Welcome to The Anti-Social Doctors
Before we ever hit record, this project started in exam rooms, group chats, and late-night scrolls.
It started with our patients—thoughtful, rational people—coming in overwhelmed by the health advice they were seeing online. It started with us, as doctors and moms, feeling that same tug: *What if I’m missing something? Why does this sound so convincing? Is also this health information empowering or just confusing?*
So this Substack—and the Anti-Social Doctors Podcast— was born.
Who We Are
We’re Sonia Singh, MD, a board-certified internal medicine physician with a Master’s in Nutrition and a special interest in health anxiety, and Rebecca Berens, MD, a board-certified family medicine physician with a special interest in disordered eating.
We’re also millennial women, anxious moms, and deeply curious humans trying to live and practice medicine inside a very online world. (Oh, and we also doomscroll.)
Both of us practice direct primary care in Houston, Texas. That matters, because having time with patients—and really listening to their stories—has shaped everything about this project.
Rebecca’s path into medicine was deeply influenced by her own experience with an eating disorder during college. Recovery introduced her to a Health at Every Size framework that transformed not only how she saw her own body, but how she now shows up for patients—especially those harmed by weight-centric, fear-driven health messaging.
Sonia grew up with a physician father and a mother who lived with chronic pain, unexplained symptoms, and significant health anxiety—while simultaneously distrusting conventional medicine. Long before social media, she saw what happens when people feel unheard, dismissed, or left to connect the dots on their own. Unsurprisingly, those are now the patients who seem to find her.
Looking back, we both recognize this truth: many of us become doctors trying to answer questions that took hold of us long before medical school.
Why “Anti-Social”?
We don’t hate social media. We’re on it. We make content. We’ve seen how powerful it can be for education, connection, and community.
But we’ve also seen how it can quietly make people feel worse—more anxious, more confused, more ashamed, more convinced that they’re failing their health.
Social platforms are not built for nuance, context, or uncertainty. They reward certainty, fear, and simplicity. And when it comes to health, that combination can be especially potent.
We started noticing the same patterns over and over:
Viral health claims framed as “what your doctor isn’t telling you”
People feeling dismissed when they bring these questions to appointments
Clinicians responding with frustration, sarcasm, or oversimplified rebuttals
Everyone leaving the conversation feeling worse
This podcast—and this Substack—are our attempt to step outside that dynamic.
Hence: Anti-Social Doctors. Not anti-people. Not anti-connection. Just an antidote to the algorithm.
What We’re Doing Differently
This is not a debunking project.
We’re not here to shame, mock, or eye-roll at people for asking questions. We’re far more interested in why certain ideas spread than simply declaring them wrong.
Every episode (and many posts here) will follow the same structure:
A patient story or human moment
What is the claim?
Why is it viral?
What’s the nugget of truth?
What are the actual facts—explained with context and humility?
How would we talk about this with our patients?
Where can you learn more?
Because here’s what we know:
Most viral health trends start with something real
Fear spreads faster than reassurance
People turn to social media when the healthcare system doesn’t meet their needs
If we don’t acknowledge those realities, we miss the point entirely.
Who This Is For
This space is for:
Patients who want a deeper, calmer look at health trends they’re seeing online
Parents trying to make sense of conflicting advice
Clinicians who want better language for these conversations but don’t have the time to chase every viral claim
Our goal is for this to feel:
Validating
Evidence-based
Human
Judgment-free
We believe rebuilding trust in medicine doesn’t happen through certainty or superiority. It happens through curiosity, accountability, and shared humanity.
A Note on Safety & Scope
Everything we share here is for education and reflection—not medical advice. We are doctors, but not your doctors. Medicine is complex, personal, and constantly evolving. What applies to one person may not apply to another.
We’ll always do our best to stay current, transparent, and grounded—but we’ll also openly acknowledge uncertainty and disagreement when it exists.
We’re Really Glad You’re Here
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by health content online—or unsure who to trust—you’re not alone. This project exists because we’ve felt that way too.
Thanks for being here at the beginning. We’re excited to keep building this space with you.
— Sonia & Rebecca
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