Antipsychiatry is Too Radical

There needs to be reform in psychiatry, but to throw out all of psychiatry is a mistake. There have been many disastrous organic treatments in psychiatry that have failed, including lobotomy, insulin shock, Metrazol shock, etc. There have been drugs that have failed. This is also true with cancer. Many cancer treatments have failed. That does not mean that there is no biological basis for cancer.

On the positive side, there have been many brilliant research findings, including the neuropathology work of Alzheimer, Nissl, and others. One should not throw out Alzheimer's work just because of treatment failures.

Human Rights Abuses

Human rights abuses have been alledged by antipsychiatry people. There is some truth to this. People have been forced to take drugs against their will. I am against this, even if they are making a lot of noise. The drugs are too dangerous. My view is that if they are making a lot of noise, they can be put into a quiet room.

Treatments

Much of the hullabalu has been over the treatments. However, nobody has ever died from orthomolecular treatment as far as I know. Unfortunately the psychiatric drugs can and have been used to commit suicide. Nobody has died from psychosocial rehabilitation. Nobody has died from cognitive therapy. Unfortunately people have gotten tardive dyskinesia from the drugs, which can be permanent brain damage unless the drug is withdrawn in time.

There has also been battles over the research. Breggin claims that the "shrunken brains" have been caused by drugs. However, both Griesinger and Hecker of Germany reported hydrocephalus (enlarged ventricles) in the 19th century, long before the drugs were invented. Either Breggin doesn't know that, or else he neglected to mention it.

Orthomolecular (Metabolic) Treatment

I sometimes use the term "metabolic" treatment because most people think that orthomolecular treatment means megavitamins. My own theory does not involve vitamins, but rather is a brain allergy theory (1-5). Both orthomolecular treatments and metabolic treatment are described in my reports at Associated Content. I have not ruled out megavitamins, but I favor a low tryptophan diet. The articles at Associated Content are free full text.

"We report the unexpected resolution of longstanding schizophrenic symptoms after starting a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet. After a review of the literature, possible reasons for this include the metabolic consequences from the elimination of gluten from the diet, and the modulation of the disease of schizophrenia at the cellular level."

Kraft, Bryan D.; Westman, Eric C. (2009) Ref. 6

Reference 6 is an open access article, meaning that it can be quoted as long as the citation is given. It is available free full text at a database called Science Resource Center.

Dohan

Dohan presented evidence for the possible involvement of a brain allergy in schizophrenia (7). He felt that celiac disease was an important clue to schizophrenia. Psychiatric symptoms are seen in celiac disease, which is treated by diet. Further work (8, 9) has supported Dohan. This is evidence that antipsychiatry is wrong. The excess of a single amino acid can cause psychiatric symptoms.

Deep Brain Stimulation

Although approved by the FDA and by NARSAD, a private mental health research foundation, I am skeptical of the new treatment deep brain stimulation. Although the brain is the seat of the problem, it is not clear how this would correct the chemical imbalances. It is like kicking a TV and expecting the TV to work.

Conclusions

There are some psychiatric treatments that are unsound (12). This does not mean that there are no chemical imbalances. Similarly, there have been cancer treatments that were unsound. This does not mean that cancer is not biological. There is a strong potential for cheap and safe treatments using nutrition (13). Even cancer may some day yield to nutrition.

References

1. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1728112/mental_illness_and_homelessness.html 2. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1698919/advances_in_biological_psychiatric.html 3. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1680090/cuban_research_on_schizophrenia.html 4. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1680380/the_virus_theory_for_schizophrenia.html

5. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1676885/new_ideas_in_psychiatry.html

6. "Schizophrenia, gluten, and low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diets: a case report and review of the literature.(Research)(Report)." Nutrition & Metabolism, Feb 26, 2009 v6 i10 p10. Science Resource Center. Gale. 05 June 2009 http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SciRC?ste=1&docNum=A195034279.

7. Dohan FC: Cereals and schizophrenia data and hypothesis.Acta Psych Scand 1966, 42(2): 125-152.

8. Dohan FC, Harper EH, Clark MH, Rodrigue RB, Zigas V: Is schizophrenia rare if grain is rare?.Biol Psychiatry 1984, 19(3): 385-399.

9. Kalaydjian AE, Eaton W, Cascella N, Fasano A: The gluten connection: the association between schizophrenia and celiac disease.Acta Psychiatr Scand 2006, 113: 82-90.

10. "The molecular neurobiology of depression.(INSIGHT REVIEW)(Clinical report)." Nature, Oct 16, 2008 v455 i7215 p894(9). Science Resource Center. Gale. 05 June 2009 http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SciRC?ste=1&docNum=A188847766.

11. "Deep brain stimulation.(Research Rewind)(Brief article)." Nature Medicine, Sept 2008 v14 i9 p901(1). Science Resource Center. Gale. 05 June 2009 http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SciRC?ste=1&docNum=A194904700.

12. "Corporate self interest and Vagus Nerve Stimulation for depression: an American corporation has pressured the FDA and psychiatric organizations, researchers, clinicians, and patients to use its expensive arid unproven Vagus Nerve Stimulation device for serious depression. This advocacy compromises scientific and medical integrity.(Questionable Medical Treatments)." Skeptical Inquirer, Sept-Oct 2008 v32 i5 p35(6). Science Resource Center. Gale. 05 June 2009 http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SciRC?ste=1&docNum=A183859094.

13. "Association between folate intake and the risk of depressive episodes.(Nutrition & Health)." Nutrition Research Newsletter, August 2008 v27 i8 p3(2). Science Resource Center. Gale. 05 June 2009 http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SciRC?ste=1&docNum=A185330873.