David Hager: Understanding Minds: From Vet Schools to Mental Health Advocate

Tony Mantor: Why Not Me ?

Tony Mantor

Positivity, Autism Awareness, Autism, Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Special Needs, Autism Acceptance, Entertainment, Alternative Health, Celebrities, Never Give Up

5.0 • 3.4K Ratings

🗓️ 18 March 2026

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Send us Fan Mail Embracing Autism and Mental Health: Psychiatrist David Hager's Journey In this episode of 'Why Not Me, Embracing Autism and Mental Health Worldwide,' host Tony Mantor speaks with psychiatrist David Hager about his unplanned journey into psychiatry, his work in correctional facilities, and his unique perspectives on mental health and serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia. Hager shares his experiences from various jobs, discusses the challenges and strategies of treatin...

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Why Not Me, embracing autism and mental health worldwide, hosted by Tony Mentor.
0:14.0	Broadcasting from the heart of Music City, USA, Nashville, Tennessee.
0:20.0	Join us as our guests share their raw, howful stories.
0:24.6	Some will spark laughter, others will move you to tears.
0:29.6	These real life journeys inspire, connect, and remind you that you're never alone. We're igniting a global movement to empower everyone to make a lasting difference
0:43.3	by fostering deep awareness, unwavering acceptance, and profound understanding of autism and mental health.
0:52.3	Tune in, be inspired, and join us in transforming the world one story at a time.
1:03.0	Hi, I'm Tony Mantor.
1:05.0	Welcome to Why Not Me, embracing autism and mental health worldwide.
1:10.0	Joining us today is David Hager, who interestingly
1:12.9	never planned on becoming a psychiatrist. He started college at Texas A&M, dreaming of a white
1:18.9	coat for four-legged patients, set on veterinary medicine. But somewhere between anatomy labs
1:24.8	and late night soul searching, the human mind pulled harder than any animal
1:29.3	heart ever could. He pivoted, earned his MD at UTMB Galveston, completed his psychiatry residency,
1:36.5	and moved forward from there. He then walked into state prisons in Florida and Illinois,
1:42.2	where the patients were human, but often treated as less.
1:45.5	His journey is outstanding, and he has so much information to give us today.
1:50.5	So before we dive into our episode, we'll be back with an uninterrupted show right after a word
1:56.4	from our sponsors.
1:57.7	Thanks for coming on.
1:59.2	Yeah, this is interesting.
2:04.0	It's a first time experience for me. Yeah, this is interesting. It's a first, uh, first time experience for me.
	...

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