Integrative Mental Health Therapy with Dr. Tiffany

Dr. Tiffany announces her new book, Running on Empty, and explains how she uses wearable sleep data (HRV, oxygenation, interruptions) alongside trauma-informed psychotherapy to understand and treat autoimmune fatigue, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia, including her personal journey putting lupus into remission.

The episode summarizes the book’s chapters: listening to your body, nervous system and ACEs, decoding ring data, sleep for healing, lifestyle and supplements, staying on track, and building a personalized plan, plus upcoming read-along sessions and downloadable tracking guides.

Running On Empty by Dr. Tiffany Brown-Bush

Transcript:

00:00:00.514 --> 00:00:06.319

Welcome to episode 43 of Integrative Mental Health Therapy with Dr. Tiffany.

00:00:06.824 --> 00:00:12.600

And I am excited to be here talking to you about how I wrote a book.

00:00:13.717 --> 00:00:20.934

Running on Empty, What Sleep Data Reveals About Autoimmune Fatigue and How to Recover is on Amazon.

00:00:21.375 --> 00:00:26.697

And as of today, as you're able to listen to this podcast, it is available not

00:00:26.697 --> 00:00:32.817

only as a Kindle, but it is available as a paperback, which I'm super excited

00:00:32.817 --> 00:00:35.806

about because it is an appropriate book for paperback.

00:00:36.276 --> 00:00:41.367

And it is going to be available over the next few months.

00:00:41.367 --> 00:00:44.777

It's going to take me a second as an Audible as well.

00:00:44.777 --> 00:00:52.177

So I am very, very excited about the fact that this book is now available to

00:00:52.177 --> 00:00:56.557

my clients, to the world, to my family.

00:00:56.957 --> 00:01:00.790

I'm also really pleased that I was able to get all of this out of my head.

00:01:01.241 --> 00:01:06.597

Many of you who use wearable technology with me and my practice and the work

00:01:06.597 --> 00:01:12.806

that we do know that I have strong feelings about utilizing HRV sleep data,

00:01:13.374 --> 00:01:20.347

you know, oxygenation, sleep interruptions, just overall sleep quality when

00:01:20.347 --> 00:01:22.967

it comes to applying the Dr.

00:01:22.967 --> 00:01:27.134

Grambush method. So looking at brain-body-mind relationships,

00:01:27.878 --> 00:01:33.527

Because, you know, that three-leg stool has transitioned to a four-leg stool over the past two years.

00:01:34.049 --> 00:01:40.935

And you know that I take seriously monitoring, you know, what's affecting your HRV.

00:01:41.683 --> 00:01:47.835

Where is it? What is the backdrop of, you know, your overnight heart rate?

00:01:48.287 --> 00:01:51.955

As you're telling me about how your stress management is, as you're talking

00:01:51.955 --> 00:01:55.309

to me about your autoimmune symptoms, as you're talking to me about

00:01:55.669 --> 00:01:59.994

feeling foggy and fatigued and all of those things and trying to heal,

00:02:00.342 --> 00:02:04.376

we have always talked about what those numbers look like.

00:02:04.806 --> 00:02:09.605

And so my last episode was a couple months ago, I think almost three months

00:02:09.605 --> 00:02:17.278

ago, as I was in the editing phase of the book and really kind of mired in just

00:02:17.528 --> 00:02:19.612

edit over edit after edit.

00:02:20.155 --> 00:02:25.185

It was a lot. And then trying to run the practice and take care of my health

00:02:25.185 --> 00:02:28.605

and drop into joy in my own personal life.

00:02:28.605 --> 00:02:35.315

So I've been juggling blogging, trying to keep the podcast going, and then focusing on.

00:02:35.315 --> 00:02:44.019

It has been an extremely busy year in the practice, unusually so throughout the year to be busy.

00:02:44.379 --> 00:02:52.275

And then I have participated in my own three-day psychological intensive, working on my own parts.

00:02:52.615 --> 00:02:57.715

I flew to Nashville to do that and worked with three amazing therapists for

00:02:57.715 --> 00:02:59.901

24 hours to do my own work.

00:03:00.324 --> 00:03:05.183

And then in a method that I have been training in over the last past year as well.

00:03:05.710 --> 00:03:08.992

And then I had that puppy I told you all about.

00:03:08.992 --> 00:03:14.062

And the puppy, she is still very much, you know, trying to run our lives.

00:03:14.062 --> 00:03:18.522

And so that was a busy piece of things that has been very joyful.

00:03:18.522 --> 00:03:20.970

I absolutely adore her. She's bald rotten.

00:03:21.475 --> 00:03:26.801

And then, gosh, it's just trying to, oh, play a lot of tennis.

00:03:28.059 --> 00:03:34.622

So it has just been kind of a full experience here as I was completing the book.

00:03:34.622 --> 00:03:42.362

And so Running on Empty is available now on Amazon, and I'm just very excited

00:03:42.362 --> 00:03:44.430

to share this book with you.

00:03:44.842 --> 00:03:48.622

You know, I was blogging. I've kept the blogs going. That has been something

00:03:48.622 --> 00:03:50.313

that I've really leaned into.

00:03:50.702 --> 00:03:57.072

And a lot of what's in the blogs around personalities and then relationships

00:03:57.072 --> 00:03:59.583

and health is included in the book.

00:03:59.949 --> 00:04:05.835

Adverse Childhood Experiences, those scores and what they mean included in the book,

00:04:06.922 --> 00:04:11.971

as well as a lot of this intersection of,

00:04:13.742 --> 00:04:17.764

how your stress levels are, your trauma experiences have been,

00:04:18.088 --> 00:04:24.222

your inner critic, your inner people pleaser, how those parts intersect with your

00:04:24.582 --> 00:04:29.222

overall health and autoimmune disorders and chronic fatigue.

00:04:29.222 --> 00:04:31.938

Vegan fibromyalgia that is in the book.

00:04:32.692 --> 00:04:37.842

So I'm excited to share all of that with you. I'm sitting here with a copy of

00:04:37.842 --> 00:04:43.455

the book in front of me and I will be talking in the upcoming podcast about the book.

00:04:44.455 --> 00:04:49.174

There are nine chapters. The first chapter is listening to your body.

00:04:49.534 --> 00:04:53.698

So many of the women that I've worked with over the years aren't listening to

00:04:53.698 --> 00:04:56.668

their bodies until their body, and I was one of them.

00:04:56.668 --> 00:05:02.166

I mean, this book is part memoir. It's my journey with lupus and putting lupus in remission and

00:05:02.526 --> 00:05:08.830

how I used my Oura Ring data to do just that, to absolutely go from someone

00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:13.772

who was having lupus flares and really afraid that, you know,

00:05:14.099 --> 00:05:17.528

I was not going to be okay to someone.

00:05:17.528 --> 00:05:21.019

I talk in the book about, you know, considering going out on disability,

00:05:21.396 --> 00:05:25.828

while many of you were actually working with me, and then going from that to

00:05:25.828 --> 00:05:30.359

finding a way, utilizing my sleep data to getting to a healthier me.

00:05:30.643 --> 00:05:36.554

So how do you listen to your body and how can this data do that?

00:05:36.857 --> 00:05:41.338

So it's nine chapters plus an intro chapter that kind of lays the foundation

00:05:41.338 --> 00:05:42.970

of what the book's going to be about.

00:05:43.208 --> 00:05:46.499

Chapter two is your nervous system trauma and ACE scores.

00:05:46.958 --> 00:05:49.968

Everything that I've been writing about, blog me about Dr.

00:05:49.968 --> 00:05:52.968

Gabor Mate's work, Bessel van der Kolk's work.

00:05:52.968 --> 00:05:57.428

I'm just obsessed with that intersection of.

00:05:57.988 --> 00:06:02.718

All of the systems working together and you don't get to think that the autoimmune

00:06:02.718 --> 00:06:07.578

disorder and the chronic fatigue and the fibromyalgia doesn't have something

00:06:07.578 --> 00:06:10.548

to do with your past and doesn't have something to do with the way that you

00:06:10.548 --> 00:06:11.618

interact with the world.

00:06:11.618 --> 00:06:17.714

I'm obsessed with those connections and how everything is interrelated and how

00:06:18.027 --> 00:06:24.069

so many women especially do not understand that there is a connection amongst all those things.

00:06:24.533 --> 00:06:30.808

How to decode your ring data. I'm always so surprised by how when I ask a patient

00:06:30.808 --> 00:06:34.328

or client to show me their data, just hold your phone up to the,

00:06:34.808 --> 00:06:40.149

you know, camera, or if we're in office, give me your phone and talk to me about what's going on, how...

00:06:40.856 --> 00:06:46.719

The connections that I see are not obvious to my clients and to the women in

00:06:46.719 --> 00:06:50.339

my practice. And some of the women I work with have the luxury of seeing me

00:06:50.339 --> 00:06:54.755

90 minutes every week, sometimes a couple of times a week.

00:06:55.120 --> 00:07:01.169

But there are a lot of people who cannot afford time-wise, resource-wise to

00:07:01.169 --> 00:07:07.639

see me at that frequency and are not getting the benefit of my expertise when

00:07:07.639 --> 00:07:09.960

it comes to how to decode their wing data.

00:07:10.618 --> 00:07:15.802

If I see someone once a month, you know, which is the furthest I'd like to go

00:07:15.802 --> 00:07:21.841

out between visits at this point, just because of the way that my brain works and the practice works.

00:07:22.201 --> 00:07:28.272

But let's say I see someone once a month, that appointment, that may be 75 minutes

00:07:28.272 --> 00:07:32.932

if I'm lucky, is not going to be focused on the ring data. It's probably going

00:07:32.932 --> 00:07:35.117

to be focused on addressing something else.

00:07:35.424 --> 00:07:42.408

So I partly put all this in the book to help women have me when I'm not around.

00:07:42.675 --> 00:07:48.242

I would not be surprised if at some point my, you know, programmer husband doesn't

00:07:48.242 --> 00:07:50.322

take this information and make it an app.

00:07:50.662 --> 00:07:54.582

I anticipate we're going to have a workbook first and then I will somehow,

00:07:54.582 --> 00:07:59.032

you know, get this, he will get this into an app because I just feel like the

00:07:59.032 --> 00:08:04.226

work that I do with people when I'm able to really drop into this is pretty,

00:08:04.824 --> 00:08:06.647

tactical and pretty targeted.

00:08:06.966 --> 00:08:14.122

And I just don't get to this kind of decoding ring data with people I see infrequently and.

00:08:14.902 --> 00:08:20.102

I can't train people on how to make the connections that my brain makes when

00:08:20.102 --> 00:08:25.175

I look at their data in those shorter sessions or those infrequent sessions.

00:08:25.691 --> 00:08:31.172

Chapter four, the sleep of a healing body, what it looks like when a body is

00:08:31.172 --> 00:08:34.954

able to heal and not be flaring and not be in pain.

00:08:35.215 --> 00:08:39.476

The lifestyle interventions that I prioritize and think are very important,

00:08:40.105 --> 00:08:45.432

especially supplements, this chapter talks about that. So over the next few

00:08:45.432 --> 00:08:48.708

podcasts, I'll be going into some of the chapters a little bit more.

00:08:49.579 --> 00:08:53.445

Chapter six is when healing is harder and what to do.

00:08:53.799 --> 00:09:00.045

I think this kind of gets into motivation and quote-unquote discipline and how

00:09:00.045 --> 00:09:02.965

to know how to stay on track.

00:09:03.325 --> 00:09:07.592

I find that a lot of women struggle with staying on track when it gets harder

00:09:07.975 --> 00:09:11.008

and don't know what to tell themselves or what to prioritize.

00:09:11.328 --> 00:09:13.115

Building your personal plan.

00:09:13.535 --> 00:09:17.575

The thing about having an Oura Ring or a Whoop or, you know,

00:09:17.575 --> 00:09:25.885

the Apple Watch or any of these biometric tracking devices is that it should be personalized.

00:09:26.138 --> 00:09:30.055

I know my journey with lupus, this was highly personal. When I look at each

00:09:30.055 --> 00:09:33.475

of, you know, the people that come into my practice, the clients,

00:09:33.475 --> 00:09:38.892

the patients, it's highly personalized. My husband, when I look at his data, it's personalized.

00:09:39.229 --> 00:09:44.476

His recommendations are very different than mine. And his struggles are very different than mine.

00:09:45.463 --> 00:09:53.535

Life on the other side of getting that good sleep, having that high HRV score of healing.

00:09:53.535 --> 00:10:01.401

Life on the other side of lupus and remission has meant playing tennis outdoors all summer long.

00:10:01.656 --> 00:10:09.945

And if you know how lupus works, you know that UV clothing and 100 SPF sunscreen

00:10:09.945 --> 00:10:16.582

and, you know, So hats and sunglasses and umbrellas are the thing to prevent a flare.

00:10:17.238 --> 00:10:22.395

Life on the other side of utilizing this data has meant lupus and remission,

00:10:22.995 --> 00:10:30.035

and being outside with 50 SPF sunblock and wearing my tennis skirt and my tank top,

00:10:30.575 --> 00:10:35.615

and sweating and having a blast and not flaring and not experiencing exercise

00:10:35.615 --> 00:10:44.066

intolerance and getting quality sleep and experiencing energy and focus and mental clarity.

00:10:44.883 --> 00:10:47.762

So we talk about that. We talk about what it's going to look like.

00:10:48.296 --> 00:10:53.039

And what your body was saying, a summary, action plans, takeaways.

00:10:53.404 --> 00:11:00.066

There's also a great deal of information. The citations are captured in this

00:11:00.066 --> 00:11:01.957

book. I cite a lot of sources.

00:11:02.450 --> 00:11:06.915

And then just, I think, some people. So it's a typical kind of experience here

00:11:07.333 --> 00:11:12.836

with the book, but in intro plus nine chapters and in tactical.

00:11:12.836 --> 00:11:18.086

There's not a lot of fluff. I give a few case studies so people who don't know

00:11:18.086 --> 00:11:25.084

me personally kind of understand the women that I have worked with and the struggles that they present.

00:11:25.403 --> 00:11:29.006

Some women have children. Some women don't. Some women are, you know,

00:11:29.006 --> 00:11:35.483

in a career and struggling with that and fatigued and some women aren't. It just runs the gamut.

00:11:35.921 --> 00:11:41.866

But I'll tell you what, the personality types and the way of taking care of

00:11:41.866 --> 00:11:45.128

themselves oftentimes is quite similar.

00:11:45.469 --> 00:11:49.576

The people who struggle with these issues of chronic fatigue,

00:11:49.576 --> 00:11:54.574

autoimmune disorders, chronic pain, just exhaustion.

00:11:55.996 --> 00:11:58.696

And then struggling with some of the things that I've said, you know,

00:11:58.696 --> 00:12:04.130

the inner critic, relationships that aren't always as satisfying and resenting their partners.

00:12:04.876 --> 00:12:10.386

There's some personality patterns and choices that are occurring that we want

00:12:10.386 --> 00:12:15.879

to shift as you get through this book. So it is very much the Doc Brown Bush method.

00:12:16.603 --> 00:12:20.163

Holistically there for you, all four legs.

00:12:20.163 --> 00:12:24.623

And so I hope you'll come back. I hope you will read along. I hope you will

00:12:24.623 --> 00:12:29.373

grab a paper book copy because I think it's a good way to kind of mark things

00:12:29.373 --> 00:12:32.013

up and come back to the podcast.

00:12:32.313 --> 00:12:35.634

There will be a read-along that I'll be doing towards the end of the year.

00:12:35.947 --> 00:12:41.264

That will be a six-session read-along where we will work on it together, all of us.

00:12:41.670 --> 00:12:46.893

I hope you will engage. I'm excited about this journey of being able to get

00:12:46.893 --> 00:12:51.673

these processes that I've had in the practice and in my head for so long down

00:12:51.673 --> 00:12:55.814

on paper. And I just hope that you will join me on this journey.

00:12:56.232 --> 00:13:01.313

And please, I would love a review. If you are able to provide a review,

00:13:01.673 --> 00:13:07.566

I have some lovely little freebies and handouts that are available to go with the book.

00:13:07.984 --> 00:13:15.233

And you can just reply to, gosh, an email or you can, I guess if you're only

00:13:15.233 --> 00:13:20.568

getting the podcast, we will make sure in the show notes there is a way to.

00:13:21.201 --> 00:13:26.513

Go on and either email directly or there is an information list and then you

00:13:26.513 --> 00:13:29.633

can go ahead and receive the freebies for the review.

00:13:29.633 --> 00:13:32.793

You just gotta let us know, hey, I bought the book because you have to buy the

00:13:32.793 --> 00:13:34.558

book to be able to provide a review.

00:13:34.999 --> 00:13:40.733

And I did review and I would like my tracking freebies. I have two really useful

00:13:40.733 --> 00:13:43.213

guides that go with the book that kind of just help you.

00:13:43.573 --> 00:13:46.034

So, okay, that is long enough.

00:13:46.406 --> 00:13:50.463

I will hop off. I cannot wait to jump into this with you and use this as our

00:13:50.463 --> 00:13:54.283

guide for the next handful of podcast episodes.

00:13:54.666 --> 00:13:57.511

And until next time, be well.

https://www.docbrownbush.com

https://www.docbrownbush.com

For many people, pets are far more than companions; they become part of the nervous system’s sense of safety. For individuals with a history of childhood trauma, the human–animal bond can provide a form of connection that feels emotionally consistent, nonjudgmental, and regulating. Trauma often leaves the brain and body in states of hypervigilance, chronic stress, or emotional shutdown. The calming presence of an animal can help shift the nervous system out of survival mode and into greater regulation through touch, routine, attunement, and emotional connection. One biological reason for this is the release of oxytocin, often called the “bonding hormone,” which supports feelings of safety, connection, and calm while also helping reduce stress hormones like cortisol.

This connection can become especially important for individuals living with chronic illness, autoimmune conditions, or long-term stress-related health symptoms. Chronic activation of the stress response impacts not only emotional well-being, but also inflammation, immune function, sleep, digestion, hormones, and pain sensitivity. For many people, animals provide grounding, emotional co-regulation, and a reason to remain engaged in daily life during difficult seasons of physical or emotional struggle. During menopause, when hormonal fluctuations can contribute to anxiety, mood changes, sleep disruption, and nervous system sensitivity, the comfort and predictability of a pet can offer profound emotional stabilization. The simple acts of petting an animal, hearing a familiar sound, or engaging in caregiving routines can create moments of regulation that support both mental and physical health.

Because these bonds are so neurologically and emotionally significant, the grief associated with losing a beloved pet can be profound. Pet loss is not “just losing an animal”; for many people, it is the loss of safety, companionship, emotional attunement, routine, and unconditional connection. Trauma survivors, especially, may have found a pet to be one of the safest relationships they have ever experienced. The nervous system does not measure grief based on social status; it responds to attachment, love, and loss. Honoring the depth of that bond and allowing space for genuine grief is an important part of healing. The human–animal connection is deeply therapeutic, biologically regulating, and often profoundly protective across the lifespan.

This was a personal perspective on loss and attachment, that I thought relevant to my work and the people whose lives I touch. I hope this podcast speaks to you and resonates with your nervous system.

#grief #attachment #autoimnunity #healing #love #Lupus #neuropsychiatriclupus #Lupusawarenessmonth #pets #dogmom #loss

https://www.docbrownbush.com

Week 3 of The Brain Warrior’s Way focuses on sleep and exercise for brain longevity. Learn how rest, movement, detox, and daily habits protect cognition, mood, and long-term health.

https://www.docbrownbush.com

So many people try to change habits with a brain that is depleted, inflamed, or dysregulated. When that happens, willpower fails, motivation drops, and self-blame creeps in. This episode explains why supporting the brain biologically must come before expecting behavioral change.

https://www.docbrownbush.com

What if your focus issues, anxiety, low mood, or brain fog weren’t “just psychological”?

What if they were signals from specific brain systems needing support?

This Week 1 The Brain Warriors Way Masterclass episode breaks down brain types, targeted supplementation, nutrition, and why four days of consistency matters for real brain change.

https://www.docbrownbush.com

The fundamentals of brain health, are also the fundamentals of mental health 

https://www.docbrownbush.com

How is 2025 treating you? How have you done with executing on your 2025 intentions? What do you want to see shift as the year progresses? How can you tap into Self-Love by excavating parts?

Here are the recent Blogs: Blog | Therapist in Cornelius, NC | Dr. Tiffany Brown-Bush

https://www.docbrownbush.com

Is it Second Puberty? Mood swings, Crazy cycles, Sleep issues, Hair changes, Wt. gain, Anxiety and Anger, Keep reading

Learn what this infographic is about and what to do: https://conta.cc/4lmbD1t

Relationships are so important

If you’ve found yourself wondering, “What is happening with my marriage?” especially in your 40s or 50s, you’re not alone. Perimenopause can shake the very foundation of how you think, feel, and relate. The mood swings, memory issues, body changes and more will affect your relationships. Before making any significant decisions, take the time to learn more. In my latest blog, I explore how functional medicine and relational insight can help you pause, reset, and access your thinking brain. Your body might be changing, but so is your sense of self. This isn’t the end. It might just be your awakening.

Read the blog here to learn more: https://www.docbrownbush.com/perimenopause-and-divorce

https://www.docbrownbush.com

In this podcast episode, I share recent labs from clients with anxiety symptoms as well as ADHD symptoms. I love therapy, however the brain and body must be balanced for it to be truly effective.

https://www.docbrownbush.com