As our world has shifted, so many of folx have experienced a major impact on their emotional and mental well-being. This conversation with Dr. Jodie Skillicorn, a holistic psychiatrist who believes strongly in the body’s innate healing powers, is important for these times where depression and anxiety are on the rise. In this episode, we discuss psychiatric medication including antidepressants, the research history behind them, debunking myths and why it's important to understand the landscape and "insanity of conventional psychiatry."
Dr. Jodie talks about the power of placebo and the nocebo effect, how you can tap into your inner power of self-healing, and the importance of the nervous system when it comes to any type of mental health challenge. Dr. Jodie leaves us with an empowering message, illuminating the power of our mind, the plasticity of our brain, and the resilience of our Spirit.
Her book Healing Depression Without Medication debunks the mythology of the neurochemical imbalance and alleged effectiveness of antidepressants. Dr. Jodie Skillicorn offers another way of treating depression by getting to the root causes and empowering readers to become agents of their own wholeness and healing. If you are one of the 300 million adults around the world suffering from depression and a lifetime of ineffective medications who long to flourish and thrive, this interview and book is for you.
To be clear, this podcast is not against antidepressants, it is pro informed consent and having ALL the data to make the best decision for you. Please work with a qualified licensed practitioner if you need support!
Show Notes
In this episode, we discuss:
Jodie sheds light on the landscape of psychiatric medication, staggering stats of rates of prescription medication and how over 2 million children are on antidepressants
Debunking the myth of neurochemical imbalance - the idea that our brains and chemistry are flawed
Jodie cites landmark studies that demonstrate bias in the research and how pharmaceutical companies can control what research gets published, as well as twist information to skew the conclusion and findings
Jodie’s pathway into the medical world and psychiatry, her journey with Grave’s disease (an autoimmune thyroid disorder) and healing naturally, and why she decided to treat mental challenges with a holistic approach
How antidepressant medication pushes neurochemistry out of balance and leads to many side effects (the same effects that often accompany depression in the first place)
How one of the most dangerous side effects of the antidepressant is disempowerment
How studies show that those who are on antidepressants long term are found to do worse overtime, and the risk of suicide increases (especially for children)
How research on antidepressants has shown 80% of benefits are coming from placebo effect, not from the medication itself; and how there’s hardly any benefit for mild to moderate depression that result directly from the medication
How only 50% of the research and evidence is available to public, and 50% is hidden
The power of placebo, “nocebo” effect, and Jodie shares case studies that demonstrate the efficacy of placebo
Why Jodie doesn’t often prescribe psych medication (only 1 time in the past 7 years!) and when she feels it can be supportive
Jodie’s thoughts on medication for anxiety, and more severe diagnoses of bipolar and schizophrenia
How 80% of people who are on psychiatric medication get withdrawal symptoms when getting off of them
Why it’s problematic to insinuate that there is a “normal” set point for brain chemistry
Where Jodie starts with patients when starting a healing journey for mental challenges, the importance of calming the nervous system and why breath is a powerful anchor in her work
How belly breathing for 20 min a day, for 6-8 weeks changes the structure of brain and makes it less reactive
How 20 years of data shows that exercise works better than any antidepressant, and how as little as 8 minutes of movement can improve mood
The importance of having a motivation partner and little ways to increase movement throughout your day to support your mental health
Researcher Joanna Moncrieff’s comparison of the use of antidepressants to the use of alcohol - used to soothe and cope anxiety, depression, sleep issues, etc but does not address the root issue, and how they could exacerbate the issue
The dangers of disempowerment within conventional treatment and the challenge with getting off medication
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Connect With Jodie Skillicorn, DO
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Jodie’s book: Healing Depression Without Medication
Resources
Selective Attention Test Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo
Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom by Christian Northrup
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