Daniel Priestley

So Elizabeth is someone who made really international news. Many years ago, she was kidnapped when she was a teenager and virtually raped every day for nine months. And then she was found. That she was actually very smart and she manipulated her kidnappers to bring her back to Utah, Salt Lake City, where they kidnapped her from. And she was found by the police.

And one would think she would have severe lasting post-traumatic stress disorder. And I was very interested to scan her and be helpful to her. She, in fact, did not have post-traumatic stress disorder. She had post-traumatic growth. She took her trauma and made something... special out of it where she actually runs an organization for women who have been abused.

And one would think she would have severe lasting post-traumatic stress disorder. And I was very interested to scan her and be helpful to her. She, in fact, did not have post-traumatic stress disorder. She had post-traumatic growth. She took her trauma and made something... special out of it where she actually runs an organization for women who have been abused.

And I just remember sitting there and her brain was actually quite healthy. She helped me more than I helped her. Just so fascinated by how she could take something that's truly horrifying and come out of it And be quite okay. And she's how old now? She's in her 30s.

And I just remember sitting there and her brain was actually quite healthy. She helped me more than I helped her. Just so fascinated by how she could take something that's truly horrifying and come out of it And be quite okay. And she's how old now? She's in her 30s.

She's married. She has children. She's running an organization. She speaks around the country.

She's married. She has children. She's running an organization. She speaks around the country.

now in fact of people who go through something really terrible about 10 of people will develop ptsd and about 10 of people will develop post-traumatic growth and most people sort of land in the middle i wrote an article 1982, when I was a resident at Walter Reed, called post-Vietnam stress disorder, a metaphor for current and past life events. And

now in fact of people who go through something really terrible about 10 of people will develop ptsd and about 10 of people will develop post-traumatic growth and most people sort of land in the middle i wrote an article 1982, when I was a resident at Walter Reed, called post-Vietnam stress disorder, a metaphor for current and past life events. And

It was when I was resident I got the idea it's the brain you bring into Vietnam that often determines the brain that comes out of Vietnam. That if you grew up in an alcoholic home or you grew up with a lot of stress, you are much more likely to become a heroin addict and much more likely to come home and struggle. Obviously not always.

It was when I was resident I got the idea it's the brain you bring into Vietnam that often determines the brain that comes out of Vietnam. That if you grew up in an alcoholic home or you grew up with a lot of stress, you are much more likely to become a heroin addict and much more likely to come home and struggle. Obviously not always.

But there's a concept since I started imaging that I just dearly love so much called brain reserve. So brain reserve is the extra tissue you have to deal with whatever stress comes your way. And brain reserve actually starts with...

But there's a concept since I started imaging that I just dearly love so much called brain reserve. So brain reserve is the extra tissue you have to deal with whatever stress comes your way. And brain reserve actually starts with...

Before you were conceived, so get your brain wrapped around that a little bit, this idea of epigenetics, that if your parents grew up in trauma and abuse, it changed their genes to make you more vulnerable. And if – so your genetic history matters, the health of your mom while she's carrying you, your brain starts to develop three weeks after she gets pregnant. Right.

Before you were conceived, so get your brain wrapped around that a little bit, this idea of epigenetics, that if your parents grew up in trauma and abuse, it changed their genes to make you more vulnerable. And if – so your genetic history matters, the health of your mom while she's carrying you, your brain starts to develop three weeks after she gets pregnant. Right.

three weeks, like about day 21. And so her stress level, her infectious disease level burden, her nutrition, her sleep, all of these things matter. One of my patients' wife is pregnant. I'm like, you need to be nice to her. You need to like lower her stress because your child is that this has generational consequences. And then... When you're born, how did the birth go?

three weeks, like about day 21. And so her stress level, her infectious disease level burden, her nutrition, her sleep, all of these things matter. One of my patients' wife is pregnant. I'm like, you need to be nice to her. You need to like lower her stress because your child is that this has generational consequences. And then... When you're born, how did the birth go?

And then as a child, what was your nutrition like? What were your stress levels like? Did you play football? Did you fall off the swing? All of those things are either building your brain reserve or stealing your brain reserve. So when you get kidnapped... Or let's just take two soldiers in war. They're in the same tank. They go over an IED. So they're both, the tank is blown up.

And then as a child, what was your nutrition like? What were your stress levels like? Did you play football? Did you fall off the swing? All of those things are either building your brain reserve or stealing your brain reserve. So when you get kidnapped... Or let's just take two soldiers in war. They're in the same tank. They go over an IED. So they're both, the tank is blown up.

One walks away unharmed. The other one's permanently disabled. Why? It's their brain reserve. The brain they brought into the explosion often determines how they are. So I argue we should always be building reserves. And I turned 70 this year, and I know 50% of people 85 and older have Alzheimer's disease. One in two. Horrifying statistics. And so I know that.