What Patients Aren’t Told About Psychiatric Drug Safety Data | Dr. Josef

Mar 18, 2026

53:07

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On the Evolving Wellness Podcast, host Sarah interviews board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Josef Dering, who previously worked in the pharmaceutical industry and as an FDA medical officer in psychiatry drug safety. He explains why he now believes psychiatric medications don’t work for most conditions and describes how time-pressured, checklist-based care and “chemical imbalance” narratives lead to escalating drug cocktails without addressing root causes. He warns that benzodiazepines may help short term but can worsen anxiety over time, cause interdose withdrawal, degrade sleep architecture, and impair concentration, making them a “Faustian bargain,” and stresses slow, supervised tapering due to difficult withdrawal. Dering outlines non-drug approaches targeting body, mind, and “soul” (health behaviors, skills-based therapies, relationships, and meaning). He also argues high-potency THC cannabis increases psychosis risk and may lead to long recoveries and misdiagnosis.

Connect withj Dr Josef - https://www.youtube.com/@taperclinic

https://www.instagram.com/drjosefwittdoerring/

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