Podcast Summary: Dr. Jen Ashton on Unimaginable Loss, Mental Health, and Post-Traumatic Growth

Podcast: The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Show
Episode Date: December 16, 2025
Guest: Dr. Jen Ashton
Host: Dr. Gabrielle Lyon

Episode Overview

This heartfelt and deeply insightful episode features Dr. Jen Ashton, renowned ABC chief medical correspondent, practicing OBGYN, and author, in an open conversation on processing unimaginable loss, destigmatizing mental health struggles, and the concept of post-traumatic growth. Dr. Ashton shares her personal experiences following the suicide of her ex-husband, her journey through grief, and how she’s used both vulnerability and resilience to drive meaningful conversations about mental health, wellness, and women’s health.
The dialogue expands into discussing social media’s impact on mental health, approaches to menopause and hormone therapy, the complexities of obesity medicine (including GLP-1 medications), foundational nutritional principles, and the importance of community and collective healing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Processing Unimaginable Loss and the Power of Vulnerability

• Dr. Ashton recounts the moment she learned of her ex-husband’s death ([00:10]):

  "On the day he died, when three police officers knocked on my door, my entire world shattered."
  Her immediate response was clinical shock, detailing being physically and emotionally immobilized.

• Importance of honesty and transparency in public conversations about suicide, emphasizing that sharing personal stories can support others in similar pain ([02:24]):

  "I’m always ... very willing to talk about it because every time I do it is a guarantee that it will help other people. But it also helps me and it helps me heal every time I talk about it.”

• Son’s wisdom on stigma ([00:30], [17:20]):

  "Mom, dad had a disease like cancer. If he died of cancer, we wouldn’t keep that a secret. This should be no different.”

• Acknowledging post-traumatic growth ([17:20]): Dr. Ashton discusses the journey beyond trauma—how her family found greater perspective, sensitivity, and balance:

  "We have achieved greater balance, greater sensitivity, greater perspective. It’s hard for them or me to say, 'Oh my God, this is the worst day ever.' Because we’ve lived the worst day ever."

The Role of Fitness and Self-Care as Coping Mechanisms

• Fitness as a crucial anchor in coping ([14:10–14:38]):

  "The only thing that made me feel not numb in those initial days and weeks was lifting weights, because it actually, I felt it in my body. ... If I can’t give myself an hour a day ... something is seriously wrong."

• Emphasizes “muscle first” mindset for mental resilience ([19:44]):

  "To me being physically strong, it’s not just everything. It’s really the only thing."

Mental Health: Stigma, Access, and the Importance of Conversation

• Stigma around mental health and suicide: Dr. Ashton underlines that mental illness deserves the same openness as physical illness and remarks on the societal tendency to focus on outward appearances instead of internal realities ([08:54]).
• Systemic gaps in mental health resources ([12:54], [13:54]):

  "We don’t have enough mental health professionals in this country, not even close. So people dealing with these kinds of issues ... don’t really even have the resources ... to know who they should turn to for help."

• Advocacy for vulnerability: The importance of checking in "from the neck up" and normalizing "it’s okay not to be okay” ([18:47]):

  "Your body doesn’t feel good every day. Why should your mood, your spirit, or your mind feel good every day?"

Renewal, New Love, and Continued Growth

• Finding love after loss ([22:27–27:43]): Dr. Ashton shares the unexpected and restorative story of meeting her husband Tom Werner:

  "He really helped me heal by loving me. So it’s been an incredible, incredible love story."

• Choosing gratitude and embracing life’s highs and lows ([23:33]):

  "It was so important for me ... to live with gratitude."

Communicating Medicine in the Media Age

• Medical messaging in the public sphere ([29:57–32:43]):
  Dr. Ashton discusses her entry into medical media and the challenge—and responsibility—of communicating complex medical information accurately in front of millions.

  "It’s a real skill to be able to talk about medical and health and scientific information... on live national television is kind of the iron man of medical communication."

Nutrition, Hormones, and the Complexity of Modern Wellness

Navigating the Modern Information Landscape

• On credentials and responsible advice ([34:37]):

  "First I would say credentials matter... People think because they can read, they’re in a position to make black or white edicts about all kinds of things. Nutrition being probably near the top of the list."

• Staying open to learning:

  "It is not only wise but essential for us to have a humility as individuals and scientists ... to recognize that we do not know it all."

Menopause & Hormone Therapy: Shifting Narratives

• Critique of overly victim-centered menopause narrative ([43:58–45:30]):

  "I think ... the narrative that we’re hearing about menopause, like, 'we haven’t told you, women have been kept in the dark,' is just... actually insulting to women. ... I think ultimately it paints women as victims."

• Holistic, individualized menopause care ([46:49]):

  "The key and the way it’s being done now well, is when it’s holistic ... talk about all options, including no treatment. ... It’s not one size fits all."

• On hormone replacement therapy (HRT) safety ([48:14]):

  "In your professional opinion, do you feel that hormones are relatively safe? — I do."

Obesity, GLP-1s, and Body Composition

• GLP-1 medications: Risks and benefits ([54:39–56:45]):

  "You either see a headline that says this is the best thing on the planet or the worst thing ... The reality is it’s neither, it’s somewhere in between." "I don’t think we’ve even seen the tip of the iceberg with their use, their indication and their benefits yet."

• Concerns over muscle loss with weight loss drugs ([61:02–62:06]):

  "I have a big concern with ... the higher percentage of weight lost from muscle ... when you hear a headline like you’re going to lose muscle mass — well, that is true. First of all, it’s not true for everyone."

• Discussion of set point theory in weight management ([62:16]):

  "Our brain wants us in the most stable condition ... that most stable condition is often our highest weight."

Foundational Nutrition Principles

• Protein as a core principle (72:05, 72:31):

  "I think it’s everything. ... And I think in terms of foundational principles, again, the data is not iffy on this. Protein is not just about muscle mass and body composition. It’s literally every process ... at a cellular, hormonal, immune function level in our bodies."

Myths, Moderation, and Individualized Wellness

• On intermittent fasting for women ([74:40]):

  "One of the biggest myths is that women should never do intermittent fasting. I think there’s a place for it."

• Flexibility and hormesis in lifestyle approaches ([76:35]):

  "...Leaning into a sense of curiosity with your own body is the most important thing we can do."

• Resilience as a practice, not a trait ([77:36]):

  "Resilience is not really a trait, it’s a practice."

The Power of Community and Collective Healing

• The unexpected role of community in personal healing ([81:27]):

  "I have a personal community that has helped me and that I hope I've helped them... Whether it's former patients ... my patients helped me heal."

• Service and passing it forward ([28:16]):

  "If you’re not living with a sense of responsibility to pass that information along to help other people, there really is a big problem. ... I just don’t know any other way than to be honest and transparent about it."

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On stigma and grief:
  "We all have learned to prioritize our mental health and well-being as much as our physical health and well-being." — Dr. Jen Ashton ([00:55], [17:20])
• On new love and healing:
  "He really helped me heal by loving me. So it’s been an incredible, incredible love story." ([27:23])
• On the women’s health narrative:
  "I think we should be careful when we point a finger of blame ... when you point a finger at someone else, there’s three pointing right back at you." ([45:30])
• On communication in medicine:
  "... doctors are pretty shitty communicators. To do it on live national television is kind of the iron man of medical communication." ([32:43])
• On gratitude and strength:
  "Have gratitude, have curiosity, and have faith in your own strength." ([78:55])
• On combining vulnerability and leadership:
  "It taught me that you can be vulnerable and strong at the same time. You can be broken and still be a leader." ([83:00])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:10] – Dr. Ashton recounts the day her ex-husband died, and navigating the aftermath.
• [06:34] – Motivation behind "Life After Suicide" and speaking openly about suicide.
• [14:10] – The foundational role of fitness through trauma.
• [17:20] – Children’s emotional intelligence and breaking stigma around suicide.
• [18:47] – The necessity of mental health conversations at home.
• [22:27] – Finding love again after loss.
• [29:57] – Becoming a medical media communicator.
• [34:37] – The importance of credentials and critical thinking in health information.
• [43:58] – Critique on menopause victim narratives and empowering women.
• [46:49] – Principles of individualized, holistic menopause care.
• [54:39] – GLP-1s, risk-benefit, and long-term obesity care.
• [62:16] – Set point theory in brain-regulated weight.
• [72:05] – Protein as a dietary foundation for women’s health.
• [74:40] – Myths about intermittent fasting and importance of individualized nutrition.
• [77:36] – Resilience, stoicism, and inner strength for women.
• [81:09] – Building and leaning on community in health and healing.

Episode Takeaways

• Vulnerability and openness can create powerful healing for both self and others.
• Prioritizing both mental and physical health is essential—neither should be secondary.
• Fitness and self-care are not only body- but also mental-health interventions.
• Individualization is vital in all aspects of health—no ‘one size fits all,’ especially in women’s health and nutrition.
• Community, gratitude, and service profoundly support resilience and growth after trauma.
• Media and social media bring both opportunity and risk—critical discernment is required.

Resources & Links

• Dr. Jen Ashton: Instagram @drjashton, joinagenda.com
• Home Base (veteran support organization): homebase.org

Summary compiled in the spirit and style of the original episode, capturing candid insights and practical wisdom from Dr. Jen Ashton’s conversation with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon.