Reports of Miraculous Cures in Psychiatry

Introduction
There have been many reports of miraculous cures in psychiatry including a lot by the late Dr. Abram Hoffer. There have also been reports by Roger Williams, Humphrey Osmond, Andrew Saul, and others. These treatments were orthomolecular.
OCD
According to Ref. 1, a diet was found which induced OCD in mice. This diet increased serotonin. This is in direct contradiction to drug company theories. The drug companies have claimed a deficiency in serotonin because SSRI drugs increase serotonin.
"Dietary etiologies or treatments for complex mental disorder are highly controversial in psychiatry. Nevertheless, diet affects brain chemistry (particularly serotonin), and can reduce abnormal behavior in humans and animals." Dufour et al (1)
This work was done at the Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.
Orthomolecular Information
One source of orthomolecular information is given below:
International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine
Important: When contacting by E-mail, please include your Name and Mailing Address.
16 Florence Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2N 1E9
Tel. (416) 733-2117
Fax (416) 733-2352
centre@orthomed.org
Ref. 2 is the website of this Canada-based organization.
Another organization is shown below:
ORTHOMOLECULAR VITAMIN INFORMATION CENTRE Inc.
Suite 3A - 2727 Quadra Street, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8T 4E5
Telephone 250-386-8756 Fax 250-590-8757
It is a bit of a paradox that the term "orthomolecular" was invented by the late Linus Pauling of the US, but it became more popular in Canada than it did in the US.
Hoffer
Hoffer published many articles and books reporting remarkable cures for mental illness (3). There has been some confirmation of Hoffer's work (4). Ref. 5 supports the use of vitamins.
Abnormal Energy Metabolism
Ref. 6 reported abnormal energy metabolism in the brain in schizophrenia. This finding is consistent with some orthomolecular theories including my own. My theory is that the brain is burning tryptophan and other amino acids instead of glucose. This points towards a low protein diet as a possible treatment.
Conclusions
It can be concluded that the orthomolecular approach to psychiatry offers great promise. More research is needed, however. There are so many claims for miraculous cures that I have been unable to review all of them. There are also claims for herbal medicine. There are claims for fish oil. My view is that herbal medicine is not as scientific as orthomolecular medicine. It is more trial & error, much like the little old witch in the village. The drug companies are often like that also.
References
1. Nutritional up-regulation of serotonin paradoxically induces compulsive behavior. Dufour BD, Adeola O, Cheng HW, Donkin SS, Klein JD, Pajor EA, Garner JP. Nutr Neurosci . 2010 Dec;13(6):256-64.

2. www.orthomed.org .

3. Hoffer A: Vitamin B-3 and Schizophrenia: Discovery, Recovery, Controversy. Quarry Press, Kingston, Ont., 2000.

4. Jill James S, Cutler P, Melnyk S, Jernigan S, Janak L, Gaylor DW and Neubrander JA: Metabolic Biomarkers of Increased Oxidative Stress and Impaired Methylation Capacity in Children With Autism. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;80:1611-1617.

5. Antioxidants, Redox Signaling, and Pathophysiology in Schizophrenia: An Integrative View. Yao JK, Keshavan MS. Antioxid Redox Signal . 2010 Dec 2.

6. Metabonomic studies of schizophrenia and psychotropic medications: focus on alterations in CNS energy homeostasis. Ma D, Guest PC, Bahn S. Bioanalysis . 2009 Dec;1(9):1615-26.