Jump to content
IndiaDivine.org

The ALTERNATIVE MENTAL HEALTH NEWS

Rate this topic


Guest guest

Recommended Posts

The ALTERNATIVE MENTAL HEALTH NEWS

A monthly newsletter brought to you by AlternativeMentalHealth.com and

Safe Harbor, a nonprofit corporation.

 

 

n This Issue

· EDITOR'S NOTE

· BOOK REVIEW

· ANNOUNCEMENT: SAFE HARBOR'S NON-PHARMA EAST CONFERENCE, JULY

JULIA ROSS SPEAKS FOR SAFE HARBOR, FEB. 11, LOS ANGELES

ANNOUNCEMENT: ALTERNATIVE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN GERMAN

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

ANNOUNCEMENT: SANTA MONICA COLLEGE OFFERS COURSE ON NUTRITION AND THE

MIND

BOOK REVIEW: IRRATIONAL MEDICINE

Guest article: HOW TO JUMP-START YOUR EMOTIONAL HEALTH

SKEWED RESEARCH USED IN PUSHING STIMULANTS FOR KIDS

ACTOR JIM CARREY SAYS HE'S DRUG-FREE

IMPACT OF MALNUTRITION ON AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR ASSESSED

NEW UK MENTAL HEALTH PRESCRIPTION: SELF-HELP BOOKS

BRITISH REGULATORS STRENGTHEN SSRI WARNINGS

MARIJUANA MAY INCREASE RISK OF PSYCHOSIS

BRAIN CELL LOSS LINKED TO OBESITY

DEPRESSED ELDERLY FAIL TO IMPROVE WITH ANTIDEPRESSANT

VIOLENT BEHAVIOR DECREASES AFTER BIOCHEMICAL THERAPY

ABOUT ALTERNATIVEMENTALHEALTH.COM

 

 

 

 

 

Editor's Comment

 

As we kick off 2005, we at Safe Harbor are excited at what the new

year has to offer. We have already seen a dramatic shift in public

opinion away from the " pill for every problem " mentality and realize

the demand for non-drug options are greater than ever.

 

With that in mind, Safe Harbor has established three areas of focus

for the upcoming year. First, we will be making an effort to work

closer with those in academic circles to get alternative mental health

concepts taught at the university and medical school level. Virtually

all major medical schools have an integrative medicine office these

days and we will be researching how to help them integrate

non-pharmaceutical solutions for mental health into their curricula.

 

Second, we want to develop wellness programs that psychiatric

hospitals can implement with little cost, such as improved dietary

plans, exercise programs, nutritional alternatives to drugs, etc. –

approaches that will improve patient health and reduce dependency on

medication.

 

Lastly, we want to see standard protocols developed in the field of

alternative mental health. This has been done for the treatment of

autism by the DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) conferences and there is no

reason it cannot be done for mental health in general.

 

We are open to suggestions in forwarding these goals. Certainly,

these things are needed and there is no question that the public and

even a sizable part of the medical and psychiatric establishment want

to see these objectives achieved.

 

 

Announcements index

SAFE HARBOR'S NON-PHARMA EAST CONFERENCE, JULY

 

 

Safe Harbor is pleased to announce that our upper New York state

affiliate will be hosting " Non-Pharma East " – a 3-day medical

conference at the Best Western Hotel in Amsterdam, New York, in the

beautiful Adirondack region from July 22-4, 2005.

 

The focus will be on non-pharmaceutical approaches for mental health

issues. The Safe Harbor affiliate has negotiated the remarkable hotel

room rate of $55 a night!

 

We will be announcing more details in upcoming issues of the

Alternative Mental Health News.

 

This conference does not replace Safe Harbor's annual Los Angeles

conference, Non-Pharma IV, which will be held in June 2005.

 

For more information on the Non-Pharma East conference, or if you are

interested in presenting, contact Fred Bauer at admin

or (518) 661 7236 or (518) 773 3524.

 

 

JULIA ROSS SPEAKS FOR SAFE HARBOR, FEB. 11, LOS ANGELES

 

Safe Harbor, in partnership with the American Holistic Nurses

Association, presents best-selling author Julia Ross (Mood Cure, Diet

Cure) speaking on " Antidepressant Risks: Are There Safer Alternatives? "

 

 

 

When: Friday, February 11, 7:00 pm

 

 

 

Where: Doctor's Conference Room at Sherman Oaks Hospital, 4929 Van

Nuys Blvd. in Sherman Oaks, California (a suburb of Los Angeles).

 

 

 

Admission is free.

 

 

 

Julia Ross, M.A., M.F.T., is a pioneer in the field of nutritional

psychology and has founded and directed seven treatment programs for

eating disorders, addictions, and mood problems in the San Francisco

Bay area since 1980. In 1988 Ross founded the Recovery Systems Clinic

in Mill Valley , California and serves as Executive Director. Together

with her team of psychotherapists, nutritionists and holistic

physicians, she has developed an innovative treatment model

incorporating specialized nutrient therapy and biochemical rebalancing

strategies.

 

 

 

Please join Safe Harbor for what promises to be an enlightening and

informative event.

ALTERNATIVE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN GERMAN

 

 

A German version of AlternativeMentalHealth.com is now available at

 

www.mentalhealth.at.

 

Integrative Psychiatry member Wolfgang Stoeger has done an astounding

job of duplicating our alternativementalhealth.com site and tailoring

it for the German-speaking public. We know the amount of work that

goes into something like this. This will make a great addition to

advancing alternative mental health treatment in Europe.

 

German-speaking public are encouraged to write to

safeharbor for additional information.

 

The German translation of Patrick Holford´s book, Optimum Nutrition

for the Mind, will be released 17 January 2005 in German language

bookstores in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, and soon thereafter

will become available on amazon.com.

 

 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

 

I appreciate your publication every time it comes - much information

that is difficult to find elsewhere.

 

Thank you for addressing issues with Celiac Disease. It is actually

an auto-immune disorder rather than an allergy - completely different

process in the body. The pre-disposition to this disease is

hereditary. There are several excellent associations which have

information on this condition. The Celiac Society of America, Gluten

Intolerance Group, and others; they all have web-sites, just search on

" Celiac. " The University of Maryland (Dr. Fasano) is one of the

leading research centers for this disease, although many other medical

schools have good research programs.

 

Depression often accompanies this disease. Ingestion of gluten

literally destroys the villi in the small intestine, compromising the

gut wall, interfering with absorption of nutrients, and allowing

absorption of toxins which would normally leave the body. This

affects the whole body adversely, including the brain. Serotonin

levels are often decreased, but malnutrition alone can cause

depression, and actually, just feeling crappy all the time can be

pretty depressing. Chronic CD often goes undiagnosed for years, with

docs sometimes disregarding the symptoms as hypochondria; this can

also be depressing.

Kyra Rogerson

SANTA MONICA COLLEGE OFFERS COURSE ON NUTRITION AND THE MIND index

 

Psychology 16 Course – " Mind and Metabolism "

 

Santa Monica College

 

Santa Monica, California

 

(310) 434-4000

 

 

 

Spring semester, starts in February. This unusual and sometimes

controversial course will introduce the student to the theories, the

research, and the therapies that work with nutritional factors rather

than psychotropic medications to treat abnormal psychological states.

 

 

 

The instructors are Professors Lanum and Croxton.

 

 

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: IRRATIONAL MEDICINE index

 

While the title of Jeff Wilson's book is certainly the main subject of

the text, the real story inside is about one man's struggle to come

off of antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs after 23 years on them.

 

We follow Jeff's entire life, from childhood, seeing him wind through

the highs and lows of living, seeking solutions for his mood problems

and finally ending up on medication. From there it is a seemingly

endless search for solutions as he runs the gauntlet of what

psychiatry has to offer. He finds himself being labeled with various

diagnoses: Depression, ADD, Bipolar Disorder. And for each diagnosis

he gets a new drug.

 

Using a variety of non-psychiatric treatments such as Reiki,

nutrition, and homeopathy, Jeff finally takes the plunge and weans

himself off his medication. After months of agonizing withdrawal, the

man who comes out the other end finds that life is much better without

drugs. More importantly, he finds that the real answer of recovery

lies in tenaciously taking responsibility for your life and health and

finding your personal road to happiness.

 

But what is most powerful is the last thirty or so pages of the book

where Jeff tells us what nearly a quarter century of treatment has

taught him about the psychiatric profession and drug treatment in

particular. It is one of the clearest, most logical, most sobering

treatises on the subject that we have ever seen, accented by the fact

that it comes from the pen of a man who speaks with the authority of

such hellish experience.

 

The book is available at www.irrationalmedicine.com, a site that is

well worth a visit in its own right.

Guest article: HOW TO JUMP-START YOUR EMOTIONAL HEALTH index

 

© 2004 Patricia Wagner

 

You've probably heard the _expression: " It's not what you're eating.

It's what's eating you! " This well-known saying reminds us that the

thoughts we entertain can have an impact on our health.

 

Scientists have discovered that what you're thinking actually affects

your physical health as well as your emotional well-being. Ulcers,

indigestion, nervousness, high blood pressure and a wide variety of

diseases can result from an injured immune system brought on by

harmful thought patterns.

 

There are thoughts that heal and thoughts that hurt.

 

If you read this article through to the end, you will discover an

effective tool to enhance your emotional and physical health.

 

Here are five keys to emotional well-being:

 

1. Emotions tag right along behind your thoughts, so guard your mind

carefully.

 

Your emotions can't tell if what you're thinking about is really

happening or if it's just an image in your head.

 

Prove this to yourself by thinking back to when you watched a

terrifying scene on television on in a movie. Even though you knew

what you were watching wasn't actually happening, you were still

scared - weren't you?

 

Here's something to consider. About ten minutes after you start to

dwell on something, corresponding emotions will follow.

 

We are what we eat - both physically and mentally. Pay close attention

to what you're feeding your mind. The books, television, movies,

newspapers and even the jokes we hear enter into our lives and become

part of us.

 

So what's eating you? Examine what you're feeling and then ask

yourself this question, " What have I been thinking about recently? "

 

If you have a garbage can for a head, life will look like garbage to you.

 

2. Learn to develop a cheerful attitude toward life.

 

Life can be painful, but it's possible to overcome.

 

Choose to behave in a cheerful way as much as possible even if you

don't feel like it. You may be surprised at what happens. Cheerfulness

is contagious.

 

A positive attitude toward life may help ward off sicknesses.

Psychology Professor Sheldon Cohen (Carnegie Mellon University,

Pittsburgh) found that relaxed, happy people are less prone to catch

colds than unhappy, anxious people.

 

3. Deal with stress as an opportunity to grow.

 

Stress can be a killer.

 

People who go through stressful events seem to get sicker more often

than those who have less problems confronting them. But some people

thrive on stress. This tends to show that the problem is not stress,

but how we deal with it.

 

When we experience times of anxiety and fear, our brains release

hormones as part of the fight-flight syndrome to prepare us for

dangerous situations. When the body receives too many of these

" danger " messages from our brains, our disease-resistance systems are

weakened.

 

Stressful situations seem to cause increased illnesses in those who

consider themselves to be victims and who react with anxiety and

frustration.

 

Others see stressful situations as opportunities to overcome. So why

not choose this positive approach yourself?

 

4. Make the right friends.

 

Select people who are cheerful instead of depressed for the majority

of your friends.

 

Emotions can be transferred almost by osmosis. Retired baseball Coach,

John Scolinos (from California Polytechnic College, Pomona), used to

tell his winning baseball players, " Show me who you're with and I'll

tell you who you are. "

 

We need a positive social life that includes friends, close family

members, churches and members of organizations.

 

Those who have satisfying social lives enjoy improved resistance to

illness.

 

5. Let wisdom from the world's greatest book be your guide.

 

" A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the

bones " (Proverbs 17:22 NIV).

 

" All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a

continual feast. " (Proverbs 15:15 NASV).

Patricia Wagner offers informative tips on living a more energetic

lifestyle at http://www.a-to-z-wellness.com. She is also an artist and

you can view her paintings at http://www.artbywagner.com.

 

 

SKEWED RESEARCH USED IN PUSHING STIMULANTS FOR KIDS index

 

For 17 years, Gene Haislip – the now-retired director of the DEA´s

Office of Diversion Control – set production quotas for controlled

substances like methylphenidate (MPH), the federally restricted

stimulant variously marketed as Ritalin, Concerta, and Metadate.

 

During his tenure, he campaigned to raise public awareness about

over-prescribing of stimulants to children, about the drug's high rate

of street diversion, and about its long-term health impact on young

patients.

 

" This affects the most sensitive part of our population, " says

Haislip, who now consults drug companies on issues of federal

compliance. " When I was at the DEA, we created awareness about this

issue. But the bottom line is we didn't succeed in changing the

situation because this - prescribing methylphenidate, for example - is

spiraling. "

 

DEA statistics on production of the central nervous system stimulant

show an increase from 5,000 kilograms in 1993 to 20,967 kilograms in

2002. Haislip attributes the explosive growth in prescriptions –

probably the fastest ever for a controlled substance – to research

findings that are funded and guided by the pharmaceutical giants from

start to finish.

 

AlterNet interviewed Dr. William Pelham, director of the Center for

Children and Families at State University of New York at Buffalo

(SUNY). Pelham, a 30-year ADHD researcher, served on the scientific

advisory board for McNeil Pharmaceuticals, which markets the

methylphenidate-based children's drug Concerta.

 

Author of over 250 research papers on ADHD, many with industry grants,

Pelham told Alternet about the methods McNeil-Alza uses to ensure that

the studies it subsidizes show the drug in its most favorable light.

 

McNeil paid Pelham in 1997-1999 to conduct one of three studies it

used to obtain FDA approval. Based on the three studies, it claims

that 96 percent of children taking Concerta experience no problems in

appetite, growth, or sleep.

 

But the studies were skewed. Two of the three studies, including

Pelham's, used only subjects that were already taking MPH and

responding well to it. By loading the studies with patients known to

respond well to methylphenidate, McNeil was able to validate its

foregone conclusions about the safety of Concerta.

 

" I'm surprised the FDA is letting them use the studies to advertise no

side effects, " he says. " They had no side effects because they took

only people with only a positive history of medication. "

 

When his paper was in the galley proof stage at the medical journal

 

Pediatrics, Pelham says he joined a conference call with corporate

higher-ups who urged him to change what he had written.

 

Not stopping there, the company commissioned a follow-up study on the

conversion study mentioned above, did its own analysis of the data,

and coordinated the paper writing. " I insisted on seeing the analyses

and having major inputs into the manuscript and it was like pulling

teeth to get wording and analyses changed, " Pelham says. Ultimately

the paper was accepted by a major journal without his knowledge and

published under his name.

 

When Pediatrics published an NIH-funded study on the long-term effects

of stimulants on children, reporting that consistent use of the

stimulants stunts children's growth by an inch or so every two years,

methylphenidate giants Novartis and McNeil-Alza neglected to mention

the findings in their web-based marketing materials. Spokespersons

contacted said they couldn't possibly include all the studies on the

subject because there are too many.

 

" No drug company in its literature mentions the fact that 40 years of

research says there is no long-term benefit of medications, " Pelham added.

 

Full story at http://www.alternet.org/story/20594/

 

 

ACTOR JIM CARREY SAYS HE'S DRUG-FREE index

 

Living a life free of Prozac, drugs and alcohol has helped Jim Carrey

deal with depression, he told 60 Minutes reporter Steve Kroft in an

interview at the actor's Brentwood home.

 

Carrey said he took Prozac for a long time but it didn't cure his

depression. " There are peaks, there are valleys, but they're all kind

of carved and smoothed out ... It feels like a low level of despair

you live in where you're not getting any answers but you're living OK

and you can smile at the office. "

 

Carrey recently starred with Kate Winslet in The Eternal Sunshine of

the Spotless Mind, a quirky romance about lovers who discover they

really don't want to forget each other – after intervention by a

questionable " doctor " wrecks their lives.

 

" I rarely drink coffee, " Carrey told 60 Minutes. I am very serious

about no alcohol, no drugs, " he said. " Life is too beautiful. "

Carrey's hit films include The Mask, The Truman Show, and Liar, Liar.

 

 

IMPACT OF MALNUTRITION ON AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR ASSESSED index

 

Nutritional deficiencies during the formative years may make for

aggressive or " hyperactive " behavior in later childhood and

adolescence, according to a study of 1,559 children born in 1969 and

1970 on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.

 

Signs of malnutrition (including iron-deficiency anemia, thin and

discolored hair, and cracked lips) were assessed at age 3 years; IQ

tests were administered at ages 3 and 11; and antisocial, aggressive,

and hyperactive behavior was assessed at ages 8, 11, and 17 using

reports from teachers and parents.

 

In relation to 1,206 comparison subjects, the 353 children with

malnutrition signs at age 3 years were more aggressive or hyperactive

at age 8 years, had more externalizing problems at age 11, and had a

greater tendency to break rules and get in fights at age 17. The

results were independent of the parents' education level and economic

status.

(Jianghong Liu, Ph.D., et al, " Malnutrition at Age 3 Years and

Externalizing Behavior Problems at Ages 8, 11, and 17 Years, " American

Journal of Psychiatry 161:2005-2013, November 2004.)

 

 

NEW UK MENTAL HEALTH PRESCRIPTION: SELF-HELP BOOKS index

 

British general practitioners are to start prescribing self-help books

supplied by the National Health Service as an alternative to

mind-altering drugs, the Times Online UK reported in December.

 

The scheme will see patients with conditions ranging from " bipolar

disorder " to head injuries being sent to the local library rather than

the pharmacist.

 

There, they will hand in NHS " book prescription " forms to borrow the

book most relevant to their diagnosis. Depressed individuals might be

prescribed The Feeling Good Handbook rather than Prozac.

 

The idea, promoted by the Department of Health, is based on research

that has consistently shown patients benefit from knowing more about

their illnesses and learning psychological tactics to deal with them.

 

Health trusts around Plymouth will be among the first to implement the

idea and are about to issue GPs with a list of the books recommended

for each of a range of conditions.

 

Dr. Paul Farrand, senior lecturer in health psychology at Plymouth

University, who devised the plan, said: " Primary care can only deal

with clients once their problems become serious. There is a huge

demand by people with mild to moderate psychological problems. "

 

 

BRITISH REGULATORS STRENGTHEN SSRI WARNINGS index

 

In a December 6 press conference, British health authorities escalated

their SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) warnings, advising

doctors to prescribe the antidepressants sparingly and consider

non-drug interventions such as counseling or daily exercise.

 

After months reviewing the international data on the SSRIs, the

government's drug regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare Products

Regulatory Agency, concluded that GPs are prescribing far too many

pills for people who do not have a serious clinical condition.

 

Coinciding with the MHRA review, the National Institute for Clinical

Excellence (NICE) -- which assesses the cost-effectiveness of

treatments -- issued new guidelines on depression and anxiety,

emphasizing non-drug interventions.

 

The MHRA cautioned doctors to think " long and hard " before putting

patients on the medications. This adds to the ban on prescribing them

for people under 18, imposed a few months earlier.

 

The drugs have also been subjected to intensive scrutiny by the

current health select committee investigation into the influence of

the pharmaceutical industry.

 

Seroxat, the best-selling antidepressant in the UK (known as Paxil in

the U.S.), has been marketed to doctors as a treatment for " social

anxiety disorders. " This position was challenged by the regulators,

who said the drug is not suitable for every sufferer of mild to

moderate anxiety.

 

Anticipating that thousands of people would want to discontinue their

medications following the announcement, the MHRA review urged patients

to consult their doctors first, adding that warnings about the risk of

withdrawal reaction when finishing a treatment should be strengthened.

Such reactions can include nausea, paranoia and suicidal ideation.

 

The review said that in the majority of cases, the lowest recommended

dose of SSRIs should be prescribed. Increasing the dose above this

level has not proven beneficial.

 

The committee recommended that the SSRI venlafaxine (Efexor) should be

prescribed only by specialists, and not to patients with heart

disease; and that patients taking it be monitored closely. No type of

antidepressant was recommended for the initial treatment of mild

depression.

 

Patients who take SSRIs are also at risk of abnormal bleeding,

according to a study of 64,000 antidepressant users, published in

November in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

 

" We found a significant association between [the] degree of

serotonin-reuptake inhibition by antidepressants, and risk of hospital

admission for abnormal bleeding, " said Welmoed Meijer, a

pharmacoepidemiologist at the Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical

Sciences in the Netherlands.

 

SSRIs work by stimulating production of the brain chemical serotonin,

which affects blood clotting as well as mood. The result can be

bleeding in the stomach, the vagina and even the brain, the

researchers found.

 

Dr. Meijer advised caution in prescribing SSRIs for patients who have

blood disorders such as hemophilia or anemia, those who have ulcers,

and women who suffer from heavy menstrual bleeding.

 

 

MARIJUANA MAY INCREASE RISK OF PSYCHOSIS index

 

Teenagers and young adults who frequently use cannabis are increasing

their risk of suffering from psychotic symptoms such as bizarre

behavior and delusions later in life, Dutch scientists recently announced.

 

" Cannabis does not act in the same fashion on psychosis risk for

everybody. There is a group that is particularly susceptible, "

Professor Jim van Os, of Maastricht University in the Netherlands,

told a press conference on December 1.

 

He and his colleagues studied 2,437 young people in Germany, aged

14-24, and identified those with a predisposition for psychosis. They

also questioned them about their cannabis use and followed them up for

four years.

 

Cannabis users have, on average, a 6% greater chance of suffering

psychotic symptoms than non-users, the study found. But for the 10% of

people who are predisposed to such problems, as with a family history

of schizophrenia, the increase in risk is 25%.

 

" If you are vulnerable, then the more cannabis you use, the greater

your risk of psychosis, " said Van Os.

 

An estimated 50% of volunteers who were predisposed to mental problems

and frequently smoked cannabis suffered psychotic symptoms at some

time during the four years of the study.

Cannabis had already been linked to psychosis, but no cause-effect

relationship had been established. Past studies, which examined the

histories of psychiatric patients, were inconclusive as to whether

psychotics were simply more likely to use marijuana, or the substance

had actively contributed to their condition.

 

 

BRAIN CELL LOSS LINKED TO OBESITY index

 

Women who are obese for many years are more likely to suffer brain

atrophy - the abnormal loss of neurons – according to new research. A

Swedish team followed 290 women over a 24-year period and found that

women who were obese during this period were much more likely than

slim women to suffer brain cell loss.

 

Between 1968 and 1992, Deborah Gustafson and colleagues at the

Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden, measured the

body mass index (BMI) of the women – their weight in kilograms divided

by the square of their height in meters. A BMI of 30 or greater is

considered obese. On their final visit the women, by then aged 70 to

84, also underwent CT scans of their brains.

 

The researchers found that almost half of the women showed brain cell

death in the temporal lobe in 1992. On average, these women had a

higher BMI than those who showed no brain cell loss. Among the women

who were obese throughout the study, the incidence of brain atrophy

was much higher than in the rest, even when other factors such as

diabetes and lifestyle were taken into account. The researchers

calculated that every 1 to 1.5 point increase in BMI was associated

with a 13% to 15% increase in risk of temporal lobe shrinkage.

 

" BMI appears to be an independent predictor of brain cell loss in

later life, and I would suggest that obesity is a risk factor in

dementia, " Gustafson says.

 

Brain shrinkage in the temporal lobe is associated with Alzheimer's

disease and loss of cognitive function. Because the hypothalamus – the

area of the brain considered important in controlling appetite – is

located in the temporal lobe, Gustafson allowed that obesity might be

a result of the brain damage rather than its cause. " But we do know

that obesity contributes to vascular problems which can lead to

neuronal death and a higher dementia risk. And obesity may increase

the secretion of cortisol, which could also lead to brain cell atrophy. "

 

DEPRESSED ELDERLY FAIL TO IMPROVE WITH ANTIDEPRESSANT

 

Depressed people 75 or older are just as likely to improve after an

8-week course with an inactive, placebo drug as with an

antidepressant, according to research completed in November and

reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

 

The study shows that after a short course of the SSRI citalopram

(Celexa), around one-third of elderly people with depression went into

remission -- the same improvement rate seen in people taking a placebo

drug.

 

174 depressed subjects were given Celexa or a placebo for 8 weeks, and

the outcomes were studied.

 

All the study participants were given some kind of " active

intervention " in addition to their pills – a free medical workup, an

MRI, weekly visits with health professionals, and free rides to and

from their appointments. The supportive environment may have had some

benefit in itself. " Giving a placebo is not doing nothing, " Roose said

in an interview.

 

" The active intervention and drugs was no different from the active

intervention plus placebo, " Roose told Reuters Health.

 

He added that among people with severe depression, Celexa-takers

showed much bigger improvements than people on placebo, but said the

difference is " not because the drug worked so much better, but

 

because the placebo worked so much worse. "

 

Full story at

http://www.seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Eldercare/4-11-26Depressed.htm

 

VIOLENT BEHAVIOR DECREASES AFTER BIOCHEMICAL THERAPY

 

As reported in Physiol Behav. Oct 15, 2004, the Pfeiffer Treatment

Center (PTC) conducted an outcome study to measure the effectiveness

of biochemical therapy for 207 consecutive patients presenting with a

diagnosed behavior disorder.

 

The treatment protocols were based on clinical evaluation and the

PTC's past experience in the treatment of 8000 patients with behavior

disorders over a 10-year period. Each test subject was screened for

chemical imbalances previously found in high incidence in this

population, including metal-metabolism disorders, methylation

abnormalities, disordered pyrrole chemistry, heavy-metal overload,

glucose dyscontrol, and malabsorption.

 

The clinical procedure included a medical history, assay of 90

biochemical factors, and a physical examination. Standardized

treatment protocols were applied for each identified imbalance. The

frequencies of physical assaults and destructive episodes were

determined using a standardized behavior scale before and after

treatment, with follow-up ranging from 4 to 8 months.

 

In all, 76% percent of the test subjects achieved compliance during

the treatment period, with the remainder having discontinued the

therapy. A reduced frequency of assaults was reported by 92% of the

compliant assaultive patients, with 58% achieving elimination of the

behavior. A total of 88% of compliant destructive patients exhibited a

reduced frequency of destructive incidents and 53% eliminated the

behavior. Statistical significance was found for reduced frequency of

assaults and destructive incidents.

 

The study's authors (Walsh, W.J.; Glab, L.B.; Haakenson, M.L.)

concluded that individualized biochemical therapy may be efficacious

in achieving behavioral improvements in this patient population.

 

 

The Editors

Dan Stradford, Editor

Alan Graham, Assistant Editor

Gloria McTaggart, Assistant Editor

SafeHarborProj

www.Alternative

MentalHealth.com

 

Feedback: We'd like to hear your comments and views. Please forward

them to the e-mail address above. Contact information is below.

 

 

Subscriptions

Did someone forward this ezine to you? You can SUBSCRIBE and receive

your own copy of the Alternative Mental Health News directly.

 

Use the sign-up form at

AlternativeMentalHealth.com

 

You can also e-mail your request to...

ezine

or contact us in any of the ways listed in this newsletter.

 

Complete UNSUBSCRIBING information is located at the end of this e-mail.

 

All PAST ISSUES of the Alternative Mental Heath News are available at

AlternativeMentalHealth.com.

 

About Safe Harbor

Safe Harbor was founded in 1998 in the wake of growing public

dissatisfaction with the unwanted effects of orthodox psychiatric

treatments such as medication and shock therapy. Seeking to satisfy

the desire for safer, more effective treatments, Safe Harbor is

dedicated to educating the public, the medical profession, and

government officials on research and treatments that, minimally, do no

harm and, optimally, cure the causes of severe mental symptoms. Our

primary thrust is education on the medical causes of severe mental

symptoms and the use of nutritional and other natural treatments.

 

 

About Alternative

MentalHealth.com

ALTERNATIVE

MENTALHEALTH.COM IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST WEB SITE DEVOTED exclusively

to alternative mental health treatments. It includes a directory of

over 240 physicians, nutritionists, experts, organizations, and

facilities around the U.S. that offer or promote safe, alternative

treatments for severe mental symptoms. Many of the physicians listed

do in-depth examinations to find the physical causes behind mental

problems.

 

Also included on the site is an array of articles on topics ranging

from the medical causes of schizophrenia to the effects of toxic

metals on mental health.

 

Special AlternativeMentalHealth.com T-shirts and bumper stickers are

available at our online store.

 

A bookstore page lists top books that cover many areas of alternative

treatments with titles like Natural Healing for Schizophrenia and

Other Common Mental Disorders and No More Ritalin.

 

AlternativeMentalHealth.com has been created to educate the public,

practitioners, and government officials on the medical conditions that

create " mental illness " and the many safe resources available for

addressing and often curing severe mental symptoms.

 

 

Contact Us

Safe Harbor

1718 Colorado Boulevard

Los Angeles, California 90041

U.S.A.

Phone: 323-257-7338

Fax: 323-257-7014

SafeHarborProj

www.AlternativeMentalHealth.com

 

Safe Harbor Boston

Post Office Box 218

Newton, MA 02468

U.S.A.

Phone: 617-964-5544

SafeHarborB

 

Safe Harbor

New York

P.O. Box 3620934

New York, NY 10129

NY: 212-302-9811

NJ: 201-656-2849

ny

 

Safe Harbor

Maryland

410-480-5498 or margo

 

Safe Harbor

New Mexico

505 988-4242 or louisa_putnam

 

Safe Harbor

India

B-1, 11/12

Konak Pooram

Kondhwa

Pune, India 411 048

(0091) 020-26837644 or

wamhc

 

 

WE WELCOME YOUR DONATIONS. AS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, SAFE HARBOR IS

SUPPORTED SOLELY THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF THE PUBLIC. DONATIONS CAN

BE MADE ONLINE AT OUR WEB SITE OR MAILED TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. WE ALSO

ACCEPT VISA/MASTERCARD BY PHONE. THANK YOU.

 

 

 

 

Powered by

 

Safe Harbor: Alternative Mental Health On-Line | 1718 Colorado

Boulevard | Los Angeles | CA | 90041

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...