Dr. Josef

If you’re struggling to come off psychiatric medications, my team and I offer careful, evidence-based tapering support tailored to your situation. Learn more: membership.taperclinic.com/signup/?utm_so…

Had a great time speaking on ABC this week!

Why do antidepressants stop working?

One of the most challenging addictions people can face.

Antidepressants and calories.

What is really happening when you come off your medications?

The biggest lie in psychiatry.

Stevie Nicks said she hated benzos so much that if she saw her doctor driving down the street, she would run him over. Meanwhile, other people swear benzos saved their life. Same drug. Wildly different opinions. Here's why: They're in different stages of the same medication. Stage 1: Relief. You sleep. You function. It feels like a miracle. Stage 2: Tolerance. The drug stops working. But missing a dose feels awful, so you keep taking it just to avoid withdrawal. Stage 3: BIND. Memory fog. Losing the thread mid sentence. Reading the same paragraph three times. You feel like you're losing your mind. You're not. The drug is doing it. Eddie Van Halen was disabled for a year coming off benzos. Jordan Peterson took two years to recover. If you're in stage 3, you are not developing a new illness. And please do not quit cold turkey. Taper slowly.

ADHD isn't what you've been told, full interview is out now.

One of the worst medications to come off of.

Immigrant parents on anxiety.

Had a wonderful conversation with Secretary Kennedy on his podcast. The episode is out now.

Huge thanks to the TimCast crew for the platform. I'm a psychiatrist, but my work is the opposite of what you'd expect. I help people safely come off the psychiatric drugs that are ruining their lives. 17% of Americans are on antidepressants right now. Most doctors don't know how to taper patients off these medications, so people get stuck on them forever. At my clinic, we do slow, careful tapers paired with real therapy, lifestyle changes, and sleep work. We got deep into the cannabis crisis on the show. This isn't the weed your parents smoked. Pre-2010 strains were around 3 to 5% THC. Today's dispensaries push 25 to 30%, and concentrates can hit 90%. A major UK study showed the conversion rate to schizophrenia is five times higher in heavy users of high-potency cannabis. I see it constantly in my practice. Healthy kids go off to college, start smoking with friends, have a psychotic break, and never fully come back. I genuinely believe a huge portion of what we're calling the homelessness crisis is actually drug-induced brain damage being misdiagnosed as schizophrenia. We also talked about something my conservative friends don't love hearing from me. The caffeine and nicotine epidemic is fueling insomnia, panic attacks, and benzo addiction in high-performing men. You can't shift into deep sleep when you've wired your brain for constant hyper-arousal. The bright spot: RFK Jr. is now pushing billing codes that pay doctors to deprescribe medications. That has literally never existed in American medicine before. It's the structural change we've needed. If you or someone you love is stuck on psychiatric meds and can't figure out how to get off safely, come find me at taperclinic.com.

THEE BIGGEST SCAM IN MEDICINE? Psychiatric drugs! 26% of American women take these DANGEROUS drugs FOR YEARS yet they were ONLY tested for SAFETY for 3 months…👇 instagram.com/reel/DXuLgVBFU…

@RobSchneider Stoked you retweeted this @RobSchneider !- My daughter is a big Chip Chilla fan

There is no such thing as a chemical imbalance.

Totally true- I'd also add that many of the homeless have cannabis induced brain damage that makes people look psychotic/manic. Eventually someone needs to say the unpopular, and roll back the ridiculously damaging recreational weed laws.

Is there a problem with the liability of these drug companies?

Grateful to sit down with @LilaGraceRos and talk about what I wish more people knew about psychiatric medications. The "chemical imbalance" story isn't true. Antidepressants were never studied beyond about a year, yet people take them for decades. And the human brain isn't designed to be in a drugged state indefinitely. Real mental health is body, mind, and spirit, your physical health, your relationships, and your sense of meaning and purpose. If you're struggling, your emotions mean something. Don't let a 15-minute appointment convince you they're just a symptom to suppress. Full conversation out now!

We need to start working with the parents.