Healthy & Awake Podcast

🤝 WORK WITH MIKE Book a $1 discovery call for lifestyle health coaching with Mike Vera, MS, NBC-HWC. → https://bit.ly/3QDnWg7

PSSD, or post-SSRI sexual dysfunction, is the term Daryl Brown uses for the symptoms he says persisted after he stopped taking antidepressants. He tells Mike Vera what his mother was told about lasting harm, what happened when he brought up his symptoms, and how the response changed when they didn’t go away. Daryl also explains why he began speaking publicly and what he wants families to know before making decisions about medication.

A note before you listen: this conversation covers antidepressants, mental health, and sexual harm. It is shared for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It is not a recommendation to start, stop, or change any medication (make medication decisions with your prescribing clinician). If you are struggling or in crisis in the US, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). Outside the US, contact your local emergency services or crisis line.

🔎 ABOUT THE GUEST — DARYL BROWN Daryl Brown is a patient advocate and writer who shares his experience through PSSDblog and the PSSD Network’s Patient Spotlight. He also ran a marathon he called Run Against Castration to raise awareness. - Daryl’s PSSD Network Patient Spotlight: https://www.pssdnetwork.org/patient-spotlight/daryl - Daryl’s blog: https://pssdblog.blogspot.com/

📖 FREE — THE ANTIDEPRESSANT SIDE EFFECT THEY BURIED Read Mike’s earlier conversation with Dr. David Healy about antidepressant side effects and informed consent. → https://mikevera.substack.com/p/the-antidepressant-side-effect-they

DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.

🤝 WORK WITH MIKE

Ready to take the next step with your health? Book a $1 discovery call with Mike Vera, MS, NBC-HWC.

→ https://bit.ly/3QDnWg7

Are Flock cameras and data centers part of the same buildout? Tom Renz argues they are: if you want to track everyone, you need cameras on every corner and enough computing power to store and sort it all. He walks through how he says that ties back to COVID vaccine passports and track and trace, why he thinks the GENIUS Act brings crypto under bank reporting rules, how he sees CBDCs and debanking fitting in, and why "I have nothing to hide" doesn't hold up. He also explains how he says "de-identified" medical billing data can be matched back to you with cell phone location data.

🔎 ABOUT THE GUEST - TOM RENZ

Tom Renz is an Ohio attorney, the founder of Renz Law, and Chief Legal Officer at Haloe Accelerated Wellness. He hosts The Tom Renz Show and is the author of Lawfare: Why It Matters & Other Essays. He became known for COVID-era medical freedom litigation, starting with a case he filed in September 2020.

- Website: https://tomrenz.com

- Book, Lawfare: Why It Matters & Other Essays: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CZSG4MPX

- Haloe Accelerated Wellness: https://haloe.com

- Rumble, The Tom Renz Show: https://rumble.com/c/TomRenz

- X: https://x.com/RenzTom

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/attorneytomrenz

- Facebook, The Tom Renz Show: https://www.facebook.com/61551904745985

📖 RELATED READING - WHAT TO THINK VS. HOW TO THINK (PAID)

Mike's take on the difference between being told what to think and learning how to think.

→ https://mikevera.substack.com/p/what-to-think-vs-how-to-think

🕒 HEALTHY & AWAKE® TIME MANAGEMENT

Mike's course for getting your time back so your health plan actually happens.

→ https://healthyandawake.com/time-management

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DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine. Guest statements about laws and legal matters are his opinions and are not legal advice.

🤝 WORK WITH MIKE

Ready to take the next step with your health? Book a $1 discovery call with Mike Vera, MS, NBC-HWC.

→ https://bit.ly/3QDnWg7

Why aren't doctors taught about medical cannabis? Pediatrician Dr. Bonni Goldstein never learned about the endocannabinoid system in medical school. In this episode she explains why it was left out, what she sees when she treats sick kids with conditions like autism and epilepsy under medical supervision, and why a 1995 study on kids in chemo went nowhere. She is clear that cannabis is not for everyone and needs careful dosing, and she explains why she worries about Delta 8 and THCA products sold in smoke shops.

🔎 ABOUT THE GUEST - DR. BONNI GOLDSTEIN

Dr. Bonni Goldstein is a pediatric-trained physician, licensed in California since the early 1990s, who spent years in pediatric emergency medicine. Since 2008 she has been the owner and medical director of Canna-Centers Wellness & Education, a California medical cannabis practice. She has published research using saliva biomarkers to measure the effects of medical cannabis in children with autism, and she is the author of Cannabis Is Medicine (Little, Brown Spark, 2020) and Cannabis Revealed.

- Website: https://www.canna-centers.com/

- Book, Cannabis Is Medicine: https://www.canna-centers.com/cannabis-is-medicine/

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonnigoldsteinmd/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnigoldsteinmd

📖 FREE - IF PHARMA CAN ADVERTISE, I CAN CRITICIZE

Mike's take on who gets to talk about health in public, and who gets shut out.

→ https://mikevera.substack.com/p/if-pharma-can-advertise-freely-i

🕒 HEALTHY & AWAKE® TIME MANAGEMENT

Mike's course for getting your time back so your health plan actually happens.

→ https://healthyandawake.com/time-management

🔗 FOLLOW & LISTEN - HEALTHY & AWAKE

- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@healthyandawake

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikeverahealth

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfvera

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DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or cannabis dose, for yourself or your child, without a qualified clinician.

🤝 WORK WITH MIKE

Ready to take the next step with your health? Book a $1 discovery call with Mike Vera, MS, NBC-HWC.

→ https://bit.ly/3QDnWg7

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Why do doctors rush through appointments? Dr. Luissa Kiprono argues that healthcare productivity quotas can put the time patients need in conflict with the way physicians are paid. We discuss physician autonomy, burnout, AI, and access to care, followed by her perspective on pregnancy and vaccines.

🔎 ABOUT THE GUEST — DR. LUISSA KIPRONO

Dr. Luissa Kiprono, DO, MBS, EMBA, is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist and founder and CEO of TeleMed MFM and World Gateway Perinatal Consultants. She served for 12 years in the U.S. Air Force as an officer and physician and is the author of Push, Then Breathe: Trauma, Triumph, and the Making of an American Doctor.

- TeleMed MFM: https://telemedmfm.com/

As mentioned in the introduction, Dr. Kiprono disagrees with views expressed in our earlier autism conversation with Dr. Peter McCullough. That episode is linked here so you can hear the conversations in context:

- The Autism Spike, with Dr. Peter McCullough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN5xBuGDepg

📖 FREE — THE COMPLETE GLP-1 BREAKDOWN

Explore the GLP-1 discussion further with Mike’s guide to the medications, their tradeoffs, and the research behind the claims.

→ https://mikevera.substack.com/p/the-ozempic-trap-what-theyre-not

DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.

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Healthy & Awake® Time Management

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Healthy & Awake® on Substack

Get Mike's articles and conversations in your inbox and keep exploring the ideas behind Healthy & Awake.

https://mikevera.substack.com/

Affiliate disclosure: Purchases through the links below may earn me a commission, supporting the show at no extra cost to you.

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🔗 FOLLOW & LISTEN — HEALTHY & AWAKE

Mike Vera, MS, NBC-HWC, host of the Healthy & Awake Podcast

- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@healthyandawake

🤝 WORK WITH MIKE

Ready to take the next step with your health? Book a $1 discovery call with Mike Vera, MS, NBC-HWC.

→ https://bit.ly/3QDnWg7

Antidepressant withdrawal raises a question that can get lost when a prescription is written: who helps you when you want to stop? Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring joins Mike Vera to explain why he argues psychiatric care needs a plan beyond prescribing, drawing on his experience in drug safety and deprescribing. They discuss informed consent, long-term treatment, the benefits patients report, and what he considers when helping someone prepare to taper.

A note before you listen: this conversation covers antidepressants, SSRIs, psychiatric medication withdrawal, and mental health. It is shared for educational purposes only and is not medical advice; it is not a recommendation to start, stop, or change any medication (make medication decisions with your prescribing clinician). If you are struggling or in crisis, support is available 24/7: in the US, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), or text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line). Outside the US, contact your local emergency services or crisis line.

🔎 ABOUT THE GUEST — DR. JOSEF WITT-DOERRING

Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring is a board-certified psychiatrist, co-founder, CEO, and Medical Director of TaperClinic. A former Medical Officer in the FDA's Division of Psychiatry, he works with patients navigating psychiatric medication side effects and withdrawal. He also hosts Side Effects with Dr. Josef.

- TaperClinic: https://taperclinic.com/

- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@taperclinic

- Side Effects with Dr. Josef: https://taperclinic.podbean.com/

📖 FREE — THE ANTIDEPRESSANT SIDE EFFECT THEY BURIED

Read Mike's earlier conversation with Dr. David Healy on medication harms, informed consent, and withdrawal:

→ https://mikevera.substack.com/p/the-antidepressant-side-effect-they

🕒 HEALTHY & AWAKE® TIME MANAGEMENT

Mike's $47 two-course bundle for protecting what matters and applying the system to one health routine. Includes Health Routine Head Start, lifetime access, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

→ https://healthyandawake.com/time-management

DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS

0:00 The Missing Exit Plan

0:25 Why This Conversation Matters

2:24 Questioning the Chemical-Imbalance Explanation

6:49 Informed Consent and Long-Term Evidence

8:54 From Psychiatry to the FDA to Deprescribing

12:10 Healthy & Awake Time Management

13:27 The Pushback Against Deprescribing

16:06 Can Psychiatry Change?

19:50 Labels, Marketing, and Mental Health

23:57 What to Consider Before Coming Off Medication

28:19 Individualized Tapering and Withdrawal

31:27 Supplements, Cannabis, and Quick Fixes

34:34 Psychedelics, Therapy, and Integration

38:11 The Ketamine Clinic Question

38:42 Where to Find Josef's Work

39:11 Closing and Newsletter

Want Mike's help making sense of your health and choosing the right next step? Book a one-on-one discovery call for just $1: https://bit.ly/3QDnWg7

Chlorine dioxide is at the center of a fierce medical controversy: public warnings describe it as dangerous, while Pierre Kory argues that its history, chemistry, and therapeutic evidence tell a very different story. Kory joins Mike Vera, MS, NBC-HWC, host of the Healthy & Awake Podcast, to explain why he changed his mind after initially finding no clinical studies in PubMed, why he disputes the “bleach” framing, and how he believes oxidation can target pathogens while also discussing DMSO, ivermectin, institutional capture, medical disinformation, and whether public trust can be rebuilt.

🔎 ABOUT THE GUEST — DR. PIERRE D. KORY

Dr. Pierre D. Kory, MD, MPA, is an internal medicine, pulmonary, and critical care physician. He previously served as an associate professor and chief of the Critical Care Service at the University of Wisconsin, co-founded the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance and Leading Edge Clinic, and authored The War on Ivermectin and The War on Chlorine Dioxide.

- The War on Chlorine Dioxide: https://waronchlorinedioxide.com/

- Pierre Kory's Medical Musings: https://pierrekorymedicalmusings.com/

- Leading Edge Clinic: https://drpierrekory.com/

📖 FREE — HEALTHY & AWAKE ON SUBSTACK

Read Mike's evidence-focused health investigations, podcast conversations, and practical ideas for thinking more clearly about your health. Free to read and subscribe:

→ https://mikevera.substack.com

🕒 HEALTHY & AWAKE® TIME MANAGEMENT

Get the complete two-course bundle, including Health Routine Head Start, for $47 with lifetime access and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

→ https://healthyandawake.com/time-management

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DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.

Antidepressant informed consent is the question at the center of this conversation with Kim Witczak. After her husband Woody died five weeks after beginning Zoloft prescribed off-label for insomnia, Kim became an advocate for drug safety, transparency, and public accountability. She and Mike examine the patient’s role in a system shaped by pharmaceutical marketing, warning labels, social media, and FDA approval decisions.

A note before you listen: this conversation covers antidepressants, pharmaceutical marketing, drug safety, and the subject of suicide. It is shared for educational purposes only and is not medical advice; it is not a recommendation to start, stop, or change any medication (make medication decisions with your prescribing clinician). If you are struggling or in crisis, support is available 24/7: in the US, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), or text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line). Outside the US, contact your local emergency services or crisis line.

🔎 ABOUT THE GUEST — KIM WITCZAK

Kim Witczak is a leading drug-safety advocate and speaker. Before becoming an advocate, she spent more than 25 years in advertising and marketing communications. She co-founded Woody Matters, testified before U.S. House and Senate panels, and spent nine years as a Consumer Representative on the FDA Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee. Her advocacy helped bring black-box suicide warnings to antidepressants for children and young adults.

- Kim Witczak: https://www.kimwitczak.com/

- Woody Matters: https://www.woodymatters.com/

- (UN)Acceptable Collateral Damage: https://acceptablecollateraldamage.substack.com/

🕒 HEALTHY & AWAKE® TIME MANAGEMENT

The $47 two-part course mentioned in this episode. Build a practical time-management system, then apply it to a health habit that matters to you. One payment includes both courses, lifetime access, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

→ https://healthyandawake.com/time-management?utm_source=healthy_awake_podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=kim_witczak&utm_content=course_ad

🔗 FOLLOW & LISTEN — HEALTHY & AWAKE

- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@healthyandawake

- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/445erBVLF6J49TRAOtB0nk

- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/healthy-awake-podcast/id1668607581

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikeverahealth

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfvera

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DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.

Therapy culture has made more people ask whether every difficult moment needs to become a diagnosis or a treatment plan. Jonathan Alpert argues that good therapy should help people become more capable, but it can keep people stuck when it becomes an endless routine rather than a path toward real change. Mike Vera, MS, NBC-HWC, host of the Healthy & Awake Podcast, talks with him about choosing a therapist, the difference between feeling better and getting better, and CBT tools for challenging your own thinking.

A note before you listen: this conversation covers mental health and substance use. It is shared for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. If you are struggling or in crisis, support is available 24/7: in the US, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), or text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line). Outside the US, contact your local emergency services or crisis line.

🔎 ABOUT THE GUEST — JONATHAN ALPERT

Jonathan Alpert is a psychotherapist, executive coach, and media commentator. He is the author of Therapy Nation: How America Got Hooked on Therapy and Why It’s Left Us More Anxious and Divided.

- Website: https://www.jonathanalpert.com/

- Therapy Nation: https://www.jonathanalpert.com/the-book

- X: https://x.com/JonathanAlpert

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanalpert/

🕒 HEALTHY & AWAKE® TIME MANAGEMENT

Healthy & Awake® Time Management helps you put a simple system behind the things that matter to you. It includes 20 short lessons, five printable worksheets, and Health Routine Head Start. $47 one-time payment, lifetime access, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

→ https://healthyandawake.com/time?utm_source=healthy_awake_podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=jonathan_alpert&utm_content=course_ad

🔗 FOLLOW & LISTEN — HEALTHY & AWAKE

- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@healthyandawake

- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/445erBVLF6J49TRAOtB0nk

- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/healthy-awake-podcast/id1668607581

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikeverahealth

- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikeverahealth

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfvera

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DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.

How do you leave your comfort zone when your automatic brain treats the unfamiliar like danger? Dr. Charles Glassman joins Mike Vera to explain what he calls the Automatic Brain, why he believes familiarity can keep us stuck, and how repeated exposure may help us respond more deliberately instead of letting fear choose for us.

🔎 ABOUT THE GUEST — DR. CHARLES GLASSMAN

Dr. Charles F. Glassman, MD, is a board-certified internist with more than 30 years of experience. He was among the first physicians in the United States to establish a concierge medical practice, founded CoachMD, serves as an associate medical director at The Standard, and is the author of Brain Drain and the forthcoming Fear Is a Liar.

- Fear Is a Liar and two free sample chapters: https://www.charlesglassmanmd.com/fear-is-a-liar

- Website: https://www.charlesglassmanmd.com/

- Substack: https://substack.com/@charlesfglassmanmd

🕒 HEALTHY & AWAKE TIME MANAGEMENT

Stop leaving your health goals to whatever time and energy happens to be left. Healthy & Awake® Time Management gives you a practical system for protecting what matters, planning for what throws you off, and knowing what to do when the original plan falls apart. It includes Health Routine Head Start, lifetime access, and a 30-day money-back guarantee for $47.

→ https://healthyandawake.com/time?utm_source=healthy_and_awake_podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=charles_glassman&utm_content=time_ad

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DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.

The Fauci diary is at the center of this timely conversation with Nicolas Hulscher about fame, COVID-era decision-making, and whether a hearing can lead to accountability. Hulscher argues that the diary and other recent disclosures raise serious questions about gain-of-function funding and institutional conduct, while Mike Vera, MS, NBC-HWC, host of the Healthy & Awake Podcast, presses him on what the record establishes, what remains disputed, and whether Fauci's July 29 testimony can produce anything more than headlines.

🔎 ABOUT THE GUEST — NICOLAS HULSCHER

Nicolas "Nic" Hulscher, MPH, is an epidemiologist and administrator at the McCullough Foundation. His work focuses on contested public-health questions, including infectious disease, vaccine safety, and institutional trust.

- Website: https://nicolashulscher.com/

- Focal Points: https://www.thefocalpoints.com/

- X: https://x.com/NicHulscher

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nic.hulscher/

📖 FREE — NIC'S PREVIOUS HEALTHY & AWAKE EPISODE

Before this conversation, Nic joined me to discuss bird flu, gain-of-function research, and the questions around H5N1.

→ Rumble: Bird Flu Bombshell: Exposing Biolab Secrets w/ Nicolas Hulscher [Ep. 66] https://rumble.com/v66xvtg-bird-flu-bombshell-exposing-biolab-secrets-w-nicolas-hulscher-ep.-66.html

🫁 BREATH TRAINING (affiliate)

The BreathHoldWork® Meditation Masterclass Mike uses, with 25% off automatically through this link:

- Meditation Masterclass → https://www.breathholdwork.com/a/2148085889/XjErFcgW

🔗 FOLLOW & LISTEN — HEALTHY & AWAKE

- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@healthyandawake

- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/445erBVLF6J49TRAOtB0nk

- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/healthy-awake-podcast/id1668607581

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikeverahealth

- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikeverahealth

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfvera

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DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.

This episode contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. These are not paid sponsorships — they're products and programs I personally use and recommend.