Ep. 616 How the Nervous System Shapes Stress, Trauma, and Recovery with Dr. David Rabin | Menopause, Perimenopause, Nervous System

I’m excited to welcome Dr. Dave Rabin today. Dr. Rabin is a translational neuroscientist and board-certified psychiatrist who specializes in treatment-resistant PTSD, addiction, vagus nerve activation, and HRV as a biomarker. He is also the author of A Simple Guide to Being Alive, a thoughtful and helpful guide to supporting our health, and one of my favorite books in the last several years. In this episode, we explore the habitat crisis and why we cannot bully our nervous system into safety. Dr. Rabin explains trauma and support, healing from within, the role of anhedonia, and why the absence of pleasure is a physiologic issue rather than a moral one. We also discuss wonder, awe, and play; the importance of touch, intimacy, eye contact, oxytocin, and co-regulation; the role of psychedelics, medication, and psychotherapy in trauma healing, and how kindness toward ourselves and others can help activate the vagus nerve. Stay tuned for an insightful discussion on supporting your nervous system, healing from within, and rethinking what it means to be truly alive. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: Why Dr. Rabin believes we are facing a habitat crisis rather than simply a mental health crisis What happens when you try to bully your nervous system into safety How the vagus nerve helps shift the body from chronic stress into recovery Being blamed or unsupported after hardship can reinforce a victim mindset. Why medicine, technology, practitioners, and other tools should help activate your own healing rather than become something you depend on Wonder, awe, play, and pleasure may support the body's natural healing response. How human connection, oxytocin, co-regulation, and shared experiences support nervous system regulation and recovery How psychedelic-assisted therapy fits into trauma healing How medication can help stabilize people while healing begins Why being kind to yourself is an essential part of healing Bio: Dr. Davis Rabin Dr. David M. L. Rabin, MD, PhD, is a translational neuroscientist, psychiatrist, entrepreneur & inventor on a mission to cure mental illness. He has been studying the impact of chronic stress in humans for over 20 years, focusing on trauma, addiction, and human performance. Dr. Rabin is a Senior Research Scientist at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, the Chief Medical Officer and co-founder at Apollo Neuroscience, the Executive Director of The Board of Medicine Nonprofit Medical Board, and the Medical Director of The Apollo Clinic. In addition to hosting The Psychedelic Report and Your Brain Explained podcasts, Dr. Rabin regularly serves as an expert for news outlets such as The New York Times, Vogue, CBS News, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, dancing, playing volleyball, sailing, and hiking with his wife, Kathryn, and their son, Sammy. Connect with Cynthia Thurlow Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn Check out Cynthia’s website. Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com Join other like-minded women in a supportive, nurturing community: The Midlife Pause/Cynthia Thurlow. Purchase Cynthia’s book, The Menopause Gut. Cynthia’s Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book The Midlife Pause Supplement Line Connect with Dr. David Rabin On his website On social media: @DrDaveRabin The Psychedelic Report and Your Brain Explained Podcasts Dr. Rabin’s book: A Simple Guide to Being Alive