Psych Congress Family & Friends Podcast, Episode 6: Psychiatry Is the Specialty That Speaks for Those Without a Voice

Fibromyalgia is more than widespread pain—it’s a condition that blurs the lines between psychiatry, medicine, and the human experience. In this episode, Drs. Rakesh Jain and Craig Chepke discuss a newly approved treatment, explore why fibromyalgia belongs in psychiatry’s wheelhouse, and address the stigma patients face every day. They also share practical strategies for supporting patients through psychoeducation, lifestyle interventions, and exercise. This is a conversation about science, compassion, and redefining how we care for people living with fibromyalgia.

Episode Highlights:

• Reflections on Psych Congress as a community and the excitement for the upcoming meeting in San Diego
• The FDA approval of Tonmya (low-dose sublingual cyclobenzaprine), the first new fibromyalgia medication in 16 years
• A deep dive into cyclobenzaprine’s pharmacology and why sublingual delivery matters
• Understanding fibromyalgia as a disorder of central sensitization, not just muscle pain
• How psychiatry is uniquely positioned to help patients with fibromyalgia due to comorbid depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders
• Tackling the stigma around fibromyalgia in medicine, families, and even within patients themselves
• Practical treatment strategies that go beyond medication: psychoeducation, psychotherapy, lifestyle changes, and wellness interventions
• Why exercise, especially water aerobics and recumbent biking, can re-tune the nervous system and play a central role in recovery
• The importance of compassion, validation, and giving patients a name for their suffering

Rakesh Jain, MD, MPH, attended medical school at the University of Calcutta in India. He then attended graduate school at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston, where he was awarded a “National Institute/Center for Disease Control Competitive Traineeship”. His research thesis focused on impact of substance abuse. He graduated from the School of Public Health in 1987 with a Masters of Public Health (MPH) degree.

Dr Jain served a 3-year residency in Psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He followed that by obtaining further specialty training, by undergoing a two-year fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. In addition, Dr Jain completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Research Psychiatry at the University of Texas Mental Sciences Institute, in Houston. He was awarded the “National Research Service Award” for the support of this postdoctoral fellowship.

Craig Chepke, MD, DFAPA, is a Board-Certified psychiatrist in clinical practice as the medical director of Excel Psychiatric Associates in Huntersville, NC, and is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry for the Sandra and Leon Levine Psychiatry Residency Program at Atrium Health. He attended NYU School of Medicine and completed his psychiatry training at Duke University. As part of an interdisciplinary treatment team in his practice, he employs a person-centered care model to tailor treatments to each individual's needs, integrating traditional pharmacotherapy with psychotherapeutic and physical health and wellness interventions. His clinical and academic interests include serious mental illness, movement disorders, ADHD, and sleep medicine. Dr Chepke is the Scientific Director for the Psych Congress portfolio of CME conferences, and he has been recognized as a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.