🤝 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

—

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

—

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

—

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

—

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

—

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.

Medical cannabis sits in a crowded space of strong claims, real risks, and uneven regulation. Dr. Peter Grinspoon joins Mike Vera for an honest conversation about what cannabis may help, what can harm, and what remains unknown, from rescheduling and unregulated hemp-derived products to dependence, CBD labels, sleep, and aging.

A note before you listen: this conversation covers cannabis use and addiction. 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. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, SAMHSA's National Helpline is 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

🔎 ABOUT THE GUEST — DR. PETER GRINSPOON

Dr. Peter Grinspoon is a primary care physician at Harvard Medical School and board-certified in addiction medicine. He is a cannabis specialist and educator, and the author of Aging Well with Cannabis, Seeing Through the Smoke, and Free Refills.

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

- Aging Well with Cannabis: https://www.petergrinspoon.com/agingwell/

- Substack: https://drpetergrinspoon.substack.com/

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

📖 FREE — HEALTHY & AWAKE SUBSTACK

More full articles and research breakdowns from Healthy & Awake:

→ https://mikevera.substack.com

🤝 WORK WITH MIKE

One-on-one coaching with Mike Vera, MS, NBC-HWC, host of the Healthy & Awake Podcast. It is $1 to start:

→ https://bit.ly/3QDnWg7

—

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. Cannabis laws vary by jurisdiction. Always check local regulations and consult a qualified clinician about personal health questions or medication decisions.

How do you calm your nervous system when survival mode has quietly become your baseline? Dr. Eva Selhub joins Mike Vera on the Healthy & Awake Podcast to get into stress, anxiety, and burnout, and instead of a standard Q&A, Mike brought four case studies, the archetypes he sees over and over in sessions as a health coach: the guy stuck in the cookie-and-coffee loop who asks why even bother, the person waking at 2 a.m. with layoffs circling, the mom quietly dreading the empty nest, and the caregiver running on empty. Resilience is more than toughness, she says, and she argues that the coping most people reach for only brings the stress response part of the way down, which leaves the baseline creeping higher over time.

🔎 ABOUT THE GUEST — DR. EVA SELHUB

Dr. Eva Selhub is a board-certified internist who spent 20 years on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and served as medical director of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. She ran her own integrated medicine practice for over two decades and has written six books, including Burnout for Dummies, Resilience for Dummies, and The Love Response, and she co-authored Your Brain on Nature. Today she coaches C-suite leaders and teaches the SHIELD method and her six pillars of resilience.

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

- Substack: https://substack.com/@dreva1

- Free Preview of Resilience Program - https://resilienceexperts.learnworlds.com/course/week7-free-sample

- Foundations of Mastering Resilience (10-week self-paced program): https://resilienceexperts.learnworlds.com/course/foundations-of-mastering-resilience

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

- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ESelhub

📖 FREE — WHY SUGAR KEEPS WINNING EVEN WHEN YOU KNOW BETTER

This episode opens on the cookie loop, and Mike wrote the long version of it. Why sugar keeps winning even when you know better, and what is actually running underneath the craving. Free to read and subscribe:

→ https://mikevera.substack.com/p/why-sugar-keeps-winning-even-when

🤝 WORK WITH MIKE

One-on-one coaching with a board-certified health coach, just $1 to start:

→ https://bit.ly/3QDnWg7

🔗 FOLLOW & LISTEN — HEALTHY & AWAKE

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

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

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

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

Dr. David Healy, psychiatrist, psychopharmacologist, and author of Pharmageddon, returns to lay out what he argues the drug companies concealed about antidepressants. He says the healthy-volunteer trials showed sexual side effects in close to 90% of people while the marketed figure was under 5%, and he explains why he considers the word "antidepressant" itself a marketing term. Host Mike Vera, MS, NBC-HWC, walks through the trial data, informed consent, and whether the same pattern is now repeating with GLP-1 drugs. This is a discussion of Dr. Healy's research and perspective, shared for educational purposes only, and it is not medical advice.

A note before you listen: this conversation covers antidepressants, SSRIs, and mental health, including the subject of suicidal thoughts. It is not a recommendation to start, stop, or change any medication. Always 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. DAVID HEALY

Dr. David Healy is a psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist, and one of the most influential critics of how antidepressants are studied, marketed, and sold. He founded RxISK, where people can report and research drug side effects, and he is the author of Pharmageddon and other books on antidepressants and the history of medicine.

- Writing and blog: https://davidhealy.org

- RxISK (report and research drug side effects): https://rxisk.org

- Book: Pharmageddon

📖 FREE — THE COMPLETE GLP-1 BREAKDOWN

Mike's no-hype breakdown of GLP-1 medications (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro): what they actually do, what happens when you stop, and what the research says the marketing leaves out. Free to read and subscribe:

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

🤝 WORK WITH MIKE

One-on-one coaching with a board-certified health coach, just $1 to start:

→ https://bit.ly/3QDnWg7

🫁 BREATH TRAINING (affiliate)

The breath-hold and meditation training Mike uses, from BreathHoldWork, 25% off automatically through these links:

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

- BreathBuilt course → https://www.breathholdwork.com/a/2148152057/XjErFcgW

—

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 are products and programs I personally use and recommend.

Former Navy SEAL Team 6 operator Craig "Sawman" Sawyer — founder of the nonprofit Veterans for Child Rescue — joins Mike Vera on the Healthy & Awake Podcast to share his firsthand assessment of child trafficking in America: how he says it operates, why he believes it stays out of the headlines, and what he argues regular people can do about it. One of the heavier conversations we've had on the show, and one of the most important.

🔎 ABOUT THE GUEST — CRAIG SAWYER

Craig "Sawman" Sawyer is a former Marine and Navy SEAL Team 6 operator who founded Veterans for Child Rescue (V4CR), a nonprofit that investigates child trafficking and works with law enforcement to bring predators to justice. His documentary, Contra Land, follows that work.

- Veterans for Child Rescue: https://v4cr.org

- Contra Land (documentary): https://contralandmovie.com

📖 FREE — THE COMPLETE GLP-1 BREAKDOWN

Mike's no-hype breakdown of GLP-1 medications (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro) — what they actually do, what happens when you stop, and what the research says the marketing leaves out. Free to read and subscribe:

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

🫁 BREATH TRAINING (affiliate)

The breath-hold and meditation training Mike uses, from BreathHoldWork — 25% off automatically through these links:

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

- BreathBuilt course → https://www.breathholdwork.com/a/2148152057/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

—

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.