The Dr Suzette Glasner Podcast

Getting help for addiction is a critical step—but the moments around entering treatment, leaving it, or moving between levels of care can leave people especially vulnerable.

Licensed clinical psychologist and addiction scientist Dr. Suzette Glasner examines the deaths of Presley Gerber and Hayden Panettiere through the lens of these transitions. She distinguishes confirmed findings from reported details and explores what their stories can teach us about planning for safety throughout recovery.

What is the difference between a sober-living home, rehab, and medical detox? Why can a return to opioid use after time in treatment become particularly dangerous? And what should families ask when choosing care for someone they love?

You can watch the full episode here:

This episode covers:• How to distinguish recovery housing from clinical treatment—and why the right level of care matters.• How reduced opioid tolerance, fentanyl, and combinations of sedating drugs can increase overdose risk.• What safer transitions can include: follow-up appointments, medications for opioid use disorder, naloxone, and a clear plan for responding to relapse.

Recovery is an ongoing process. The support between treatment settings deserves as much attention as the treatment itself.

🎧 Subscribe for new episodes every Thursday: www.youtube.com/@drglasner💬 Leave a comment or email with your questions or suggestions for future episodes: [email protected] ↗ Share this episode with someone navigating treatment or supporting a loved one.

For treatment information and referrals, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).For emotional distress or a mental health crisis, call or text 988.For a suspected overdose or another medical emergency, call 911.

#PresleyGerber #HaydenPanettiere #AddictionRecovery #AddictionTreatment #OverdosePrevention #SoberLiving

Two Ole Miss students died on the same day. Investigators found packages labeled “SMAX” near both students, and authorities issued a warning about kratom. But what does that finding actually tell us—and what remains unknown?

Clinical psychologist and addiction scientist Dr. Suzette Glasner separates the confirmed facts from speculation and explains why identifying the exact products involved matters. At the time of recording, the causes of either death had not been publicly confirmed.

Dr. Glasner also revisits her conversations with Patti Wheeler, executive producer of Kratom: Side Effects May Include, and film directors Jamie and Jason Neese. Their documentary explores the changing kratom marketplace through families who lost loved ones, researchers, policymakers and people who say kratom has helped them.

This episode examines:

• What investigators found near the two students—and what remains unconfirmed• Why botanical kratom, concentrated extracts, enhanced 7-OH and synthetic derivatives deserve different scrutiny• What the documentary reveals about consumer awareness and the kratom debate• What consumers should understand about labeling, dependence, withdrawal and potentially dangerous combinations

You can watch the full episode here:

Finding a product near someone does not establish that it caused their death. Understanding what is actually in that product is essential to interpreting the evidence—and helping consumers make informed decisions.

EXPLORE THE DOCUMENTARY

Kratom: Side Effects May Include: https://kratomsideeffectsmayinclude.com/

Patti Wheeler interview:

Jamie and Jason Neese interview:

Joe Rogan and kratom episode:

RESOURCES

If you are experiencing tolerance, withdrawal, cravings or difficulty controlling your use of kratom or related products, consider speaking with a qualified healthcare professional.

SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

https://findtreatment.gov

Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222

https://www.poison.org

For an immediate mental-health or substance-related crisis, call or text 988. Call 911 for a life-threatening emergency.

🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on the psychology and neuroscience of mental health, addiction, and behavior.

📩 Send your questions or topic requests: [email protected]

🎥 Watch The Dr. Suzette Glasner Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drglasner

🧩 Learn more about Dr. Glasner: https://drglasner.com

This episode is for educational purposes and is not individualized medical advice.

In recognition of Suicide Prevention Month, clinical psychologist and addiction scientist Dr. Suzette Glasner sits down with Zak Williams—a mental health advocate, entrepreneur, filmmaker, husband, and father—for a deeply personal conversation about grief, addiction recovery, and finding purpose after profound loss.

🎥 You can watch the full video episode here:

Zak reflects on the experiences that shaped his path through addiction and recovery. He also speaks about losing his father, the late actor and comedian Robin Williams, and how that loss influenced his mental health, relationships, advocacy, and approach to parenting.

While reflecting on Robin Williams’ legacy, Zak shares the life and mission he has built in his own right. He discusses his work as a mental health advocate, the challenges of balancing entrepreneurship with family life, and why nutrition became a focus of his mental wellness company, PYM.

Zak also discusses his involvement in Deathbridge, a documentary examining suicide at the Golden Gate Bridge and the long effort to install a suicide-deterrent net. He describes what drew him to the project, what made it personally challenging, and what he hopes the film will change about the way we understand—and prevent—suicide.

This is a conversation about carrying grief without being defined by it, finding recovery after addiction, caring for your own mental health while helping others, and building a meaningful life after loss.

🧠 Learn more about Zak Williams and PYM: https://youcanpym.com

🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes exploring the psychology and neuroscience of mental health, addiction, and behavior.

🎧 Listen to more episodes of The Dr. Suzette Glasner Podcast:https://www.youtube.com/@drglasner

📩 Send your questions or topic requests: [email protected]

🧩 Learn more about Dr. Glasner: https://drglasner.com

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health or substance-use crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If there is an immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

#ZakWilliams #RobinWilliams #SuicidePreventionMonth #MentalHealthAdvocacy #AddictionRecovery #Grief #Deathbridge #MentalHealth

Hayden Panettiere’s Death: Was It a Counterfeit Pill?

What the reported fentanyl theory could reveal about fake oxycodone, pain, addiction, and today’s overdose crisis

New reports suggest investigators are examining whether Hayden Panettiere took what she believed was oxycodone—but may instead have received a counterfeit pill containing fentanyl.

Her official cause of death has not been determined. Toxicology results are still pending, no supplier has been charged, and the counterfeit-pill explanation remains a working theory attributed to law-enforcement sources.

Clinical psychologist and addiction scientist Dr. Suzette Glasner explains what it really means when a drug is “cut” with fentanyl, why counterfeit pills are manufactured to resemble familiar medications, and why even experienced users cannot reliably identify them by their appearance.

She also examines how physical pain can become part of the pathway to risky opioid use, which groups currently face the highest overdose death rates, and what can reduce the risk—including naloxone, fentanyl test strips, avoiding solitary use, and effective treatment for opioid use disorder.

You can watch the full episode here:

If you find this episode useful, please subscribe and share it. Someone may be holding a pill and assuming they know what is inside.

If you suspect an overdose, call 911 and administer naloxone immediately. For treatment information, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). For an immediate mental-health or substance-use crisis, call or text 988.

🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on the psychology and neuroscience of mental health, addiction, and behavior.

🎧 Watch or listen to more episodes of The Dr. Suzette Glasner Podcast:https://www.youtube.com/@drglasner

📩 Send your questions or topic requests:[email protected]

🧩 Learn more about Dr. Glasner: https://drglasner.com

#HaydenPanettiere #CounterfeitPills #Fentanyl #OpioidCrisis #AddictionRecovery

A little over a month ago, the federal government moved toward placing concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine—better known as 7-OH—into Schedule I. The federal comment period has now closed, but state and local governments have not waited for a final decision.

North Dakota came within one vote of banning kratom entirely before adopting a narrower law that bans synthetic kratom products, limits natural kratom to adults 21 and older, and establishes labeling and licensing requirements. Massachusetts has taken a broader approach to kratom products, while California has removed thousands of kratom and 7-OH products from stores—yet acknowledges that online sellers remain difficult to reach.

In Episode 71, Dr. Suzette Glasner examines:

• Where the federal 7-OH scheduling process currently stands• Why Schedule I restrictions could impact scientific research• The difference between concentrated 7-OH products and natural kratom leaf• Why North Dakota rejected a total kratom ban• How Massachusetts and California are approaching enforcement• Why “natural” kratom should not automatically be considered harmless

You can watch the full episode here:

Dr. Suzette Glasner is a licensed clinical psychologist and addiction scientist at UCLA who studies addiction, mental health and digitally delivered behavioral healthcare.

KEY SOURCES

Federal 7-OH scheduling and public-comment process:https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/26/2026-17409/hydroxymitragynine-above-a-specified-threshold-in-schedule-i-extension-of-comment-period

North Dakota legislation:https://www.nd.gov/news/armstrong-signs-bill-banning-synthetic-kratom-restricting-natural-kratom-21-and-older

Kratom use disorder research:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38441236/

RESOURCES

If you are experiencing tolerance, withdrawal, cravings or difficulty controlling your use of kratom or 7-OH, consider speaking with a qualified healthcare professional.

SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines/national-helpline

Find treatment:

https://findtreatment.gov

Naloxone information:https://www.cdc.gov/stop-overdose/caring/naloxone.html

Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222https://www.poison.org

For an immediate mental-health or substance-related crisis, call or text 988. Call 911 for a life-threatening emergency.

🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on the psychology and neuroscience of mental health, addiction, and behavior.

📩 Send your questions or topic requests: [email protected]

🎧 Watch and listen to more episodes → The Dr. Suzette Glasner Podcastwww.youtube.com/@drglasner

🧩 Learn more about Dr. Glasner: https://drglasner.com

This episode is for educational purposes and is not individualized medical advice.

#Kratom #7OH #AddictionScience #DrugPolicy #MentalHealth

Are antidepressants overprescribed—and could therapy work just as well for many of the people taking them?Clinical psychologist and scientist Dr. Suzette Glasner examines what the research actually shows about antidepressants, psychotherapy, and the growing debate over psychiatric overprescribing.Large studies comparing antidepressant medication with structured psychotherapy—especially cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT—have found surprisingly small differences in effectiveness for many people with depression and anxiety. But that does not mean antidepressants do not work or are never necessary. For severe, recurrent, psychotic, or highly impairing depression, medication can be an essential and sometimes lifesaving part of treatment.The more important question is whether antidepressants have become the default in cases where therapy, lifestyle changes, or a more complete assessment might address the underlying problem just as effectively.Chapters0:00 Are Antidepressants Overprescribed?0:43 Jim Carrey on His Experience With Prozac1:40 Therapy vs. Antidepressants: What Research Shows5:55 When Antidepressants Are Clearly Indicated8:46 Jim Carrey: Alcohol, Caffeine and CBT13:29 Is Talk Therapy Making a Comeback?14:25 RFK Jr.’s Antidepressant Claims, Fact-Checked15:05 Discontinuation Syndrome vs. Addiction19:15 How to Taper Antidepressants More Safely

You can watch the full episode here:

This episode explores:• How antidepressants compare with CBT for depression and anxiety• When medication is clearly indicated—and when therapy may be equally effective• How alcohol, caffeine, sleep, and other factors can affect or worsen depression• Whether antidepressants are truly difficult to discontinue• The difference between antidepressant withdrawal and addiction• RFK Jr.’s claim that SSRIs can be harder to quit than heroin• What RFK Jr. gets right—and wrongDo not stop or reduce an antidepressant abruptly or without consulting a qualified healthcare professional. Some people require a gradual, individualized taper, particularly after long-term treatment.Dr. Suzette Glasner is a licensed clinical psychologist, digital health executive, and addiction scientist who serves on the faculty at UCLA.If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org.🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on the psychology and neuroscience of mental health, addiction, and behavior.📩 Send your questions or topic requests: [email protected]🎧 Listen to more episodes → The Dr. Suzette Glasner Podcast[www.youtube.com/@drglasner](http://www.youtube.com/@drglasner)🧩 Learn more about Dr. Glasner: https://drglasner.com

#Antidepressants #RFKJr #MentalHealth #DepressionTreatment #SSRIs #CBT #AntidepressantWithdrawal

As closing arguments conclude in the Lindsay Clancy trial, the case centers on one extraordinarily difficult question: Was Clancy criminally responsible for the deaths of her three children—or was she so severely mentally ill that she could not understand the wrongfulness of her actions?

In this episode, Dr. Suzette Glasner examines the prosecution’s and defense’s competing interpretations of the evidence, the legal standard for insanity, and what the case reveals about postpartum psychiatric emergencies.

The discussion explores:

• The central arguments presented by the prosecution and defense• Why having a mental illness is not, by itself, enough to establish legal insanity• Postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis, and how they differ• The difficult distinction between being severely ill and being legally not guilty by reason of insanity

Dr. Suzette Glasner is a licensed clinical psychologist and addiction scientist at UCLA and a digital health industry executive. She has also served as a forensic psychological expert in criminal cases involving the effects of addiction and mental illness on serious crimes, including homicide.

You can watch the full episode here:

CHAPTERS

0:00 The Lindsay Clancy Trial: What’s at Stake1:39 What Happened During the Trial3:56 Massachusetts’ Legal Standard for Insanity4:13 Why the Prosecution’s Experts Disagreed6:04 What Is Postpartum Psychosis?8:05 Lindsay Clancy’s Clinical Risk Factors11:12 Did the Evidence Establish Psychosis?13:36 How Jurors Should Evaluate Conflicting Experts14:50 Andrea Yates and Other Insanity-Defense Cases16:01 What “Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity” Means18:26 Is Lindsay Clancy Likely to Be Released?18:50 The Clinical Takeaway and Mental Health Resources

This episode is for educational purposes only and does not offer a diagnosis of Lindsay Clancy or any other individual. The discussion is based on publicly available information and the evidence presented in court.

RESOURCES

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis or having thoughts of suicide:

• Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline:

https://988lifeline.org

• If there is immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

Maternal mental health support:

• National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: Call or text 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262), available 24/7https://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs-impact/national-maternal-mental-health-hotline

• Postpartum Support International HelpLine and resources:https://www.postpartum.net/get-help/psi-helpline/

🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on the psychology and neuroscience of mental health, addiction, and behavior.

📩 Send your questions or topic requests: [email protected]

🎧 Listen to more episodes → The Dr. Suzette Glasner Podcastwww.youtube.com/@drglasner

🧩 Learn more about Dr. Glasner: https://drglasner.com

#LindsayClancy #PostpartumPsychosis #InsanityDefense #MaternalMentalHealth #ForensicPsychology

Recently we lost Hayden Panettiere — and her death has left a lot of open questions. Before toxicology results come back, addiction scientist and clinical psychologist Dr. Suzette Glasner separates what we actually know from what we don’t, and examines why the people who’ve done the public work of recovery and advocacy are often the last to get help when they’re struggling again.

In this episode:— What’s confirmed so far about Hayden’s death, and what’s still unknown— Brian Hickerson’s domestic violence history with Hayden, and her own public advocacy against it— Why relapse — in addiction and in leaving an abusive relationship — is rarely a single event— The “wounded healer” pattern: why advocates and helpers are often the last to ask for help themselves— How the struggles of those who are “high-functioning” can stay invisible, even to the person living it— Checking in on someone who “seems fine”

You can watch the full episode on YouTube here:

Chapters:0:00 —What We Know, What We Don’t7:10 — Why Recovery Isn’t a Finish Line10:12 —Why Helpers Are Often the Last to Ask for Help13:26 —The Invisible Relapse16:07 — How to Show Up for Someone Who “Seems Fine”18:49 — Key Takeaways

If you or someone you love is struggling with substance use, the SAMHSA National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) is free, confidential, and available 24/7. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233, also free and confidential, 24/7.

This episode draws on reporting from TMZ, NBC News, CBS News, ABC News, Rolling Stone, Forbes, E! News, Newsweek, azfamily.com, Fox Carolina, The Hollywood Gossip, SheKnows, Extra, The Tab, and Yahoo Entertainment.

Episode art: Storm Santos / Via Marque Public Relations

After Perez Hilton was hospitalized following a widely reported mental health crisis involving self-harm on a livestream, many people asked the same question: Why would someone do this—especially in front of an audience?

In this episode, clinical psychologist Dr. Suzette Glasner explains what the science reveals about self-harm: the functions it can serve, how it differs from a suicide attempt, and what loved ones should—and shouldn’t—do.

You’ll learn:

• Why people self-harm• The clinical difference between self-harm and suicidal behavior• The risk factors associated with self-injury• How exposure to self-harm content on social media can affect vulnerable viewers• How to respond with compassion while taking the situation seriously

CHAPTERS

0:00 Perez Hilton’s mental health crisis2:13 How common is self-harm?3:48 What self-harm does for a person5:31 Self-harm vs. a suicide attempt7:37 What puts someone at risk11:20 When self-harm becomes public13:51 What to do—and how to help15:37 Key takeaways

You can view the full episode here:

STAY CONNECTED

🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on the psychology and neuroscience of mental health, addiction, and behavior.

📩 Send your questions or topic requests: [email protected]

🎧 Listen to more episodes → The Dr. Suzette Glasner Podcast: www.youtube.com/@drglasner

🧩 Learn more about Dr. Glasner:

https://drglasner.com

CONTENT NOTE

This episode discusses self-harm and suicide without including graphic details or descriptions of methods.

RESOURCES

For immediate crisis support in the United States:

• Call or text 988:

https://988lifeline.org

• Text HOME to 741741 to reach Crisis Text Line:

https://www.crisistextline.org

• If there is immediate danger, call emergency services.

Self-harm-specific resources:

• Self-injury Outreach & Support (SiOS) offers coping and recovery resources for people who self-injure and those supporting them:

https://www.sioutreach.org

• S.A.F.E. Alternatives provides specialized information and treatment for self-injury:

https://selfinjury.com

These resources do not replace care from a qualified medical or mental health professional.

Dr. Suzette Glasner sits down with Kathryn Burgum, White House Senior Advisor for Addiction Recovery and Co-Chair of the Great American Recovery Initiative, at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C.

Kathryn has been sober for 24 years. In this conversation, she shares her personal journey through alcohol addiction, undiagnosed depression, and years of relapse — and the moment that asking for help changed everything. She and Dr. Glasner talk about the role faith played in her recovery, why addiction should be treated as a chronic disease rather than a moral failing, the shame and stigma that keep people from seeking help, the case for peer recovery support specialists, and what she hopes the Great American Recovery Initiative will change for the next generation.

You can watch the full episode here:

Chapters:2:01 Kathryn Burgum’s Story: The Moment Everything Changed After Two Decades10:41 Faith, Gratitude, and the Research on Spirituality13:55 Depression, Relapse, and Staying Vigilant in Recovery21:26 The Case for Peer Recovery Support Specialists25:32 A White House With Personal Ties to Addiction — and the Birth of the Initiative35:49 Fixing a Fragmented, Stigmatized Treatment System45:18 What Success Looks Like, and the Cost of Inaction59:20 Turning Lived Experience Into Policy — and Her Message to Anyone Still Struggling

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 for immediate support. To find treatment for addiction in the United States, visit FindTreatment.gov.

🔔 Follow/subscribe wherever you listen for weekly episodes on the psychology and neuroscience of mental health, addiction, and behavior. 📩 Send your questions or topic requests: [email protected] 🧩 Learn more about Dr. Glasner: https://drglasner.com