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Start Upstream: Why Primary Care Is the Front Line of Mental & Performance Health

Start Upstream: Why Primary Care Is the Front Line of Mental & Performance Health

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Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide and mental health struggles. If you or someone you know needs help, contact the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 (U.S.)

If you want better outcomes in mental health, you don’t start in crisis — you start upstream.

In this episode of the Peak Sports Psychiatry Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Anthony Lyssy, a concierge and functional primary care physician who has built his practice around proactive, preventative, and performance-oriented care for high performers, including elite athletes and executives.

We explore why primary care is where mental health conversations actually turn into action — and how process, personalization, and purpose (“the why”) matter far more than reactive, box-checking medicine.

Topics we cover include:

  • Why primary care is the true front line of mental and performance health

  • The “knowing vs doing” gap — and how to bridge it

  • Process-oriented care vs outcome-only thinking

  • Using data and wearables wisely (and when to step back)

  • Healthspan, longevity, and getting 1% better over time

  • How primary care, psychiatry, psychology, and performance teams work best together

  • Lessons from elite golfers on discomfort, resilience, and grace

This conversation is for athletes, clinicians, leaders, and anyone interested in what healthcare should look like when it’s done well — upstream, relational, and human.


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