Side Effects with Dr. Josef

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Stevie Nicks & Klonopin: How One Prescription Nearly Destroyed Her Career

For eight years, Stevie Nicks lived in what she called a "black hole." After leaving rehab for cocaine, a psychiatrist prescribed her Klonopin to prevent relapse, a benzodiazepine typically recommended for no more than nine weeks. She stayed on it for nearly a decade.

In this video, we explore how Klonopin reshaped Stevie Nicks' life, creativity, and health: the w...

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Cold Plunge Cam is an Instagram influencer who has gained hundreds of thousands of followers, while sharing his mental health stories and experience with protracted withdrawal.

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This video goes over everything you would possibly need to know about antidepressant protracted withdrawal. 

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Is Depression Really a "Chemical Imbalance"? A Psychiatrist Breaks Down the Myth

For decades we were told that depression comes from a chemical imbalance in the brain, too little serotonin, and that antidepressants simply correct it. But what does the evidence actually say?

In this video, I (a board-certified psychiatrist) walk through why the "chemical imbalance" explanation doesn't hold up, where the idea really came from, and what psychiatric medications are actually doing when you take t...

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Is Depression Really a "Chemical Imbalance"? A Psychiatrist Breaks Down the Myth

For decades we were told that depression comes from a chemical imbalance in the brain, too little serotonin, and that antidepressants simply correct it. But what does the evidence actually say?

In this video, I (a board-certified psychiatrist) walk through why the "chemical imbalance" explanation doesn't hold up, where the idea really came from, and what psychiatric medications are actually doing when you take t...

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Today we're listening to the story of how a mother took whole foods to improve their family's mental health problems and get off their medications.

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Doctors are prescribing Seroquel for sleep and that's a problem, in this video I explain why.

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Insomnia didn't care about my medical degree. In this candid sit-down, I open up about my own struggle with sleepless nights and team up with my sleep coach to break down what actually worked for me.

We cover the things no one told me about insomnia, the mistakes that kept me stuck, and the practical guide that finally helped me get the rest I'd been chasing.

Whether you've battled insomnia for years or just started losing s...

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Thinking about getting off Xanax? In this video I break down what a safe approach to stopping actually looks like. Why tapering matters, what withdrawal can feel like, and why working with a doctor is essential. Quitting benzodiazepines cold turkey can be dangerous, so this is about doing it the right way.

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Benzodiazepines like Xanax, Valium, and Klonopin are among the most commonly prescribed medications for anxiety and insomnia but what happens to your brain when they're used over months or years? In this video, we break down what current research says about the long-term effects of benzos on memory, cognition, and the brain's GABA system, plus what's known about tolerance, dependence, and recovery after stopping. Whether you're taking them, considering them, or just curious, here's what the science shows.

G...

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After years in medicine, there are a few common pills I've quietly crossed off my own list and in this video, I'll tell you exactly which ones and why. From side effects most patients aren't warned about to better alternatives hiding in plain sight, here's what I'd want my own family to know.

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Think you know ADHD? Think again. In this eye-opening conversation, a psychiatrist breaks down the biggest myths and misconceptions about ADHD and reveals what's really going on in the brain.

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Ever wondered what taking Xanax actually feels like? In this video, I break down the three distinct stages you experience when on Xanax, from the initial onset to the peak effects and what happens as it wears off.

Whether you've been prescribed it, are curious about how it works, or want to understand a loved one's experience, this video covers what to expect.

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If you're on a prescribed benzodiazepine and thinking about going to a detox center, please watch this first.

Most detox centers are built for addiction, not prescription dependence. I've seen too many people get pushed through a rapid taper, leave on more medications than they started with, and end up destabilized for months or even years.

In this video, I break down why benzo detox is so often the wrong answer, what an aggressive taper can a...

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When someone starts an antidepressant, they're usually the one being asked how they feel. Their spouse rarely is.

But the people living with them often notice things the patient can't see from the inside. Emotional flatness. Loss of interest. Changes in intimacy. A partner who is technically "better" but somehow not quite there anymore.

In this video, I walk through what they told me, what it tells us about how these medications actually affect people, and w...

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Most doctors are not trying to make their patients worse. But I've watched it happen, over and over, for years.

Patients come to me already on four, five, six medications. Each one was added in good faith, to solve a problem the last one created or failed to fix. By the time I see them, they're more anxious, more foggy, more exhausted, and more afraid than they were when any of this started. And they're being told the a...

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Charay's daughter was 12 years old when she died. She had been prescribed Prozac.

In this conversation, Charay shares her story in her own words. What her daughter was like before the medication. What changed after she started it. What she noticed, what she questioned, and what she wishes she had known.

If you are struggling, please reach out to someone you trust, or contact a crisis line in your country.

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There are things I learned about antidepressants in practice that I never learned in medical school, and that most patients are never told before they start taking them.

Not because doctors are hiding the ball on purpose. Most genuinely don't know. But that doesn't help you when you're the one taking the medication.

I walk through 5 things I think every patient deserves to hear before they start an antidepressant, or before they decide whether to keep t...

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If I got depressed tomorrow, I would not start with a prescription pad.
After years of treating patients who came to me already worse off than when they first started antidepressants, overmedicated, exhausted, foggy, and convinced something was wrong with them, I think very differently about depression than I did in residency.

In this video, I walk through exactly what I'd do, in order, if I were depressed in 2026. What I'd rule out first. What I'd try b...

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The biggest healthcare fraud settlement in U.S. history was $3 billion and one man risked everything to make it happen.

Blair Hamrick had it all: a top pharmaceutical sales career, first-class flights, big bonuses, and a rising future. But behind the scenes, he watched his company illegally push dangerous drugs off-label to children with full knowledge of management.

When Blair blew the whistle, he lost everything. His job. His income. His reputation. He moved back in w...

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ChatGPT is out here recommending SSRIs like it's handing out candy, and I've got some things to say about it.

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President Trump just signed a new executive order on health with RFK Jr. and Joe Rogan standing behind him. But does this actually do anything to improve American healthcare?

In this video, I break down what's actually in the order, what it changes, and what it means for you.

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If you're watching someone you love slowly disappear on their psychiatric medications, this video is for me talking directly to you.

I'm a board-certified psychiatrist, and I see this pattern constantly: someone started a medication during a real crisis, and at first it helped. But years later, they're on more drugs, at higher doses, and they're clearly worse. The warmth is gone. The humor is gone. They're fatigued, foggy, unmotivated, and a shell of who they used to be.<...

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Most people don't need psychiatric medication. What they need is a serious look at how they're living, what they're eating, who they're spending time with, and whether their life has any real meaning in it. In this video, I walk through 50 rules I give patients who want to protect their mental health and stay off the prescription treadmill.

These aren't theories. They're the same principles I come back to again and again in my practice, because they work, and...

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Most psychiatrists hand you a prescription and never look back. Nobody asks whether you still need it. Nobody explores what else works.

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Your doctor put you on this in 20 minutes. Nobody told you getting off would take a protocol.

The dizziness. The brain zaps. The feeling that you're falling apart. That's not your depression coming back. That's your nervous system recalibrating after years of chemical dependency. There's a difference and most doctors don't know it.

Antidepressant withdrawal fails for three reasons: undertrained prescribers, the wrong formulation, and no plan for the final stretch. This video covers all three.

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The problem isn't your bedroom. It's your nervous system.

Chronic insomnia isn't a nighttime problem. It's a daytime one. When your system runs on high alert for 16 hours straight, work, screens, pressure, performance, it doesn't know how to switch off at 11pm. That's not a sleep disorder. That's a system that's never been allowed to rest.

In this video:
→ Why hyperarousal is the root cause most doctors miss
→ The cultural pressure driving a gener...

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The "chemical imbalance" theory of anxiety has been repeated for decades, but the science tells a different story. In this video, I break down what research actually shows about anxiety, why the serotonin myth persists, and what a more accurate understanding of your nervous system means for how you approach treatment and recovery.

Whether you've been told your anxiety is a lifelong condition you can only manage with medication, or you're just starting to ask harder questions, t...

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What if the food on your plate was making your symptoms worse or better? Schizophrenia affects millions, yet conventional treatment almost never touches diet.

A growing body of research is pointing to a surprising link between what we eat and how our brain functions, and for some patients, dietary changes have led to improvements that medication alone couldn't achieve.

In this video, we dig into the science behind gluten sensitivity, gut-brain communication, and the nutritional...

In this interview, Jennifer shares her experience of being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, taking lithium and antidepressants for years, and how the medications affected her health, career, and relationships. She talks about being hospitalized, the side effects she endured, and the challenges of losing her stability. Jennifer also explains how she eventually came off the medications, discovered her struggles were more connected to ADHD and trauma, and how she has now been living medication-free for six years

In this episode, psychiatrist Dr. Matt Bernstein (founder of ACCORD) explains why metabolic therapies—ketogenic nutrition, circadian alignment, exercise, and mind-body work—often improve energy, mood, sleep, focus, and even psychosis, while enabling safer deprescribing. We dig into why standard care so often fails to restore function; what ketogenic diets can do in severe illness; why incentives from Big Food, Big Pharma, and insurers sideline foundational lifestyle care; and what families can start doing right now—because real change is likely to be grassroots.

In this interview, Dr. Jeffrey Wiegers (BioReset Medical) explains what MUSE stem cells are, how they differ from traditional mesenchymal stem cells, and whether they might help after neurological injuries—concussion/TBI, stroke, chemo neuropathy, or protracted withdrawal (including PSSD). We also cover safety, side effects, why sourcing and good manufacturing practice matter, and new state-level pathways in the U.S.

https://www.bioresetmedical.com/

John and Dee Foster were severely harmed by benzodiazepines—yet instead of staying silent, they spent years fighting for change. Their persistence paid off: the new ASAM benzodiazepine deprescribing guidelines now formally acknowledge physical dependence, protracted withdrawal, the need for slow, patient-led tapers that can take months to years, the importance of shared decision-making, and the role of peer and non-drug supports.

John and Dee share what they won for patients, and why these guidelines could mark a turning point in holding the medical system accountable.

In this interview, Cooper Davis shares his 13-year journey on psychiatric medications: starting with Ritalin in high school, moving through nearly every stimulant, and eventually adding multiple other drugs. What began as a dramatic improvement in focus and grades slowly turned into tolerance, side effects, and a growing medication stack that hurt his health, relationships, and career.

He describes the moments that pushed him to quit, his withdrawal in a 12-step rehab, and the process of rebuilding life without medications. This is a candid look at both the benefits and costs of psychiatric drugs, and what life...

Clinical psychologist Anders Sørensen shares his journey from traditional talk therapy to becoming a leading voice in psychiatric drug withdrawal. After realizing that medications were emotionally blunting his clients and preventing meaningful therapeutic work, Anders began researching safe tapering strategies.

Anders also discusses his new book Crossing Zero: The Art and Science of Coming and Staying Off Psychiatric Drugs, and shares practical insights from years of clinical experience, research, and collaboration with the withdrawal community.

What happens when legal marijuana leads to psychosis, addiction, and family collapse? In this powerful interview, Dr. Yosef speaks with Aubree Adams, founder of Every Brain Matters, whose son suffered from cannabis induced psychosis after using high-potency THC products like dabs. This is not “just weed” — it’s an industrialized drug that is hurting people, especially teens. Aubree shares her family's harrowing story of watching her son become delusional, suicidal, and hospitalized — all linked to marijuana use. She exposes how the cannabis industry, medical system, and public policy continue to mislead families while ignoring the clear science linking THC to psychos...

In this conversation, Dr. Joanna Moncrieff discusses her book 'Chemically Imbalanced'. She argues that there is no compelling evidence for a chemical imbalance in depression and questions the continued prescription of antidepressants. We explore the interests of the pharmaceutical industry, the ethical implications of using drugs to mask symptoms, and the need for a paradigm shift in mental health treatment. We discuss the influence of the pharmaceutical industry on psychiatric literature and the defensive stance of the psychiatric profession against critical viewpoints.

Laura Delano shares her journey from being a 'professional psychiatric patient' for over a decade to becoming a leading voice in the psychiatric drug withdrawal movement. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Laura was prescribed a cocktail of medications that only worsened her mental and physical health. After a near-fatal suicide attempt, she began questioning everything she was told about her diagnosis and treatment. Laura discusses her harrowing tapering experience, the impact of psychiatric labels, and how she ultimately reclaimed her life by challenging the mainstream narrative. Today, she’s the founder of Inner Compass Initiative and the author of Unshrunk, wh...