the younger version of oneself what was needed at the time and consoling them can help to detangle any future trauma to past trauma.
Episode#464: Tim Ferriss — My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Rather than viewing suffering as a negative experience, this speaker suggests that by training oneself to navigate it with empathy and curiosity, it can connect us to the shared experience of humanity and make us better able to empathize with others.
1:28:17 - 1:37:40 (09:23)
Summary
Rather than viewing suffering as a negative experience, this speaker suggests that by training oneself to navigate it with empathy and curiosity, it can connect us to the shared experience of humanity and make us better able to empathize with others.
Episode#464: Tim Ferriss — My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
A person shares their nervousness about confronting their stepfather after years of separation, despite feeling a sense of safety in his physical presence.
1:37:40 - 1:41:46 (04:05)
Summary
A person shares their nervousness about confronting their stepfather after years of separation, despite feeling a sense of safety in his physical presence.
Episode#464: Tim Ferriss — My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker redefines forgiveness as letting go of hatred, as holding resentment and hatred can be destructive.
1:41:46 - 1:49:21 (07:35)
Summary
The speaker redefines forgiveness as letting go of hatred, as holding resentment and hatred can be destructive.
Episode#464: Tim Ferriss — My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this episode, the speaker talks about how childhood trauma can affect an individual's behavior in the workplace and suggests some techniques for coping with the same.
1:49:21 - 1:59:56 (10:35)
Summary
In this episode, the speaker talks about how childhood trauma can affect an individual's behavior in the workplace and suggests some techniques for coping with the same.
Episode#464: Tim Ferriss — My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The guest shares his pursuit of discovering tools that actually work, and how he's focusing on facilitating legal change and regulatory change to make these compounds available to everyone, and the importance of supporting psychedelic science and phase three trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.
1:59:56 - 2:10:24 (10:28)
Summary
The guest shares his pursuit of discovering tools that actually work, and how he's focusing on facilitating legal change and regulatory change to make these compounds available to everyone, and the importance of supporting psychedelic science and phase three trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.
Episode#464: Tim Ferriss — My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
This episode discusses viewing setbacks as part of the human experience and finding purpose that makes suffering irrelevant, particularly for people who have had closed hearts due to past trauma.
2:10:24 - 2:15:31 (05:06)
Summary
This episode discusses viewing setbacks as part of the human experience and finding purpose that makes suffering irrelevant, particularly for people who have had closed hearts due to past trauma.
Episode#464: Tim Ferriss — My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The key takeaway is to use your suffering to connect with people, rather than isolate yourself from them.
2:15:31 - 2:19:58 (04:26)
Summary
The key takeaway is to use your suffering to connect with people, rather than isolate yourself from them. Sometimes we avoid suffering, but the suffering isn't as hard as the avoidance.