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Natural Mental Health
I have had a great interest in mental health for as long as I can remember. I worked in this field in many capacities, both as a lay person and as a practitioner. In my clinical work I have had many success stories. Currently I serve as an advocate for a mental health-BPD support group in my area.
I have used many drugless approaches in my work with people who have related diagnoses. Herbs, of course, are the main focus of my clinical work. I use a foundation of nutrition, based on each individual's needs. I use homeopathy, flower essences, aromatherapy, and orthomolecular treatments.
I do not support the use of standardized products. In one case I worked with a group of elders at a Senior Center. Members of this group had been taking OTC St. John's wort, and were developing side effects. I reviewed all of the products they were using. None of the products were organic, all were standardized to various potencies, and the cost of the products varied over a wide range. I arranged to supply each person with properly prepared organic tinctures. After a few days using the tinctures, all members of this group reported no side effects and great improvement of their symptoms.
I will be posting more information about my use of natural remedies for mental health issues on this page, and will be adding more links.
Greenhealthwatch, March 04 "FLUORINE IN PROZAC"
According to Neil Sandow of RxList site, each molecule of Prozac (fluoxetine
hydrochloride) contains 3 fluorine atoms, comprising 15% by weight. A
typical low daily dose of 20mg thus contains 3.3mg of fluorine. Many
patients are prescribed 40mg of Prozac a day. Darlene Sherrell, author of
"The Dose is the Poison" says 6.6 mg a day is more than enough to cause
crippling skeletal fluorosis & 3.3mg is close to this & could cause
gastrointestinal problems in sensitive people.
RISKS of SSRIs - All SSRI's can have the side effect of decreasing platelets. It's more prevalent in some than in others. It's had serious consequences in some patients, and it's been documented. Clinicians (especially non-subspecialists) aren't always aware of this side effect when Rx'ing SSRI's. Special populations, need to be watched very closely if using an SSRI.
Cutaneous side-effects of treatment with lithium Reiffers J, Dick P. (author's transl)] [Article in French] Dermatologica. 1977;155(3):155-63.
Lithium - a well-known anti-thyroid medicine: This paper describes the cutaneous side-effects which appeared in 5 patients under Lithium medication for manic-depressive disease: 2 cases with facial and dorsal acne, 1 case with generalized pruritus with burning sensations on the tongue and tumefaction of the lips, 1 case with endogenous generalized psoriasis and 1 case with palmo-plantar hyperkeratosis, ichthyosis and associated with euthyroid goitre. The lithium content of the tissues was assayed by flame spectrophotometry of calcinated biopsy material taken from the epidermis, the dermis and the subcutaneous adipose tissue from 4 of our 5 cases. An experimental investigation was carried out in guinea pigs fed with lithium salts during 6 months. The cation was assayed in samples of epidermis, dermis and perirenal adipose tissue. A study of the accumulation of lithium in epidermal, dermal and adipose tissue is thus added to the studies already published regarding the accumulation of this ion in other tissues.
Mind
Freedom - Patients are receiving incomplete and potentially misleading information
because of the government’s reliance on the private sector to implement a prescription drug
information program. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently allows the
private sector to dictate the content of the information patients receive at the time that prescriptions
are filled.
The FDA should instead regulate patient information leaflets as a safer alternative to the failing
voluntary private-sector program, Sidney Wolfe, M.D., director of Public Citizen’s Health
Research Group, said at an FDA hearing today.
Read the complete article at
Public
Citizen
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If you are mentally unwell and are treated in a county mental health system, your chances of full recovery are less than one in 1000 - at least if you are in King County, Washington - and it is one of the most progressive counties in the United States, home of the city of Seattle.
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Sleepy Doctor or Drunk ? Most medical residents, and, in some cases, nurses who work 24 hour shifts in extended care facilities get inadequate sleep. For every 24 hour period that one works and gets little sleep, their blood alcohol level is equal to 1. In most states today a blood alcohol level more than 0.8 is legally drunk.
Physical Conditions That Cause Psychiatric Symptoms
- Safe Harbor is creating a poster - called The Great Pretenders - of medical issues that can cause psychiatric symptoms. Most of the
poster will be standard medical conditions such as tumors, syphilis, hypothyroidism, etc.
but will also include a column for Nutritional, Metabolic, and Commonly Overlooked Conditions (which really covers most
of the real risk factors). This list is not limited to items that follow:
· Hypoglycemia (including subclinical)
· Allergies and Sensitivities to Food, Inhalants, and Other Substances
· Dysbiosis (Overgrowth of unfriendly gut organisms, including Candida)
· Nutrient Deficiency
· Nutrient Overload
· Copper/Zinc Imbalance
· Poor Diet
· Mercury Toxicity
· Other Heavy Metals Toxicity
· Toxins (Carbon Monoxide, Pesticides, Aspartame©, etc.)
· Subclinical Hypothyroidism
· Adrenal Insufficiency
· Reproductive Hormone Imbalance
· Histamine Imbalance
· Pyroluria
· Lack of Exercise
· Lack of Sunlight
· Lack of Exposure to Greenery
· Suppressed Pain
· Musculo-Skeletal Misalignment
· Hearing Disorders
· Visual Disorders
· Sleeping Disorders
· Head Injury
· Sensory Integration Dysfunction
· Dental and Orthodontic Problems
· Parasites
· Psychotropic Drugs, EMF/ELF
Tryptophan provides pharmaceutical grade tryptophan (not 5-HTP). Tryptophan is an essential Amino Acid. It is a precursor to serotonin, which aids in sleep and inhibiting anxiety. Tryptophan also helps in niacin (B vitamins) production. Foods that naturally supply us with tryptophan are dairy products, beef, poultry, barley, brown rice, fish, soybeans, and peanuts.
With respect to controlling mood, tryptophan is superior to commonly prescribed antidepressants in that it helps the body produce more serotonin. Conversely, prescription drugs work to elongate the actions of naturally occuring serotonin. Herein is the problem. If an individual is not actively producing serotonin then the prescription drug is useless and begins to elicit numerous negative side effects. At the expensive of being repetitive, tryptophan actually works to increase the bodies own supply of serotonin by serving as a "building block" of it.
Using tryptophan is absolutuely safe. In fact, tryptophan is commonly used in baby formula, as it is an essential amino acid.
Each bottle contains 90 500mg capsules. You won't find a better price on L-Tryptophan!
Proper use varies. To begin, use 1 capsule for every 50 pounds of body weight after dinner and right before bed time.
Tryptophan can be used for PMS, recovery for athletes, elevating mood, controlling sugar cravings and enhancing sleep (REM sleep).
How to Get Off Psychiatric Drugs Safely
Phil Bate PhD
http://www.ADD-biofeedback.com
http://www.alternate-health.com/
Blake Graham http://www.nutritional-healing.com.au
QPR Institute - Suicide Prevention Education