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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Squiggles on March 8, 2007, at 9:31:36
I have noticed a rise in altnernative medicine in psychiatric care in the past few years; by that i mean non-mainstream, spiritual, holistic, herbal, yoga, vitamin, and mineral therapies for serious mental disorders.
I would not be so concerned if I found this in private company products, but in my reading i find that it is beginning to be studied and practiced in hospitals.
I am very concerned about this trend, and it has made me insecure about mental health treatment in general.
Am I being paranoid? Do I have good reason to fear that we are entering the dark ages in the treatment of mental illness?
What can I do to make sure that I personally have a choice in treatments? I do not wish to deprive anyone of their freedom to choose, but I don't think this is for me.
Thanks
Squiggles
Posted by Quintal on March 8, 2007, at 10:04:25
In reply to Trends in mental health care, posted by Squiggles on March 8, 2007, at 9:31:36
>I have noticed a rise in altnernative medicine in psychiatric care in the past few years; by that i mean non-mainstream, spiritual, holistic, herbal, yoga, vitamin, and mineral therapies for serious mental disorders.
I can't say I've noticed this myself to any great extent, but I have noticed some 'informed mental health consumers' becoming frustrated with the lack of efficacy of their prescribed treatments and the egoism of their psychiatrists coming before their own welfare when deciding treatments. For these reasons some seem to be turning with greater enthusiasm to alternative approaches, mostly as adjuncts to conventional therapies.
>I would not be so concerned if I found this in private company products, but in my reading i find that it is beginning to be studied and practiced in hospitals.
That's because some herbal/alternative remedies are effective in alleviating some types of mental suffering. The doctors and researchers in those hospitals seem to have a greater commitment to alleviating suffering that allegiance to a particular branch of medicine, which I think is good.
>I am very concerned about this trend, and it has made me insecure about mental health treatment in general.
I don't understand your reasons for being concerned and insecure, in fact you haven't given any. Could you elaborate?
>Am I being paranoid?
Yes, I think you might be.
>Do I have good reason to fear that we are entering the dark ages in the treatment of mental illness?
No, you don't. Many alternative treatments show great promise in helping people with mental illness. If we're serious about helping people I think we should allow this approach to enter mainstream medical treatment, if and when they demonstrated to be beneficial by the same procedures used in testing 'conventional' medicines.
>What can I do to make sure that I personally have a choice in treatments?
You can refuse any alternative treatments should they be offered to you by your mainstream doctor (have you actually been offered or pressured into taking alternative remedies by your mainstream doctor? - that's a little hard to believe).
>I do not wish to deprive anyone of their freedom to choose,
Hmmmmmmm............
>but I don't think this is for me.
Then I suggest you continue to take your prescribed medicines and refuse any alternative remedies (and highly unlikely it is) should they ever be offered to you by your doctor.
We seem to have similar (heated) debates on this subject every few months with you here. Why?
Q
Posted by Squiggles on March 8, 2007, at 10:10:59
In reply to Re: Trends in mental health care » Squiggles, posted by Quintal on March 8, 2007, at 10:04:25
Sorry, I won't mention it again. And I will
as you advise, stick to my prescribed meds. It's a question of what treatment works best for
serious depression, bipolar disorder etc. If the alternative treatments don't work, then we have that population in trouble. I seem to have upset you. My apologies.Squiggles
Posted by Quintal on March 8, 2007, at 11:14:10
In reply to Re: Trends in mental health care, posted by Squiggles on March 8, 2007, at 10:10:59
You can mention it again Squiggles as far as I'm concerned - it's an interesting topic, but I was trying to nip a potential sh*t-slinging contest in the bud. You haven't upset me, but apology accepted.
I agree, if the alternative treatments don't work we might have a population in trouble. In the defence of alternative medicine I'd say the conventional medicines don't work as well as claimed for many people, so we already have a population in trouble. As you seem to imply, alternative remedies don't seem to be as effective for major psychosis and seriously ill populations, but those are a minority and for many people with minor emotional problems they can give relief. I think they should be considered an option for the treatment of minor/moderate illness, and also for the maintenance treatment of major illness in remission where the side effects of conventional medicines are intolerable.
Q
Posted by Squiggles on March 8, 2007, at 11:21:23
In reply to Re: Trends in mental health care » Squiggles, posted by Quintal on March 8, 2007, at 11:14:10
I think that is fair enough. Personally,
I would rather smoke some marijuana for
occasional anxiety than take clonazepam, if it were legally easy to acquire, and i did not have any other major psychoses.Squiggles
Posted by Phillipa on March 8, 2007, at 11:43:42
In reply to Re: Trends in mental health care, posted by Squiggles on March 8, 2007, at 11:21:23
Hope Lar pops in as it's his passion. Love Phillipa
This is the end of the thread.
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