Kids and Psychiatric Medications: Navigating the Maze

Dr. Raghu Kiran Appasani and author Brooke Siem join us for a nuanced discussion about the complexities of prescribing psychiatric medications to children. They explore the importance of informed consent, the inadequacies of the current mental health system, and the societal shift toward over-medicalizing everyday life challenges. 

Both Brooke, as an advocate with personal experience, and Dr. Raghu, from a medical perspective, agree on the need for a multifaceted approach to mental health treatment, moving beyond reliance on medication alone. However, they disagree on the best path forward and share their perspectives.

To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.

“When people come to me and they ask me these questions, they are never thriving, which is another piece of anecdata for me, that just shows that these drugs don't really work long term. I mean, I honestly have not met one single person who has been medicated for, let's say, more than 2 to 3 years for depression, who says they're thriving. I hear them say they're coping. They're, you know, they're okay. They're fine. That's kind of the best it gets. They're never living their best life. And so I think we just really attribute a lot of that to just like, oh, it's just being an adult, you know, life's hard and then you die type of attitude.” ~Brooke Siem

Our guest, Brooke Siem (@brookesiem), is both a chef to professional athletes and the surprising face of psychiatric drug withdrawal awareness and advocacy. Her book, “May Cause Side Effects,” won the 2023 BIBA Prize for memoir and was named as one of “Good Morning America's” most anticipated reads. Her work on antidepressant withdrawal has also appeared in The Washington Post, New York Post, Psychology Today, and more. She is a Food Network "Chopped" Champion, founder of the newsletter Happiness Is A Skill, and creator of the F**it Bucket™. 

Our guest, Dr. Raghu Kiran Appasani, is an integrative & addiction psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and social entrepreneur focused on bridging the gap between Western and Eastern practices to create a wholesome society by taking a proactive approach to health. He recently completed his Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship at the University of California-San Francisco (June 2023). His interests lie at the intersection of psychodynamic psychotherapy, integrative/nutritional psychiatry, mental health literacy, advocacy, wellness, entrepreneurship, and psychedelics. His alter ego's life goal is to become a chef integrating farm-to-table experiences in stunning landscapes around the world.

For his contributions, he has been recognized as a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, One Young World Delegate Ambassador, StartingBloc Fellow, Nexus Global Delegate, EchoingGreen, MassChallenge, and Kellogg Innovation Network Delegate. Through his extensive scientific research, he has published more than 35 peer-reviewed articles and edited 5 books. He has given more than 120 talks on mental health, entrepreneurship, global health, and consciousness in parallel with authorship and features on CNN, Vogue, The Boston Globe, ThriveGlobal, The Better India, The Zoe Report, and The Huffington Post.

Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.

To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

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