Your Brain Can Keep You Sick: How to Break Free | Dr. Howard Schubiner, MD

About this video

• Video Title: Your Brain Can Keep You Sick: How to Break Free | Dr. Howard Schubiner, MD
• Channel: Raelan Agle
• Speakers: Raelan Agle, Dr. Howard Schubiner, MD
• Duration: 00:45:58

Overview

This video features an interview with Dr. Howard Schubiner, MD, who explains how the brain can generate and perpetuate symptoms such as pain, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. He discusses the neuroscience behind these mind-body connections, emphasizing that these symptoms are real and not imaginary, but are rooted in the brain's protective mechanisms. Dr. Schubiner also touches upon how childhood experiences, personality traits, and learned responses can contribute to chronic symptoms and offers insights into how understanding these mechanisms can be the first step towards recovery.

Key takeaways

• Emotional and physical injuries activate the same parts of the brain, meaning emotionally derived pain is as real as physically derived pain.
• Chronic symptoms like fatigue, pain, anxiety, and depression are often generated by the brain's danger-signaling system, not necessarily by underlying physical damage.
• Symptoms can become "learned" and reinforced by a person's fearful reactions to them, creating a vicious cycle that can worsen symptoms over time.
• Childhood experiences and certain personality traits can increase susceptibility to developing chronic symptoms by shaping the brain's response to stress and perceived danger.
• Recovery often involves understanding how symptoms are created, reducing fear and focus on symptoms, and cultivating a sense of safety and self-compassion.

Dr. Schubiner suggests that the quickest way to recover from neuroplastic symptoms involves several key steps:

1. Recognize the Symptoms are Neuroplastic: Understand that the symptoms are real but are mind-body phenomena, not signs of being physically damaged or broken.
2. Accept Faultlessness and Reality: Realize that it's not your fault and that the symptoms are real, which helps to reduce self-blame and the feeling of being crazy.
3. Worry Less About Symptoms: Shift focus away from constantly monitoring and worrying about the symptoms.
4. Live Your Fullest Life: Instead of trying to fix symptoms, concentrate on living your best and fullest life, focusing on what brings joy and safety in the present moment. This approach helps train the brain away from danger signals and towards safety and harmony.