Dr. Peter Attia

So without further delay, I hope you enjoy this special quarterly podcast summary AMA of The Drive.

So without further delay, I hope you enjoy this special quarterly podcast summary AMA of The Drive.

No place you'd rather be? No place I'd rather be. Nothing I'd rather be talking about. Even a race car?

No place you'd rather be? No place I'd rather be. Nothing I'd rather be talking about. Even a race car?

This was an episode I was really looking forward to doing. As we discuss in the episode, I've obviously known Jeff for many years. I owe him a great debt of gratitude. And this is one of those episodes where between the time we recorded it and the time it came out is probably eight to 10 weeks.

This was an episode I was really looking forward to doing. As we discuss in the episode, I've obviously known Jeff for many years. I owe him a great debt of gratitude. And this is one of those episodes where between the time we recorded it and the time it came out is probably eight to 10 weeks.

During that period of time, I sent the unedited, just straight audio file of it to no fewer than 15 to 20 people. Meaning I couldn't even wait for this episode to come out to be sharing it with people. So I think that probably tells you something. I will be completely comfortable stating that that will be a record that will last for some time.

During that period of time, I sent the unedited, just straight audio file of it to no fewer than 15 to 20 people. Meaning I couldn't even wait for this episode to come out to be sharing it with people. So I think that probably tells you something. I will be completely comfortable stating that that will be a record that will last for some time.

There's no scenario I can think of where I've taken a podcast before it comes out and shared it with so many people. I would say that most of the people I shared it with not only found it to be incredibly valuable, but actually wanted to sort of engage with Jeff on a professional level after that. So it's one of those podcasts where if it resonates with you, it's really important.

There's no scenario I can think of where I've taken a podcast before it comes out and shared it with so many people. I would say that most of the people I shared it with not only found it to be incredibly valuable, but actually wanted to sort of engage with Jeff on a professional level after that. So it's one of those podcasts where if it resonates with you, it's really important.

You're gonna share it a lot. Okay, so what was this episode about? I mean, it really was a great episode about understanding trauma And it's such a loaded word that I think it's understandable why people might have some skepticism around that. I think the word does get used a little bit too much.

You're gonna share it a lot. Okay, so what was this episode about? I mean, it really was a great episode about understanding trauma And it's such a loaded word that I think it's understandable why people might have some skepticism around that. I think the word does get used a little bit too much.

But Jeff has a great definition for it, and I jotted it down right, which is that trauma is a moment of perceived helplessness that activates the limbic system. This can be a wounding event, a major event, or maybe a series of smaller events. And those typically get referred to as big tree and little T traumas.

But Jeff has a great definition for it, and I jotted it down right, which is that trauma is a moment of perceived helplessness that activates the limbic system. This can be a wounding event, a major event, or maybe a series of smaller events. And those typically get referred to as big tree and little T traumas.

So a big T trauma is something really obvious, being the victim of a violent crime, for example. And little T traumas are like a thousand paper cuts. A parent that was there, but just really wasn't paying attention to their kid. And those can be damaging in different ways. So

So a big T trauma is something really obvious, being the victim of a violent crime, for example. And little T traumas are like a thousand paper cuts. A parent that was there, but just really wasn't paying attention to their kid. And those can be damaging in different ways. So

What Jeff talked about was that in trauma, too often people focus on the what happened part of the equation, but he thinks that it's more important to focus on the how did I adapt part of the equation.

What Jeff talked about was that in trauma, too often people focus on the what happened part of the equation, but he thinks that it's more important to focus on the how did I adapt part of the equation.

And as he talked about it, the sine qua non of trauma is that there's a disconnected version of a person that shows up to life relying on maladaptive strategies to replace connection with something else. I think that is... a remarkably succinct way to explain things. And it's not judgmental. It's just saying that something happened, a series of things. There have been adaptations.

And as he talked about it, the sine qua non of trauma is that there's a disconnected version of a person that shows up to life relying on maladaptive strategies to replace connection with something else. I think that is... a remarkably succinct way to explain things. And it's not judgmental. It's just saying that something happened, a series of things. There have been adaptations.