#15 - Paul Conti, M.D.: trauma, suicide, community, and self-compassion

The Peter Attia Drive

Peter Attia, MD

Health & Fitness, Medicine, Fitness

4.7 • 7.3K Ratings

🗓️ 17 September 2018

⏱️ 129 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, psychiatrist Paul Conti, M.D. discusses the impact of untreated trauma, the rising rate of suicide, and the influence of modern society on mental health, to name a few important topics covered. Paul also talks about how to deal with these challenges for yourself, your loved ones, and the community at large.

We discuss:

Paul’s background, and what drove him to psychiatry [5:00];
How silent bravado and incessant striving can lead to a functional (and actual) death, and why Paul is critical of the current state of psychiatry [14:45];
Psychedelics, psychotherapy and the dissolution of the ego [20:30];
How current society may be contributing to the increasing amount of suffering [25:00];
The ubiquity and impact of untreated trauma [31:45];
The rising rate of suicide, parasuicide, and “accidental” death [35:30];
Types of trauma, why we minimize it, and Peter’s introduction to Bridge to Recovery [44:00];
Triggering shame and fear, childhood trauma, and why trauma doesn’t care about time [48:00];
The impact of the brain on the body, and overcoming trauma with self-awareness [55:00];
How to recognize and stop the cycle of shame transference [1:04:30];
Peter’s profound experience at Bridge to Recovery, and the importance of finding shared experiences with others [1:11:15];
How to identify and deal with our own personal trauma [1:19:00];
Finding meaning in struggle, why we are less happy than ever, and the impact of an isolated society [1:25:30];
What steps can we take as a society to make an appreciable impact on the rising sense of desperation and misery? [1:43:15];
Resources, book recommendations, and things you can do [1:56:15]; and
More.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey everyone, welcome to the Peter Atia Drive. I'm your host, Peter Atia.
0:10.0	The drive is a result of my hunger for optimizing performance, health, longevity, critical thinking,
0:15.7	along with a few other obsessions along the way. I've spent the last several years working
0:19.6	with some of the most successful top performing individuals in the world, and this podcast
0:23.8	is my attempt to synthesize what I've learned along the way to help you live a higher quality
0:28.3	more fulfilling life. If you enjoy this podcast, you can find more information on today's
0:32.4	episode and other topics at peteratiamd.com.
0:41.7	Welcome to this week's episode of The Drive. My guest this week is one of my dearest friends.
0:47.6	Dr. Paul Conti. Paul is a brilliant psychiatrist. In fact, I often refer to him as the single
0:54.7	best psychiatrist I've ever come in contact with, and I've met some many very sharp people
1:00.4	over the years. I've long wanted to have Paul on the podcast. I've always wanted to interview
1:05.8	Paul just in general, because there's not that many people who I find myself having discussions
1:11.2	with, and I think to myself, how can this discussion be shared with others? And throughout
1:16.8	this interview, you'll hear us even comment at that effect, which is God. It's almost
1:20.7	like we're not even talking in front of microphones. This is exactly the kind of conversation
1:24.5	we find ourselves having so often. Paul's a very special person. He doesn't get into great
1:30.3	detail, but his life has been shaped by a number of really, really tragic events, a couple
1:35.6	of which he alludes to here, many of which he does not. In fact, some of the most tragic
1:39.9	events in Paul's life, he does not allude to. But I think the point that comes across
1:44.4	here is that Paul is one of the most empathetic, kind, giving individuals, and his understanding
1:49.7	of the human condition is really unparalleled. So in keeping with one of the general themes
1:55.0	here, which is longevity, of which health span and happiness are important components, we
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