Tarek El Moussa: The Painful Secrets Behind His Wild Success

Summary

Podcast Title: Change Your Brain Every Day
Hosts: Dr. Daniel Amen & Tana Amen
Guest: Tarek El Moussa
Episode Title: Tarek El Moussa: The Painful Secrets Behind His Wild Success
Release Date: June 9, 2025

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Introduction

In this emotionally charged episode of Change Your Brain Every Day, New York Times bestselling authors Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen welcome real estate mogul and HGTV personality Tarek El Moussa. Tarek opens up about his tumultuous journey from immense success to personal struggles, shedding light on the often unseen battles behind his public persona.

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Early Life and Background (00:00 - 01:02)

Tarek El Moussa begins by sharing his upbringing in Buena Park, California, highlighting his affluent lifestyle juxtaposed with deep personal dissatisfaction.

Tarek El Moussa [00:00]: "I was living in a 7,300 square foot house at a Lamborghini in the garage. I grew up in Buena Park, California, to immigrants. I had everything and I absolutely hated myself in my life. And that's when I knew this isn't normal."

He acknowledges his early sense of self-loathing despite outward success, setting the stage for his later struggles.

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Career Highlights and Initial Success (01:36 - 18:31)

Heather Amen introduces Tarek, emphasizing his role as a co-host on Flip or Flop alongside his then-wife Christina Hack. Tarek recounts the inception of his television career, illustrating his determination and unconventional approach to success.

Tarek El Moussa [17:02]: "My number one goal is to really understand why I am the way I am."

He details how his first TV show was born from a serendipitous encounter at a real estate convention, leading him to pitch the idea of Flip or Flop without prior experience in house flipping.

Tarek El Moussa [18:33]: "I bought a Zegna suit, 60% off... I was gonna get us a TV show. TV show about flipping houses. We had just bought our first flip that week. We can call it Flip or Flop. Flip if we make it, flop if we don't. She laughed at me, said I was crazy. She went to bed. Was it crazy or did it work? It worked."

His relentless work ethic and innovative mindset propelled the show from a struggling premiere slot to becoming HGTV’s number one show.

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Personal Struggles and Mental Health (04:43 - 29:08)

Despite his success, Tarek reveals a darker side marked by self-hatred, substance abuse, and mental health challenges. Reflecting on his past, he shares:

Tarek El Moussa [08:43]: "Because I hated myself. I hated how I looked. I hated the fact that I was drinking too much... I was just a really bad downhill spiral."

Dr. Daniel Amen probes into the roots of Tarek’s struggles, uncovering early traumatic experiences such as a traumatic birth and a severe head injury at age four.

Tarek El Moussa [09:46]: "I had seven blood transfusions. I had jaundice. I was told I had cerebral palsy."

These early events, coupled with multiple head injuries and substance abuse, contributed to his ongoing battle with self-esteem and mental health issues.

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Bouncing Back and Seeking Help (29:06 - 40:05)

Tarek recounts hitting rock bottom, including a harrowing encounter with law enforcement and subsequent addiction issues:

Tarek El Moussa [27:06]: "They had me on gunpoint... I didn't know what was going on."

His downward spiral continued with living on a boat, losing significant weight, and severe alcohol addiction. It wasn’t until facing multiple health crises, including thyroid and testicular cancer, that he began to regain control.

Tarek El Moussa [31:37]: "I stopped at this line and the word fair hit me and I said, fair. Well, who said life's supposed to be fair? Who said life's supposed to be fair? You do the best you can with what you got."

This moment of realization marked the turning point in his journey towards recovery and self-acceptance.

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Interaction with Dr. Daniel Amen and Strategies for Healing (40:05 - 54:30)

Dr. Amen conducts a comprehensive brain scan of Tarek, revealing significant areas of concern related to his history of trauma and substance abuse. They discuss the impact of early brain injuries and ongoing mental health challenges.

Dr. Daniel Amen [10:04]: "People who have general anesthesia have a higher incidence of learning problems."

Tarek expresses his desire to understand and improve his mental state:

Tarek El Moussa [16:16]: "My number one goal is to really understand why I am the way I am."

Dr. Amen introduces cognitive behavioral techniques to combat Tarek’s negative self-talk, including identifying and challenging automatic negative thoughts.

Dr. Daniel Amen [43:04]: "Is that true with a hundred percent certainty you hate yourself?"

Through guided exercises, Tarek begins to recognize the patterns of self-hatred and explores strategies to foster self-love and positivity.

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Commitment to Change and Future Outlook (54:30 - End)

Inspired by his sessions, Tarek commits to a regimen of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and other brain-repair techniques recommended by Dr. Amen. He expresses optimism about his ability to transform his mental and physical health.

Tarek El Moussa [52:21]: "This has been eye-opening and very exciting for me. I'm excited for change. I'm always excited for change. I've made a lot of changes to this point, and I'm excited to continue."

Dr. Amen underscores the importance of consistency, comparing brain health maintenance to regular exercise:

Dr. Daniel Amen [53:04]: "If you stick with it for six months... they get better."

The episode concludes with a hopeful outlook as Tarek embarks on his journey to repair his brain and improve his overall well-being.

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Key Takeaways

1. Hidden Struggles Behind Success: Tarek El Moussa's story highlights that immense public success can mask significant personal and mental health challenges.

2. Importance of Early Intervention: Early traumatic experiences and inadequate treatment for ADHD contributed to long-term mental health issues.

3. Power of Self-Realization: A single moment of clarity ("life is not fair") can catalyze profound personal transformation.

4. Effective Mental Health Strategies: Cognitive behavioral techniques and targeted therapies can help individuals break free from destructive thought patterns.

5. Commitment to Continuous Improvement: Ongoing efforts and dedication are essential for sustained mental and physical health improvements.

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Notable Quotes

• Tarek El Moussa [00:00]: "I had everything and I absolutely hated myself in my life."
• Heather Amen [01:36]: "We are so excited for our guest today. This is actually a dear friend of mine..."
• Tarek El Moussa [31:37]: "Who said life's supposed to be fair? You do the best you can with what you got."
• Dr. Daniel Amen [43:04]: "Is that true with a hundred percent certainty you hate yourself?"
• Tarek El Moussa [52:21]: "I'm excited to start, actually. I was studying it all night last night."

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Conclusion

Tarek El Moussa's candid discussion on Change Your Brain Every Day provides a powerful narrative of overcoming personal demons despite outward success. With the guidance of Dr. Daniel Amen and a commitment to brain health, Tarek embarks on a transformative journey towards self-love and mental well-being, offering hope and inspiration to listeners facing their own struggles.

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Transcript

[Tarek El Moussa]

I was living in a 7,300 square foot house at a Lamborghini in the garage. I grew up in Bueno Park, California, to immigrants. I had everything and I absolutely hated myself in my life. And that's when I knew this isn't normal. Tarek El Moussa is an American real.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Estate investor and TV personality.

[Tarek El Moussa]

He is best known for co hosting.

[Heather Amen]

HGTV's Flip or Flop alongside his then.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Wife Christina Hack, and more recently for.

[Heather Amen]

His new shows the Flipping El Moussas and the Flip Off.

[Tarek El Moussa]

When I was young, it was the fuel to prove that I'm not dumb, I'm not bad, and I am good. Looking back at my life, 2020 hindsight, I'm like, man, give yourself a break. I was so awful to myself.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Why do you think?

[Tarek El Moussa]

Because I, I hated myself, hated myself that I gained 60 pounds. I hated myself that I was an alcoholic, hated myself that I was in high school, I was in good shape and I was popular. And then within six months, my life was in the toilet and I was just a really bad downhill sparring.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Every day you are making your brain better or you are making it worse. Stay with us to learn how you can change your brain for the better every day. This podcast is brought to you by the Change youe Brain foundation, dedicated to ending the concept of mental illness by creating a revolution in brain health. Go to changeyourbrain.org to learn how you can support our mission.

[Heather Amen]

We are so excited for our guest today. This is actually a dear friend of mine and I want to tell the story if I can, in a second. But Tarek El Moussa, you probably know him as the king of flipping. Absolutely. You have to have seen him on hgtv. He has so many. Any show that starts with Flip the Flip off, the Flipping el Moussas flipping 101. Flip or flop, right?

[Tarek El Moussa]

Oh, my gosh, you nailed all the shows.

[Heather Amen]

Yeah, right.

[Tarek El Moussa]

100.

[Heather Amen]

So. But I have to tell the story really quick, if I can, about how I came to know you guys because it's kind of a crazy story. I had never seen any of those shows because I'm one of the few people who didn't watch any type of reality TV where it's so busy. I just never watched it. So I didn't know who you were. I didn't know who Heather was. And we had just moved into our neighborhood and unfortunately my mother passed away shortly after we moved into our neighborhood. I'd moved her in with me and I inherited some property. And the first Three houses that I inherited were hoarder houses. So it was very stressful time for me. I'm trying to manage, you know, grieving, I'm trying to manage the estate, I'm trying to manage these hoarder houses. And this was new to me. This was not what I planned on doing at this stage of my life. And I was not sleeping at night, I was so stressed out. So I start searching like what to do with a hoarder house and somehow your face came up. So I google, I google hoarder house and your face pop up. So, so I started watching your show and then all of a sudden my husband's like, why are you up all night watching the show? What is the matter with you? And I'm like, it's like anti anxiety medication for me because it took something that was so stressful for me and normalized it. And I'm like, if they can do it, like they're showing that this is possible to do. And I know I'm not the only person this has happened to, but that's how stressed out I was. So I put my CIA ha on and I'm like, I'm going to find this person. I'm going to find this person. Not like a stalker, but I'm going to find this person so that I can hire someone from his company. I figured you would never do it, but I'm going to hire someone from this company to consult with. Like that was my goal.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah, I love it.

[Heather Amen]

So I'll keep it short, but basically that's what I did. And I didn't never expected to sort of meet you. And turns out the weirdest thing, you're not only my neighbors, like very close neighbors. But you guys were so nice and you showed up at my mom's house with me and walked the house and you just gave me a day of like telling me what to do, how to do it. You just were so kind. And we've been friends ever since. And I thought, you know, I thought that would never happen just because you guys are so busy and you're big and anyways, that's how we all came together. And it was my little story about my anxiety.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

And you used me.

[Heather Amen]

I did. I used you? Yeah, I did. Because he doesn't take new patients. He's like, I can't take any new patients. I'm like, oh no, you're going to. I love you, but you're going to.

[Tarek El Moussa]

So I was hoping he would never find out. I needed to be a patient. That's why I was all so quiet. I be like, he's not going to read me today.

[Heather Amen]

Well, but he sees people to optimize brains, too, right? We see a lot of high level people like you guys, because they want to optimize their business, they want to optimize their performance.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

It's like we're going to do the same thing you do. You take these properties that are distressed and you make them incredible, magnificent. And so I think, you know, as we show your brain, it can be better. Yeah, well, that's. And six months from now, if you do what I ask you to do, it's going to be just like your show. You're going to, like, go, whoa. And that matters, right? I mean, where you live matters every day to your mood, your happiness. But where your brain is, every day, that matters, perhaps more.

[Tarek El Moussa]

And guess what is the one thing I've never really thought about the brain.

[Heather Amen]

Because you can't see it.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Because you can't see it. But, you know, to answer your question, earlier, you were shocked that, you know, we went out and we met with you. The truth is, you know, life has been somewhat of a struggle for me. So today my favorite thing to do is to help people reduce pain and remove stress and help them accomplish things that will make their life easier and better.

[Heather Amen]

Well, you guys have been magnificent, and you guys are so fun and so sweet. So we just wanted to share some of this.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah. Yeah. We're so excited that we became friends with you guys, seriously. Because, you know, it was funny because we had saw you walking in the neighborhood one time, and I told Heather, I said, I think. I think that's. That's Dr. Amen and his wife. And she goes, really? And then it was like a week later we got the message. And I said, I knew I saw it because I said, I'm not crazy. I know I saw you guys because I'd seen you on social media watching your podcast.

[Heather Amen]

So. Great.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

So how can we help you the most? What's your goal in being here?

[Tarek El Moussa]

My number one goal is to really understand why I am the way I am. I have always wondered that. Why can't I be more patient? Why can't I be more calm? Why can't I follow instructions? Why am I always in trouble? Why was I the bad kid in school? And no matter what I did, I remember one time, as the third grade, I had this whole thing set up with my teachers, and if I didn't get the red card for the week, I get a Baskin Robbins. I never Got an ice cream. So my whole life, you know, I really did try. And that's the thing. I'm a trier. And throughout my life, I would always fail. And then eventually I would win, but I wouldn't win in the same way that everybody else would. I would win by figuring out how to get what I want by trial and error and figuring out how to do things my own way. Like, I taught myself how to invest in real estate at a flip house. I'll be honest. Like, I have no idea how to do the underwriting that, you know, a normal real estate investor would do, because I do it all in my head.

[Heather Amen]

So I think this is so important because I think most people would look at you and say you are, like, wildly successful, and they wouldn't know that. And I think that's so important because they don't know the struggle that goes on with so many people who are wildly successful. And it's.

[Tarek El Moussa]

It's.

[Heather Amen]

It's really an important thing to know.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah. And honestly, I use that as my fuel. You know, when I was young, it was the fuel to prove that I'm not dumb, I'm not bad, and I. And I am good. And then I made money. And then, of course, my ego got out of control because I am better than I thought I was. I'm not a loser. And then I lost everything during the Great Recession. I said, well, I tricked myself. I am a loser. And then, you know, the beautiful thing is life goes on and you get more beat up and more beat up and you learn and you learn. And, you know, I'm at the point now where, you know, looking back at my life, 2020 hindsight, I'm like, man, give yourself a break. I was so awful to myself when I was young.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Why do you think?

[Tarek El Moussa]

Because I hated myself. I hated how I looked. I hated the fact that I was drinking too much. I hated the fact that I couldn't stop eating the foods that was making me fat. I hated myself that I gained 60% pounds, hated myself that I was an alcoholic, hated myself that I was, you know, in high school, I was in good shape and I was popular. And then within six months, my life was in the toilet, and I was just a really bad downhill spiral. Yeah. So I've had a couple rock bottoms in my life.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

So let's start with your scam.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Sure. Perfect brain, Right.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Well, now you're married to somebody who.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Can we just put hers up there and say, it's mine.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

A beautiful brain, and yours is hurt. And when I read Your history. And the thing that stood out to me was you had a traumatic birth.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah, very.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

And most people don't know that if you're born early, if your lungs aren't working, if you have high bilirubin and you're jaundiced, that. That can negatively impact your brain, which then will give you learning problems, which then you start to hate yourself because you see yourself different than other people.

[Heather Amen]

How premature were you?

[Tarek El Moussa]

I don't remember. I know I was five pounds. I had seven blood transfusions. I had jaundice. I had bully ribbon. They told my mom I had cerebral palsy.

[Heather Amen]

Oh.

[Tarek El Moussa]

And then I had failing lungs, so they gave my. Gave me an experimental drug to see if it would work. And it worked. Yeah.

[Heather Amen]

So you. Yeah. You really went through a lot.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah. And. Yeah. Yeah. And then that's when I was born. And then when. I think I told you, when I was four, I was climbing a tree, fell out of the tree, landed on bricks, cracked my head open, went to the hospital, had to get surgery. Yeah.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

And so we have the premature birth, the head trauma, the anesthesia. People don't know this, but children who have general anesthesia have a higher incidence of learning problems. And add all by itself, because anesthesia can often be toxic to brain function. And then later on, there are more head injuries. Right. And so as we look at this brain, and then you talked about substance abuse, and you hate yourself because you don't understand. It's not you, it's what happened to you.

[Heather Amen]

And you didn't have control of that.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

And despite that.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

You've been wildly successful. And so the goal, just like your goal on the hoarder houses, is to rehabilitate it. It's to be thoughtful, purposeful, goal oriented. You got to do the right things. If you don't do the right things, you don't get the right result. Right. And your brain can be so much better, and then life becomes easier. But your brain, because of the stress and trauma, got trained to hate you.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

And we have to redo the way you think.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah. And, you know, when I mention that or when I say that to people, they think it's, you know, it's a crazy statement to make. But, you know, if anyone knows, as a. As a doctor, you understand, you know, it's not something I want to feel. It's not something I enjoy feeling. It's just this little voice just telling you, you. You could be better and you're not enough. And you're. You still haven't proven you're good enough and you're not worthy.

[Heather Amen]

So I suffered from a lot of that for a long time. And I grew up in a lot of crazy.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

But you know, I've seen some of the world's most famous people and they all start with I'm not enough. And I looked at them, you know, whether Oscar winning actors or Grammy winning artists, and I'm like, if you're not enough, who is?

[Tarek El Moussa]

My not enough comes down to not the financial part. Well, no, I mean that too. But mostly not. Like I struggle with like, oh man, I'm not being a good friend or I'm not being a good dad, or I'm not being a good husband, or I'm spread too thin, I have to spend more time with my kids, but I can't because I'm traveling for work and it's just these ruminating thoughts that just are torturous for me. And then the way I get out of that is really by becoming hyper focused on work, whatever I'm excited about. So when I get into my creative mode, I mean, I could work on my phone for 20 hours straight without eating. And it's like, can be my favorite thing in the world because my brain lights up and it makes me. I don't know what it is. It makes me feel good when I'm working and, and I'm creating something, like something I shared with you the other night, I, I feel like, oh, it's like I created something special and that's what lights me up. And when I'm not doing that, that's when I'm beating myself up.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

So if you love something, you can focus on it. But for regular routine, everyday things, you have to have other people do that for you.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Which is classic for people who have add.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

And you told me something, and I read this, that when you were a teenager, somebody put you on doxedraine, which is a treatment for add, and you went from poor grades to great grades and then you stopped it and then the world sort of went to hell.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Why did you stop it?

[Tarek El Moussa]

Great question. So in high school, tell this story. Yeah.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

How did you.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah, so I mean, in high school, you know, I was ADD and I was rough and rowdy and you know, we, we would get, we got in some trouble as, as kids. I ended up going to juvenile hall for a little bit because of a big fight. We got into a very violent fight actually. And I, I didn't start it. I actually ended up being okay because my, my aspect was self defense and I was a minor. But when I. When I got out of the juvenile hall and I wasn't there a very long time, I ended up seeing a doctor. And then they prescribed me Dexter, and they said I had something called adhd. And I'm like, whatever that is, give me that. And I remember taking it and then being like. So like, everything slowed down, and it was like I was. I was seeing the world like this. And my grades went from 2.0 to 3.8. Like, I was focused. I could study. But then the problems I did have is I just wasn't the same. So I wasn't as chatty as I used to be. I stopped eating, so I lost so much weight. And then on the weekends, I wouldn't take my medicines, and I'd go out and party with my friends, and then I would get in really big trouble. I have no idea. Because it would be like if I didn't take my medicine, I would do really bad things. And then when I turned 18, they told me that if I wanted to continue my medicine, I had to go see a doctor. And I said, well, I don't want to go see a doctor. Then said, well, we won't give you your medicine. So then I just stopped taking my medicine because I became an adult, and I said, well, I don't want to go see a doctor. I don't need medicine. And then my life went to absolute shit, to the point where I was contemplating suicide at 20. And looking back, I realized that my downfall started immediately when I got off that medicine. Yeah.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Yeah. So half the kids who have ADHD outgrow their hyperactivity by the time they're 13 or 14. And then they go off the medicine because they're no longer hyperactive, and their lives follow part. And I own a supplement company, so I'm like, you know, let's do this naturally, but not for your brain. It's. I think we have to treat the add and then we have to repair your brain from the birth trauma, from the head traumas, from the toxicity. I think that's really important. Important. So, you know, one huge question I have is, given the struggle and the negative self talk, how have you been able to do these amazing things, including get my wife to sleep at night?

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Because she's not freaked out. I mean, I mean, your work was so incredibly helpful to her.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Well, thank you. And I'm so glad I was able to help you. And that's what lights me up. It really is. You know, that's what I'm very Passionate about is helping, coaching, teaching. My dad was my. My biggest mentor and coach growing up. That's one of the reasons why I'm so obsessed with winning, though. So maybe not the best, but look at it. I already forgot the question.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

So how have you been able to be this successful?

[Tarek El Moussa]

This successful? Oh, I turn my pain into my fuel. I refuse to be told I cannot do something. Every time someone tells me no, I smile because I know I can do it. And then my favorite thing to do is prove to people that I can do it, that I am capable. And that's really what fueled me. It's been a very painful road, but the reward when I finally accomplish the things I'm trying to accomplish is really great. But I don't get through to the traditional ways. I get there through hard work, trial and error, and thinking outside the box. I pitched getting my house flipping TV show before I ever flipped a house. Never flipped a house. And then I. And then I shot. And then, yeah, and then I. They said, okay, we'll do a pilot. So I filmed a pilot of one house. And then they said, okay, well, the odds of getting a show are slim. And if you get a show, it's going to take years. Two weeks later, I got a contract from HGTV. Say we want 13 houses in 10 months. And I didn't even know how to flip houses. I definitely didn't have any money, so.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

So where'd you get the idea?

[Tarek El Moussa]

I was at a real estate convention. I'll tell you why. I'll tell you the full story. I was at a real estate convention. This guy's name was Mike Ferry. He's a real estate speaker. Guy's a genius. Love this guy. He was so. His words affected me like he was God. Like, when he spoke, I listened. You know what I mean? I looked up to this guy so much. And he told the whole audience, there's 5,000 people to go out, buy clothing you can't afford, go buy wine you can't afford, and eat at a restaurant you can't afford, and for one night, live on the next level. So I'll never forget it. It was after the great Recession, after I lost everything. I said, you know, I want that feeling again. So we went out. I bought a Zegna suit, 60% off. I'll never forget it. We went to an Italian restaurant, got fancy wine. It was like 100 bucks. But the problem is I was really hungover the next day. So I had like three bottles of wine. Let's be real. So I was Sitting in the. I was sitting in the very back, and I'm like, oh, I don't feel good. My friend texted me from the very front row. He's like, hey, the managers from Brea are leaving. Do you want to come sit in the front row where normally you have to pay or be a vip? And I'm like, okay, sure. So I go to the front row and then I'm watching the speaker, and then all of a sudden my heart starts pounding and I'm feeling dizzy and nauseous and I'm sweating and I'm about to pass out because I'm, you know, I was really hungover. I was in Vegas. So this guy comes running in front of, like, the stage, and he hands me Advil and water. And it's the guy I've seen on stage the day before talking about how he made $800,000 a year selling houses. And so then I talked to him at the break because all these VIPs came up to us because we had the fancy clothing. We're in the front row. They're like, who are you guys? And I didn't want to say we're nobodies. So I was picking his brain, and he told me he had a local TV show in Palm Springs. So I was like, tv? What does that do? He goes, well, people recognize me. I'm like, well, what does that do? Then he goes out. Then they work with me. I said, oh, so you make money off that? So I'm like, oh, man, that's smart. And I'm not thinking tv. I never thought TV in my life. So I left Las Vegas. I think it was the next day, got home, it was 10 o' clock at night, and I'm still thinking about this conversation. We're living in San Clemente, California. My ex wife, Christina, she has one leg up the stairs. She looks over, are you coming to bed? And I said, no. She goes, what are you doing? Like, kind of laughed at me. I said, I'm gonna get us a TV show. And then she goes, a TV show about what? And I said, I don't know. One second. I got it. TV show about flipping houses. We had just bought our first flip that week. We can call it Flip or Flop. Flip if we make it, flop if we don't. She laughed at me, said I was crazy. She went to bed. Was it crazy or did it work? It worked. So it actually worked. So you want to know what I did? I'm a genius. Watch this. I went on this thing called the Internet, and I googled Hollywood production companies. And then it turns out websites come up. And then if you look at the websites and you read the websites, you can find buttons. And sometimes it says casting. You see, that's how I got a TV show. And then I got a contract to do 13 and 10 months. And I'm like, well, shit, I have no money and I don't have to flip houses. So I called my lawyer, which, by the way, he took me on as a client on a payment plan for my retainer, which was very nice because I was broke. And I said, well, if I sign this contract, what could happen? He goes, well, they can sue you. So I looked around my apartment. I said, the couch is financed. The table's finance, as you know, they could have it. So I signed the thing twice. And what I did is I burned the boats in the very first year to pull it off. I knew I had to try to mostly buy from the auctions. And I couldn't buy properties with people living in them because you can't film people, right? You can't evict people, right? So every night I would leave from 10pm to 4am I would drive all of Southern California looking at all the houses in the middle of the night that were going to auction the next morning to see if anyone lived there. So then I would drive all night till four in the morning, get to the auction. My opening bid would be like three or no, my max bid on a house is 300,000, right? There's 200, 250, 260. I'm like, 3003-103203-50400. I'm like, wait a minute, how are these people paying 400? And then it turns out there's these things called hedge funds. Because I didn't, you know, I didn't know what a hedge fund was. And these guys had millions of dollars in checks. And I'm like, well, shit, I signed up for this show. I got to find houses. So every night I drove, every day I went to the auction, and I'll never forget it. Two weeks in, I bid on a house. Nobody bid against me. And then I start freaking out. I got a house. This is bad. This is a problem. And then the number one buyer at the auction, he bought 1200 homes a year. He would wear this big, like, fishing cap with holes in his shirt with these stained khaki pants, and he used to write all his notes on himself. And he had this big fanny pack. And I'll never forget what he says, he goes, I can't buy them all. And he walked off. And that's when I got my very first flip at the auction. And then that's when I learned, you just. If you show up and you work hard enough, you're gonna get lucky. So that's what I did. I just kept working. I worked myself to death. But I figured it out and I pulled off the first season. And what was interesting, during season one of Flip or Flop, they. We actually stopped filming halfway through the season because someone at the network wanted to cancel the show because they thought it was too risque for hgtv, you know, and then they wanted to burn us off the air. So they aired us from 11pm till 12am on a Thursday night. We did 13 episodes. So six weeks we would have been burned off the air. So I'll never Forget, we're in LA at the premiere, it's 11 o' clock, and I'm like falling asleep. Right. Something special happened from the beginning of that hour to the end of the hour. I think we had broken every HGTV record. The viewership had grown. I think it was like 40%. The next day we woke up, we made the top 100 TV shows of the day. Two weeks later, we went primetime. And then two years later, we were the number one show on cable TV. Yeah, that's crazy. And then going into season two is when I found out I had cancer. So on season two, I filmed through the whole thing, actually. So in season two, I. It was hard too, because I gained 60 pounds and everybody was sending me messages. I'm fat, I'm ugly, and this and that. So it was just. It was a really weird time. And then, you know, I'm not like, I never wanted to be famous. I just. I'm an entrepreneur. So then I wasn't. I didn't know how to adjust to this new life that just came out of nowhere. Because for me, I met a guy at a convention, had a TV show. I said, okay, that. That could work. So, you know, so that's what happened.

[Heather Amen]

That is wild. But I have one question. You have all this wild success, and admittedly, you like, you channel your energy. You don't take no for an answer. You're gonna make it happen. You make it happen and you don't process. Somehow there's a disconnect between, yeah, I made that happen, and you still don't like yourself.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah. And I learned that back in 2000, 2014. I mean, those were really hard years for me because, you know, the two different cancers and the back surgeries and the opiates in my mind was not right. I was on so many different chemicals like fat burner injections, testosterone injections, HCG injections, I mean, you name it, all these chemicals in my system. And I remember just every day. And actually I've never told this to my wife. I have a notebook actually where I used to write down my thoughts. And man, it's ugly. It's ugly. And it was all about why I hated me. And I remember this feeling of I was living in a 7,300 square foot house at a Lamborghini in the garage. I had literally. I mean, I grew up in Buena Park, California to immigrants, you know what I mean? I mean, I had everything and I absolutely hated myself in my life. And that's when I knew this isn't normal. So actually, before my ex wife left me, I actually, for the first time I'd ever said it in my life, I mentioned to her, I think I need some pretty professional help like a few weeks before because I. It's hard to explain. I mean, it's hard to explain unless you've just been through years of traumatic experiences. But then what? The show that really helped me get back on track was the show Intervention. That was a good show. I like that show. Yeah.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

So what kind of professional help did you get?

[Tarek El Moussa]

Well, I didn't get professional help at that time because she, at that point it was too late. She's dealt with. I mean, I understand she didn't really probably want to be involved with me too much anymore. So when, you know, the last day we were to get together as a family. I mean, I don't know if you guys know the story, but there's, you know, sheriff's helicopters, they had me on gunpoint. Do you guys know about all that fun stuff? I read something about it, yeah, it was interesting.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Well, tell us.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah, well, you know, I wasn't doing too good because you wrote a book about this. Yeah, it's in my book, Flip youp Life.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Yeah, so I read Flip you Life.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah, Flip youp Life. Yeah, I like it. Yeah, we all need a remodel, just like a house. And I just wasn't doing well. I had ordered new mountain bikes and I had just got a California concealed carry. And I wanted to go scout the trails behind my house because we backed at Chino Hill State Park. I took a gun with me, I jumped the back fence and I just started hiking. And about 30 minutes into my hike, I see this helicopter and it's circling, and there's all this dust. And I'm like, oh, is there a fire? Something's going on. And all of a sudden there's all this screaming. And I said, who are they screaming at? And then I realized, oh, they're screaming at me. And I look and there's sheriffs, and it's been terrifying. And it was like everything slowed down. And then I look in a circle around me, and then there's just. There's dust everywhere, and there's 11 sheriffs circled me. I'm at gunpoint. And I'm thinking, what. I didn't know what was going because I didn't connect the two. And I'm thinking, what in the world is happening? And then immediately one of the police officers goes, tarek. I said, chad, the guy from tv, what are you guys doing? And then they put their guns down. They walked up. They're like, hey, we got a call about you. I'm like, call about what? Anyhow, there was some miscommunication, but I ended up having to get. You know, this is traumatic for me because they still had to handcuff me. They had to put me in the car, they had to take me to my house. And like, the. The last ever time I was with my family back then was I was. I'll never forget this. My shirt's off and I'm handcuffed, sitting on a cooler in our garage as I watch my ex wife carrying a bag with both kids screaming and crying out down the driveway. And that was it. So that was very traumatic. That was the beginning of the worst experience of my life.

[Heather Amen]

Yeah, that's. That's traumatic.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah, it was pretty traumatic. So then from there, you know, I was hopeful that, you know, I didn't think things would actually end. So then I. I was living. I went and started living on my boat. And it turns out if you don't eat and all you do is drink, it's not really good for you. So. So, yeah, so, you know, I had a boy's day, and I hadn't been eating, and I was like, in the middle of a conversation with my friend Scott, and I passed out on the back of my boat. I just hit the deck because I was losing so much weight. I wasn't eating. Oh. And I got off testosterone cold turkey. I got off all the injections. I did everything wrong. No medical supervision. I was like. It was a mess. A mess. And then when I came to, all my friends are like, next thing I know, I have Dr. Drew on the phone. And next thing I know, I'm talking to Dr. Drew. And then I ended up living in a facility in Laguna Beach, California, which was very weird for me because at that point, I was like the pinnacle of my career. And I was making more money than I ever thought possible. I was more famous than I ever thought possible. And now I'm living in a halfway house, and I have a bedtime, and I have curfew and daily alcohol and blood alcohol testing and drug testing, and. And I did it to prove to my children and my ex wife that I was willing to do anything to better myself. But it was just too late at that point for that purpose. So I ended up staying there for a month. Man, it was a very tough month. And I had someone with me 24 hours a day, seven days a week with me. And then when I left the facility, I brought that person with me. And honestly, I just. I needed someone there with me. I was. I was that bad. I didn't really feel comfortable being alone. So I had someone watching over me a few months. And then, you know, one day, it was driving up Newport Boulevard by your house, actually, and I was crying as I usually would, and I was screaming about how life's not fair. And I was hitting my Lamborghini steering wheel. My stupid Lamborghini. Life's not fair. And I'm hitting a Lamborghini. Right. Ironic. And then I stopped at this line and the word fair hit me and I said, fair. Well, who said life's supposed to be fair? Who said life's supposed to be fair? You know, you do the best you can with what you got. And then the second I accepted the fact that life is not fair, it was like this. The sense of freedom. And in that moment, I knew that was the beginning of my new life. Just by acknowledging that one word, fair, and saying, it's not fair. I can't do shit about this. It's time to move on.

[Heather Amen]

I love that. So when Chloe was little, that's our daughter, she would always. You know, kids always say that it's not fair. It's not fair. And my line to her, because I grew up in a rough situation as well, and I would look at her and say, fair is a place in Pomona with farm animals, bad food and farm animals. No one ever said life was going to be fair. It's about what you're going to do with it. And she had. I didn't realize until years later that she had no idea what Pomona was. So she was like years later she's like, I had no idea what you were talking about. You know that, right?

[Tarek El Moussa]

That's so cute. That is so cute. Oh my God. I'm going to use this. I like this one. We're going to have to go to the fair, by the way, so.

[Heather Amen]

Yeah, but I love.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Okay, so you got some drug and alcohol treatment.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah, but I didn't actually go for drug and alcohol. I went for mental health and I didn't know what to do. So oddly enough, I was, you know, I was a raging alcoholic because I was self medicating from the age of 18 to 30 and there was periods within there when it was really bad. At my lowest points I was up to 35, 40 shots a night and then I would end up drinking six to ten beers. Yeah, I would sleep until like 3:00 every day. And I was, you know, I was very depressed.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

And then that level of alcohol with this brain would make you depressed.

[Tarek El Moussa]

So then the reason I really started drinking is because I was having sleep problems. But then I couldn't sleep unless I drink. So then I have to drink more to sleep.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Right.

[Tarek El Moussa]

So it was this just vicious cycle.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

You were constantly in withdrawal.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah. So then I decided to stop drinking, you know, so I went down to like, I started drinking like, you know, beers, like 10 beers a night. And then what happened was when I had my, my thyroid cancer and my testicular cancer after my surgeries, I lost all my craving for alcohol. Like, and that's the thing I tell people. I got really lucky because I was like truly an alcoholic where I, I would crave and think about alcohol. And now I can socially drink. I can have. Before when I'd have one drink, it's, I couldn't have one drink if I had one drink, I had 40 drinks now I could have one drink, I could have two drinks. And it doesn't affect me in the same way. So I believe something with my thyroid had something to do with my alcoholism.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Interesting.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah, because I, I, that's what I'm saying. Like, it wasn't a, it wasn't like a hard decision to make. I just didn't want it anymore overnight. Interesting.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

How many surgeries have you had?

[Tarek El Moussa]

Maybe 10.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Yeah, because you know, when I think about your brain, it's like these things stack, right? If it starts with a traumatic birth and then the head injury when you're four, and then the other head injuries, surgeries, alcohol, thyroid, other stuff, it's like, oh, so we understand it.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

You know, and now we have to.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Fix It One thing I've always been curious about is. But, you know, when you're a kid, you don't know what's normal or not normal. Right. So as an adult, looking back as a kid, what I experienced, I think it was from I was like first grade to fifth grade, I would, every single day at school, I would have the world's worst migraines. And I think because I would exert myself so much, and I remember I would always have a high fever and my head would always just be thumping, like right here on the sides, thump, thump, thump, thump. So for years as a kid, I just lived with this thumping in my brain. It's very, very odd.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Were you light sensitive?

[Tarek El Moussa]

Oh, yeah, I'm very light sensitive. I'm very. I have weird sensory issues like touch, smell. Yeah.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

And I think that was from the birth trauma. Because if we look at your scans, those holes on the top, that is an area of the brain called your parietal lobe. So that's the sensory part of the brain. And it can't sort of turn off the noise. And so the noise, the world comes at you too quickly. And as we reverse that, that should help. There's also something really interesting called Irlen syndrome. Irlen People who are light sensitive. Certain colors of light are irritating to the brain. And when you wear colored filtered lenses, different color for everybody, your focus is better, your irritability is less, your anxiety is less.

[Tarek El Moussa]

So I mean, that sounds incredible.

[Heather Amen]

Thank you for sharing that. I think it's important when people see someone very successful that they know the real story behind it because it, it gives people hope.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah. And that's the truth. And people say, what am I trying to share today? It's the message of hope. I used to be a 240 pound, chain smoking alcoholic, you know, and I've rebuilt myself multiple times. Am I perfect today? No. Am I light years better than I was? Yes. Do I feel healthier today at 43 than at 23? Yes. Do I move better? Yes. So, you know, I've made a lot of improvements in my life, but I'm not done. You know, let's say about 5%, 5% of the way there.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

How much? 40%.

[Tarek El Moussa]

5% were there 5%. We got a long way to go.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Let's talk about your testing. So I know you're competitive with Heather.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Oh, man. I was staring at that screen waiting for that X because I didn't want her to beat me. I wasn't thinking about anything but beating my wife.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Although your scan was on Vyvanse because you take Vyvanse, you take how much?

[Tarek El Moussa]

10 milligrams. Well, I recently got down to 10 from 40.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

And who's been managing your medication?

[Tarek El Moussa]

So my general doctor has been helping me with the Vyvanse and I kind of just tested on my own and I got up to 40 milligrams, which I felt pretty good, actually. I was strangely, I was less jumpy, but I was like I was having major sleeping problems. So then we recently reduced me down to 10, where now I don't even feel like I have Vyvanse in me. So I don't even know if I should be taking it. That's kind of where I'm at right now.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Okay.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

So you don't have a psychiatrist that's managing your medicine? Who told you you had bipolar disorder?

[Tarek El Moussa]

A doctor at Kaiser in 2009.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Okay. Was it a psychiatrist? Hopefully.

[Tarek El Moussa]

I think. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I used to sit in the room with the couch. Yes, yes. That's a psychiatrist, right? That's the psychiatrist.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Yeah, maybe.

[Tarek El Moussa]

And they get medicines. Yeah, yeah. So I took Seroquel and Lumictol for. For many years. And then I. I took myself off of those medicines. And the only difference I felt was I was no longer groggy in the morning, but I had a harder time sleeping. But then the Seroquel, you know, some nights I would hallucinate and see weird things and some weird stuff.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Yeah, I have better stuff.

[Tarek El Moussa]

I'm ready.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

I have better stuff. Okay. Looking at the testing, not depressed, but I'm not convinced about that. Under a lot of stress. That's really high. And your long term memory is okay. Your short term memory is not good. Focus, not awesome. And that's on 10 milligrams of Vyvanse. So 10 milligrams may not be enough. 40 may be too much. I want you to feel it, but I don't want it to have side effects. So you often it's. I have to think of it like glasses, you know, it's like they try different lenses. It's like. No, no, better. Better, better. Awesome. Not so good. Not so good. Right. So I think with stimulants we have to, like try different doses because I scanned you on it and your brain is still super sleepy.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah. The one, the one medicine in my entire life that really did something I felt with ADHD was the Dexedrine. Because, like, I remember you. Like, I can. I felt different. Where? On Adderall or Vyvanse? I didn't really feel different, if that makes sense.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Well, I mean, Dexedrine is clearly a choice for us. And if you did really well, might be worth us trying that to see. Now, when we get your whole brain healthy, those. The medication will actually work better and you may be significantly less of it. And in my mind, the goal, though, and many people don't understand this, the goal is not less medicine. The goal is the right amount. Right. I mean, you never go to an eye doctor. Give me a thin lens, Right? You just like, that's insane. Don't you want the lens that works for you? Right. So I think of that. So long term memory. Okay. Focus. Not great. Planning. Not great. The one negativity bias is you scored 21. I want in six months for you to score 80.

[Tarek El Moussa]

What's negativity bias?

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Negativity bias is 10 things happen to you. You focus on the ones that went wrong rather than. Than the ones that went right. Oh, yeah, right. Your brain just sort of naturally goes to and then focus on it. And part of the training is focus on what you love way more than what you hate. Not enough. Is that true? Like, I would actually love that journal you wrote of all the hateful thoughts. Because I. Yeah, So I want it because I'm going to teach you how to kill them. So I call them ants. Automatic negative thoughts. The thoughts that just come into your mind automatically and ruin your day. So we need an anteater to go in and clean things up, but then also train your brain to look for what's right. And as you do that, you'll notice the kids actually become less stressed and happier. Because ultimately, every day we model health or we model trouble. And given that you're purposeful, I think it's going to help you so much. So, for example, let's do an exercise. What's the thought that bothers you the most? If you had to pick, like a bad thought.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Wow, man, there's a lot of them. Thank you.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

We can pick. I hate myself.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah, a lot of times I'm upset with myself. I hate myself and I'm frustrated with myself because things. I want things to be faster and easier, and they're not. And I'm not a quitter, so I will put myself through hell to get it. So then I get.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Okay, so if we just take for an example.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

So I want you to memorize these five questions. So. And that's why we got to do this like a hundred times, right? I mean, the first house you flipped. You're way more efficient now. Oh, yeah, right? Yeah, you got to practice. It's like I have an NBA player who I love. He didn't like just all the and shoot 40% from three. Right. He had to like shoot thousands of them. Right. Got to practice this. So I hate myself. The first question. Is that true? So whenever you get a thought in your head, whenever you feel sad or mad or nervous or out of control, just write down what you're thinking and then that's the first question. Is it true you hate yourself?

[Tarek El Moussa]

You asked me the question.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Yeah.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Is it true? Yes and no. At times I don't and at times I do.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Okay, so second question. So that's question number one. Second question. Is it absolutely true with a hundred percent certainty you hate yourself?

[Tarek El Moussa]

Based on some of my thoughts to myself and my actions, I would say.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Yeah, that's 100% true. You always hate yourself.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Oh, I will always that you always hate yourself. No, no, I don't always hate myself. Sometimes I do like myself.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Okay, question number three. How does that thought make you feel? I hate myself.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Not good.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Yeah, say more.

[Tarek El Moussa]

It's just I wouldn't talk to other people the way I talk to myself. Like I don't know how else to explain it.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Anybody talk to your children?

[Tarek El Moussa]

Oh, they would be in big trouble. And that's why I try to be so kind to people because, you know, I know how tough life can be.

[Heather Amen]

How do you treat yourself when you have that thought?

[Tarek El Moussa]

Work and prove to myself I'm worthy. Yeah.

[Heather Amen]

Any bad habits?

[Tarek El Moussa]

Oh, yeah. You know, I don't sleep enough.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

If.

[Tarek El Moussa]

People don't send me food, I don't eat. I've been drinking less lately per my lovely wife's request and it's been easy to do because I honestly don't crave it and.

[Heather Amen]

But when you have the thought, I hate myself. Do you do anything negative to like self inflicted?

[Tarek El Moussa]

No, it's just a loop that. Just the loop, it doesn't go away. It's not like a one time thought. It's ruminating. So how would you feel being around someone you don't, you know that being around someone you think about being around someone you don't like. You know that feeling. So I feel sometimes with myself.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

How would you feel if you didn't have the thought? If you couldn't have the thought?

[Tarek El Moussa]

Oh, that'd be great. Superman.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

So it's actually the thought that's not always true that drives your mood down.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

So is it true? Is it absolutely true? How does the thought make me feel? How would I Feel if I didn't have the thought. And five is my favorite. You take the original thought, I hate myself, and you turn it to the opposite. I don't hate myself. And you just go, is that true?

[Tarek El Moussa]

No, I don't hate myself.

[Heather Amen]

Do you have three examples of when you haven't hated yourself?

[Tarek El Moussa]

Oh, yeah, yeah, easy. Like, you know, I, I, I find that I'm not hating myself. When I'm able to provide and serve others like my wife or my family or my kids or take people on trips or buy them gifts or surprise them or make them feel special. That's what really likes me, lights me up. And then if I'm not able to do those things, that really brings me down. And I feel like I'm failing my family, I'm failing my wife, failing my kids. And so I carry. You know, I don't know what it is about me. I really, I like, physically feel emotions. And that's one thing I've struggled with, is actually physically feeling emotions.

[Heather Amen]

But you have times that you don't hate yourself.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So the meditation, it's not all the.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Time, but the meditation then becomes, I don't hate myself or I love myself.

[Heather Amen]

And then give yourself a examples.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

It's. You have had that thought so much in your life that is actually created its own highway in your brain. So if something disappointed happens, you know, it's because of you. You're bad. Yeah, I hate you. And we have to sort of blow up that highway.

[Heather Amen]

Yeah. You got Heather?

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yes, I do. Hi, honey. We're working on it.

[Heather Amen]

You can't be that bad.

[Tarek El Moussa]

No, I'm just bad to myself.

[Heather Amen]

I know, I'm joking.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

But literally, it takes a hundred of these to then just question what you're feeding yourself. Right. The more you feed negativity, if you talk to the children like you talk to your yourself, they wouldn't feel great about them. So here's the plan. I want you to stop any substances that are not repairing your brain, because if you're in rehab, you can't poison yourself in rehab. That doesn't. And the boy Chloe's dating, we actually are very fond of. And I told him this story. Every day your temporal lobes and yours are hurt, but every day they make 700 new stem cells. There's an area right here called the hippocampus. And the hippocampus is Greek for seahorse, because when you put it under a microscope, it looks like a seahorse. And every day you make 700 new baby seahorses. And they're involved in mood and memory and spatial awareness. And if you're good to them, they grow and they become part of your temporal lobes. If you're bad to them, you murder them. Oh, and so I.

[Tarek El Moussa]

So I'm telling they killed a lot of seahorses. Is that what you're telling me?

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Yeah. You're a mass murderer.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Okay.

[Heather Amen]

Isn't your wife, like, trying to go shopping, full animal lover, like.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah, yeah. Don't worry. We're gonna bring seahorses back.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

So I just want you still, because you are still, compared to me, very young. You want to repair these guys, which means you can't kill the babies because your brain continues to make new stem cells. Not if you drink alcohol. Alcohol kills them. Not if you're not sleeping. Insomnia kills them. And so I just want you to think brain health is three things. Brain envy, got to care about it. Avoid anything that hurts it. You just got to know the list and then do things that help it. Hyperbaric oxygen grows the baby. Right. Good food grows the babies. Exercise grows the babies. Hating yourself murders them. Talking to yourself in a loving way like you would talk to energy. One of your kids. Right. It grows them. It nurtures them. And so that's the first thing. The second thing is really, I want you to come and do 60 sessions of hyperbaric oxygen, and then we're going to scan you again, because I believe if you just did those two things stopped anything that hurts your brain. Do the hyperbaric make a massive difference. And then Happy saffron to help manage your mood, brain, and body power. Max. It's my NFL repair formula. And your brain sort of looks like my NFL brands. And then. And then we'll see.

[Tarek El Moussa]

No, this. This has been eye opening and very exciting for me. I'm excited. I'm excited for change. I'm always excited for change. I always embrace change. And I've made a lot of changes to this point, and I'm excited to continue. I really am. Yeah, I've really. I have a high hope for the future.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Well, and if we do this, and I have a lot of experience with it, and the people who actually, like, stick with it for six months and they just go, I'm going to do what Dr. Aman says. They get better. And the people who sort of do it for a week and then stop it, they don't.

[Tarek El Moussa]

It's like everything else. It's kind of like the gym. Right.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Your brain reminds me of Troy Glass, who's the 2002 World Series MVP. He had four major concussions and was drinking way too much and grew up in trauma. And he's just doing spectacular. But he had the. He did what I asked him to do, and it was two months later I rescanned him because I knew he was better. Because I'm just like, I could sense that. So it can happen quickly.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Well, today's day one.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Today's day one.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Let's keep it going. Questions? What questions do you have?

[Tarek El Moussa]

Questions. How fast can I do these 60 sessions?

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Well, you know, add.

[Tarek El Moussa]

You know, can I do five sessions in a day and just knock it all out?

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

I have it.

[Tarek El Moussa]

You just move into the chamber. 24 hour shifts.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

I have NHL players who want to get back on the ice after a concussion. They do two a day.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Oh, wow. Okay. So, okay.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

We can do them as fast as you want to do them.

[Tarek El Moussa]

All right. Ready to start? I'm very excited to start, actually. I was studying it all night last night.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

So what do you think?

[Heather Amen]

I'm excited. I mean, we've seen. We've seen. I don't want to say worse, but we've seen some pretty significant.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

We've totally seen worse.

[Heather Amen]

Yeah.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

Like, at least I've seen worse.

[Heather Amen]

Who have had crazy transformations where their lives are just so, so different and so purposeful and so happy and so, you know, I mean, think about some of the people we see and, you know, what those people are doing to their brains.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Yeah.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

So, Tarek, thank you so much for doing this with us. I want us to do it again in six months. If you do the things I asked you, ask you to do, I know this will be helpful for you.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Well, you know where I live, so.

[Heather Amen]

You know, we're going to stalk you.

[Tarek El Moussa]

I think we're going to have to do this. I can't thank you enough. And you guys are the sweetest.

[Heather Amen]

You guys are very special to us.

[Dr. Daniel Amen]

All right. Thank you so much for watching. Send us a review. Subscribe. Become part of our tribe. We are grateful for you. There are days when I need to be at my best, whether it's back to back clinic sessions, long writing days, or just keeping up with life. That's when I take peak energy from Brain md. It gives me clean, steady energy without jitters or crashes. And I'm not the only one who loves it. It just won a 2025 Nextie Award, beating over 500 other supplements. If you want real energy that lasts, check it [e-mail] and use the code podcast. 20 for 20% off if you like this week's episode. Please make sure to leave us a review on itunes or Spotify and follow me on Instagram or TikTok at DOC. Amen and Tana at Tanay.

[Tarek El Moussa]

Sam.