April 28, 2022 • bachelor insider
Dr. Daniel Amen Talks About Working with Celebrities and How Fame Can Damage the Brain
You may have come across Dr. Daniel Amen’s posts on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, where he has millions of followers.
He is a psychiatrist, clinical neuroscientist, brain-imaging specialist, distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, multi-time New York Times bestselling author, and founder of his own clinic.
Dr. Amen has been named the Internet’s most influential mental health expert and advocate, and this week, he stopped by the “Talking It Out with Bachelor Nation” podcast for a candid conversation about mental health.
Co-hosts Mike Johnson and Bryan Abasolo asked Dr. Amen about his experience working with celebrities and how fame impacts the brain.
Dr. Amen has worked with everyone from professional athletes like Troy Glaus an artists like Justin Bieber to Bachelor Nation’s very own Hannah Brown.
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And unfortunately, Dr. Amen says that fame is not good for brain health.
He said, “Fame clearly damages the brain. When people recognize you and you’re doing all these really cool things, it produces a lot of dopamine. If you’re not careful, that can wear out your pleasure centers and then you feel off or sad.”
Dr. Amen explained, “Many of my young star clients start to medicate themselves with alcohol or marijuana or other drugs. I was in Justin Bieber’s docuseries ‘Seasons’ and they just did everything wrong for that boy’s career. He ended up in a lot of trouble and it almost cost him his life.”
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And he went on to share his experience working with Justin and an aha moment Justin had.
“Justin came into my office one day and said, ‘I think I get what you’re trying to tell me. My brain is an organ, like my heart is an organ, and if you told me I had heart problems, I’d do whatever you say. So I’m going to do the same with my brain and do whatever you say.’ And he’s been the most stable he’s ever been,” Dr. Amen said.
He added, “You have to love and care for your brain, even when you have these great things happen for you when you’re famous. You have to be really careful to not damage your brain further. It can have a negative impact.”
To hear more of Dr. Amen’s conversation with Mike and Bryan, check out the full episode of “Talking It Out with Bachelor Nation” below.
