Today on this Wellness Wednesday, we're sitting down with Brooke Siem, professional chef, 2017 champion of cooking competition show "Chopped," and author of "May Cause Side Effects: A Memoir." Brooke was put on antidepressants when she was 15, and stayed on them for the next 15 years of her life. She explains the debilitating side effects she endured, her experiences with doctors, and the severe withdrawal she underwent while finally coming off the drugs. She shares her warning to those being put on these drugs, and explains why being an informed patient is so important.

You can buy her memoir here: https://www.amazon.com/May-Cause-Side-Effects-Memoir/dp/1949481700

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Timecodes:

(01:48) Starting antidepressants
(07:00) How antidepressants affected Brooke
(14:00) Antidepressant withdrawal
(31:03) Winning 'Chopped'
(34:16) Pharmaceutical industry & managing emotions
(53:00) Brooke’s mental health now

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Today's Sponsors:

Good Ranchers — Go to GoodRanchers.com and use code 'ALLIE' when you subscribe to get free jumbo chicken wings for a year!

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Relevant Episodes:

Ep 857 | Is ADHD Real? | Guest: Dr. Roger McFillin (Part One) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-857-is-adhd-real-guest-dr-roger-mcfillin-part-one/id1359249098?i=1000624680025

Ep 858 | The Disturbing Origins of Adderall | Guest: Dr. Roger McFillin (Part Two) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-858-the-disturbing-origins-of-adderall-guest-dr/id1359249098?i=1000624797989

Ep 821 | Why Antidepressants Don’t Fix Depression | Guest: Dr. Roger McFillin https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-821-why-antidepressants-dont-fix-depression-guest/id1359249098?i=1000616890403

Ep 822 | The Big Money Behind Big Medicine | Guest: Dr. Roger McFillin https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-822-the-big-money-behind-big-medicine-guest-dr/id1359249098?i=1000617050991

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Links:

Washington Examiner: "What I wish I had known before I stopped taking antidepressants, and before I started" https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/2685253/what-i-wish-i-had-known-before-i-stopped-taking-antidepressants-and-before-i-started/

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Buy Allie's book, You're Not Enough (& That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love: https://alliebethstuckey.com/book
Relatable merchandise – use promo code 'ALLIE10' for a discount: https://shop.blazemedia.com/collections/allie-stuckey
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