Your Brain’s Response to Trauma: Finding Strength & Gratitude with Dr. Lee

Did you know that we have 30,000 – 40,000 thoughts per day & most of them are not true? They’re made up of a host of chemical signals that we interpret as feelings, which you make meaning out of, based on your past experiences. Amy’s guest Dr. Lee Warren (neurosurgeon, veteran & author) is on to discuss our thoughts, our brain’s response to trauma & how finding solid ground during a time of suffering is imperative for our brain + overall well being. 

Dr. Lee shares his personal journey with the sudden death of his son and how he maintained hope during this season by leaning into his faith + creating positive-thinking neural pathways. Dr. Lee reminds us that two things can be true at the same time…it’s not ok when you lose someone you love, but at the same time it is true that you can be happy, grow as a person, connect with new people, and become a more compassionate person. 

We love Dr. Lee’s ‘biopsy your thoughts’ exercise…after you have an upsetting thought, ask yourself: “Is this really true?” And then remind yourself, “not everyone in my life is going to do this to me.” By doing this, you put an executive decision in between the stimulus and the response. This will reliably produce better outcomes for you than if you just react to whatever you think or feel.

Lastly, Dr. Lee and Amy talk about why gratitude is so important for the health of your brain and how it is actually the BEST way to combat anxiety. Dr. Lee shares 4 things he is currently grateful for and he also shares 4 of his favorite foods for our brains: grass fed steak, eggs, high quality cheese & water! 

Books Dr. Lee Warren Has Written:

– Hope is the First Dose: A Treatment Plan for Recovering from Trauma, Tragedy, and Other Massive Things HERE

– I’ve Seen the End of You: A Neurosurgeon’s Look at Faith, Doubt, and the Things We Think We Know HERE

– No Place to Hide: A Brain Surgeon’s Long Journey Home from the Iraq War  HERE

– A Peek Under the Hood: A Brain Surgeon Looks at Life