The Art of Being Well
The Art of Being Well

Bipolar II, Botox For TMJ & The Viral Tongue Trend For Your Nervous System | Ask Me Anything

August 20, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

“I couldn’t find any reputable study to that specifically,” Dr. Will Cole says of the viral tongue-sticking-out trend for lowering cortisol. “But at being trauma-informed, somatic integrators into our… functional medicine perspective… this is very much calling upon a few things.” The episode tackles three unrelated listener questions—bipolar II depression, Botox for TMJ, and a social media trend for nervous system regulation—but each reveals the same clinical logic: symptoms are check engine lights, and lasting relief comes from understanding what is driving them underneath.

Bipolar II: The Functional Medicine Framework

Bipolar II is characterized by depressive episodes with less extreme manic phases than bipolar I, and it is widely underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed. Dr. Cole estimates the true prevalence is higher than the commonly cited one in two hundred people, in part because the condition exists on a spectrum and many people with “bipolar-like” presentations do not fit clean diagnostic boxes.

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

What you'll learn

  • 1 (04:22) **Bipolar II: A Functional Medicine Framework** - Dr. Cole defines bipolar I vs. II and introduces the functional medicine approach to brain health.
  • 2 (08:41) **Root Causes: Trauma, Inflammation, and the Gut-Brain Axis** - The team explains the physical and psychological drivers behind bipolar symptoms.
  • 3 (12:44) **Clinical Interventions: Supplements, Genetics, and Somatic Work** - Dr. Cole outlines a layered protocol based on lab findings and individual case history.
  • 4 (16:51) **Environmental Toxins: Mold, Genetics, and the HVA/VMA Axis** - The team digs deeper into environmental triggers that show up on organic acids tests.
  • 5 (20:24) **Symptom Management: Saffron, PC, and the Weaning Process** - The team discusses adjunctive tools for getting a patient's "head above water."
  • 6 (26:03) **Botox for TMJ: A Pragmatic Functional Medicine View** - Dr. Cole gives his nuanced take on using Botox for jaw pain, weighing risks and benefits.
  • 7 (31:08) **The Root Cause of Bruxism: Airway, Tongue Ties, and Night Guards** - The team explores the deeper reasons for clenching and grinding.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Will Cole

Show Notes

Dr. Will Cole and his clinical team go deep on three listener questions: the functional medicine approach to bipolar II depression (including gut health, the COMT gene, mold toxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, lithium orotate, and saffron), whether masseter Botox for TMJ pain is safe and worth it, and whether the viral social media trend of sticking your tongue out for 40 seconds actually lowers cortisol. The answer to that last one is more interesting than the trend itself. 


Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

Sponsors:


Produced by Dear Media.


See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Art of Being Well

More from this podcast

The Art of Being Well →