Side Effects with Dr. Josef

Josef Witt-Doerring
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated weekly

A podcast investigating the hidden costs of modern psychiatric care. Hosted by Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring, a former FDA medical officer and internationally recognized drug safety expert, this show examines what patients are rarely told about psychiatric medications, including overlooked withdrawal syndromes, long-term risks, and the real-world outcomes many experience after treatment.Through in-depth expert interviews and candid conversations, we explore where mainstream psychiatry falls short and what informed, ethical care should actually look like. If you or someone you care about is questioning psychiatric treatment, struggling with medication side effects, or considering tapering, you’ll find clear education, critical context, and evidence-based guidance here.Learn more about safe, physician-guided tapering and educational resources at taperclinic.com. Learn more about our Tapering Program.

  1. 2 days ago

    The Hidden Brain Injury Behind Stevie Nicks

    Click here if you would like a free admissions consultation with our team to see if we can help you: https://taperclinic.com/start-your-taper/  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 weight gain that changed her relationship with the stage, the songs she couldn't write, the friendships she nearly lost, and the doctor she blames for repeatedly raising her dose. We follow her through the brutal 47 day detox in 1994, then unpack why coming off an eight year benzo habit that fast can be dangerously, even fatally, quick. We also go deeper into the science these drugs' users rarely hear: what benzodiazepines do to the brain over time, what "protracted withdrawal" really is, and why current guidelines from the American Society of Addiction Medicine now call for a slow, patient led taper of 12 to 18 months. 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.

    8 min

  2. 3 days ago

    How Cold Plunges Helped Him with Protracted Withdrawal

    Click here if you need help quitting psychiatric medications: http://membership.taperclinic.com/signup/?utm_source=podcast  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. Get your free personalized Medication Injury Recovery Guide: https://taperclinic.com/quiz-injury/  Join +6000 people learning how to taper on our newsletter: https://membership.taperclinic.com/newsletter   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.

    28 min

  3. 6 days ago

    Former FDA Medical Officer Exposes the Risks of Zoloft

    Click here if you need help quitting psychiatric medications: http://membership.taperclinic.com/signup/?utm_source=podcast  This video goes over everything you would possibly need to know about antidepressant protracted withdrawal.  Get our free tapering course: https://taperclinic.com/free-guide/   Join +6000 people learning how to taper on our newsletter: https://membership.taperclinic.com/newsletter   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.

    1hr 9min

  4. 2 Jul

    The Chemical Imbalance Theory is a LIE: Here's Why

    Click here if you need help quitting psychiatric medications: http://membership.taperclinic.com/signup/?utm_source=podcast  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 them. This isn't about telling anyone to stop their medication. It's about understanding it clearly so you can make better decisions about your own care. What we cover: → The serotonin story. A major systematic review found no consistent evidence that depression is caused by low serotonin or other serotonin abnormalities. → Where the myth came from. How pharmaceutical marketing in the 2000s, including ads for drugs like Zoloft, popularized the "imbalance" narrative. → What actually drives depression. Life events, trauma, physical health, and relationships often matter far more than any single brain defect. → How these drugs really work. Why medications create characteristic effects on the brain (sometimes emotional blunting) rather than "curing" anything, and why they may mask symptoms without touching the root cause. → The long-term problem. Tolerance, escalating doses, and research suggesting the brain can adapt in ways that work against the medication's acute effects. → Three ways this myth causes harm: fostering dependency while real problems go unaddressed, crowding out holistic care, and leading patients to misread medication side effects as their illness getting worse. Get our free tapering course: https://taperclinic.com/free-guide/   Join +6000 people learning how to taper on our newsletter: https://membership.taperclinic.com/newsletter   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.

    23 min

  5. 2 Jul

    The Chemical Imbalance Theory is a LIE: Here's Why

    Click here if you need help quitting psychiatric medications: http://membership.taperclinic.com/signup/?utm_source=podcast  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 them. This isn't about telling anyone to stop their medication. It's about understanding it clearly so you can make better decisions about your own care. What we cover: → The serotonin story. A major systematic review found no consistent evidence that depression is caused by low serotonin or other serotonin abnormalities. → Where the myth came from. How pharmaceutical marketing in the 2000s, including ads for drugs like Zoloft, popularized the "imbalance" narrative. → What actually drives depression. Life events, trauma, physical health, and relationships often matter far more than any single brain defect. → How these drugs really work. Why medications create characteristic effects on the brain (sometimes emotional blunting) rather than "curing" anything, and why they may mask symptoms without touching the root cause. → The long-term problem. Tolerance, escalating doses, and research suggesting the brain can adapt in ways that work against the medication's acute effects. → Three ways this myth causes harm: fostering dependency while real problems go unaddressed, crowding out holistic care, and leading patients to misread medication side effects as their illness getting worse. Get our free tapering course: https://taperclinic.com/free-guide/   Join +6000 people learning how to taper on our newsletter: https://membership.taperclinic.com/newsletter   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.

    23 min

  6. 30 Jun

    The Secret to Fixing your Mental Health

    Click here if you need help quitting psychiatric medications: http://membership.taperclinic.com/signup/?utm_source=podcast   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. Get our free tapering course: https://taperclinic.com/free-guide/   Join +6000 people learning how to taper on our newsletter: https://membership.taperclinic.com/newsletter   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.

    25 min

  7. 18 Jun

    The WORST Sleeping Medication

    Click here if you need help quitting psychiatric medications: http://membership.taperclinic.com/signup/?utm_source=podcast  Doctors are prescribing Seroquel for sleep and that's a problem, in this video I explain why. Get our free tapering course: https://taperclinic.com/free-guide/   Join +6000 people learning how to taper on our newsletter: https://membership.taperclinic.com/newsletter   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.

    14 min

  8. 11 Jun

    Psychiatrist Explains His Battle with Insomnia

    Click here if you need help quitting psychiatric medications: http://membership.taperclinic.com/signup/?utm_source=podcast  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 sleep, I hope this honest conversation gives you something to hold onto. Get our free tapering course: https://taperclinic.com/free-guide/   Join +6000 people learning how to taper on our newsletter: https://membership.taperclinic.com/newsletter   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.

    32 min
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About

A podcast investigating the hidden costs of modern psychiatric care. Hosted by Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring, a former FDA medical officer and internationally recognized drug safety expert, this show examines what patients are rarely told about psychiatric medications, including overlooked withdrawal syndromes, long-term risks, and the real-world outcomes many experience after treatment.Through in-depth expert interviews and candid conversations, we explore where mainstream psychiatry falls short and what informed, ethical care should actually look like. If you or someone you care about is questioning psychiatric treatment, struggling with medication side effects, or considering tapering, you’ll find clear education, critical context, and evidence-based guidance here.Learn more about safe, physician-guided tapering and educational resources at taperclinic.com. Learn more about our Tapering Program.

Information

  • Creator
    Josef Witt-Doerring
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Side Effects with Dr. Josef

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