Mind & Matter
Whether food, drugs or ideas, what you consume influences who you become. Learn directly from the best scientists & thinkers alive today about how your mind-body reacts to what you feed it.
The weekly M&M podcast features conversations with the most interesting scientists, thinkers, and technology entrepreneurs alive today.
Not medical advice.
At M&M, we are interested in trying to figure out how things work, not affirming our existing beliefs. We prefer consulting primary rather than secondary sources and independent rather than institutional voices. If we encounter uncomfortable truths or the evidence suggests unfashionable ideas may be valid, so be it.
As the host, my aim is to help you better understand how the body & mind work by curating & synthesizing information in a way that yields science-based insights that you can choose to use or disregard in your own life. Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
I am motivated to connect the dots and distill general principles from what I learn, preferring to ask questions and play devil’s advocate to debating or incessantly pushing my own viewpoint.
My beliefs:
- Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
- All knowledge is provisional and we must work hard to prevent ourselves from becoming attached to our favorite ideas & preferred conclusions.
- Wisdom comes from an iterative, trial-and-error process of learning and unlearning. Letting go of pre-conceived notions can be painful, but pain is information.
Sometimes modern discoveries teach us we must unlearn received wisdom. Other times, modern information overload & historical chauvinism cause us to forget ancient wisdom which stills applies. The framework for learning that I embody is inspired by three Ancient Greek maxims inscribed in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi:
- “Γνῶθι σεαυτόν” (Know thyself)
- “Μηδὲν ἄγαν” (Nothing in excess)
- “Ἐγγύα πάρα δ Ἄτα” (Certainty brings insanity)
Mind & Matter
SSRIs, Sexual Dysfunction, Suicide & Mass Shootings, How FDA Works | David Healy | 232
A critique of SSRIs and pharma’s influence on medicine, including SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction, suicidality, and violence.
Long Summary: Dr. David Healy critiques modern medicine, focusing on SSRIs and psychiatric medicine, including: how pharmaceutical companies manipulate clinical trial data, ghostwrite studies, and influence medical practice, often ignoring patient experiences; highlighting issues like post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD), the immediate sensory effects of SSRIs, and their potential to induce suicidal or violent behavior; challenging the reliance on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) over individual patient reports; and more.
About the guest: David Healy, MD, PhD, a psychiatrist and pharmacologist, has decades of experience researching the serotonin system and SSRIs, working across Ireland, the UK, Canada, and the US. He is a professor at McMaster University and a vocal critic of pharmaceutical industry practices.
Discussion Points:
- SSRIs cause near-immediate sensory effects, like genital numbing, in most people.
- Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) can persist for years or decades after stopping the drug, affecting many long-term users.
- Healy argues RCTs prioritize averages over individual experiences, often missing serious side effects like suicidality.
- Pharmaceutical companies ghostwrite studies and manipulate data, with journals like the New England Journal of Medicine publishing misleading articles.
- Serotonin theory of depression lacks evidence.
- Industry tactics include dismissing patient reports as anecdotes and using high doses in trials to mask weak efficacy.
- SSRIs can increase suicide risk, not just during initiation but also when adjusting doses or withdrawing, as seen in cases like the Aurora movie theater shooting.
- Regulatory bodies like the FDA often fail to investigate adverse effects due to bureaucratic processes and lack of follow-up.
- Healy emphasizes doctors’ failure to prioritize patient observations, driven by industry-influenced standards of care.
Related episode:
- M&M 88: Depression, Serotonin, SSRIs, Psychiatry & Social Media | Joanna Moncrieff
*Not medical advice.
All episodes, show notes, transcripts, and more at the M&M Substack
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