Nutrition and Mental Health with Stephan Neff

In this powerful episode of Overcome: A Mental Health Podcast, host Travis White sits down with Dr. Stephan Neff — a retired anesthesiologist, functional medicine advocate, and trauma survivor — for a raw, honest conversation about healing from the inside out.

After surviving a violent gang assault at age 14, Stephan spent decades living with undiagnosed PTSD and using alcohol as a coping mechanism. His life began to change when he embraced functional medicine, healing nutrition, and radical self-compassion.

Stephan shares how nutrition became the foundation for his physical, emotional, and mental recovery — and why understanding your body’s needs is crucial for overcoming trauma, anxiety, and addiction. This conversation is packed with real talk, science-backed insights, and practical tips on how to reclaim your well-being through small, sustainable lifestyle changes.

🔍 What We Discuss:

• The connection between trauma, PTSD, and chronic illness

• How nutrition impacts mental health and emotional stability

• Alcoholism as a symptom, not the root cause

• Functional medicine vs. traditional medicine approaches

• Gut health, inflammation, and nutrient deficiencies

• How to use food as medicine without losing joy

• Why your relationship with nutrition reflects your self-worth

• Healing the nervous system through food, mindset, and rest

  
  

If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear that healing is possible. Let’s break the stigma around trauma, PTSD, and nutrition-based recovery — one honest conversation at a time. 

Learn More About Stephan Neff:

http://neffinspiration.com/

Follow on Instagram: @neffinspiration