Podcast Summary: Change Your Brain Every Day

Episode: Breaking Through Emotional & Physical Pain & EMDR Therapy

Hosts: Dr. Daniel Amen & Tana Amen
Date: December 1, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the interplay between emotional and physical pain, the impact of environmental and dietary factors (with a focus on aspartame and opiates), and introduces practical strategies for breaking out of the chronic pain cycle. Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen discuss the science and personal experience behind pain management, including journaling, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy, positive psychology, and brain health habits. They emphasize hope, holistic practices, and actionable steps for listeners to take control over their chronic pain—physically and emotionally.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Link Between Brain Chemistry, Opiates, and Pain

• Opiates' Double-Edged Sword: Dr. Amen opens with a stark warning: "The dirty secret about opiates... is it shuts off your brain's natural opiate production and it angers your white blood cells." (00:00)
• Opiates create short-term relief but can agitate the immune system and actually foster more pain over time (13:14). Thus, dependence grows not just from craving, but increased sensation of pain:
  Tana: "So what you're saying is if you take painkillers, you end up needing painkillers because you feel more pain."
  Dr. Amen: "Right. And that's why they're addictive and short term benefit." (13:14–13:21)

2. Aspartame and Hidden Dangers in Our Diet

• Aspartame's Widespread Use & Risk: Dr. Amen raises concerns about aspartame, noting it's now in 5,000 products since its introduction in 1980 (00:34, 10:31). Personal experiences reveal aspartame exacerbating arthritis and fibromyalgia-like pain, which resolved upon its removal.
• Generational Effects: Citing new mouse studies, Dr. Amen explains, "The mice's babies were anxious even though they never had aspartame... It created epigenetic changes... Isn't that interesting?" (10:31)
• Sugar-free ≠ Healthy: Tana describes her painful reaction to eating sugar-free jello containing aspartame, reinforcing the message that "sugar-free" often isn’t healthy (09:25).

3. Emotional Pain: Rage, Grief, and the Tools to Heal

• The Role of Repressed Rage: Tana discusses the importance of "rage journaling" for emotional catharsis. She clarifies that it is not wallowing in negativity but a way to express suppressed feelings safely and then shift to gratitude and prayer (04:32–05:51).

  "When you learn how to rage journal and get out the things that you can't say out loud... you get them out... Then I focus on my prayer, my meditation, my gratitude." —Tana (04:32–05:51)

• Negativity and the Brain: Suppressed emotions ignite the brain's emotional centers, keeping individuals in a cycle of negativity and pain (05:30–05:51).

4. Healing Loops vs. Doom Loops: The Relief Model

Dr. Amen introduces the "relief" or healing loop as a framework for escaping chronic pain:

• R: Recognize the triggers. Cultivate an attitude of "curious, not furious"—study your pain without judgment (13:54).
• E: Ease the suffering pathway. Understand the three pain pathways—feeling, suffering, and calming. Use supplements (e.g., SAMe, Saffron, Curcumin) and non-pharmaceutical measures when possible (16:09–18:50).
• L: Let go of negativity. Use cognitive strategies like “killing the ANTs” (Automatic Negative Thoughts) and positive journaling (19:14).
• I: Initiate relaxation. Practices like hypnosis, progressive muscle relaxation, rage journaling, martial arts, and havening are suggested for releasing muscle tension and calming the emotional brain (21:09–22:38).
• E: Embrace brain healthy habits. Diet, exercise, sleep, prayer, and reducing inflammation are foundational (31:11).
• F: Foster hope. Agency—believing that "tomorrow can be better and I have a role in it"—is central (32:57).

Notable Quote on Hope:

"You are not stuck with the brain you have... that's, I think, what my work gives people, that tomorrow can be better, and you have a role in it." —Dr. Amen (32:57–33:20)

5. Supplements, Lifestyle, and Alternative Modalities

• Supplements: Tana’s "rock star combo" for pain and mood—Saffron, SAMe, and TMG—is discussed through both personal experience and anecdotal client success (17:44–18:43).
• Non-pharmacological practices: Tools like cold plunges and martial arts are praised for reducing inflammation and pain, and improving resilience (20:40–22:23).

6. EMDR & Psychotherapy for Emotional Trauma and Pain

• Explanation of EMDR: Dr. Amen describes EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) as a technique activating both hemispheres, helping process traumatic memories without being triggered (22:54, 28:21).

• Tana's Testimonial: She shares that EMDR allowed her to process her mother’s death and other emotional traumas without being overwhelmed:

  "When I did EMDR, it was very specific to trauma... Eventually what happens is it's not that you forget the thought, it's that there's no emotion attached to it... I had less pain, I slept better, I had more of these beautiful, loving thoughts of my mom.” —Tana (26:06–28:19)

• Therapeutic Journaling Exercise: Dr. Amen recommends the "Emotional Freedom Journal," using a balanced approach by dividing life into five-year periods, noting both “awesome” and “awful” events to locate sources of rage and pain (25:14–26:06).

7. Physical Health, Weight, and Inflammation

• Impact of Inflammation: Tana notes that reducing inflammation—mainly via diet and brain health—was the common thread in people overcoming not just pain but various health conditions, with weight loss being a positive side effect (33:56–34:41).
• Fat cells and pain: Fat cells secrete inflammatory cytokines, exacerbating pain:

  "If your body's inflamed, you hold on to weight. And being overweight all by itself increases pain." —Dr. Amen (34:41)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Aspartame’s Epigenetic Effects: 10:31
• Rage Journaling Explained: 04:32–05:51
• Opiates and Chronic Pain Cycle: 13:14–13:30
• The RELIEF Loop Overview: 13:54–14:39, 16:09–31:11
• Supplements for Pain/Depression: 17:00–18:50
• Cold Plunge & Non-Pharma Interventions: 20:40–21:09
• EMDR for Trauma/Chronic Pain: 22:54–29:47
• Journaling Exercise Instructions: 25:14–26:06
• Emotional & Physical Pain Transformation Stories: 32:57–34:41

Memorable Quotes

• "Curious, not furious... I always want you learning and studying your pain." —Dr. Amen (13:54)
• "When you get the inflammation down, everything else falls into place. The number one thing was pain." —Tana (34:41)
• "You are not stuck with the brain you have... tomorrow can be better, and you have a role in it." —Dr. Amen (32:57)

Tone and Style

The conversation is candid, practical, and hopeful. Dr. Amen maintains an educational yet approachable tone. Tana’s input brings personal, relatable anecdotes and direct application of the discussed models, blending scientific insight with warmth and empathy.

Final Thoughts

The episode offers a holistic yet scientifically grounded roadmap for overcoming chronic pain by addressing dietary factors, emotional triggers, negative thought patterns, and nervous system imbalance. Listeners are encouraged to embrace hope and agency by adopting integrative practices—including journaling, targeted supplementation, and therapies like EMDR—while scrutinizing hidden toxins and stressors in their lives.

For listeners seeking further help, the hosts recommend Dr. Amen’s new book, emotional freedom journaling, and working with qualified therapists for specialized interventions like EMDR or ISTDP.