{"podcast":{"title":"Holistic Health with Melissa","slug":"holistic-health-with-melissa-7107945","podcast_index_feed_id":7107945,"rss_url":"https://feeds.libsyn.com/554177/rss","website_url":"https://sites.libsyn.com/holistichealthwithmelissa","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/f/4/4/1/f441456afbe838d627a2322813b393ee/Podcast_Cover.png","author":"Melissa Armstrong","episode_count":77,"summary":"So many people feel stuck by the limitations of conventional medicine, and that's exactly why I created Holistic Health with Melissa—to take you on a journey from conventional to crunchy! Here, you'll get empowering wellness insights, practical tips, and faith-centered strategies to help you feel your absolute best. In each episode, we'll dig into what true health and wellness really means, we'll dive into nutrition, lifestyle, mindset, and detox, all things so important in your health! Chat about raising kids with intention and living a life of faith. Join me to reclaim your energy, embrace your healthiest life, and find joy and purpose along the way!","last_synced_at":"2026-09-11T00:22:25.133373+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/holistic-health-with-melissa-7107945"},"episode":{"title":"Ep. 73 - Are We Treating the Problem or Just the Symptoms? The Truth about Antidepressants","slug":"ep-73-are-we-treating-the-problem-or-just-the-symptoms-the-truth-about-antidepressants","published_at":"2026-08-20T21:51:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/holistic-health-with-melissa-7107945/ep-73-are-we-treating-the-problem-or-just-the-symptoms-the-truth-about-antidepressants","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/holistic-health-with-melissa-7107945","url":"https://a6d8d381-dd39-492a-99be-fb40e9f344ea.libsyn.com/ep-73-are-we-treating-the-problem-or-just-the-symptoms-the-truth-about-antidepressants","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/a6d8d381-dd39-492a-99be-fb40e9f344ea/final_katie_collins_antidepressants.mp3?dest-id=4785257","summary":"Are antidepressants actually treating the root cause of depression and anxiety, or are we simply managing symptoms? In this episode of Holistic Health with Melissa , Melissa is joined by Katie Collins, PA-C, a physician assistant with experience in family medicine, urgent care, and lifestyle medicine who now helps parents make more informed health and medical decisions. Katie and Melissa have a candid conversation about antidepressants, SSRIs, informed consent, and the research behind the medications so many people are prescribed. They talk about the long-standing \"chemical imbalance\" theory of depression, what the research actually tells us about serotonin, the limitations of antidepressant clinical trials, placebo comparisons, conflicts of interest in research, and why reading beyond the abstract matters. They also discuss what can get overlooked when depression and anxiety are reduced to a diagnosis and a prescription, including nutrition, sleep, hormones, blood sugar, nervous system dysregulation, trauma, identity, relationships, lifestyle, and spiritual health. As Christians, Katie and Melissa also explore an important question: What happens when we begin to see ourselves as \"broken\" or defined by a diagnosis rather than seeing ourselves through the lens of who God created us to be? This is a thought-provoking conversation about informed consent, asking better questions, looking beneath symptoms, and becoming more empowered participants in our own healthcare. If you are interested in working with Melissa, apply here for a free clarity call to see what option is the best fit for you: https://holistichealthbymelissa.com/clarity-call-form Connect with Katie: Find Katie on Instagram at @katie.c.pac for more conversations about conventional and \"crunchy\" approaches to…","meta_description":"Are antidepressants actually treating the root cause of depression and anxiety, or are we simply managing symptoms? In this episode of Holistic Health wit…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1970,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/holistic-health-with-melissa-7107945/episodes/ep-73-are-we-treating-the-problem-or-just-the-symptoms-the-truth-about-antidepressants/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/holistic-health-with-melissa-7107945/ep-73-are-we-treating-the-problem-or-just-the-symptoms-the-truth-about-antidepressants.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}