324. Brooke Siem - The Reality of Working as a Chef, Becoming a Chopped Champion and Getting Off of Anti-Depressant Medication

Brooke Siem is an entrepreneur, professional chef, author, public speaker, world traveler, certified XPT Coach, and creator of the Fuckit Bucket™. She attended Middlebury College before moving to New York City and entering the world of food and wine. In 2011 co-founding Prohibition Bakery, New York City's first boozy bakery, and later authored the cookbook by the same name. Brooke was named one of Zagat's 30 Under 30 and became a champion on the Food Network's TV show "Chopped." But Brooke's "successful" Manhattan life also fueled a lifelong battle with depression. Initially prescribed a cocktail of antidepressants at 15 years old, in the wake of her father's death, Brooke turned 30 and realized that not only was she still heavily depressed, but that she was also still on the same set of drugs prescribed to her as a teenager. After spending half her life—and her entire adult life—on antidepressants, she began to wonder: Who might I be without them? Today, Brooke's mission is to share the story of what happened after she got off all the drugs, one by one by one by one. Her story chronicles explosive and terrifying antidepressant withdrawal and the fight to manage the modern mental health system, all while demanding hope and forgiveness in the name of healing. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/dr-ds-social-network/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy