Show Notes
Dr. Mark Sherwood’s path to naturopathic medicine began in a place few expect: the Tulsa Police Department. As a SWAT officer, he witnessed trauma daily—violent scenes, addiction‑related tragedies, and the emotional collapse of colleagues who struggled under the weight of repeated exposure. He also faced addiction in his own family, losing his mother to prescription pill misuse. These experiences pushed him to ask deeper questions about why people break, why they numb, and why traditional approaches often fail.
In this conversation, Dr. Sherwood explains how PTSD, chronic stress, and emotional overload create neurological patterns that drive addiction. He describes how trauma imprints itself on the brain, replaying like a loop, and how people often reach for substances simply to silence the pain. But instead of judging those choices, he emphasizes understanding: addiction is not a moral failure—it’s a human response to overwhelming experiences.
Today, Dr. Sherwood and his wife, Dr. Michele Neil‑Sherwood, run the Functional Medical Institute in Tulsa, where they treat addiction and chronic illness through a whole‑person model. Their approach integrates physical, emotional, and spiritual healing, focusing on dopamine regulation, inflammation, nutrition, hormone balance, sleep repair, mitochondrial health, and purpose reconstruction. They help individuals—and families—replace destructive habits with healthy, dopamine‑producing behaviors like movement, connection, service, and self‑compassion.
Dr. Sherwood also discusses ADHD, dopamine deficiency, and why many modern diagnoses stem from nutritional gaps, poor digestion, and metabolic dysfunction. He explains why symptom‑management medicine often creates new problems, and why true recovery requires addressing root causes rather than masking symptoms.
With bestselling books, national media appearances, films, and a global wellness community, Dr. Sherwood’s mission is clear: help people heal from the inside out. His message is one of empowerment, hope, and the belief that every person can rebuild their biology, identity, and future—one healthy choice at a time.
