Is your biology making it easier to fall into addiction? Today, Dr. Aimie is taking a closer look at this question and other key takeaways from her conversation with the late Dr. Charles Gant  around addiction. 

You’ll hear more on: 

• Biological factors that may push someone towards addiction
• The role of the freeze response in addiction
• The 3 main biochemical imbalances that are seen in addiction

Want to hear more about the connection between your biology and addiction? Listen to Episode 109: End Your Addiction Now: How Pioneer Work Outperforms Traditional Treatment

Disclaimer: By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This entire disclaimer also applies to any guests or contributors to the podcast. Under no circumstances shall Trauma Healing Accelerated, any guests or contributors to The Biology of Trauma® podcast, or any employees, associates, or affiliates of Trauma Healing Accelerated be responsible for damages arising from the use of the podcast.

Did you know your body's connective tissues might be trapping trauma and toxins? In this short episode, Dr. Aimie is sharing valuable insights from her episode with Dr. Christine Schaffner. She talks about the biology behind how trauma manifests in the body through the extracellular matrix, fascia, and lymphatic system. 

You’ll hear more on:

• How these connective tissues work
• The healing sequence to follow to start your healing journey
• Which system to address first when looking at stored trauma

If you want to more fully understand this topic, head over to Episode 108: How The Body Stores Emotional Trauma in the Fascia and Lymphatic System with Dr. Christine Schaffner

Disclaimer:

By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This entire disclaimer also applies to any guests or contributors to the podcast. Under no circumstances shall Trauma Healing Accelerated, any guests or contributors to The Biology of Trauma® podcast, or any employees, associates, or affiliates of Trauma Healing Accelerated be responsible for damages arising from the use of the podcast.

“ In order to think about grief, first you have to think about love and bonding, because that is what gets lost. That is what gets broken.”  Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor

Understanding why grief feels so physical, why someone still reaches for the phone to call someone who's gone, or why certain memories can trigger intense emotions years after a loss can provide valuable insight for those helping others who are experiencing grief or for those who want to know more about grief. And today, we’re diving into the neuroscience behind grief. In this episode, Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor joins Dr. Aimie to discuss how grief isn't just an emotional response but a complex learning process as our brains adapt to a fundamentally changed reality. She introduces the critical distinction between grief and grieving, highlighting how our attachment patterns influence our grief journey. Her fascinating research on yearning reveals that this powerful sensation activates the same brain regions involved with other basic survival needs, explaining why the feeling can be so intense and overwhelming 

The conversation also goes into how avoidance and rumination can interfere with natural healing, and that the intensity and frequency of grief waves will change over time as part of the grieving process.

You’ll learn:

• The brain regions that activate when you yearn for someone who has died
• Why yearning is more like hunger or thirst than addiction
• The difference between grief (response) and grieving (adaptation process)
• How rumination and avoidance can interfere with natural healing
• The importance of staying grounded and connected to the present 
• How to prepare your brain and support systems for future grief experiences
• The crucial differences between depression and grief, and why they require different approaches

Whether you're currently navigating grief, supporting someone who is, or simply preparing for inevitable losses, this episode will help you understand why healing isn’t “getting over” a loss, but an ever evolving process that fundamentally changes our reality.

Connect with Dr. O’Connor: Website

Related Podcasts: Episode 42: Unlocking The Role of Disguised Grief in Health  Episode 76: Navigating the Grief Journey: The Polyvagal Way To Become an Active Operator of Your Nervous System  

Guides, Tools & Resources: The Essential Sequence - A free guide that shows you the difference between stress and trauma states of our nervous system. In just 3 steps, it walks you through what your body needs when it has stored trauma or is in a freeze response.  

Foundational Journey - If you want to be safely guided through The Essential Sequence, and lay your foundation of regulation in this online 6 week course, join me and my team of mentors for this journey into your inner world with practical somatic and parts self-practices

Disclaimer: By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This entire disclaimer also applies to any guests or contributors to the podcast. Under no circumstances shall Trauma Healing Accelerated, any guests or contributors to The Biology of Trauma® podcast, or any employees, associates, or affiliates of Trauma Healing Accelerated be responsible for damages arising from the use of the podcast.

Comment Etiquette: I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Please share your constructive feedback by using personal name or initials so that we can keep this space spam-free, and let's keep the discussion positive!

“If you have a new onset of anxiety or depression that doesn’t even make sense to you, think of a more physical cause.” - Dr. Neil Nathan

Do you have issues with focus, concentration, or even finding the word you want to use? If so, you might be dealing with the hidden effects of mold toxicity and Lyme disease. 

In this episode, Dr. Aimie sits down with Dr. Neil Nathan to discuss how mold toxicity and Lyme disease can create a "biology of threat" in the body that can trigger and maintain a state of hypervigilance and reactivity. This is not the only issue  mold toxins and Lyme infections can cause. They can create unique inflammatory responses that affect the brain, nervous system, and immune function, often manifesting as unexplained anxiety, depression, cognitive issues, and physical symptoms that are often misdiagnosed as mental health disorders. Dr. Nathan also introduces "the big three" factors keeping the body stuck in threat mode: limbic activation, vagal dysregulation, and mast cell activation. He’ll share how these become dysregulated when faced with mold toxicity and Lyme disease, causing the body to shut down as a protective mechanism. This explains why you may experience seemingly inexplicable sensitivities and reactions despite doing all the "right" emotional and psychological work for trauma recovery.

Join them as they break down the science behind the body’s response to mold toxicity and Lyme disease, if it’s possible to reverse it, and actionable steps you can take to start the healing journey.

You’ll learn more about:

• [05:05] How “out of the blue” anxiety, depression, or other symptoms might actually be caused by mold or Lyme
• [10:00] What makes the inflammation associated with these internal stressors unique
• [16:46]  Why the “big three” need to be addressed together in sensitive patients
• [17:38] How mold toxicity and Lyme can lead to chronic neurological and autoimmune conditions
• [20:33] The internal trauma response that can be created by mold toxicity and Lyme
• And more!

Dr. Neil Nathan is a Board Certified Family Physician who has been practicing medicine for over 50 years. As he studied and learned a wide variety of alternative concepts, his practice gravitated into primarily helping to diagnose and treat those patients who have not been helped by conventional medicine. He’s worked with thousands of patients with complex medical illnesses such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, mold toxicity, chronic Lyme disease, autism, and chronic pain. 

Related Podcasts: Episode 105: How Anxiety, Depression & Trauma Reactions May Be From Mold and Heavy Metals

Episode 106: How Mast Cell Activation, Histamines & Mold Toxicity Place You in a High-Risk Trauma Category

Guides, Tools & Resources:

The Essential Sequence - free guide that shows you the difference between stress and trauma states of our nervous system. In just 3 steps, it walks you through what your body needs when it has stored trauma or is in a freeze response.

Foundational Journey - a guided 6 week journey into your inner world with a structured sequence of somatic and parts interventions with live online classes. One of the things that happens in just the first 21 days of the Foundational Journey is that people experience a 26% decrease in daily physical pain, speaking to what Dr Schubiner was just talking about, these neural secret pains, can turn off and on, and it's not actually necessarily due to the the injury the body itself. It is a neural circuit and we’re managing the pain just by working with the nervous system, looking at the habitual component of it and continuing with essential parts work.

Connect with Dr. Neil Nathan: Website

Disclaimer: By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This entire disclaimer also applies to any guests or contributors to the podcast. Under no circumstances shall Trauma Healing Accelerated, any guests or contributors to The Biology of Trauma® podcast, or any employees, associates, or affiliates of Trauma Healing Accelerated be responsible for damages arising from the use of the podcast.

Comment Etiquette: I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Please share your constructive feedback by using personal name or initials so that we can keep this space spam-free, and let's keep the discussion positive!

Have you ever felt like your body is stuck in survival mode, holding onto stress and tension no matter how hard you try to let it go? What if this instinct to survive is also what drives chronic inflammation, emotional pain, and even long-term illness?  

Today, Dr. Isaac Eliaz joins Dr. Aimie to explore the concept of the survival paradox.This process is what keeps your body on high alert and affects everything from your energy levels to your ability to heal and can keep your body stuck in a freeze response. Together, they’ll discuss the survival paradox’s deep connection to trauma, the protein, Galactin-3, that can either drive health or inflammation, and more. 

You’ll hear more about:

• What the “Survival Paradox” is and how it shapes your body’s response to trauma and stress.
• The connection between chronic inflammation and unresolved trauma 
• Simple ways to start healing your body from the inside
• How acceptance can unlock your healing potential
• And more!

Our guest, Dr. Isaac Eliaz, is a pioneer in integrative medicine, a world-renowned expert in trauma healing, and the author of The Survival Paradox. For decades, Dr. Eliaz has been bridging the gap between ancient healing wisdom and cutting-edge science, exploring how our biology and emotions are deeply intertwined. His work focuses on the biochemical pathways of trauma, including the role of survival proteins like galectin-3, and how they impact inflammation, healing, and overall health.

If you’ve been wanting to reduce your stress levels, overcome your chronic health issues or start healing yourself, then this episode is a must listen to! Let’s dive in!

For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/

Have you ever felt like stress is draining your energy, focus, and resilience—no matter how much you try to manage it? What if stress isn’t just about what’s happening around you, but about how your brain and body process it behind the scenes?

In this episode, Dr. Greg Kelly joins Dr. Aimie to dive into the hidden biology of stress and uncover how it consumes your mental bandwidth, disrupts your brain’s energy supply, and impacts your ability to think clearly and recover from challenges. You’ll discover how your brain’s prediction systems influence your stress response—and, more importantly, how to work with them to prevent burnout and build lasting resilience.

Dr. Kelly is an expert in integrative and functional medicine with years of experience researching how the brain and body handle stress. He has worked extensively on strategies to enhance resilience, combining his deep knowledge of neurobiology, nutrition, and the body’s natural stress-response mechanisms.

If you’re ready to stop feeling like stress is always one step ahead of you, this conversation will give you the tools to take back control and create more space for clarity, focus, and well-being in your life.

In this episode, we will be talking about 

• "The last straw" concept as it relates to stress 
• The 2 biggest contributors to feeling stress overload (hint: it’s not physical)
• Why predictability is key to managing stress levels
• How building resilience starts with addressing the brain’s energy needs and reducing oxidative stress.
• How the right supplements, like Ashwagandha, can support resilience and reduce stress
• And more!

For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/

Are brain fog, fatigue, and mental exhaustion holding you back? 

These symptoms aren’t just stress-related or signs of aging. They're often caused by hidden brain inflammation! In this episode, my guest, Dr. Datis Kharrazian, and I discuss neuroinflammation – What it is, what causes it, and how it affects brain function, mood, and overall health.

You’ll discover how factors like stress, diet, gut health, and past head injuries contribute to brain inflammation and what you can do to reduce it. You’ll learn practical lifestyle changes, nutrition tips, and brain-boosting strategies to improve focus, energy, and mental clarity.

You’ll hear more on:

• How brain inflammation starts—and why it’s often caused by everyday factors like stress, diet, or past injuries
• What you can do to calm inflammation naturally, including dietary changes, supplements, and specific lifestyle shifts
• Why understanding your triggers —from food sensitivities to emotional stress — is the key to protecting your brain from long-term damage
• How to optimize your brain health using tools like intermittent fasting, anti-inflammatory diets, and proper sleep routines 

Whether you’ve experienced brain fog, recovering from an injury, or just want to preserve your brain function for the future, this episode will give you the tools and knowledge to take control of your brain health!

For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/

Is our biology predisposing us to addictive tendencies?

Addiction isn’t just about willpower—it’s deeply rooted in biology.  Today, we dive into how our own biology can make it easier to fall into an addiction and make it harder to break free. Why is that though? Because it gives us leverage points to both prevent or treat addictions.

Similar to trying to treat trauma just with therapy and not including the biology, addictions is a mind-body and biology condition and will require such an approach for the best outcomes.

The late Dr. Charles Gant, who was our guest for this episode, achieved an 83% success rate in addiction recovery—far surpassing conventional methods that have less than a 50% success rate. By targeting neurotransmitter imbalances, detoxifying the body, and optimizing nutrition, his method offers a revolutionary path to true healing beyond traditional treatment.

To honor him, this conversation highlights his outstanding efforts in understanding and overcoming addiction.  

You’ll learn more about:

• Why relapse is more often a result of unaddressed biological imbalances
• How genetic vulnerabilities and neurotransmitter deficiencies contribute to addiction and coping patterns
• What you can do to naturally to improve mood and focus
• How detoxification can accelerate recovery and create long-term healing

For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/

How does trauma impact the “hidden spaces” of our body, making emotions and toxins deeply connected?

Welcome to today's episode, where we're diving into a fascinating frontier of healing that might just explain why traditional approaches to trauma and chronic pain sometimes fall short. 

Whether you're a practitioner working with clients or patients or someone on your own healing journey, you've likely noticed that trauma and stress seem to leave their mark on the body in ways that talk therapy alone can't always reach. Maybe you've experienced or witnessed how emotional stress shows up as physical pain, or how physical treatments sometimes trigger unexpected emotional releases. 

There's a reason for this, and one reason lives in a part of your body that, until recently, has been largely overlooked: fascia and extracellular matrix.

Don't worry if these terms are new to you – we're going to break down these complex systems into practical understanding that you can use. What's exciting is that this knowledge bridges the gap between physical and emotional healing.

To help us understand this topic, I’m joined by my friend Dr. Christine Schaffner, a board-certified naturopathic physician and an expert in treating complex chronic conditions from her clinic in Seattle, where she uses innovative therapies that focus on the body’s natural ability to heal.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

• How trauma is stored in the fascia and extracellular matrix
• How fascia impacts everything from chronic pain to emotional resilience
• Why lymphatic health needs to be part of trauma recovery 
• Why a detox can cause emotional reactions 
• How to safely approach detox 
• Practical simple steps to support your body’s healing process that you can do at home.

For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/

What are common beliefs we form about ourselves that leave us unable to connect, trust and receive love later as adults?

Have you ever wondered why success doesn't automatically translate to feeling fulfilled? 

Or why, despite all our achievements, there's still that nagging feeling that we need to prove ourselves? Today's episode sharing an adoption story might just explain why. 

Today, JJ Virgin joins me to share a deeply personal story that is part of her reason for her remarkable professional success. In this episode, JJ talks openly about the challenges of growing up feeling like she had to rely only on herself, how those feelings drove her to professional success, and the breakthroughs she’s experienced that have helped her heal old wounds, become a proud mom and find love. 

Yet, this conversation isn’t just for those who have been adopted— though it will help you understand yourself better if you have and help you understand anyone in your life who has been. Rather, this episode is about recognizing the unconscious pain that we carry from our childhood. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How early experiences shape our beliefs about love, trust, and self-worth  
• The conundrum of relying only on ourselves 
• Simple ways to build trust when we haven’t been able to trust others
• How to better support those in your life who have a history of being adopted 

For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/