The 12-session program, led by trained mental health clinicians, enables people battling the disorder to effectively monitor their mood, assess personal triggers and early warning signs of oncoming illness and take the necessary steps to stay well.
In a controlled randomised study of 84 people diagnosed with bipolar disorder, those on the special intervention program had half the number of relapses after 12 months as the control group which continued with normal treatment. Even with modern drug therapies that act as mood stabilisers, relapse rates for people with bipolar disorder are as high as 40 per cent in the first year and almost 75 per cent over five years.
Is it your contention that mental disorders don't exist at all? I'm talking about anything that used to be referred to as "moodiness" or "a blue spell" or "madness", etc.?
I know that many people disagree with modern psychiatry (and I'm generally in agreement with many of those arguments) but I do believe people really do suffer from mental disorders that need to be addressed in one way or another.
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I am of the impression that there could be some "real" mental disorders. But how can we tell? As those in the anti-psychiatry movement would like, what tests are there -- blood counts, blood or brain chemistry, electrical conduction, etc.? As it is, they're all judgment calls of the psychiatrists. And who are they to judge? (To find out, watch The Thud Experiment https://youtube.com/watch?v=Kq-7uvVOoyk )
Aren't behavioral quirks something that arise from upbringing, with diet, exercise and work ethic playing parts? Why then should they be managed with drugs? (Then again, why should even "real disease" be managed with drugs, instead of just enhancing our body's natural response to the problem?)
Some examples (just my own ideas):
Depression - stop thinking of onesself and find out what one can do to help others. Or work. I think depression is just some extreme form of self-centeredness. Altruism should be the cure. I would also consider some nutritional deficiency or imbalance here and consider B-complex, lecithin (for choline) and protein.
ADD/ADHD - a disease??? To me, just children lacking physical activity. Engage them in active play, or physical work (build a tree house or something), and their need for physical activity will be satisfied, instead of being expressed as "ADD/ADHD." For sure, there might be some nutritional problem, too, like chocolates, sugar, and the like.
I started a list of links about the anti-psychiatry movement in our Links section:
Depression - stop thinking of onesself and find out what one can do to help others. Or work. I think depression is just some extreme form of self-centeredness. Altruism should be the cure. I would also consider some nutritional deficiency or imbalance here and consider B-complex, lecithin (for choline) and protein.
If you have never had a major depressive episode...I can see why you might think that way. But if you have ever had a major depressive episode you wouldn't say that. When you feel sad for no reason, have no interest in anything, are too tired to brush your teeth, sleep 15 hours a day and still tired, have no appetite, in such emotional pain you get disassociated, have delusions of guilt...etc. I've had that many a times and even after getting my nutrition right and exercising. When people told me to just you know snap out of it and do something...I just felt worse. It sucks to feel that helpless and then when others don't understand you feel all the more hopeless.
Dreamline, I totally agree with you. These disorders are real and people can and do suffer immensely and doctors are really clueless as to their cause and cure. Often times many different things have to be tried until one finds relief.
I wish I had some good advice but I think that the causes can be so varied that I would hesitate to say anything.
I think that if one suffered like this that they should see a good clinical nutritionist, possibly a hypnotherapist who has experience in psych counseling and regression work and a psychiatrist that can help them medicinally until they can get a grip on the core issues and malfunctions.
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I wish I had some good advice but I think that the causes can be so varied that I would hesitate to say anything. I think that if one suffered like this that they should see a good clinical nutritionist, possibly a hypnotherapist who has experience in psych counseling and regression work and a psychiatrist that can help them medicinally until they can get a grip on the core issues and malfunctions.
I haven't been to a clinical nutritionist because I can't afford it. There are a few around here but are very expensive and I don't even have insurance. One day I want to try that and Reiki and see how that does.
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I am of the impression that there could be some "real" mental disorders. But how can we tell?
Diagnostic criteria. (sorry I like being a smartass)
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As those in the anti-psychiatry movement would like, what tests are there -- blood counts, blood or brain chemistry, electrical conduction, etc.?
Well...Its like the kidney cleans the blood and if it breaks down, the blood chem will change...the brain, what does it do? Controls behavior...so what is going to be altered? Blood levels...I think not...uhh behavior?...bingo.
When your kidneys malfunction, it changes the chemistry of your blood and urine, when your heart malfunctions, there are changes in blood pressure and EKG readings. When you brain malfunctions, it doesn't change the chemistry of the blood (although with bipolar it can affect thyroid and other hormone cycles) or anything but the outward signs are what the brain controls, and that is behavior.
They have done some (I forget what you call it) imaging of the brain that showed certain areas are lit up with bipolar disorder and some of the other disorders showed abnormalities.
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As it is, they're all judgment calls of the psychiatrists.
Yes...and no. There are specific criteria for diagnosis and certain symptoms. Most are pretty clearly defined and I think it would be hard to miss. Like for bipolar disorder: https://www.biopsychiatry.com/bipolar...er/faq1-4.html
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Aren't behavioral quirks something that arise from upbringing, with diet, exercise and work ethic playing parts? Why then should they be managed with drugs?
As far as "personality disorders" go, yes from what I understand. On the other hand, there are true chemical imbalances like schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder...etc. Then there is ADD which is a malfunction in the dopamine pathway. One of my best friends has this and I wish she would treat it with diet first to see if that helped. But I also know that this disorder is real and cannot be controlled by her. It causes her much frustration and hardships in both work and school. And to add to that, her current diet is crap.
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(Then again, why should even "real disease" be managed with drugs, instead of just enhancing our body's natural response to the problem?)
If you're already doing everything right and its not working then time to consider something else to get your life back. My bipolar 1 wasn't treated for years and I only suffered immensely because of it. I tried fixing it myself with a low glycemic gluten/casein free diet, fish oil, exercize...etc. It runs in my family BIGTIME and unfortunately I have those genes and unless I can one day figure how to turn them off, its Lithium for me. I was very much against trying medication but now my only regret is not starting on Lithium sooner! I have found some natural remedies to get rid of the side effects, which is great!
Before starting on Lithium I tried a lot of natural remedies. One in particular was a DISASTER. I wasn't diagnosed with bipolar and had no idea I had it...just knew I got very depressed. One time, I was extremely depressed and found out about this supplement called SAMe. It helps you make more seratonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. There is a warning on the bottle that says: This supplement is not recommended for individuals with bipolar disorder. Well I know why, because when I took it...it was an hour later and I was high as a kite! It affected me like a drug! It made me instantly manic...not a good thing at all. I freaked out my friends, myself and did some really stupid stuff.
Anyway what I am saying here is its really important for whatever you want to try...know what is really wrong with you. If you treat one disorder with the wrong thing, it can really mess you up. I do no encourage self diagnosis...seriously...go to a good shrink if your problems are serious. Then once your diagnosed, you can decided how you want to treat it.
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ADD/ADHD - a disease??? To me, just children lacking physical activity. Engage them in active play, or physical work (build a tree house or something), and their need for physical activity will be satisfied, instead of being expressed as "ADD/ADHD." For sure, there might be some nutritional problem, too, like chocolates, sugar, and the like.
W/ ADD and ADHD there is much more to it than just hyperactivity. There is a defect in some of the dopamine pathways and first I would try an allergy test and eliminate any food allergies, give fish oil, cut out sugar...etc. Also exercise helps brain function so it is recommended for anyone and should be more play breaks in school. I wonder if a dopamine precursor amino acid would help...but then you don't want to unbalance the amino acids either.
Bipolar Disorder - Exciting Research
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