Beyond the Scale: The Mental Health Side of GLP-1, with Melissa Davisson, PA-C.
Beyond the Scale: The Mental Health Side of GLP-1, with Melissa Davisson, PA-C
You have heard the terms: GLP-1 and other weight loss drugs. But, what how these breakthroughs influence your identity, your relationship with your body, and your brain's reward system are still being learned about.
In this episode, Ashley sits down with Melissa Davisson, PA-C, to go beyond the headlines and talk about what GLP-1 medications are actually doing in the body, the myths that need to go away, the real risks and side effects, and what happens in your head when your body changes faster than your brain can keep up.
About our guest
Melissa Davisson is a PA-C at Adjust Mental Health, providing medication management alongside nutrition and weight management support. She spent about seven years in outpatient mental health medicine, completed a two-year fellowship in psychiatry with an addiction focus, and has completed a certification through the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology in weight management.
In this episode
What GLP-1 actually is, and how semaglutide and tirzepatide work in the body
Why "it's just a magic pill" is one of the biggest myths out there
The real risks and side effects to know before starting a GLP-1
What happens psychologically when your body changes, including body dysmorphia that persists even after real weight loss
How Melissa's mental-health background changes the way she approaches weight management compared to other providers
Where the research is headed next: GLP-1s and substance use disorders, PCOS, and cardiovascular risk reduction
Resources & Links
AACE Certificate: Fundamentals of Obesity & Weight Loss — the certification program Melissa references (American Association of Clinical Endocrinology)
Wegovy (semaglutide) official site and prescribing information — note: Wegovy is the semaglutide brand FDA-approved specifically for weight management; Ozempic is the same medication approved for type 2 diabetes
Zepbound (tirzepatide) official site and FDA prescribing information
Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes, NEJM — the cardiovascular research Melissa mentions
Five Things to Know About GLP-1s and Addiction, Stanford Medicine — on the emerging substance use disorder research
The potential role of GLP-1 receptor agonists in substance use disorders – a systematic review, Frontiers in Pharmacology — for anyone who wants the deeper science
Want to work with Melissa?
Melissa is currently accepting new patients at Adjust Mental Health. Schedule with Melissa
This episode is part of our ongoing wellness series, exploring the mental-health side of whole-person care — including our work with The Hot Room around body image and self-compassion.
