Episode 206: Medicating What It Means To Be Normal

***EPISODE STARTS @ 9:03***

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This week on VSRF Live, we’re opening a heartfelt and much-needed conversation about mental health, antidepressants, and the growing concern that too many young people are being labeled and medicated without ever getting the full story.

Our guests bring both expertise and deep compassion to this discussion. David Wayne, BSN-RN is a psychiatric nurse who has spent years caring for patients in crisis and now focuses on integrative, whole-person approaches to emotional well-being. Kim Witczak is a nationally recognized drug-safety advocate whose personal tragedy led her to fight for clearer warnings, stronger protections, and true informed consent for every family navigating the mental-health system.

SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are among the most widely prescribed medications in the U.S. While they can be helpful for some, many patients — especially children and adolescents — are never fully informed about side effects, withdrawal challenges, or the many non-pharmaceutical options that could support healing just as effectively.

This opens the door to an even bigger question: Are we medicalizing normal human experience? Over the last few decades, emotions and behaviors that were once understood as part of ordinary life — sadness, shyness, boredom, restlessness, rebellion, or natural responses to stress and trauma — are increasingly treated as medical disorders requiring a diagnosis and a prescription. Too often, families feel rushed toward medication before therapy, lifestyle changes, sleep, nutrition, or family support are even discussed.

In this conversation, we’ll look honestly at what SSRIs are designed to do and what the evidence actually shows about them. We’ll talk about side effects patients often wish they had known about earlier, why tapering off can be challenging for some, how to have informed and respectful conversations with clinicians about options, and whole-person strategies that build emotional resilience without immediately turning to medication.

This is not a conversation about blame. It’s a conversation about empowerment by giving individuals and families the information they need to navigate their mental-health choices with clarity, confidence, and compassion.

Note: This program is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Never start, change, or stop a prescription medication without guidance from a qualified healthcare professional.

⏰ Time: 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT
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