Why Stress Was Never the Enemy, with Dr. David Rabin (Part 1)Why Stress Was Never the Enemy, with Dr. David Rabin (Part 1)
The Biology of Trauma™ With Dr. Aimie
Dr. Aimie and Dr. David Rabin talk about why stress itself isn’t the problem, separating distress from eustress and linking chronic stress to disease. They discuss safety, rest, and practical tools that can help the body shift from constant threat into growth and recovery, even long after trauma.
18:21•14 Jul 2026
Stress Isn’t the Enemy: Dr. Aimie and Dr. David Rabin on Turning Distress Into Growth
Episode Overview
- Stress is split into distress, which promotes disease, and eustress, which promotes growth and ease.
- The questions you ask about stress (“Why is this happening to me?” vs “What can I learn?”) shape whether it harms or helps you.
- Past traumatic experiences can be reframed, allowing post-traumatic growth even decades later.
- Soothing sensations like touch, music, pets, and nature boost vagus nerve activity and support safety and recovery.
- Rest and stillness are described as essential practices that show the body it is worthy of love without constant achievement.
“Stress is commonly misunderstood as just one thing, and it's actually not one thing. It's two things. It's distress and eustress.”
What drives someone to seek a life that isn’t ruled by stress? This conversation between Dr. Aimie and translational neuroscientist and psychiatrist Dr. David Rabin takes that familiar “reduce your stress” message and turns it on its head. Instead of treating stress as the villain, Dr. Rabin explains that it comes in two flavours: distress and eustress. Distress wears the body down over time, while eustress builds capacity.
As he puts it, “distress times time equals disease” but “eustress times time equals ease.” You’ll hear them break this idea down using everyday examples, from doom-scrolling the news to learning to ride a bike, showing how the same stress response can either move you towards illness or towards growth. The episode speaks directly to people who feel stuck in chronic stress, burnout, or the aftermath of trauma, including those in recovery from addiction or long-term health issues. Dr.
Aimie and Dr. Rabin talk about how the meaning you attach to stressful events shapes your nervous system. Shifting from “Why is this happening to me?” to “What can I learn and how can I grow from this?” is presented as a key step in turning distress into eustress and opening the door to post-traumatic growth. They also spend time on safety and rest – especially for high-achievers and perfectionists who feel like they can’t slow down. Dr.
Rabin describes rest as “our best way of showing our bodies and ourselves that we are worthy of love without having to do anything,” linking it to resilience rather than weakness. He outlines practical “emotional, cognitive, and behavioural tools” and highlights soothing touch, music, pets, and nature as ways to “microdose safety” and activate the vagus nerve.
If stress has felt like your enemy, this episode offers a new lens: what if the real issue is a body that never gets to stand down and rest?
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