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

After several episodes deep in the policy side of the kratom story — the DEA’s action on 7-OH, the regulatory fight, and the science, this week, we delve into a heartbreaking true story told by documentarians - in their forthcoming film.

Jason and Jamie Neese are twin brothers, and Emmy-nominated producers on Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy. Their new documentary, “Kratom: Side Effects May Include,” just had its world premiere at Dances With Films in New York and has since screened in Los Angeles. But before any of that, it started with a phone call and a story they couldn’t shake: Patti Wheeler had lost one of her twin sons to kratom. He died in his twin brother’s arms.

As twins themselves, that detail hit Jason and Jamie differently than it might hit anyone else — and it’s a big part of why this conversation goes places most film-promotion interviews don’t. We talk about what it was like directing this project together as brothers, what surprised them most during production, and where they’ve landed on the policy fight now splitting the kratom industry, including their response to American Kratom Association figure Mac Haddow’s public claims about Patti’s motives.

In this episode:– Growing up as twins, and directing a film together as adults– How making the film challenged their assumptions about addiction and stigma– Patti Wheeler’s story, and what it meant to hear it as twins themselves– Their take on kratom and concentrated 7-OH after making the film– The pushback from the kratom industry, and how they’ve responded– What they hope the film actually changes

Watch or listen to the full conversation below:

If you want to go deeper: watch the trailer for “Kratom: Side Effects May Include,” here: https://kratomsideeffectsmayinclude.com

Visit Patti Wheeler’s nonprofit, A Beautiful Life Stolen: https://abeautifullifestolen.com

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction: SAMHSA National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357.

If this one lands for you, forward it to someone who’d want to hear it.

🔔 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

#Kratom #KratomAwareness #7OH #AddictionScience #OpioidCrisis

Ep. 64: A Mother’s Fight After Losing Her Son to Kratom — Patti Wheeler

Patti Wheeler spent fifteen years traveling the world as a flight attendant, then became a mother to twin sons, Gannon and Wyatt, and an author of the beloved Travels with Gannon & Wyatt book series. On October 25, 2022, everything changed: her son Wyatt, 27, died after taking kratom — in his twin brother’s arms. He’d turned to kratom as a way to stop drinking, with little or no awareness of the potential risks associated with its use.

In this episode, clinical psychologist and addiction scientist Dr. Suzette Glasner talks with Patti about who Wyatt was before she lost him, and what the science actually says about kratom — its effects on the brain, its risks, and its potential benefits. Dr. Glasner and Patti also discuss how Patti turned unimaginable grief into action — executive producing the documentary Kratom: Side Effects May Include (directed by Jamie and Jason Neese of The Umbrella Academy) and founding the nonprofit A Beautiful Life Stolen — along with the political fight over regulating 7-OH and kratom extract, and what Patti wants every parent and lawmaker to understand.

You can watch the full episode here:

Chapters:2:16 Turning Grief Into Advocacy — and Facing the Backlash6:07 What Patti Wheeler Wishes She'd Known about Kratom10:17 Who Patti Was Before Kratom Changed Everything15:28 Wyatt's DUI and His First Brush With Kratom19:53 October 2022: The Warning Signs in Aspen26:37 The Smoke Shop, the Concentrate, and the Science of 7-OH33:49 The Night Wyatt Died41:19 The Toxicology Report: Setting the Record Straight45:13 The Regulatory Fight: What Should Happen to Kratom and 7-OH50:28 Becoming a Documentary Producer52:36 What Would Wyatt Say?

Content note: this episode includes a detailed account of a child’s death and may be difficult for some listeners.

Learn more / get involved: Documentary: Kratom: Side Effects May Include — kratomsideeffectsmayinclude.com

Patti’s nonprofit: A Beautiful Life Stolen — abeautifullifestolen.com

If you or someone you love is struggling with kratom dependence: SAMHSA National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357

🔔 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

#Kratom #KratomAwareness #7OH #AddictionScience #OpioidCrisis

Nearly half of people who die by suicide saw a healthcare provider in the month before their death. Many were already receiving treatment.

That statistic challenges one of our most common assumptions about mental illness: that psychiatric tragedies happen because people never ask for help.

The upcoming Lindsay Clancy trial raises an even more difficult question.

What happens when someone is already receiving extensive psychiatric care—and a catastrophic psychiatric emergency still isn’t recognized?

In this episode, Dr. Suzette Glasner—licensed clinical psychologist and scientist at UCLA—examines the Lindsay Clancy case through the lens of clinical psychology rather than true crime. Instead of asking whether Lindsay Clancy is guilty or innocent, she explores what this case may reveal about the limits of current psychiatric risk assessment.

The episode examines the parallels between missed suicide risk and missed postpartum psychiatric emergencies, the critical differences between postpartum OCD and postpartum psychosis, why clinicians routinely screen for suicide but may not be trained to assess risk of harm to children, and the warning signs that families and healthcare professionals should recognize when a psychiatric emergency is unfolding.

Watch the full episode here:

Chapters

0:00 Intro — A Statistic That Should Change How We Think About Psychiatric Tragedy

1:12 Lindsay Clancy’s Mental Health Treatment Timeline

3:27 Why Being in Treatment Doesn’t Always Mean Someone Is Safe

6:00 The Blind Spot: Why Clinicians May Not Assess Risk to Children

7:54 Understanding Filicide Risk in Postpartum Psychiatric Illness

8:40 Postpartum OCD vs. Postpartum Psychosis: Why the Difference Matters

10:54 What Families Should Watch For—and When to Seek Emergency Help

13:28 The Lindsay Clancy Trial: The Insanity Defense Explained

15:27 Why This Case Matters Beyond One Family

📩 Questions or topic requests: [email protected]

🧩 More from Dr. Glasner: https://drglasner.com