Q. What can be done when a person has been in psychotherapy but has not seemed to progress in a satisfactory way?
A. There are many unique, complex, subtle and synergistic factors that can cause emotional and mental challenges. Some of these factors include hypoglycemia, magnesium deficiency, chemical sensitivity, magnesium deficiency, deficiency of sunlight (Seasonal Affective Disorder), brain injury or a brain chemical imbalance. Unless there is a clear biochemical or electrophysiological factor causing the challenge then diagnosing and defining treatment options becomes a step-by-step, trial-and-error process. It is hard to know which approach or treatment will be most effective for each problem. The key is in recognizing that these challenges may be a factor in many seemingly unrelated conditions. Whatever the situation may be it is always best to work with a holistic Medical Doctor or Osteopthic physician.
Q. Can you give me a model for creating an integrated approach to addressing mental and emotional challenges?
A. A truly integrated way of understanding the source and patterns of any individual's mental or emotional challenge is from four distinct and core perspectives. These four perspectives need to be integrated in the evaluation of the client. They are: 1. The specific symptoms and their biochemical cause; 2. Psychological variation; 3. The client's behavior patterns, and 4. The client's personal life history and background.
Q. This makes sense but I will assume that most psychiatrists would be resistant to integrating this into their protocols?
A. This is not so radical an approach as one might think since a variation of this system has been used at Johns Hopkins, a prestigious research center, university and hospital since the late 1970's.
Q. OK. What does one do once the emotional and mental challenge is therapeutically addressed?
A. there may be an immediate reduction of symptoms related to other medical and mental conditions. This then may lead to better patient cooperation and compliance concerning the treatment of these conditions. Conversely, as these medical disorders are more effectively treated, there may be a reduction in the symptoms of depression and may even result in the prevention of depression as a secondary disorder.
Q. Can we explore the biochemical basis for some of these emotional and mental challenges?
A. When examined closely we soon learn that many of these conditions manifest as a distortion of brain wave patterns and/or an imbalance in the biochemistry in the brain. These imbalances lead to emotional and psychological distortion and the resultant "ineffective thinking." Many of these mental and emotional conditions are the end effect of a long interrelated chain including genetic pre-dispositions combined with, environmental influences, and biochemical factors such as high levels of free radicals and heavy metals. Individually, these factors might not be that influential on an individual's emotional state but combined they could have a devastating effect. The general approach that western physicians take to treat conditions such as this including depression is increasingly medication. Though there has been an expanded interest in recent years in cognitive behavior therapy. Nutrition and chemical imbalanced that can be corrected nutritionally are seldom considered
Q. Can you speak about the use of antidepressant medication?
A. The treatment of depression generally takes place by increasing the activity of one or more brain chemicals called monoamines, which include dopamine, norepinephrine, melatonin, and the most important concerning depression, serotonin. This effect on these brain chemicals is usually accomplished through the use of antidepressant drugs. Sixty to seventy-five percent of those suffering from clinical depression experience relief of their symptoms when on these medications. Unfortunately this relief comes with a heavy cost.
People will use drugs to alleviate the symptoms of certain types of
depression even when the depression might be best addressed by simply feeling and processing through the emotion. Certain emotions need to be experienced as a healthy part of living and medications interfere with this process.
Q. What is the traditional psychiatric approach to treating depression?
A. At this time it i is to prescribe antidepressant drugs that are chosen based on the individuals symptoms. Many antidepressant drugs are able to selectively mimic and enhance brain serotonin activity. Sadly, this process may result in unwanted side effects contributing to other long-term physical and emotional complications.
The main groups of antidepressant medication are :Serotonin reuptake inhibitors and heterocyclics, MAO inhibitors, and Lithium (generally recommended for people who have manic depressive – bipolar- illness.)
A. There are many unique, complex, subtle and synergistic factors that can cause emotional and mental challenges. Some of these factors include hypoglycemia, magnesium deficiency, chemical sensitivity, magnesium deficiency, deficiency of sunlight (Seasonal Affective Disorder), brain injury or a brain chemical imbalance. Unless there is a clear biochemical or electrophysiological factor causing the challenge then diagnosing and defining treatment options becomes a step-by-step, trial-and-error process. It is hard to know which approach or treatment will be most effective for each problem. The key is in recognizing that these challenges may be a factor in many seemingly unrelated conditions. Whatever the situation may be it is always best to work with a holistic Medical Doctor or Osteopthic physician.
Q. Can you give me a model for creating an integrated approach to addressing mental and emotional challenges?
A. A truly integrated way of understanding the source and patterns of any individual's mental or emotional challenge is from four distinct and core perspectives. These four perspectives need to be integrated in the evaluation of the client. They are: 1. The specific symptoms and their biochemical cause; 2. Psychological variation; 3. The client's behavior patterns, and 4. The client's personal life history and background.
Q. This makes sense but I will assume that most psychiatrists would be resistant to integrating this into their protocols?
A. This is not so radical an approach as one might think since a variation of this system has been used at Johns Hopkins, a prestigious research center, university and hospital since the late 1970's.
Q. OK. What does one do once the emotional and mental challenge is therapeutically addressed?
A. there may be an immediate reduction of symptoms related to other medical and mental conditions. This then may lead to better patient cooperation and compliance concerning the treatment of these conditions. Conversely, as these medical disorders are more effectively treated, there may be a reduction in the symptoms of depression and may even result in the prevention of depression as a secondary disorder.
Q. Can we explore the biochemical basis for some of these emotional and mental challenges?
A. When examined closely we soon learn that many of these conditions manifest as a distortion of brain wave patterns and/or an imbalance in the biochemistry in the brain. These imbalances lead to emotional and psychological distortion and the resultant "ineffective thinking." Many of these mental and emotional conditions are the end effect of a long interrelated chain including genetic pre-dispositions combined with, environmental influences, and biochemical factors such as high levels of free radicals and heavy metals. Individually, these factors might not be that influential on an individual's emotional state but combined they could have a devastating effect. The general approach that western physicians take to treat conditions such as this including depression is increasingly medication. Though there has been an expanded interest in recent years in cognitive behavior therapy. Nutrition and chemical imbalanced that can be corrected nutritionally are seldom considered
Q. Can you speak about the use of antidepressant medication?
A. The treatment of depression generally takes place by increasing the activity of one or more brain chemicals called monoamines, which include dopamine, norepinephrine, melatonin, and the most important concerning depression, serotonin. This effect on these brain chemicals is usually accomplished through the use of antidepressant drugs. Sixty to seventy-five percent of those suffering from clinical depression experience relief of their symptoms when on these medications. Unfortunately this relief comes with a heavy cost.
People will use drugs to alleviate the symptoms of certain types of
depression even when the depression might be best addressed by simply feeling and processing through the emotion. Certain emotions need to be experienced as a healthy part of living and medications interfere with this process.
Q. What is the traditional psychiatric approach to treating depression?
A. At this time it i is to prescribe antidepressant drugs that are chosen based on the individuals symptoms. Many antidepressant drugs are able to selectively mimic and enhance brain serotonin activity. Sadly, this process may result in unwanted side effects contributing to other long-term physical and emotional complications.
The main groups of antidepressant medication are :Serotonin reuptake inhibitors and heterocyclics, MAO inhibitors, and Lithium (generally recommended for people who have manic depressive – bipolar- illness.)
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