Episode 392: Beyond the Trauma Anchor: How Neuroplasticity Rewires Pain and Anxiety with Dr. David Hanscom
About this episode
Duane Osterlind interviews Dr. David Hanscom about the connection between chronic pain, anxiety, and addiction, emphasizing the role of neuroplasticity in healing.
In this episode of The Addicted Mind , host Duane Osterlind speaks with orthopedic spine surgeon Dr. David Hanscom about his book, Calm Your Body, Heal Your Mind . They explore the deep physiological connection between chronic pain, anxiety, and addiction, outlining how regulating the nervous system can lead to genuine, lasting healing. Key Takeaways The Problem with Chronic Surgery: A vast majority of spine surgeries for non-structural chronic pain fail because they treat a symptom rather than the root cause. Chronic physical pain is frequently driven by an oversensitized nervous system rather than structural spinal flaws. Threat Physiology vs. Psychology: Anxiety and anger are physical, chemical reactions—a "fight-or-flight" survival mechanism—rather than purely psychological issues. Because the unconscious brain processes roughly 1 billion bits of information per second compared to the conscious brain’s 20–30 bits, you cannot simply talk or willpower your way out of deep physiological threat states. The Bridge to Addiction: When the body remains trapped in sustained threat physiology, mental and physical pain become unbearable. Without tools to down-regulate the nervous…
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- Episode 390: Healing in the Shadows: A Mother’s Journey Through Eating Disorders, Addiction, and Recovery with Janet Whitney
- Episode 389: Bridging the Recovery Gap: How AI is Transforming Treatment Admissions with David Sichel
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