Episode #26 Breakthrough Therapies for the Treatment of Mental Health Disorders with Charles Raison, MD
Body of WonderShow Notes
Primary care providers are often the first to recognize and treat mental health disorders including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. Despite the growing number of pharmaceutical agents that can be prescribed, there has been a dramatic increase in mental health disorders. What is happening in our society that is leading to this increase?
Our guest on this episode is a pioneer in mental health research, Dr. Charles “Chuck” Raison.
Dr. Raison is a psychiatrist, the Mary Sue and Mike Shannon Distinguished Chair for Healthy Minds, Children & Families in the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin, and the director of clinical and translational research for the Usona Institute. He is internationally recognized for his studies on novel mechanisms in and treatment of major depression as well as for his work examining the effects of compassion training. Dr. Raison is also studying psychedelic medicines as potential treatments for major depression.
In this episode, Drs Weil, Maizes, and Raison look at the future of mental health treatment. They discuss the problems with common anti-depressant medications and the link between chronic inflammation and mood disorders. Finally, they explore three new promising therapies: precision medicine, psychedelics, and compassion practices.
More from Body of Wonder
What happens when a police lieutenant becomes one of America's most powerful advocates for psychedelic medicine? In this conversation, Dr. Victoria Maizes and Dr. Andrew Weil sit down with Lt. Sarko Gergerian. He is a Massachusetts police lieutenant, clinical mental health counselor, and co-founder of CLEAR (Community and Law Enforcement Assisted Recovery). Sarko traces his journey from Northeastern University philosophy student to police officer to trained psychedelic therapist, and explains why he has spent over fifteen years as an outspoken critic of the war on drugs. Also covered is the urgent call for first responders to have legal access to the same psychedelic therapies now being fast-tracked by the federal government. With momentum building from federal fast-tracking of psychedelic research to growing state decriminalization movements, Sarko makes an urgent and compelling case for why first responders deserve legal, accessible psychedelic care now. Join us to Lt. Gergerian's insight on what it means to serve and protect.
Discover how personalized approaches like adaptive therapy, fasting, and integrative medicine are transforming cancer management, especially in the event of metastatic cancer. Dr. Dawn Lemanne, a medical oncologist, and fellowship faculty at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine shares insights from her pioneering work in the field with Drs Andrew Weil and Victoria Maizes, emphasizing real-time treatment adjustments to better manage cancer.
How do dogs think, and why do humans share such a powerful bond with them? In this conversation, Dr. Victoria Maizes and Dr. Andrew Weil sit down with Dr. Evan MacLean, director of the Arizona Canine Cognition Center at the University of Arizona, to explore the science behind the canine mind.
In this special episode of Body of Wonder, Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Ann Marie Chiasson turn the tables and interview their longtime colleague and co-host, Dr. Victoria Maizes, about her upcoming book Heal Faster: Unlock Your Body’s Rapid Recovery System. They explore the body’s innate capacity to heal, practical strategies for reducing anxiety, the hidden impact of environmental toxins, personalized nutrition approaches, the value of supplements, and how to prepare for and recover from surgery using integrative tools. Dr. Maizes shares compelling patient stories and actionable guidance that empowers listeners to support their own rapid recovery.
Dr. Victoria Maizes and Dr. Andrew Weil sit down with Dr. Talal Moukabary, an expert in cardiac electrophysiology, for a look at POTS, long COVID, and the autonomic nervous system.