March 22, 2023

295. Buyer Beware: Pseudoscience and the Wellness Industry, featuring Pooja Lakshmin

1 hour 4 minutes

When it comes to self-help, it's important to be cautious of information that seems too good to be true. Especially, in today's world of digital wellness influencers where there is a lot of misinformation out there that could cause you more harm than good. Subsequently, it's essential to thoroughly research products and services before making any decisions or commitments.

To raise awareness about this issue, we (Debbie, Jill, and Yael) got together to co-host an episode dedicated to this very important conversation. We also invited Pooja Lakshmin, a board-certified psychiatrist and author of the book ‘Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness’ to discuss the nuances of pseudoscience and what it means to practice real self-care. Expect evidence-based self-care methods, in addition to tips on how to do your due diligence as a consumer.

Listen and Learn:

What led Pooja to make some pretty drastic decisions in her own quest for self-care

The differentiators between faux self-care and real self-care

The idea of using ‘pauses’ when making decisions and boundary setting

Pseudoscience and the challenges it poses to the field of psychology

Examples of scientists behaving badly

Red flags for identifying faux self-care

Suggestibility: we can be easily influenced in ways that are problematic

Resources:

Guest

Learn more about Pooja and her work as a psychiatrist, author, founder, and speaker: https://www.poojalakshmin.com

Order your copy of Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included): https://bookshop.org/a/30734/9780593489727

Articles

Controversy Over Ego Depletion/Decision-Fatigue

Books

Quick Fix: Why Fad Psychology Can’t Cure Our Social Ills by Jesse Singal

Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goops, and the False Promise of Self-Care by Rina Raphael

American Detox: The Myth of Wellness and How We Can Truly Heal by Kerri Kelly

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant

Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion by Paul Bloom

Podcasts

Maintenance Phase

Conspirituality

The Daily: Women Have Been Misled About Menopause

About Pooja Lakshmin

Pooja Lakshmin is a psychiatrist, New York Times contributor, an assistant professor at George Washington University, and a leading voice at the intersection of mental health and gender with a focus on helping individuals escape the tyranny of self-care. In 2020, she founded Gemma, a physician-led women’s mental health platform centering on impact and equity. She also maintains a private practice where she treats women struggling with burnout and perfectionism, as well as clinical conditions like depression and anxiety. Her new book which we are here to discuss, Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths not Included) is out now.

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105. The Self-Care Prescription with Robyn Gobin

113. Self-Compassion for Parents with Susan Pollak

201. Fierce Compassion with Kristin Neff

262. Hope and Values in Dark Times with Us

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By Debbie Sorensen, Jill Stoddard, Yael Schonbrun, Michael Herold & Emily Edlynn

4.6

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