Side Effects with Dr. Josef

Your Doctor Is Making You Worse: Here's Why

Click here if you need help quitting psychiatric medications: http://membership.taperclinic.com/signup/?utm_source=podcast 
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 answer is another adjustment.
In this video, I explain how this happens. Why well-meaning doctors keep making patients sicker, what's broken in the way psychiatry is being practiced right now, and what you can do if you suspect it's happening to you.
If you've been on medications for years and feel worse than when you started, you are not imagining it. And you are not alone.
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CONNECT WITH ME:- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjosefwittdoerring - X/Twitter: https://x.com/DrJosefWD - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - Website: https://taperclinic.com/ 
DISCLAIMER: All the information on this channel is for educational and/or entertainment purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos, or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, these videos can maybe help you prepare for your discussion with him. We do our best to spread awareness with these videos, but for legal reasons we can’t answer health questions in the comments. If you leave questions, we’ll make videos about common questions in the future! If we catch incorrect health information, hate speech, illegal solicitation of drugs in the comments, we will remove them.

A Mother's Honest Story about Her 12-Year Old's Suicide

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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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CONNECT WITH ME:- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjosefwittdoerring - X/Twitter: https://x.com/DrJosefWD - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - Website: https://taperclinic.com/ 
DISCLAIMER: All the information on this channel is for educational and/or entertainment purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos, or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, these videos can maybe help you prepare for your discussion with him. We do our best to spread awareness with these videos, but for legal reasons we can’t answer health questions in the comments. If you leave questions, we’ll make videos about common questions in the future! If we catch incorrect health information, hate speech, illegal solicitation of drugs in the comments, we will remove them.

5 Things Doctors Avoid Telling You About Antidepressants

Click here if you need help quitting psychiatric medications: http://membership.taperclinic.com/signup/?utm_source=podcast 
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 taking one. None of this is anti-medication. It's the conversation I wish more of my colleagues were having with their patients.
If you're on an antidepressant, thinking about starting one, or trying to figure out whether yours is still helping you, this one is for you.
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CONNECT WITH ME:- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjosefwittdoerring - X/Twitter: https://x.com/DrJosefWD - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - Website: https://taperclinic.com/ 
DISCLAIMER: All the information on this channel is for educational and/or entertainment purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos, or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, these videos can maybe help you prepare for your discussion with him. We do our best to spread awareness with these videos, but for legal reasons we can’t answer health questions in the comments. If you leave questions, we’ll make videos about common questions in the future! If we catch incorrect health information, hate speech, illegal solicitation of drugs in the comments, we will remove them.

If I was Depressed in 2026, Here's What I'd Do (Psychiatrist Guide)

Click here if you need help quitting psychiatric medications: http://membership.taperclinic.com/signup/?utm_source=podcast 
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 before reaching for a medication. Where medication actually fits, and where it gets people into trouble. And the mistakes I'd be most careful to avoid, including the ones I watch psychiatrists make every week.
This isn't an anti-medication video. It's a more honest one.
If you're struggling right now, or you're stuck on meds that aren't working the way they used to, I hope this gives you a clearer way to think about your next step.
Get our free tapering course: https://membership.taperclinic.com/free-taper-guide 
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CONNECT WITH ME:- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjosefwittdoerring - X/Twitter: https://x.com/DrJosefWD - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - Website: https://taperclinic.com/ 
DISCLAIMER: All the information on this channel is for educational and/or entertainment purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos, or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, these videos can maybe help you prepare for your discussion with him. We do our best to spread awareness with these videos, but for legal reasons we can’t answer health questions in the comments. If you leave questions, we’ll make videos about common questions in the future! If we catch incorrect health information, hate speech, illegal solicitation of drugs in the comments, we will remove them.

Big Pharma Insider Speaks Out: "They did evil things"

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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 with his mother, raising his young son alone, while others called him a failure. For more than a decade, a gag order kept him silent.
This is the story of what really happened and what it cost him to tell the truth.
If you've ever wondered how far a drug company will go to protect its profits, watch until the end.
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CONNECT WITH ME:- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjosefwittdoerring - X/Twitter: https://x.com/DrJosefWD - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - Website: https://taperclinic.com/ 
DISCLAIMER: All the information on this channel is for educational and/or entertainment purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos, or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, these videos can maybe help you prepare for your discussion with him. We do our best to spread awareness with these videos, but for legal reasons we can’t answer health questions in the comments. If you leave questions, we’ll make videos about common questions in the future! If we catch incorrect health information, hate speech, illegal solicitation of drugs in the comments, we will remove them.

ChatGPT Will Now Prescribe SSRIs

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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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CONNECT WITH ME:- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjosefwittdoerring - X/Twitter: https://x.com/DrJosefWD  - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - Website: https://taperclinic.com/ 
DISCLAIMER: All the information on this channel is for educational and/or entertainment purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos, or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, these videos can maybe help you prepare for your discussion with him. We do our best to spread awareness with these videos, but for legal reasons we can’t answer health questions in the comments. If you leave questions, we’ll make videos about common questions in the future! If we catch incorrect health information, hate speech, illegal solicitation of drugs in the comments, we will remove them.

Trump to Help Millions Avoid Antidepressants

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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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CONNECT WITH ME:- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjosefwittdoerring - X/Twitter: https://x.com/DrJosefWD - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - Website: https://taperclinic.com/ 
DISCLAIMER: All the information on this channel is for educational and/or entertainment purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos, or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, these videos can maybe help you prepare for your discussion with him. We do our best to spread awareness with these videos, but for legal reasons we can’t answer health questions in the comments. If you leave questions, we’ll make videos about common questions in the future! If we catch incorrect health information, hate speech, illegal solicitation of drugs in the comments, we will remove them.

What to do if you Love Someone on Psychiatric Medication

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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.
In this video, I walk through what's actually happening and what you can do about it.
What I cover:→ Why medications that once worked can stop working, and how tolerance leads to the familiar cycle of higher doses and added prescriptions→ How the side effect burden, sedation, emotional blunting, cognitive dulling, eventually outweighs any remaining benefit→ The signs families notice first: withdrawal, loss of personality, loss of motivation, the sense that the person you know is no longer there→ Why doctors often misread these signs as the underlying illness getting worse or label the patient "treatment-resistant," when the medications themselves may be driving the decline→ Why patients on multiple medications frequently cannot advocate for themselves, and why a family member's instincts matter so much here→ How to find a second-opinion physician who will actually sit down, listen, take a full history, and seriously consider that the current regimen is part of the problem→ What a real path forward looks like: structured, careful tapering paired with non-drug support, nutrition, sleep, and tools to stabilize the nervous system
If you're a family member watching this happen:Trust what you're seeing. You are often the first person to recognize that something is wrong, and you may need to be the one who pushes for a different kind of evaluation. Your loved one is not beyond help. There is a path back, but it has to be done carefully and with someone who understands this territory.
I'll link to resources below, including guides on safe tapering that you can bring into conversations with your current providers.
If this video resonates with your situation, please share it with someone who needs to hear it.
Get our free tapering course: https://membership.taperclinic.com/free-taper-guide 
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CONNECT WITH ME:- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjosefwittdoerring - X/Twitter: https://x.com/DrJosefWD - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - Website: https://taperclinic.com/ 
DISCLAIMER: All the information on this channel is for educational and/or entertainment purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos, or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, these videos can maybe help you prepare for your discussion with him. We do our best to spread awareness with these videos, but for legal reasons we can’t answer health questions in the comments. If you leave questions, we’ll make videos about common questions in the future! If we catch incorrect health information, hate speech, illegal solicitation of drugs in the comments, we will remove them.

50 Ways to Avoid Psychiatric Medication

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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 because the alternative starting down the road of psychiatric medications is something I've seen go badly for too many people.
I cover what to eat and what to avoid, how to protect your sleep, why daily movement matters more than most people realize, and why taking responsibility for your own health is something no fifteen-minute doctor visit can replace. I talk about building discipline, creating distance from your own thoughts, refusing a victim mentality, and acting before you feel ready. I go through the substances that quietly wreck people's mental health caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, high-potency cannabis and explain why I'm cautious about routine prescriptions and deeply cautious about psychiatric medications in particular, which tend to lead to more medications, not fewer.
I also talk about the things that don't show up on a lab report but matter enormously: writing down your values, doing work that means something, living in service to other people, mentoring someone coming up behind you, and fighting for what you believe in. And I talk about relationships calling your friends, choosing a partner who wants you to grow, practicing forgiveness without becoming a doormat, and getting involved in the lives of children and family.
If you're already on psychiatric medication and you want to come off safely, stay until the end. I've put together a free guide to help you start that process the right way.
This video is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Do not stop or change psychiatric medications without working with a qualified clinician.
Get our free tapering course: https://membership.taperclinic.com/free-taper-guide 
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CONNECT WITH ME:- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjosefwittdoerring - X/Twitter: https://x.com/DrJosefWD - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - Website: https://taperclinic.com/ 
DISCLAIMER: All the information on this channel is for educational and/or entertainment purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos, or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, these videos can maybe help you prepare for your discussion with him. We do our best to spread awareness with these videos, but for legal reasons we can’t answer health questions in the comments. If you leave questions, we’ll make videos about common questions in the future! If we catch incorrect health information, hate speech, illegal solicitation of drugs in the comments, we will remove them.

How to Manage Bipolar Disorder without Pills

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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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CONNECT WITH ME:- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjosefwittdoerring - X/Twitter: https://x.com/DrJosefWD - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjosefwittdoerring/ - Website: https://taperclinic.com/ 
DISCLAIMER: All the information on this channel is for educational and/or entertainment purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos, or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, these videos can maybe help you prepare for your discussion with him. We do our best to spread awareness with these videos, but for legal reasons we can’t answer health questions in the comments. If you leave questions, we’ll make videos about common questions in the future! If we catch incorrect health information, hate speech, illegal solicitation of drugs in the comments, we will remove them.