Feeling stuck in low moods, negativity, or the never-ending “blahs”? It’s not just in your head—it’s in your brain. Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen expose the hidden biological, psychological, social, and spiritual mood stealers that quietly hijack your happiness. Tana opens up about how a cancer diagnosis—and the wrong antidepressant—sent her spiraling into darkness, and the life-saving strategies that helped her fight her way back. Plus, find out how an everyday spice—saffron—could work as well as antidepressant medication, backed by decades of research.

00:00 Intro

00:57 Mood is a Brain Function

02:45 Your Physical Brain Function Affects Your Mood

05:48 The Physical Causes of Mood Disorders

09:00 Taking the Wrong Medication

11:50 Psychological/Social/Spiritual Factors

13:46 Mood Robbers

17:49 Sponsor

18:30 Mood Enhancing Fakers

24:53 Saffron

31:53 TMG/SAMe

35:16 Wrap Up

https://brainmd.com

If you’re tired of being tired, this episode is for you. Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen break down the three biggest categories that affect your energy: what steals it, what fakes it, and what truly enhances it. From toxic people (known as “energy vampires”) to tech overload, caffeine crashes to clean supplements, you’ll learn what’s draining your spark and the best ways to boost lasting energy—without burning out.

00:00 Intro

00:58 Energy Robbers, Fakers, & Enhancers

03:11 Uncontrolled Thoughts

04:29 Energy Vampires

07:43 Poor Sleep Habits

10:00 Processed Foods & Sugar

13:43 Decision Fatigue

16:09 Sponsor

16:56 Caffeine

18:57 Adrenaline Addiction

19:51 Social Media

20:08 Breakfast/Nutrition

25:08 Sunlight/Movement

25:39 Cold Plunges/Boundaries

27:05 Peak Energy

32:28 Wrap Up

Peak Energy and other brain-healthy supplements: https://brainmd.com

In this mind-expanding episode, Dr. Daniel Amen sits down with biohacker and Heavily Meditated author Dave Asprey to explore how meditation—and a few unexpected brain hacks—can rewire your nervous system in real time. You’ll learn Dave’s go-to “reset process” to calm your brain and body within seconds of being triggered, why most relationship conflicts have nothing to do with your partner, and the two emotional concepts adults dread most. Plus, discover a rapid-fire breathing technique to instantly destress, a controversial one-minute trick to reset your dopamine, and how intimacy can become one of the most transformative meditations of all.

https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated/

00:00 Intro

00:38 Sponsor

02:03 The Father of Biohacking

05:08 Training Your Brain for Meditation

07:40 Our Inner States Don’t Have Words

10:40 Managing Alerts

12:21 What Meditation Does to the Brain

14:06 The Reset Process

19:19 Compassion

22:24 Joe Rogan Incident

24:52 Building Resilience

27:36 Connections/Removing Friction

32:08 Creating a Meditation Practice

33:47 Breathwork

36:18 Entrainment Methods

38:40 Gaining Control Over Your Nervous System

42:48 Conscious Loving Intimacy

45:21 Sponsor

46:35 Wrap Up

Why do some conversations feel electric while others fall flat? In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen sit down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author Charles Duhigg (The Power of Habit, Supercommunicators) to explore what really makes people connect. You’ll learn how brain scans reveal that during powerful conversations, people’s brains literally sync up. Duhigg breaks down the three types of conversations everyone has—and why knowing which one you’re in can instantly improve your communication. Discover the surprising myths we believe about connection, and why asking deep, meaningful questions is the real secret to becoming a “supercommunicator.”

00:00 Intro

01:24 Sponsor

01:47 Common Myths of Communication

03:38 The 3 Categories of Communication

08:04 Communication Skills

10:22 Alignment

15:03 Mismatched Conversations

18:02 Listening/Looking for Understanding

21:11 The Goals of Each Type of Communication

25:13 Connection When You Don’t Agree

32:19 Close Relationships

35:29 Digital Communication

39:50 Artificial Intelligence

40:48 Where to Start?

46:28 Sponsor

47:36 Wrap Up

Super Communicators, by Charles Duhigg:

https://charlesduhigg.com/supercommunicators/

In this powerful episode, singer and former American Idol finalist Daniel Gokey reveals what he calls his “deep, dark secret”—scrupulous OCD. For the first time publicly, he shares how obsessive religious thoughts convinced him he was beyond forgiveness. Dr. Amen explains this misunderstood OCD subtype and how Gokey’s brain scans uncovered the root of his terrifying thoughts—and helped chart a path to overcoming scrupulosity.

00:00 Intro

01:17 Sponsor

02:26 Daniel/Scrupulous OCD

05:22 OCD and Sin

08:36 Fear of Damnation

12:41 Compulsive Behaviors

16:14 Thought Discipline

20:40 The Concept of “Normal”

22:10 Medication & Supplements

23:55 Trauma

26:59 First Wife’s Death

30:16 ADD

31:21 The 4 Circles

37:56 Daniel’s SPECT Scan (Surface)

39:55 Daniel’s SPECT Scan (Active Interior)

44:47 Improving Daniel’s Brain

48:23 Sponsor

49:49 Wrap Up

In this must-listen episode, Dr. Amen and Tana Amen sit down with Brandon Salawich, President and CEO of Starkey, the largest U.S.-based hearing aid manufacturer, to explore the critical link between hearing and brain health. They uncover how hearing loss isn’t just about missing sounds—it’s a major risk factor for dementia, depression, and relationship struggles. You’ll also discover surprising causes of hearing issues, including why 1 in 6 teenagers are already experiencing hearing loss. If you want to protect your brain, start by protecting your hearing—tune in to learn how.

00:00 Intro

01:01 Hearing & The Brain

01:45 Sponsor

03:03 Hearing is One of the Major Functions of the Brain

06:26 Hearing & Stigma

08:23 Can Your Brain Forget Sounds?

09:16 Overstimulation

10:08 Brandon’s Story

13:31 The Impact of Hearing Loss on the Brain

14:56 Overcoming Vulnerability

17:43 The Causes of Memory Loss

19:41 Damage Elimination

21:56 The Future of Hearing Augmentation/Automatic Translation

25:30 Brands

27:05 Hearing & AI Technology

28:45 Comfort

29:57 Hearing Sound for the First Time

40:16 Superpowered Hearing

46:31 Sponsor

46:54 Wrap Up

Starkey.com

Listencarefully.com

ADHD doesn’t have to come between you and your partner. In this practical and eye-opening episode, Dr. Amen and Tana reveal why people with ADHD may feel rejection more intensely and might be more likely to cheat on their partners. They share proven strategies to rebuild connection, improve communication, and reignite passion—both in and out of the bedroom. Plus, you’ll learn that medication isn’t the only answer for ADHD—there are powerful, natural ways to heal, reconnect, and create deeper intimacy.

00:00 Intro

00:53 Tana’s Thyroid Cancer/ADD

02:04 Serotonin & Dopamine Levels in ADD

07:00 Rejection Sensitivity Syndrome

08:45 Cheating

11:18 When the Medication Wears Off

13:18 Sponsor

14:38 The Most Important Thing to Remember

18:29 The Link Between Teenage Pregnancy & ADD

21:25 The 7 Types of ADD

26:17 What Do You Want?

27:33 Wrap Up

ADHD doesn’t just impact focus—it can wreak havoc on relationships and intimacy. In this revealing episode, Dr. Amen and Tana expose the little-known ways undiagnosed or untreated ADHD can sabotage your love life, from saying hurtful things to emotional outbursts to struggles with connection and sexual satisfaction. If you or your partner have ever felt unseen, misunderstood, or disconnected in the bedroom, this episode is a must-listen. Understanding how ADHD affects intimacy is the first step to rebuilding passion and trust.

00:00 Intro

00:52 ADHD & Sex

01:54 ADHD vs ADD

04:38 How Does ADHD Impact Relationships?

11:33 ADHD in the Bedroom

15:28 The “New Love” Addiction Cycle

16:50 Sponsor

18:05 Novelty Patterns

19:04 ADHD Symptoms in Sex

24:34 Dopamine

28:30 Conflict Seeking Behavior

30:59 Guilt vs Shame

33:00 Practical Tips to Manage ADHD & Sex

41:35 Wrap Up