Coleman Ruiz: Overcoming Physical & Emotional Challenges

In this episode, my guest is Coleman Ruiz, a former Tier One U.S. Navy SEAL joint task force commander. He served in Afghanistan and Iraq and as a BUD/S training officer. He shares his journey from childhood through the Naval Academy to elite Navy SEAL special operations. He shares the physical and emotional challenges he has overcome and discusses his struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He also talks about the key role of mentors, family and friends in building resilience. Coleman gives us a raw, humble account of hitting rock bottom. He tells of the intense pain, fear, depression and suicidality in his journey of redemption. Coleman’s story is a real-life hero’s journey. He tells it with extraordinary vulnerability and humility. He explains the challenges and sudden tragedies that helped to ground, shape and renew him. His story will inspire listeners of all ages and backgrounds. Note: This conversation includes profanity and topics that are not suitable for all audiences and ages. For show notes, including additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com. Use Ask Huberman Lab, our new AI-powered platform, for a summary, clips, and insights from this episode. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/huberman Maui Nui Venison: https://mauinuivension.com/huberman  Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman  Plunge: https://plunge.com/huberman Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Coleman Ruiz (00:01:55) Sponsors: BetterHelp, Maui Nui Venison & Eight Sleep (00:06:06) Childhood, “Wildness” (00:13:24) Wrestling, Combat Sports & Respect (00:22:26) Divorce, College Applications & Naval Academy (00:29:51) Sponsor: AG1 (00:31:22) Prep School, Patriotism, Fear (00:40:08) Growth Mindset, 24-Hour Horizon (00:43:02) Naval Academy, Mentor, Focus (00:52:45) Wife, Work Ethic (00:59:23) Sponsor: Plunge (01:00:51) Navy SEALs, BUD/S, Hell Week (01:04:51) BUD/S Success Predictors; Divorce & Aloneness; Rebellion (01:16:30) Patriotism, Navy SEALs, Green Team (01:22:15) Advanced Training, Tier One, Free-Fall (01:26:13) Special Operations, Deaths & Grief (01:36:08) Mentor Death & Facing Mortality (01:47:49) Warriors & Compassion; Trauma, Family (01:52:37) Civilian Life Adjustment (01:57:39) Hero With a Thousand Faces, Civilian Return & PTSD (02:07:03) Massage, Perspective, Space-Time Bridging (02:14:10) Psychedelics, Connection, Warrior Culture (02:19:15) Rock Bottom: Talk Therapy, Depression, Alcohol (02:25:50) Emotional & Physical Pain, Vulnerability, Fighter Mentality (02:30:42) Suicide, Asking For Help & Support (02:38:32) Therapy, PTSD Recovery, Dread; Pharmacology (02:44:54) Healing Process: Unsatisfaction & Asking For Help (02:54:03) Daily Routine, Movement, Nutrition (03:02:22) Manhood, Range, Parenthood, Surrender (03:10:08) Current Pursuits (03:16:01) Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer

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Huberman Lab discusses neuroscience — how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health. We also discuss existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works. Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the department of neurobiology, and by courtesy, psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford School of Medicine. He has made numerous significant contributions to the fields of brain development, brain function and neural plasticity, which is the ability of our nervous system to rewire and learn new behaviors, skills and cognitive functioning.  Huberman is a McKnight Foundation and Pew Foundation Fellow and was awarded the Cogan Award, given to the scientist making the most significant discoveries in the study of vision, in 2017. His lab’s most recent work focuses on the influence of vision and respiration on human performance and brain states such as fear and courage. He also works on neural regeneration and directs a clinical trial to promote visual restoration in diseases that cause blindness. Huberman is also actively involved in developing tools now in use by the elite military in the U.S. and Canada, athletes, and technology industries to optimize performance in high stress environments, enhance neural plasticity, mitigate stress and optimize sleep.   Work from the Huberman Laboratory at Stanford School of Medicine has been published in top journals including Nature, Science and Cell and has been featured in TIME, BBC, Scientific American, Discover and other top media outlets.  In 2021, Dr. Huberman launched the Huberman Lab podcast. The podcast is frequently ranked in the top 5 of all podcasts globally and is often ranked #1 in the categories of Science, Education, and Health & Fitness.