Psychiatry, Rewritten - The Gray Area

In this episode, we dive into the fascinating connection between the brain and the gut — sometimes called the second brain. The gut houses about 500 million neurons and communicates constantly with the central nervous system through the vagus nerve. In fact, around 80% of vagus nerve fibers run upward, meaning your gut is sending more messages to your brain than the other way around.

We explore how this “gut–brain axis” shapes mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and trauma responses, and why disorders like IBS, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis often flare with stress. For decades, people were told symptoms were “just in their head,” but research shows the gut and brain are locked in a feedback loop that can fuel both physical and emotional distress.

The big takeaway? If we only focus on the brain, we miss half the conversation. The gut has a mind of its own — and understanding that changes how we see both psychiatry and whole-body health.

References & Resources

1. Oka, P., Parr, H., Barberio, B., Black, C. J., Savarino, E. V., & Ford, A. C. (2020). Global prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome according to Rome III or IV criteria: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Gastroenterology, 158(5), 1262–1278.

2. Carabotti, M., Scirocco, A., Maselli, M. A., & Severi, C. (2015). The gut-brain axis: interactions between enteric microbiota, central and enteric nervous systems. Annals of Gastroenterology, 28(2), 203–209.

3. Cryan, J. F., O’Riordan, K. J., Cowan, C. S. M., et al. (2019). The microbiota–gut–brain axis. Physiological Reviews, 99(4), 1877–2013.

4. Mayer, E. A., Tillisch, K., & Gupta, A. (2015). Gut/brain axis and the microbiota. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 125(3), 926–938.

5. Breit, S., Kupferberg, A., Rogler, G., & Hasler, G. (2018). Vagus nerve as modulator of the brain–gut axis in psychiatric and inflammatory disorders. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, 44.

In this episode, we strip back the stigma of Borderline Personality Disorder and look at it through the lens of trauma. Instead of a “disordered personality,” what if borderline is better understood as the long shadow of chronic relational wounds—neglect, betrayal, abandonment, or ongoing invalidation?

We’ll explore how many so-called “borderline symptoms”—fear of abandonment, emotional intensity, self-harm, rapid shifts—are the survival patterns of people who endured trauma without safety or repair. Seen this way, borderline isn’t manipulation or brokenness; it’s a set of strategies that once kept someone alive.

This reframing matters, because when psychiatry pathologizes survival, healing gets blocked. When we recognize borderline as chronic trauma, the path forward opens—toward compassion, targeted treatment, and the possibility of rewriting the story from damage to resilience.

References & Resources

1. Bozzatello, P., Morese, R., & Bellino, S. (2021). The Role of Trauma in Early Onset Borderline Personality Disorder: A Biopsychosocial Perspective. Frontiers in Psychiatry.

2. Ford, J. D. (2014). Complex PTSD, affect dysregulation, and borderline personality disorder. Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation.

3. Pagura, J., Stein, M. B., Bolton, J. M., Cox, B. J., Grant, B., & Sareen, J. (2010). Comorbidity of Borderline Personality Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the U.S. population. Journal of Psychiatric Research.

4. Lavvaf, M., Bagheri-Nesami, M., et al. (2025). Childhood trauma and Axis I disorders in borderline personality disorder. Middle East Current Psychiatry.

5. Kolthof, K. A., et al. (2022). Effects of intensive trauma-focused treatment of individuals with PTSD on borderline personality disorder symptom severity. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. Link

6. Riou, M., et al. (2024). Borderline personality disorder and post-traumatic stress: comparison of adolescent patients with and without PTSD. BMC Psychiatry.

7. Smits, M. L., et al. (2022). Trauma and Outcomes of Mentalization-Based Therapy for Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder. American Journal of Psychotherapy.

8. Bozzatello, P., et al. (2020). Trauma and psychopathology associated with early onset borderline personality disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Research.

9. Tate, A. E., et al. (2022). Associations with psychiatric disorders, somatic illnesses, trauma and adverse behaviors in borderline personality disorder: A Swedish cohort study. Molecular Psychiatry.

10. Zanarini, M. C., et al. (2017). Ten-year course of borderline personality disorder: The CLPS study. BMC Psychiatry.

Benzodiazepines and gabapentin are handed out like candy — for anxiety, for sleep, for nerve pain, for “whatever works.” But the quiet cost often doesn’t make it into the conversation: memory loss, cognitive decline, and even dementia risk.

In this episode, we dig into the science and the stories behind the meds that calm today but may erase tomorrow. We’ll talk about how these drugs affect the hippocampus, why dependency is so hard to break, and what current research says about long-term brain health.

This isn’t about scare tactics — it’s about informed consent. Because your brain deserves more than a prescription that steals it piece by piece.

Episode Title: Before the Wound: Why Prevention Matters

Series: The Mirror, the Match, and the Megaphone – Part II

Description:

We cannot keep showing up after the damage is done. (Although we even need to get better at that.)

In this second installment of the series, we shift our focus from aftermath to prevention — and it starts early. We talk about why teaching kids proper anatomy, boundaries, and consent isn’t inappropriate — it’s necessary. We dismantle the fear and shame that still surrounds these conversations, and we ask the hard questions:

Why are we still more comfortable cleaning up trauma than preventing it?

This episode explores how systems fail children long before they ever end up in courtrooms, therapy offices, or psych wards — and how silence keeps the cycle going.

It’s not just about education.

It’s about protection.

And it’s time we stop being scared to say so.

Episode Title: The Mirror, the Match, and the Megaphone (Part I)

*Series Launch: Psychiatry, Rewritten – The Reckoning Series

Description:

Welcome to the beginning of something deeper.

In this first installment of The Mirror, the Match, and the Megaphone series, we lay the foundation for a raw, unapologetic conversation about the systems that shape our minds — and the stories we’ve been told about them. This episode introduces the central metaphors that will guide the series:

• The Mirror — what we’re forced to look at (and what we’ve avoided seeing),

• The Match — what needs to burn,

• The Megaphone — what must be said, loudly and without permission.

We explore the personal and collective reckonings that drive this work, the fire beneath reform, and why staying silent is no longer an option. If you’ve ever questioned the way things are done in mental health — this is where we start peeling it back.

This episode is not a conclusion. It’s a call.

Let’s begin.

I want my audience to know that I recorded this in one take with no editing whatsoever, and I uploaded it straight from my voice memos.

This episode is very close to my heart. I hope it helps even one person find the strength the take the breath to make the choice to stay alive another day. Because I’m always glad when I make it through another round of grief. Because then I’ve grown stronger! Thanks for being here ☮️

Lithium has a reputation — and most of it’s wrong. In this episode, we unpack the truth about one of the most effective, misunderstood, and underprescribed medications in psychiatry. From its powerful anti-suicidal properties to its long-term neuroprotective benefits, lithium isn’t just “that old-school drug” — it’s a life-saving treatment that too many clinicians avoid out of habit or fear.

We’ll dive into:

• Why lithium works (and how it actually builds brain resilience)

• The stigma around side effects and lab work — and why it’s often overblown

• New research on microdosing, dementia protection, and withdrawal support

• Why comparing lithium to chemotherapy might just make sense

• Real talk: why avoiding lithium due to inconvenience could be costing lives

With myth-busting, research, and raw clinical insight, we’re giving lithium the respect it deserves — and showing why it might be the most underrated tool in your psychiatric toolbox.

What if the relief you’ve been chasing wasn’t months away — but minutes? In this episode, we dive deep into the world of IV ketamine: a treatment once reserved for anesthesiologists and now rapidly gaining traction in the psychiatric world.

We’ll break down how ketamine works (yep, we’re talking about neuroplasticity), why it’s different from traditional antidepressants, and what makes it a potential game-changer for people with treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and suicidality.

You’ll hear stories from real people who’ve found hope where nothing else worked — and we’ll challenge the stigma that still surrounds this powerful tool. We’re not talking about magic. We’re talking about medicine — and how fast-acting relief shouldn’t be controversial.

MythBusters, research breakdowns, and a hard look at how the psychiatric field is catching up — or not. If you’ve ever wondered if ketamine could help someone you love… this one’s for you.

Dementia isn’t just about forgetting names or losing track of time. It’s about identity, safety, dignity — and the heartbreaking way our systems often fail to protect all three.

In this episode, we go deeper than the surface signs. We talk about:

• What dementia really looks like in day-to-day life

• Why labile mood, paranoia, and even aggression have real neurological roots

• How overuse of antipsychotics can worsen outcomes

• And why many patients with dementia are misdiagnosed, misunderstood, or mistreated — especially in inpatient psych settings

We also discuss:

• The importance of non-pharmacological interventions like redirection, music, and even baby dolls

• How early symptoms get brushed off — or blamed on “just aging”

• And what clinicians, caregivers, and loved ones need to understand to avoid doing harm

This episode challenges assumptions, validates caregiver exhaustion, and offers real strategies — not just for managing dementia, but for seeing the person still inside.

Because they are still there.