121: From Suicidal Anorexic to Buff Naturopathic Doctor - with Paul Maximus

You, too, can have the healthy body and mind you deserve.

Transformation - a topic Dr. Paul Maximus knows well. He is a living, breathing case study of the hope that exercise and natural remedies offer.

His story of transformation is remarkable.

You see, in his early twenties, Dr. Paul was an anorexic, depressed marathon runner. He finally hit "rock bottom" while preparing for yet another half marathon. He crashed and burned that day after stepping off a treadmill. The depression seemingly won the battle - but its victory was short-lived.

Through hard work, Dr. Paul won the war - remaking himself, step-by-step, from an antidepressant popping university dropout to the doctor, guide, and teacher he is today.

This heavyweight bodybuilding champion, international body transformation coach, and naturopathic physician is now obsessed with helping others find the body, health, and mind they deserve.

Because what you can be, you must be.

In this podcast, we cover:

• Dr. Paul's overarching journey from his lowest point to the highest
• How Dr. Paul defines "depression"
• The importance of writing down your principles for healing depression
• The five tests Dr. Paul uses to diagnose and treat his patients
• Dr. Paul's ultimate guide to beating depression
• How Dr. Wayne Dyer played a role in Paul's healing
• How depression serves a purpose according to evolutionary theory

When your coping strategy runs out of gas.

Dr. Paul grew up in what he calls a "normal, regular" childhood. His father was a surgeon, and Dr. Paul inherited his hardworking, type-A nature. Growing up in Canada, young Paul played a lot of street hockey, and as an immigrant family, he learned how to speak Lithuanian as a second language.

Paul left for university, which is when depression "kind of snuck up underneath me." Paul describes depression as "a feeling of heaviness,' and looking at the world with pessimism.

His one seeming outlet or life preserver at that time was long-distance running. Young Paul was constantly running, at one point doing a half marathon every week for ten months.

After a year, his coping strategy gave out. Depression fell on him like a ton of bricks, and Paul couldn't run anymore.

Soon after, Paul dropped out of university. He began using antidepressants, and at 6'2", his weight dropped to 133 pounds. Clinically anorexic and depressed, Paul hit rock bottom.

Dr. Paul goes on to share his "4 D's" warning signs someone is depressed. Be sure to tune in if you suspect someone you know might be depressed.

Does your doctor do this?

Today, many doctors get impatient, offended, or downright irritated with patients who do their research. A patient who prints off a few articles and brings some good questions to the appointment can cause some doctors to get their feathers ruffled.

Not Dr. Paul. He celebrates patients who come in with questions after reading a ton of online material. Dr. Paul encourages his patients to do their homework. He is not threatened by that at all.

So that is the difference between an "authoritative" doctor and a "collaborative" doctor. Dr. Paul is a collaborative doctor. And here's some excellent news: he sees patients online! So you don't have to live close to Dr.Paul to schedule an appointment with him if you are interested.

Dr. Paul understands depression from first-hand experience. He's become an authority on treating depression with a naturopathic approach, using natural remedies and not relying on Big Pharma. That's how he works with all his patients, depressed or not. If you have any health issues, tune in and get to know Dr. Paul. He knows how to help people transform their life.

Episode Resources:
Dr. Maximus.com
THE 52-IN-52 CHALLENGE (free download): drmaximus.com/52
Dr. Paul Maximus on Instagram
Paul Maximus on Facebook
Dr. Paul Maximus on LinkedIn
Episode 025: The Five Health Tests You Need With Dr. Maximus
The Benefits of Kava with Cameron George