Elizabeth Smart on Surviving Kidnapping & Painful Memories, Plus Healing & Posttraumatic Growth

Elizabeth Smart shares her powerful journey after being kidnapped at age 14 in 2002, revealing how she turned unimaginable adversity into hope and posttraumatic growth. Join Dr. Amen and Elizabeth as they review her brain scans and discuss the brain’s response to trauma, the resilience factors that foster growth, and the actionable steps you can take to heal and thrive after life’s toughest challenges.

00:00 Intro

01:30 Sponsor

02:38 Elizabeth

05:39 Before the Kidnapping

07:07 The Kidnapping

13:18 The First Days

19:46 The Kidnappers

32:25 Mental State During Captivity 

39:10 Rescue

53:15 The Aftermath/Panic Attacks

58:45 Processing the Trauma

1:04:24 Post-Traumatic Growth

1:09:50 The 4 Circles/BRIGHT MINDS Risk Factors

1:16:00 Elizabeth’s SPECT Brain Scans

1:23:12 Final Impressions

1:24:36 Sponsor

1:26:02 Wrap Up