Tana Amen - "At 23, I Prayed I Would Die." How She Turned an ACE Score of 8 Into a Life of Purpose

Tana Amen had every reason not to make it. A latchkey kid raised by a 16-year-old runaway mom. Poverty. One uncle murdered in a drug deal, another battling heroin addiction under their roof. Molested as a child. Assaulted at 15. An eating disorder. Then cancer at 23 — that came back four times. By her own measure, her childhood trauma score was an 8 out of 10, a number that research links to a dramatically higher risk of chronic illness and a shorter life. At 23, she didn't want to be on the planet. She prayed she would die. In this episode, Tana sits down with Adriana to trace how she went from that hopeless moment to becoming a neurosurgical ICU trauma nurse, a two-time black belt, a New York Times bestselling author, and the vice president of the Amen Clinics — after a first date she almost cancelled because she didn't want to be psychoanalyzed by a psychiatrist named Dr. Daniel Amen. They talk about adverse childhood experiences (ACE scores) and the hidden link between trauma and physical health, the shame survivors carry for things that were never their fault, brain health and healing, and why telling the story you swore you'd never tell can be the most freeing thing you ever do. Adriana also opens up about losing her own husband, and the moment her four-year-old asked how her daddy really died. Tana's message for anyone in the dark right now: you have no idea how fast it can change. ⸻ ⚠️ Content note: This episode discusses childhood abuse, sexual assault, addiction, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, cancer, and grief. Please take care of yourself while listening, and skip or pause if you need to. 💛 If you're struggling, you don't have to do it alone: • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org (free, confidential, 24/7, US) • RAINN (sexual assault) — 1-800-656-4673, or chat at rainn.org • National Alliance for Eating Disorders — 1-866-662-1235, allianceforeatingdisorders.com • SAMHSA National Helpline (substance use/family) — 1-800-662-4357 Outside the US? Find your local helpline at findahelpline.com. ⸻ About Tana Amen Tana Amen, BSN, RN, is a New York Times bestselling author, vice president of the Amen Clinics, a neurosurgical ICU trauma nurse, and a health and fitness expert. She is the author of The Relentless Courage of a Scared Child and The Omni Diet. Follow Tana: @tanaamen Follow Just for Today: ‪@justfortodaypodcast‬ Host: Adriana Sansam @adrianasansam New episodes every Wednesday. If these conversations mean something to you, please like, share, and subscribe — and don't forget: just for today, keep going. 💛 ⸻ Chapters 00:00 — Intro 00:50 — "At 23, I prayed I would die" (the post that started it) 02:15 — ACE scores and why they matter 04:00 — A childhood of chaos: addiction, murder, abuse 05:00 — Assaulted at 15 05:25 — Cancer at 23, four times 06:00 — The shame survivors carry (Adriana's story) 12:00 — Meeting Dr. Daniel Amen 20:00 — The trauma-and-physical-health connection 35:00 — Brain health and healing 50:00 — Marriage, purpose, and raising a daughter 64:00 — Tana's message to anyone in deep depression