by Jonquilyn Hill and Kelli Wessinger Feb 16, 2026, 6:30 AM EST If you watched the Super Bowl, you might have noticed that a lot of the ads were for weight-loss drugs. Even Serena Williams was selling them. That’s because demand for GLP-1s has skyrocketed over the last year, with users more than doubling from 2024. GLP-1s are relatively new and the industry is rapidly expanding, so we’re still learning more about their long-term effects. Users report fatigue and nausea as being quite common during use. But with more people using the drug, more side effects are popping up. Dr. Sera Lavelle is a clinical psychologist who noticed several of her patients reporting a strange GLP-1 side effect: extreme apathy. She told Today, Explained co-host Jonquilyn Hill that it isn’t quite depression, but more of a “missing spark,” making people lose interest in things they previously loved. Below is an excerpt of their conversation, edited for length and clarity. There’s much more in the full episode, so listen to Today, Explained wherever you get podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify. When did you first start noticing people having a psychological reaction to GLP-1s? I first started looking into this about a year ago. It was kind of the same conversation with three different patients in the same week, and I started noticing they all had this flat affect. None of them were depressed, but each was saying things like, “Well, what’s the point?” “Maybe I don’t even care about that job promotion.” “I don’t know what it is, but I’m not even excited to go out with my friends.” And these three in particular had been on GLP-1s. And of course, you can’t make an inference based on three people, but it is what motivated me to start looking into more of the psychological effects, particularly around what we do and do not know about how GLP-1s affect dopamine and motivation-seeking behavior. The other thing is that there’s a big difference between a person being depressed [versus the GLP-1 side effects], which they have started looking into. Does it affect suicidality and depression? You have to think about depression like, yes, it can be that kind of apathy feeling. However, depression really implies a negative affect: Like, I’m no good, I don’t feel like existing, right? That’s very different than a flatness.

Hi everyone, I wanted to take a moment to speak openly and honestly with you about what’s been happening on Facebook and why things are shifting. Over time, Facebook’s increasing censorship has made it extremely difficult to host meaningful, educational conversations there. Content is being restricted, posts are removed without warning, and accounts and groups like ours are being limited or suspended for reasons that often make little sense. Because of this, I’ve made the decision to focus fully to Skool. I want to say thank you — genuinely — for being here. This Skool group is where the real conversations can happen without fear of shadow bans, take downs, or constantly walking on eggshells. Your engagement, questions, and shared experiences are what make this community valuable, and I truly appreciate every one of you choosing to stay connected here. If you previously invited friends or colleagues to the Facebook group, I’d love for you to invite them here to Skool instead. This is now our primary home, and it’s where all updates, discussions, and resources will live going forward. The more aligned people we have here, the stronger and more supportive this community becomes. Thank you for your trust, your presence, and your willingness to adapt as platforms change. I’m excited about what we can build together here — without censorship, without restrictions, and with far more intention. With much gratitude, Kristina Marie 🫶 Please share the Skool invite link: https://www.skool.com/kristinas-peptide-junkies-24-4251/about?ref=b95e744ce4cc491aa244b5ef495d5927

For those transferring from the Facebook group and those new members, I have a ton of information to redirect to the Skool app. Please be patient as I will add things daily. Thank you for being a part of my group. 🫶