The mindbodygreen Podcast 626: Brain imaging, inflammation triggers, & healing the mind-body connection | Daniel Amen, M.D.
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Nov 30, 2025 
In this conversation with Daniel Amen, M.D., a double board-certified psychiatrist and bestselling author, listeners explore the profound link between brain health and pain. Amen explains how chronic pain is fundamentally processed in the brain and identifies what constitutes an unhealthy brain. He offers insights into emotional red flags, the 'Doom Loop' impacting pain management, and shares practical tips for strengthening the frontal lobes. With personal anecdotes and expert recommendations, he emphasizes the importance of understanding triggers and managing emotions for overall well-being.
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Pain Lives In The Brain
- Pain is ultimately experienced and maintained in the brain rather than only in injured tissues.
- An unhealthy brain makes chronic pain more likely and harder to heal.
Three Brain Circuits Shape Pain
- Three brain pathways shape pain: sensory (lateral), suffering (medial), and inhibitory (prefrontal).
- Overactivity or underperformance in these circuits amplifies feeling, suffering, or reduces natural pain dampening.
Use The Pain HQ Doom Loop
- When pain appears, map it with the Pain HQ Doom Loop: Pain → Suffering → Negative Thoughts → Tension → Harmful Habits → Quagmire.
- Use the relief loop (recognize triggers, calm suffering, change thoughts, release tension, build healthy habits) to break the loop.
