Huberman Lab

This is episode 4 of a 4-part special series on mental health with Stanford and Harvard-trained psychiatrist Dr. Paul Conti, M.D. Dr. Conti explains what true self-care is and how our mental health benefits from specific self-care and introspection practices — much in the same way that our physical health benefits from certain exercise and nutrition habits. He describes how the foundation of mental health is an understanding of one’s own mind and the specific questions to ask in order to explore the conscious and unconscious parts of ourselves. He describes how this process can be done either on our own, through journaling, meditation and structured thought, or in therapy with the help of a licensed professional. He also explains how unprocessed trauma can short-circuit the process and how to prevent that, and the role of friendships and other relational support systems in the journey of self-exploration for mental health. People of all ages and those with and without self-introspection and therapy experience ought to benefit from the information in this episode. For show notes and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com [https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/guest-series-dr-paul-conti-tools-and-protocols-for-mental-health]. THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS AG1:https://drinkag1.com/huberman [https://drinkag1.com/huberman] BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/huberman [https://betterhelp.com/huberman] Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman [https://wakingup.com/huberman] Momentous:https://livemomentous.com/huberman [https://livemomentous.com/huberman] TIMESTAMPS (00:00:00) Self Care (00:02:37) Sponsors: BetterHelp & Waking Up (00:05:34) What is Self-Care?, Foundation, Self-Understanding (00:13:18) Life Narratives (00:15:24) Journaling, Self-Inquiry & Therapy (00:24:41) Unconscious Mind, Salience & Journaling; Panic Attacks (00:28:20) Self-Inquiry; Grief & Death (00:33:23) Sponsor: AG1 (00:34:39) Self-Harm, Hopelessness & Therapy (00:37:27) Apprehension of Unconscious Mind Exploration (00:42:34) Mental Health Map: Cupboards, Agency & Gratitude, Generative Drive (00:54:18) Structure of Self, Unconscious Mind, Abscess Analogy (01:01:57) Exploring the Unconscious Mind, Curiosity, “Question the Givens” (01:10:48) Conscious Mind Exploration; Self Curiosity, Busyness (01:19:20) Exploring Defense Mechanisms, Character Structure (01:24:54) Self & Character Structure, “Tending the Garden” (01:32:45) Function of Self Cupboards (01:35:50) Self-Awareness Exploration, Mirror Meditation (01:38:34) Defense Mechanisms in Action & Self-Inquiry, Patterns (01:47:15) Salience Exploration, Grounding Meditation (01:52:37) Behavior & Self-Reflection; Phantom Driver Analogy (02:00:14) Self & Strivings; Empowerment & Humility (02:09:07) Challenges in Certain Life Domains (02:17:49) Friendships & Support, Social Media (02:23:50) Anger & Self-Care (02:34:18) Self-Care & Challenges (02:38:43) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Social Media, Momentous, Neural Network Newsletter Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac [https://www.blabacphoto.com/] Disclaimer [https://hubermanlab.com/disclaimer]

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Vivek Murthy, M.D., the acting U.S. Surgeon General who earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard and his M.D. from Yale School of Medicine. We discuss nutrition, food additives, social media and mental health, public health initiatives to combat the crisis of social isolation, the obesity crisis, addiction and other pressing issues in public health. Dr. Murthy explains the role of the U.S. government in promoting specific public health issues and the steps needed to rebuild public trust in scientific and medical information. We also discuss health care accessibility, insurance barriers and individual versus team-based medical care. We also discuss topics gleaned from listener questions, such as the facts and myths about “Big Pharma” and “Big Food” industries, scientific research and public health policies. For show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com [https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/us-surgeon-general-dr-vivek-murthy-efforts-challenges-in-promoting-public-health]. THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman [https://drinkag1.com/huberman] Maui Nui Venison:https://mauinuivenison.com/huberman [https://mauinuivenison.com/huberman] ROKA:https://roka.com/huberman [https://roka.com/huberman] LMNT:https://drinklmnt.com/huberman [https://drinklmnt.com/huberman] Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman [https://livemomentous.com/huberman] TIMESTAMPS (00:00:00) Dr. Vivek Murthy (00:01:53) Sponsors: Maui Nui & ROKA (00:04:35) Surgeon General Roles (00:07:44) Illness Framework, Enhancing Wellbeing (00:12:42) Priorities as Surgeon General (00:19:50) Public Health Message Distribution (00:28:24) Diagnosis vs. Optimizing Health (00:33:04) Sponsor: AG1 (00:34:01) Food Additives, Highly Processed Foods, Food Availability (00:39:11) Difficulties Addressing Health Issues & Highly Processed Foods (00:49:53) Retribution, Integrity & Public Trust (00:54:41) Company Opposition (00:58:32) Sponsor: LMNT (00:59:50) Public Health Communication, Masks & COVID-19, Public Trust (01:07:01) Masks, Humility; Building Public Trust (01:10:45) Rebuilding Relationship to Public, Vaccines (01:17:41) Community Core & Diversity; Federal Funding (01:24:55) Big Pharma, “Pill for Every Problem” Society (01:31:48) Interdisciplinary Medical Teams, Individualized & Value-Based Medical Models (01:38:44) Insurance Barriers, Mental Health Care, Drug Prices (01:44:40) Isolation Crisis, Social Disconnection, Health Risks (01:49:15) Community Organizations & Modern Life, Social Media (01:56:36) Youth & Social Media, Parents, Policy Change (02:06:45) Real Life vs. Social Media, Kids & Playtime (02:11:56) Social Media Advice for Parents (02:20:43) Society & Disconnection, Human Connection & Service (02:31:20) Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac [https://www.blabacphoto.com/] Disclaimer [https://hubermanlab.com/disclaimer]

This is episode 3 of a 4-part special series on mental health with Dr. Paul Conti, M.D., a psychiatrist who did his medical training at Stanford School of Medicine and residency at Harvard Medical School. He is the author of the book, “Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic.” Dr. Conti explains how to find, develop and strengthen healthy relationships — including romantic relationships, work and colleague relationships, and friendships. He explains a roadmap of the conscious and unconscious mind that can allow anyone to navigate conflicts better and set healthy boundaries in relationships. We also discuss common features of unhealthy relationships and clinically supported tools for dealing with relationship insecurity, excessive anxiety, past traumas, manipulation and abuse. Dr. Conti explains how, in healthy relationships, there emerges a dynamic of the mutually generative “us” and how to continually improve that dynamic. The next episode in this special series explores true self-care, which can be cultivated through a process of building self-awareness along with other important practices. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com [https://hubermanlab.com/guest-series-dr-paul-conti-how-to-build-and-maintain-healthy-relationships/]. THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS AG1:https://drinkag1.com/huberman [https://drinkag1.com/huberman] BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/huberman [https://betterhelp.com/huberman] Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman [https://wakingup.com/huberman] Eight Sleep:https://eightsleep.com/huberman [https://eightsleep.com/huberman] Momentous:https://livemomentous.com/huberman [https://livemomentous.com/huberman] TIMESTAMPS (00:00:00) Build Healthy Relationships (00:02:04) Sponsors: BetterHelp & Waking Up (00:05:01) Healthiest Self in Relationships (00:10:51) Structure & Function of Self (00:15:44) Relationships, Levels of Emergence (00:22:48) Generative Drive in Relationships (00:35:00) Sponsor: AG1 (00:36:26) Generative Drive, Aggressive Drive, Pleasure Drive (00:45:16) Romantic Relationships & Matched Generative Drives, Trauma Bonds (00:53:05) Generative Drive Expression, Libido, Giving & Taking (01:04:29) Sponsor: Eight Sleep (01:05:50) Generative Drive in Partnerships (01:11:16) Libido, Avoidance & Working through Barriers (01:18:02) Repeating Bad Relationship Patterns, Repetition Compulsion (01:29:23) Narcissism, Dependence, Attachment Insecurity (01:34:10) Abusive Relationships, Demoralization (01:39:37) Oppressors, Darkness, Hope & Change (01:48:08) Work Relationships, Oppression & Accountability (01:53:53) Jealousy vs. Envy, Narcissism (01:59:13) Power Dynamics in Relationships (02:05:54) Giving vs. Taking in Relationships (02:09:39) Transactions & Relationships; Family & Generative Drive; Flexibility (02:19:47) Relationships & Kindergarten (02:23:04) Anxiety in Relationships, Communication (02:31:32) The “Magic Bridge of the Us” (02:37:09) Mentalization, Getting into Another’s Mindset; Navigating Conflict (02:46:51) Healthy Boundaries (02:52:08) Self-Awareness, Mentalization (02:55:28) “Broken Compass” & Self Inquiry, “Map” Analogy (03:02:25) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Social Media, Momentous, Neural Network Newsletter Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac [https://www.blabacphoto.com/] Disclaimer [https://hubermanlab.com/disclaimer]