This is episode 4 of a 4-part special series on mental health with Stanford and Harvard-trained psychiatrist Dr. Paul Conti, M.D. Dr. Conti explains what true self-care is and how our mental health benefits from specific self-care and introspection practices — much in the same way that our physical health benefits from certain exercise and nutrition habits. He describes how the foundation of mental health is an understanding of one’s own mind and the specific questions to ask in order to explore the conscious and unconscious parts of ourselves. He describes how this process can be done either on our own, through journaling, meditation and structured thought, or in therapy with the help of a licensed professional. He also explains how unprocessed trauma can short-circuit the process and how to prevent that, and the role of friendships and other relational support systems in the journey of self-exploration for mental health. People of all ages and those with and without self-introspection and therapy experience ought to benefit from the information in this episode.

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Dr. Paul Conti
Website: https://drpaulconti.com
Pacific Premier Group: https://pacificpremiergroup.com
Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic: How Trauma Works and How We Can Heal From It: https://amzn.to/3GVLHXw
LinkedIn:   / dr-paul-m-conti-845074216  

Resources
Guest Series | Dr. Paul Conti: How to Understand & Assess Your Mental Health (Episode 1): https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/g...
Guest Series | Dr. Paul Conti: How to Improve Your Mental Health (Episode 2): https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/g...
Guest Series | Dr. Paul Conti: How to Build and Maintain Healthy Relationships (Episode 3): https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/g...
The Iceberg Model: https://bit.ly/3LDNCn1
Pillars of Mental Health: https://bit.ly/48y0cOo

Timestamps
00:00:00 Self Care
00:02:37 Sponsors: BetterHelp & Waking Up
00:05:34 What is Self-Care?, Foundation, Self-Understanding
00:13:18 Life Narratives
00:15:24 Journaling, Self-Inquiry & Therapy
00:24:41 Unconscious Mind, Salience & Journaling; Panic Attacks
00:28:20 Self-Inquiry; Grief & Death
00:33:23 Sponsor: AG1
00:34:39 Self-Harm, Hopelessness & Therapy
00:37:27 Apprehension of Unconscious Mind Exploration
00:42:34 Mental Health Map: Cupboards, Agency & Gratitude, Generative Drive
00:54:18 Structure of Self, Unconscious Mind, Abscess Analogy
01:01:57 Exploring the Unconscious Mind, Curiosity, “Question the Givens”
01:10:48 Conscious Mind Exploration; Self Curiosity, Busyness
01:19:20 Exploring Defense Mechanisms, Character Structure
01:24:54 Self & Character Structure, “Tending the Garden”
01:32:45 Function of Self Cupboards
01:35:50 Self-Awareness Exploration, Mirror Meditation
01:38:34 Defense Mechanisms in Action & Self-Inquiry, Patterns
01:47:15 Salience Exploration, Grounding Meditation
01:52:37 Behavior & Self-Reflection; Phantom Driver Analogy
02:00:14 Self & Strivings; Empowerment & Humility
02:09:07 Challenges in Certain Life Domains
02:17:49 Friendships & Support, Social Media
02:23:50 Anger & Self-Care
02:34:18 Self-Care & Challenges
02:38:43 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Social Media, Momentous, Neural Network Newsletter

Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac - https://www.blabacphoto.com

The Huberman Lab podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.