Minding Your Amygdala - A Brain, Body, Behavior Podcast

Dr. Alauna Curry
  • 5.0 (14)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

When you experience something traumatic, who do you call for help? How much education have you received about your brain, biology and their connection to your behavior? Are you familiar with the Amygdala (“Your Feelings Creator”) and one of the six Primitive Brain Systems that are predictably programmed by psychological trauma?When you or a loved one needs psychological help, it's hard to know what to say or do. Start here! Join Dr. Alauna, Trauma Psychiatrist, who believes in a comprehensive, empathy-based approach to healing from trauma. Regardless of the events leading to the traumatic experience (ex. physical abuse, sexual trauma, climate disasters, or even invisible wounds like invalidation), the impact on the brain’s programming is the same. It's time to de-stigmatize trauma as an experience that happens to everyone and evolve our ability to self-regulate our emotions. This is your weekly go-to for all questions about mental and emotional health, trauma recovery, brain science and more!Visit www.dralauna.com to learn more about Dr. Alauna, Trauma Psychiatrist

  1. Bad Bunny, Kanye did WHAT?! and Epstein File Triggers

    FEB 20

    Bad Bunny, Kanye did WHAT?! and Epstein File Triggers

    Send a text Join us for an enlightening conversation on Minding Your Amygdala: A Brain, Body, Behavior Podcast!  This season we'll approach the podcast with mental health in the context of current events.  We'll reflect on the powerful cultural money of the Bad Bunny Bowl, and how it highlighted how traumatic perceptions influence the way we each experienced it.  Then, we continue our conversation about mental illness through examining Kanye's recent full page apology to the Black and Jewish communities, where he shared more detail about his brain injury and bipolar diagnosis over the years.  While we don't have to accept his apology, we can destigmatize mental health by increasing our understanding of the brain, body and biology of the human brain. Feeling inspired by our content? Please consider donating to support MYA's costs and keep these important conversations coming your way. Donations can be made through our podcast platform, or by visiting our website www.DA-TRI.org. Want to dive even deeper into healing and transformation? Check out The Trauma CURE—your opportunity to learn more about a Skills Over Pills approach to trauma recovery, connect with an empathy-centered community, and gain tools that pave the way toward wellness.  Thank you for listening and for supporting our mission to make mental health education accessible to all.  Support the show Follow @dralauna on Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

    29 min
  2. We Gotta Talk About Kanye: Understanding Bipolar Disorder

    03/29/2025

    We Gotta Talk About Kanye: Understanding Bipolar Disorder

    Send a text Join us for an enlightening conversation on Minding Your Amygdala: A Brain, Body, Behavior Podcast! In this episode, we take a closer look at what Bipolar Disorder can look like through the lens of Kanye West’s publicly shared experiences. Remember, this is for educational purposes only—but it can help spark a deeper understanding of mood disorders. We’ll walk through the DSM-5 criteria for Bipolar Disorder, exploring the highs (mania) and lows (depression), and wrap up by discussing a range of effective interventions and treatments. If you or someone you love resonates with these descriptions, know that help is available—people can and do lead fulfilling lives with the right support and resources. Feeling inspired by our content? Please consider donating to support MYA's costs and keep these important conversations coming your way. Donations can be made through our podcast platform, or by visiting our website www.DA-TRI.org. Want to dive even deeper into healing and transformation? Check out The Trauma CURE—your opportunity to learn more about a Skills Over Pills approach to trauma recovery, connect with an empathy-centered community, and gain tools that pave the way toward wellness.  Thank you for listening and for supporting our mission to make mental health education accessible to all.  Support the show Follow @dralauna on Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

    38 min
  3. Mental Health: The Final Frontier

    03/20/2025

    Mental Health: The Final Frontier

    Send a text In this powerful episode of Minding Your Amygdala, we confront the last great frontier of human health: mental well-being. Despite monumental progress in social justice—challenging racism, gender inequality, and systemic abuse—mental health remains stigmatized, hidden behind layers of cultural, religious, and societal resistance. But why??! Join us as we explore the numbers behind the mental health crisis, revealing its global impact and the economic toll of untreated conditions. Then, we dive into the primitive tribal mind, uncovering how human history—from ancient survival instincts to modern-day polarization—has shaped our understanding of mental illness. We also examine the lingering psychological legacies of slavery and social dominance, shedding light on how historical "ownership" manifests in today’s relationships and behaviors. Through neuroscience, therapy, and self-awareness, we unlock the path to mental liberation, empowering listeners to break free from inherited biases and reclaim their emotional well-being. Mental health isn’t just personal—it’s revolutionary. Tune in for an eye-opening conversation that challenges the status quo and calls us all to action. Your journey to mental freedom starts here. 🎧 Listen now and join the conversation! Don't forget to rate and review! Want to learn more? Join Dr. Alauna at The Trauma C.U.R.E. : Creators Using Radical Empathy to continue your journey toward healing and empowerment. Visit TheTraumaCURE.com to dive deeper.  #MindingYourAmygdala #MentalHealthMatters #TraumaHurts #EmpathyHeals Support the show Follow @dralauna on Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

    37 min
  4. Introducing The Trauma Toolbox : 7 Proven Tools to Cope with Trauma

    12/04/2024

    Introducing The Trauma Toolbox : 7 Proven Tools to Cope with Trauma

    Send a text In this episode, Dr. Alauna discusses the mission of DA-TRI.org to offer mental health education and trauma recovery in the form of a Skills Over Pills approach to self healing AND why your support is so important!  For Giving Tuesday 2024 (and beyond), we offer the gift of mental health!   Today, we explore the new Trauma Toolbox: 7 Proven Tools for Coping with Trauma E-Book!  So often, we've been shown negative coping skills like drinking, smoking, shopping, eating and um, doing other things (LOL) LONG before we are introduced to healthier coping tools, like meditation, mindfulness skills, deep breathing and other tactics.  As we awaken to the idea that MENTAL HEALTH IS FOR EVERYONE (psst... if you have an amygdala, you have emotions), we can learn and practice NEW (actually ancient, but new to us) self-regulation skills that help us reset after - or during - traumatic, triggering experiences. Support more content like this with your donation at www.DA-TRI.org! Like, Follow and Share this mental health gospel!!!  It's time to evolve! Support the show Follow @dralauna on Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

    32 min
  5. WTH was that!!? Aging Brains and the Presidential Debate

    07/09/2024

    WTH was that!!? Aging Brains and the Presidential Debate

    Send a text In this episode, Dr. Alauna reflects on America's most recent Presidential Debate between Former President Donald Trump and Current President Joe Biden on June 27, 2024.  The stakes for our country are extremely high, and watching this as a trauma psychiatrist, I realized that we HAVE to talk about the aging brain!  Both candidates have clearly observable challenges, but without mental health awareness and education, these concerning symptoms may not be obvious.  Over the next few episodes, we will explore the various presentations of the aging brain, including addressing different types of dementias, personality disorders, and other mental health factors that America's voters need to consider when choosing our next leader.  Stay tuned for more Minding Your Amygdala Podcast! Support the show Follow @dralauna on Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

    29 min
  6. How Confirmation Bias is Dividing Society

    06/23/2024

    How Confirmation Bias is Dividing Society

    Send a text Have you noticed that society seems more divided than ever?  How can so many people be living in the same world, yet experiencing such different realities?  Enter our brain and biology!  While some have become aware of the importance of understanding implicit and explicit bias, I believe the strongest human bias is confirmation bias, the tendency to believe in our own "rightness" and therefore our brain gives greater weight to information that reinforces our own perspective and downgrades evidence to the contrary (even if it is more grounded in evidence or accurate.)   The advancement of technologies such as the internet, graphic design and social media have ensured that finding someone to agree with us is easier than ever, yet this can result in "silos of psychosis," where enough people in agreement can create deeply shared false beliefs.  In this episode of Minding Your Amygdala, you'll learn more about confirmation bias, and how to use empathy to combat this feature of human biology! Get your Early Bird Ticket to The Trauma C.U.R.E. : Creators Using Radical Empathy at https://thetraumacure.com! Support the show Follow @dralauna on Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

    33 min
  7. Secondary Trauma - How to Cope when you Witness Tragedy

    02/02/2023

    Secondary Trauma - How to Cope when you Witness Tragedy

    Send a text We are absorbing an INCREDIBLE amount of trauma lately.  From the very public medical emergency of Damar Hamlin, to the release of brutal footage of police beating Tyre Nichols, we find ourselves in the space to again, be a witness.  According to dictionary.com, to be a witness is to "be present, personally see or perceive a thing; a beholder, spectator, or eyewitness." This episode of MYA is centered on the importance of building our individual trauma resilience skills.  There is no "right" or "wrong" way to feel about these events; the key is to identify effective actions that help create healthy change.  Dr. A shares her 3As of Coping with Secondary Trauma: Acknowledgment, Awareness, & Action!  It's important to understand how "indirect trauma" still can directly impact our brain, causing "programming changes."  Learn more about your brain, body and behavior with Dr. Alauna on March 9-11, 2023 at https://thetraumacure.com.  Join us for The Trauma C.U.R.E. : Creators Using Radical Empathy, for 3 days of fun and informative education, coaching and skill building!  It's the most fun you'll ever have talking and thinking about trauma!   Support the show Follow @dralauna on Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

    33 min
  8. Parenting Traumatized Humans : A Look at ACEs (Adverse Childhood Events)

    01/19/2023

    Parenting Traumatized Humans : A Look at ACEs (Adverse Childhood Events)

    Send a text We are seeing the numbers of children struggling with emotions skyrocketing, and as a trauma psychiatrist, it makes sense to me.  Traumas create predictable patterns in our psychological and biological health.  The pandemic was/IS a shared, global trauma that all humans experienced, and if a large number of "adults" are struggling with "post-" traumatic mental health effects, then of course, the children are suffering, too.  In this episode, we will dive into 3 common challenges for children who have experienced ACES: Tantrums, Trouble-making and Trust-issues, and address how Empathy (LOVE) can help them heal. ACEs (Adverse Childhood Events) are surprisingly common in the US. About 61% of adults surveyed across 25 states reported they had experienced at least one type of ACE before age 18, and nearly 1 in 6 reported they had experienced four or more types of ACEs. experiencing violence, abuse, or neglectwitnessing violence in the home or communityhaving a family member attempt or die by suicideAlso included are aspects of the child’s environment that can undermine their sense of safety, stability, and bonding, such as growing up in a household with: substance use problemsmental health problemsinstability due to parental separation or household members being in jail or prisonPreventing ACEs could potentially reduce many health conditions. For example, by preventing ACEs, up to 1.9 million heart disease cases and 21 million depression cases could have been potentially avoided. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/index.html Be aware of the power of words and the way the amygdala can pull even adults into saying things in a heated emotional state that we cannot “erase” even when We retract.  Having empathy for the Child’s internal experience. See Your Self as they might experience you.  Become a corrective experience. Look with Suspended Judgment Observe the emotions in all parties involved Validate the differing yet EQUAL experience of the Other Express Your Self SKILLFULLY, Creator! To learn more how to AIM for better Mental Health and self-heal from trauma in 2023, Join me for The Trauma CURE : Creators Using Radical Empathy 3 Day Live Virtual event on March 9 - 11, 2023 from 10 - 4 pm CST.   Support the show Follow @dralauna on Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

    38 min
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5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

When you experience something traumatic, who do you call for help? How much education have you received about your brain, biology and their connection to your behavior? Are you familiar with the Amygdala (“Your Feelings Creator”) and one of the six Primitive Brain Systems that are predictably programmed by psychological trauma?When you or a loved one needs psychological help, it's hard to know what to say or do. Start here! Join Dr. Alauna, Trauma Psychiatrist, who believes in a comprehensive, empathy-based approach to healing from trauma. Regardless of the events leading to the traumatic experience (ex. physical abuse, sexual trauma, climate disasters, or even invisible wounds like invalidation), the impact on the brain’s programming is the same. It's time to de-stigmatize trauma as an experience that happens to everyone and evolve our ability to self-regulate our emotions. This is your weekly go-to for all questions about mental and emotional health, trauma recovery, brain science and more!Visit www.dralauna.com to learn more about Dr. Alauna, Trauma Psychiatrist

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