Erasing Fears & Traumas Based on the Modern Neuroscience of Fear
In this episode, I discuss fear and trauma, including the neural circuits involved in the "threat reflex" and how specific experiences and memories come to activate that system. I also discuss how our body is involved in trauma and fear. First, I describe the logic of fear mechanisms and how "top-down" processing-- meaning connections from the parts of the brain that assign meaning to our feelings, are involved in fear and erasing fears and traumas. Then I discuss what successful fear and trauma treatment must include and consider various treatments for whether they meet that standard, such as EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Ketamine, other drug-assisted therapies, and more. I also review new data on how 5 minutes per day of deliberate, self-imposed stress can erase fear and depression. And I review the role that social connection plays in erasing or maintaining fears by activating specific molecular pathways in the brain and body. Finally, I review supplementation with over-the-counter compounds for their effects on anxiety and fear and when to take them, if at all.
Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.
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Timestamps
00:00:00 Introducing Fear, Trauma & Trauma
00:02:31 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up
00:06:49 What is Fear?
00:11:45 Autonomic Arousal: “Alertness” vs. “Calmness”
00:13:44 Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA axis)
00:17:36 “The Threat Reflex”: Neural Circuits for Fear
00:28:24 Controlling Fear: Top-Down Processing
00:32:27 Narratives: “Protective or Dangerous”
00:35:58 Attaching Fear to Events: Classical Conditioning & Memory
00:41:45 How Fear Learning Occurs: Long Term Potentiation, NMDA
00:46:10 Extinguishing (Reducing) Fears
00:50:25 Cognitive (Narrative) Therapies for Fear
00:57:56 Repetition of Narrative, Overwriting Bad Experiences with Good
01:05:28 EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing
01:14:00 Social Connection & Isolation Are Chemically Powerful
01:18:23 Trans-Generational Trauma
01:25:00 PTSD Treatments: Ketamine, MDMA, Oxytocin
01:39:25 How Do You Know If You Are Traumatized?
01:46:16 Deliberate Brief Stress Can Erase Fears & Trauma
01:49:50 Erasing Fears & Traumas in 5 Minutes Per Day
01:59:42 Nutrition, Sleep, & Other General Support Erasing Fear & Trauma
02:02:30 Supplements for Anxiety, Fear: Saffron, Inositol, Kava
02:10:00 Synthesis
02:11:46 Zero-Cost Support, Sponsors, Supplements, Instagram, Twitter
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