Dr. Phil marks 20 years on air

Dr. Phil McGraw is celebrating a milestone in his career: 20 years on television.

Even before social media, the Oprah-endorsed “Dr. Phil” (she’s a producer) showcased open conversations about the “silent epidemic” of the mental-health crisis.

“We were going to talk about those things you don’t really talk about in polite society and were going to try to take mental health and illness to the forefront of the narrative in America,” McGraw recalls about those early says of his syndicated daytime talk show.

Now, two decades later, he continues to uphold his mission statement with his show’s 20th season, exploring modern conversations about panic attacks, anorexia, cyberbullying and more.

Despite his good intentions, McGraw has faced backlash for exploiting guests facing mental-health struggles. In 2008, he apologized for issuing a public statement about his hospital visit to Britney Spears, and more recently, he was criticized for “sensationalizing” actress Shelley Duvall’s mental illness in a controversial 2016 promotional video.

McGraw acknowledges “there is a thin line and a balance” between profiting off the mentally ill and spreading awareness, citing a new “Dr. Phil” episode to illustrate what he sees as the benefit of his show.

“I spoke to the audience before the guest came out and said, ‘We’re going to have a guest come out here in a few minutes that has some pretty unusual thinking that might even sound comical in some regards, but I want everyone to remember that this is their life and to them, this is very real,” McGraw says.