Daniel Gokey on Past Trauma & His Battle with Scrupulous OCD (EXCLUSIVE)

Change Your Brain Every Day

Dr Daniel Amen

Braintrauma, Healthtips, Sleep, Obesity, Anxiety, Braininjury, Depression, Ptsd, Mentalhealth, Mood, Brainhealth, Health & Fitness, Energy, Disease, Addiction, Mental Health, Healthadvice, Adhd, Memory, Focus

4.6 • 1.8K Ratings

🗓️ 31 March 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this powerful episode, singer and former American Idol finalist Daniel Gokey reveals what he calls his “deep, dark secret”—scrupulous OCD. For the first time publicly, he shares how obsessive religious thoughts convinced him he was beyond forgiveness. Dr. Amen explains this misunderstood OCD subtype and how Gokey’s brain scans uncovered the root of his terrifying thoughts—and helped chart a path to overcoming scrupulosity.

00:00 Intro

01:17 Sponsor

02:26 Daniel/Scrupulous OCD

05:22 OCD and Sin

08:36 Fear of Damnation

12:41 Compulsive Behaviors

16:14 Thought Discipline

20:40 The Concept of “Normal”

22:10 Medication & Supplements

23:55 Trauma

26:59 First Wife’s Death

30:16 ADD

31:21 The 4 Circles

37:56 Daniel’s SPECT Scan (Surface)

39:55 Daniel’s SPECT Scan (Active Interior)

44:47 Improving Daniel’s Brain

48:23 Sponsor

49:49 Wrap Up

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	I remember them making fun because I'm eating a ball of cereal and I'm crying because I don't want to use a bathroom because I've somehow contrived in my mind.
0:06.0	I'm sinning against God if I go to the bathroom without my dad's permission. So I've got a full bladder, tears in my eyes,
0:12.3	family making fun of me, a frustrated dad, just go to the bathroom. Just go to the bathroom. You don't have to ask. But you don't understand the way my mind work is that I did not want to go to hell.
0:24.7	Maybe that's the underlying fear.
0:28.9	Every day you are making your brain better or you are making it worse.
0:34.3	Stay with us to learn how you can change your brain for the better every day.
0:40.9	In this week's episode of the Change Your Brain Everyday podcast, I am joined by musician Danny
0:48.7	Goki. Daniel was the third place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol.
0:56.0	Daniel and I discuss his battle with scrupulosity.
1:00.5	Scrupulosity is a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder involving religious or moral
1:08.2	obsessions.
1:09.0	This part of Daniel's life has never been shared before publicly.
1:15.0	I hope you enjoy this conversation. Are you struggling with anxiety, depression,
1:22.6	obsessive thinking, past emotional trauma, ADHD, or brain fog, and don't know where to turn?
1:31.8	Are your relationships a mess and you don't know why?
1:35.3	Have you had a brain injury?
1:37.1	Concussion or just don't feel the same after COVID?
1:41.1	Is your memory worse than it was 10 years ago?
1:43.9	Or do you have a parent or grandparent
1:46.7	with dementia and want to work on prevention? Yes, prevention is possible, but the sooner you start,
1:55.7	the better. For 35 years, we've been changing people's brains and their lives using brain spec imaging
2:03.5	and a personalized natural approach to brain and mental health care.
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 10 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Dr Daniel Amen, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Dr Daniel Amen and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.