Podcast Summary: Former FDA Official Unveils Pharma’s Shocking Lies About Depression

Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey (Ep 1278) | Guest: Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring
Date: December 12, 2025

Episode Overview

Allie Beth Stuckey interviews Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring, a former FDA medical officer and psychiatrist, about corruption in the pharmaceutical industry and the FDA regarding antidepressants, particularly SSRIs. Dr. Witt-Doerring shares firsthand professional experience exposing how SSRIs are prescribed, the questionable science behind them, the role of medical schools and academic elites in perpetuating these narratives, and effective alternatives to medication-centric psychiatry. The conversation pulls back the curtain on how SSRIs may be driving America’s mental health crisis, offering an inside look at how Dr. Witt-Doerring left the system and now helps patients safely taper off these medications, focusing instead on holistic health strategies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dr. Witt-Doerring’s Journey Into—and Out of—Conventional Psychiatry

• Dr. Witt-Doerring explains his entry into psychiatry, initially inspired by interests in philosophy and personal development. He trained in Australia (University of Queensland) and completed his residency at Baylor College of Medicine, USA.

  “I had this idea that I would go into training and…we’d be helping them, you know, with their relationships or with their physical health, with their diet and maybe with their sleep, really getting to understand them. But…It really looked like a conveyor belt.” (03:09)

• He soon became disillusioned with the “conveyor belt” approach to psychiatric care, where patients are rapidly diagnosed by symptom checklists and given medications with little inquiry into underlying life problems.

• Attempts to question this model during training were discouraged.

  “You bring them up and...it’s almost like, you know, Yosef, if you keep on talking about these things, you’re gonna scare people away from the medications. You’re gonna scare them away from life saving drugs.” (16:33)

2. The Science Behind SSRIs—Or Lack Thereof

• SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) are prescribed based on a simplified theory: that depression is caused by “low serotonin.” Dr. Witt-Doerring emphasizes this is unfounded and reductionistic.

• Diagnostic tools for depression are arbitrary checklists—not blood or brain tests:

  “A lot of people don’t understand that it is really arbitrary…they almost assume that there’s been this additional step…But no, it’s just essentially like a survey.” (09:45)

• Scientific research does not support the notion of a clear biological marker for depression:

  “…They looked at all of the evidence, trying to find differences in essentially serotonin between depressed and non depressed patients…right, no differences.” (37:04)

• SSRIs offer only short-term benefits for some but frequently induce emotional blunting, tolerance (requiring dosage increases), and significant side effects like weight gain, sleep disruption, and sexual dysfunction.

3. Academic Corruption & Pharmaceutical Influence

• Drug companies minimize safety risks through controlling scientific output and academic partnerships.

  “To the extent they possibly can, they will always be minimizing the risks associated with the drug because it’s life or death for them.” (21:54)

• Prestigious professors (“key opinion leaders”) collaborate with drug companies, trading favorable research authorship and international speaking gigs for career advancement:

  “…The academic elite has been bought by drug company money.” (24:52)

• Academic consensus downplays withdrawal risks—often with biased, industry-sponsored research.

4. How the FDA & Pharma Manipulate Evidence

• No long-term (beyond 1 year) randomized controlled trial evidence exists for psychiatric drugs.

  “…There is not a single study for any psychiatric medication that was done in a randomized, placebo controlled way, that’s gone over a year.” (27:33)

• Adverse effects—such as tardive dysphoria and benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction—are ignored or misattributed to patients' “evolving” depression rather than drug effects.

5. Cultural Trends and the 'Glamorization' of Medication

• Use of antidepressants has multiplied, yet mental health outcomes (depression, suicide) have worsened. Dr. Witt-Doerring argues the current system may be fueling, not solving, the crisis.

  “Antidepressant use has gone up like 5x since the early 90s and we have more disability from depression, we have more suicides than we’ve ever had before.” (48:30)

• Mental illness and medication intake have become social “currency” online.

  “There is a message out there. There are incentives for people to identify with their mental illness…They think it confers this sort of social currency…” (49:51)

6. The Realities of Withdrawal & Safe Tapering

• Withdrawal from SSRIs is vastly under-recognized. Industry consensus claims symptoms are mild and resolve in two weeks, but many experience months or even years of debilitating symptoms if medications are stopped too quickly.

  “Most people don’t understand that at the very low doses of the drug, that’s where most of the withdrawal symptoms hit…when you do it in that way, patients…can keep on working…never get overwhelmed.” (56:13–58:00)

Taper Clinic’s Approach:

• Custom, slow tapers (often over a year+)
• Use of liquid formulations for smaller dose adjustments
• Patient-led, symptom-guided tapering
• Focus on diet, sleep, stress management, addressing nutrient deficiencies, and mind-body practices

7. The Importance of Holistic, Non-Drug Treatment

• Emphasis on addressing inflammation (primarily dietary), sleep, trauma, and life stressors.

  “A whole bunch of other things…are really important. I mean, diet being the main one…inflammatory food makes people feel really bad.” (59:28)

• SSRIs do not address underlying causes of depression or anxiety for most people and should not be first-line or exclusive treatments.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Conventional Psychiatry’s Limits:

  “My patients aren't getting better. There's something really off about this way of trying to help people.” — Dr. Witt-Doerring (08:57)

• On Diagnosis:

  “It’s just like a survey.” — Dr. Witt-Doerring (09:45)

• On Pharma’s Strategy:

  “They will always be minimizing the risks associated with the drug because it’s life or death for them.” — Dr. Witt-Doerring (21:54)

• On Social Currency of Mental Illness:

  “There is a message out there. There are incentives for people to identify with their mental illness…It's a weird thing to flex about, like taking psychiatric medications.” — Dr. Witt-Doerring (49:51)

• On Tapering Approach:

  “Custom design tapers…teach patients to follow their body…get rid of a schedule, listen to your body to come off…” — Dr. Witt-Doerring (56:13–58:00)

• On the SSRIs and Society:

  “I mean, that's actually what I believe, which may be a bombshell thing to say. But…SSRIs are causing more depression and anxiety than fixing it.” — Dr. Witt-Doerring (48:30)

Important Timestamps

• 01:02 — Dr. Witt-Doerring introduces his background and motivation.
• 03:09 — Describes the “conveyor belt” problem in psychiatry.
• 06:16 — Explanation of SSRIs and “serotonin imbalance”.
• 09:45 — Discussion on the arbitrariness of depression diagnosis.
• 16:33 — Culture of discouraging dissent among medical trainees.
• 21:54 — How pharma companies squash safety information.
• 27:33 — Details on lack of long-term studies and drug dangers known inside the FDA.
• 37:04 — Serotonin theory debunked; no biological marker found.
• 42:43 — Emotional numbing and the inability to feel joy or grieve on SSRIs.
• 48:30 — SSRIs possibly worsening national mental health outcomes.
• 54:05 — Describes Taper Clinic and practical tapering strategies.
• 59:28 — Holistic care: diet, sleep, and nervous system support during and after tapering.

Where to Learn More

• Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring’s YouTube Channel: Dr. Josef (J-O-S-E-F)
• Clinic Website: taperclinic.com

Tone and Final Thoughts

Throughout the episode, Dr. Witt-Doerring delivers a blend of scientific clarity, insider anecdotes, and passionate concern for patients’ well-being. The conversation is both alarming and hopeful—presenting the sobering reality of systemic failures but also a clear path toward safer, more humane mental health care. Allie’s style is direct but warm, providing space for both critique and practical advice without sensationalism.