In this episode, psychotherapist Emil Barna reads the revised first chapter to his 2017 book Minding The Brain Towards Change: What Willpower Really Means For Addiction.

Here is a snippet from the book:

"In the 1970s, the communist politician Pol Pot took power of Cambodia and led a militant regime—helped along by the Khmer Rouge (a communist-backed militant group operating at the beck and call of Pol Pot)—that made it their mission to wipe out academics, businessmen, monks, and anybody who sought to question the regime. Some of Makara’s family were among the two million people murdered during that time. At the time, those being executed had to dig their own graves before receiving a death blow (usually by a sharpened bamboo stick through the back of the skull). Many fled, including Makara's family. Some would set up shop in countries like Australia, becoming successful businessmen and women. Others would try to extinguish the traumatic flashbacks of these incidents by using drugs, especially heroin. Once the drug's effects wore off, the evil thoughts re-penetrated."

—Chapter Summary

Main Points

• There are many ways to understand addiction and all include personal choice
• The brain is the main organ affected when you use an addictive substance and use can lead to neural degeneration and loss of function (especially when starting earlier in life)
• Addiction is not a brain disease in the proper sense. Although the brain is affected, you can choose to recover when ceasing use

 Practical Considerations

• The more you understand about addiction, the better you’ll be able to help those who are addicted. Patience and curiosity are the best approaches to addressing those with an addiction

www.barnacc.com

To access Emil's FREE Academia courses on anxiety, stress, trauma, and the neurobiology of confidence use this link.

BUY Emil's book (2017 edition), click here (IT'S UNDER $2!)

Check Emil out on the Socials by clicking below:

YouTube
Instagram
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Audible
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Academia

In this episode, psychotherapist Emil Barna reads aloud the revised introduction to his 2017 book Minding The Brain Towards Change: What Willpower Really Means For Addiction.

Here are a few snippets from the book:

"In his powerful memoir Man’s Search for Meaning, the Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist Viktor E. Frankl said that a person's will to meaning was their “primary motivational force.” What did he mean by this? Essentially, he was referring to the way one makes meaning out of what's happened in their life. To Frankl, this meaning is what motivates. When one finds meaning in life, they feel like they've got a purpose—they're energised, pursuing something of value. In fact, time and again I've seen that when a person suffers needlessly and cannot find purpose to that suffering, they're much more likely to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)."

Chapter 1 will introduce the concept of addiction and define key terms. I’ll discuss the basics of the human brain and how it’s affected when a person decides to take drugs or drink alcohol.

Chapter 2 will talk about willpower, utilising the field of neuroscience and physiology to paint a scientific picture of a practical construct. I’ll review how glucose metabolism operates within the human brain and its relationship to willpower and addiction.

Chapter 3 will combine and relate addiction and willpower from a practical point of view. I’ll talk about how willpower relates to the absorption of glucose within the human brain and why this matters for addiction. I’ll discuss how you could lose motivation and how to overcome this on the road to recovery through self-awareness and regulation. This chapter will also discuss nutrition.

Chapter 4 will focus on philosophy. What does philosophy have to do with willpower and addiction? Read on. You'll see.

Chapter 5 will talk about love and attachment. This one's for all you love-birds out there.

Chapter 6 will bring it all together, listing a bunch of practical tips and tricks to living a happier, wholesome, and healthy life.

Chapter 7 will include afterthoughts, especially relating to the complexity of human life and how there may be some individuals who find it difficult to apply this learning due to things like suicidality and post-traumatic stress.

www.barnacc.com

To access Emil's FREE Academia courses on anxiety, stress, trauma, and the neurobiology of confidence use this link.

BUY Emil's book (2017 edition), click here (IT'S UNDER $2!)

Check Emil out on the Socials by clicking below:

YouTube
Instagram
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Audible
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Academia

Emil Barna's experience as an addiction therapist and familiarity with a wide variety of work in psychology and philosophy equips him to be an ideal guide to the interested reader or the person struggling with addiction and their families. This book helps all of us, addict and non-addict alike, better understand ourselves.

—Neil Levy, PhD
Senior Research Fellow, Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford
Author of Consciousness and Moral Responsibility

In this episode, psychotherapist Emil Barna discusses the context behind his 2017 book Minding The Brain Towards Change: What Willpower Really Means For Addiction alongside his current revision of the text. What follows is his reading of the entire book, revised and expanded.

This episode includes the Endorsement, Book Details, Dedication, and Preface.

www.barnacc.com

To access Emil's FREE Academia courses on anxiety, stress, trauma, and the neurobiology of confidence use this link.

BUY Emil's book (2017 edition), click here (IT'S UNDER $2!)

Check Emil out on the Socials by clicking below:

YouTube
Instagram
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Audible
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Academia

Psychotherapist Emil Barna announces a new series for The Emil Barna Podcast!

Curios? Tune in to hear how he will be reading aloud his eBook on addiction and willpower, providing practical strategies to tackle addictive behaviours in your life or the life of somebody you love. To find out more, keep tuned. 

www.barnacc.com

To access Emil's FREE Academia courses on anxiety, stress, trauma, and the neurobiology of confidence use this link.

BUY Emil's eBook on addiction and willpower here (IT'S UNDER $2!)

Check Emil out on the Socials by clicking below:

YouTube
Instagram
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Audible
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Academia

Psychotherapist Emil Barna surveys the psychological and clinical themes that appear in his reading of Irvin Yalom's masterpiece When Nietzsche Wept. He picks up on and makes accessible themes relating to existential psychotherapy, physical illness, human suffering, philosophical exploration, death, and acting with intention without forgoing personal responsibility.

www.barnacc.com

To access Emil's Academia courses on anxiety, stress, trauma, and the neurobiology of confidence at 50% off (INCLUDES ACADEMIA SUBSCRIPTION to access these and HUNDREDS of other courses), use this link.

BUY Emil's eBook on addiction and willpower here (IT'S UNDER $2!)

Check Emil out on the Socials by clicking below:

YouTube
Instagram
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Audible
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Academia

Pierre Azzam, MD, is a physician, board-certified psychiatrist, and professional coach. He is the founder of Braver Man™ Coaching with one critical mission: to help men build self-awareness, confidence, and resolve to face life’s challenges head-on. Dr Azzam brings over twenty years of experience in medicine, mental health, and personal development into his work with men, having trained and taught at some of the most prestigious institutions in the United States, including Harvard Medical School.

You can find out more about Dr Azzam on his website: https://www.bravermancoaching.com/

www.barnacc.com

To access Emil's Academia courses on anxiety, stress, trauma, and the neurobiology of confidence at 50% off (INCLUDES ACADEMIA SUBSCRIPTION to access these and HUNDREDS of other courses), use this link.

BUY Emil's eBook on addiction and willpower here (IT'S UNDER $2!)

Check Emil out on the Socials by clicking below:

YouTube
Instagram
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Audible
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Academia

Rob is a psychotherapist who works from a transpersonal, Gestalt, and Somatic Experiencing perspective. He has been in the business of helping others for over 20 years, beginning in his early 20s. He first became involved in personal meditative practice at that time and has since worked in homeless shelters, community health (specialising in addiction and mental health conditions), and has a private practice.

You can find out more about Rob here.

To access Emil's Academia courses on anxiety, stress, trauma, and the neurobiology of confidence at 50% off (INCLUDES ACADEMIA SUBSCRIPTION to access these and HUNDREDS of other courses), use this link.

BUY Emil's eBook on addiction and willpower here (IT'S UNDER $2!)

Check Emil out on the Socials by clicking below:

YouTube
Instagram
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Audible
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Academia

Psychotherapist Emil Barna surveys the psychological and clinical themes that appear in his reading of Dostoevsky's groundbreaking work Notes From Underground. He explores attachment theory, clinical depression, self-esteem, relationships, human evil, sociopathy, and much more in this 1861 work of brilliance.

https://www.barnacc.com

To access Emil's Academia courses on anxiety, stress, trauma, self-awareness, and the neurobiology of confidence at 50% off (INCLUDES ACADEMIA SUBSCRIPTION to access these and HUNDREDS of other courses), use this link.

BUY Emil's eBook on addiction and willpower here (IT'S UNDER $2!)

Check Emil out on the Socials by clicking below:

YouTube
Instagram
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Audible
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Academia

Matt Caruana is a mental fitness facilitator and teenage survivor of a suicide attempt. Matt says that he was willing to die for his emotions as he jumped from a rooftop in the middle of the night at sixteen after sending his girlfriend a final text message saying goodbye. This experience left him a paraplegic. He has since turned his life around and aims to inspire what he calls 'mental fitness' in anybody who will listen, embracing the one thing that nearly killed him. This newfound purpose led him to overcome depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Questions relating to self-worth and self-image were replaced by a purpose-driven life and reason to live.

He chats with psychotherapist Emil Barna about his story and message for those in the pit of despair: Never lose heart; on the other side of pain is meaning.

You can find out more about Matt on his website: https://www.mattcaruana.com/

https://www.barnacc.com/

To access Emil's Academia courses on anxiety, stress, trauma, self-awareness, and the neurobiology of confidence at 50% off (INCLUDES ACADEMIA SUBSCRIPTION to access these and HUNDREDS of other courses), use this link.

BUY Emil's eBook on addiction and willpower here (IT'S UNDER $2!)

Check Emil out on the Socials by clicking below:

YouTube
Instagram
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Audible
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Academia

Music:
'He Is Not My Luke' by Adam Matejko

Why trauma is considered the universal language.

From Eps. 11-12 of The Emil Barna Podcast (full interview here)

https://www.barnacc.com/

To access Emil's Academia courses on anxiety, stress, trauma, self-awareness, and the neurobiology of confidence at 50% off (INCLUDES ACADEMIA SUBSCRIPTION to access these and HUNDREDS of other courses), use this link.

BUY Emil's eBook on addiction and willpower here (IT'S UNDER $2!)

Check Emil out on the Socials by clicking below:

YouTube
Instagram
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Audible
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Academia