When Dragons Breathe Fire on Your Emotional Brain

By Daniel G. Amen, MD

Are you feeling anxious, hopeless, traumatized, angry, insignificant, or grief-stricken? Do you feel like there’s no way out of the emotional anguish that has haunted you for years or even decades? You may have “Dragons from the Past” running wild in your brain. And they could be stealing your happiness.

WHAT ARE DRAGONS FROM THE PAST?

Since the beginning of time, we have communicated with each other through stories. They help us understand our place in the world and teach us how to act or not act. They shape our perceptions and pass down knowledge and morals. Personal stories guide and direct our lives. How we interpret our experiences is one of the major driving forces behind happiness or depression, exhilaration or disappointment, rage, or peace.

I call the stories that interfere with our lives “Dragons from the Past.”

It’s a concept I learned from my friend Dr. Sharon May, a world-renowned psychologist. These inner dragons are still breathing fire on our amygdala (the almond-shaped structure on the inside of your temporal lobes involved in emotional reactions), driving anxiety, anger, irrational behavior, and automatic negative reactions.

Unless you recognize and tame your inner “Dragons from the Past,” they will haunt your unconscious mind and drive emotional pain for the rest of your life.

DISCOVER YOUR DRAGONS FROM THE PAST

Over time I identified 13 Dragons from the Past, including their origins, triggers that make them overpowering, and how they cause us to react. In my new book, Your Brain Is Always Listening, I introduce you to all 13 dragons from the past, including the Anxious Dragons, Wounded Dragons, Hopeless and Helpless Dragons, and Ancestral Dragons (my favorites).

When I teach my patients how to identify their inner dragons, they start to recognize what’s fueling their fears, emotional pain, and unhealthy behaviors. Knowing which dragons are driving your actions and emotions is the first step to taming them.

HOW TO TAME YOUR DRAGONS

If your inner dragons have taken control of your brain and are driving anxiety, depression, and other problems, take heart. It doesn’t have to be this way. You can learn to tame your dragons and transform your life, so you can feel happier, more positive, and more in control of your own emotions. When you tame your dragons, you can break bad habits, stop self-defeating thinking patterns, and shore up your ability to cope with uncertainty.

In fact, taming your dragons is essential for emotional well-being and good mental health. To help you do it, I’ve taken the most effective dragon-taming strategies—the same science-backed ones I use with my patients—and put them in my new book, Your Brain Is Always Listening.

In this book, I’ll show you the simple yet powerful steps to stop letting your Dragons from the Past breathe fire on your brain and start taming them so you can overcome past emotional hurts and live the life you want.

Your Brain Is Always Listening is written by psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and New York Times bestselling author Daniel G. Amen, MD. In this book, Dr. Amen equips you with powerful weapons to battle the inner dragons that are breathing fire on your brain, driving unhealthy behaviors, and robbing you of your joy and contentment. Order your copy here.

If you want to join the tens of thousands of Amen Clinics patients who have already tamed their dragons and overcome their symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma, and more, speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.