Nick talks to Dr. David Cohen, a professor at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. His research looks at psychoactive drugs (prescribed, licit, and illicit) and their desirable and undesirable effects as socio-cultural phenomena “constructed” through language, policy, attitudes, and social interactions. They discuss: prescription psychiatric drugs, including SSRIs, benzodiazepines and stimulants (e.g. Adderall); the history of how some of the most widely prescribed psychiatric drugs came to be so popular; how pharmaceutical companies go about marketing these drugs and the conditions they aim to treat to both physicians and the public; the quality of the evidence supporting their use; what we are learning about the potential for dependency, long-term health effects, and actual level of benefit that comes from chronic psychiatric drug use; why many psychiatric drugs are increasingly prescribed in combination; and more.Support the showSign up for the free weekly Mind & Matter newsletter:[https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?sort=top]Learn how you can further support the podcast: [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/p/how-to-support-mind-and-matter]Become a Premium Subscriber to access full content library, including full premium episodes:[https://mindandmatter.substack.com/subscribe?utm_source=menu&simple=true&next=https%3A%2F%2Fmindandmatter.substack.com%2F]Try the Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Use code MIND for $50 off:[https://www.lumen.me/shop?fid=8731&utm_source=influencer&utm_medium=influencer&discount=MIND]