While I have a conservative practice in Psychiatry including psychopharmacology and psychodynamic hypnosis, in my practice I have increasingly found that many patients are using supplements including vitamins and herbs. The use of such products is considered under the domain of Integrative Psychiatry, and now and again can help. Thus as a mental health expert I find it my responsibility to have a knowledge of such products.

In this article, I attempt to present information that helps make informed decisions. The treatments and supplements including vitamins, and herbs discussed are not inclusive in scope, but instead focus in on the I’ve found to be practical, supported by research, and generally accepted by the scientific community as having some validity. When i first started medical school about 19 years ago, alternative medicine was augmenting in popularity. Many vitamins and other supplements were entering the nmn hong kong market place with various claims, and sometimes at outrageous prices. At that time I was tought that a good, basic multivitamin was a good recommendation, but to suggest more than that might be a waste of money for the patients and even dangerous. The costa rica government arrived in to allow the marketing of supplements so long as they did not claim to treat, cure or prevent disease, among other fine prints. Nevertheless, making use and popularity of supplements continued to grow and now is a multibillion dollar industry. With this there’s been a rise of interest in supplements and other alternative treatments in the scientific and medical community, and often integrative medicine is becoming mainstream practice. Unfortunately, with money, often comes file corruption. Thus there are many companies, that in my opinion market products with exclusive combinations of supplements that are very expensive and make no sense, and there are many practitioners that push specialized products which might or may not be backed by scientific evidence, but usually tend to be too costly. As a result there is a lot of hunch, doctors advocating supplements and alternative treatments may be looked down upon, and the public is confused as to what may be good for them.

I find myself it important to claim that the information provided here is for informational purposes only and is not intended as an alternative for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in a product label or packaging. Some information may be accidentally incorrect or unintentionally unreliable. I really do not recommend the use of any of the products and take no responsibility for any consequences. In particular I recommend that supplements if they are taken or other alternatives if chosen, be studied or used in combination with caution because they are not tested for safety or regulated or approved by the FDA like prescriptions, yet they can also have serious side effects, become toxic, cause allergy symptoms, cause birth flaws, get into breast milk, thin blood-increasing the risk for hemorrhage especially with surgery, cause sedation and disadvantages leading to accidents, and interact with other medications and supplements potentially changing their levels in dangerous ways among other potential complications (e. grams. lowering the serum numbers of contraception pills or changing Coumadin levels). Like medications, several supplements may be dangerous if combined with alcohol. In addition if a supplement or other alternative therapy is self-prescribed, it’s possible to mis-diagnose their condition and might be putting themselves at risk of worsening symptoms. Furthermore, even if a supplement seems to be well tolerated, and has a good safety record, complications may arise with high doses or prolonged use. Thus, I believe supplements are best utilized when recommended by a doctor who is familiar with their use and who has diagnosed the condition which is they are intended, and who can monitor for safety and progress.

Anxiety supplements: While several prescriptions are competent, some are very enslaving, and many are badly tolerated, especially in the elderly. Like conventional medications used in psychiatric practice to treat anxiety, supplements may similarly effect neurotransmitter systems including those for serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and GABA. A few I’ve found useful in treating adults include Ashwagandha, Inositol, Kava, L-Theaninine, and Valerian.

Depression Supplements: Several prescriptions are competent, yet don’t always result in the full remission of symptoms and they are often badly tolerated, especially in the elderly. There is a lot of cross between anxiety and depression, with many people suffering from both along. Similarly the medications and supplements used in depression also modulates the monoamines, that is serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. A few I’ve found helpful include Chromium Picolinate, Fish oil, 5-HTP, L-Methlyfolate Saint. John’s Wort, and Same.

Sleeplessness Supplements: Sleeplessness is often associated with an underlying illness, often depression or an panic. It is sometimes an element of mania in bipolar disorder, and can also be associated with snore and the restless leg affliction. Thus as with other problems addressed in this article, medical assistance should be sought for proper analysis and treatment. For sleeplessness several prescriptions are competent, however they are often enslaving and they are often badly tolerated, especially in the elderly. Here are some possible alternatives for adults. Like conventional medications used in psychiatric practice to treat sleeplessness, supplements may similarly effect neurotransmitter systems including those for serotonin and GABA. Often medications and supplements used to treat anxiety also help with sleeplessness. There are several products that mix several supplements together used for both anxiety and sleeplessness, however the scientific basis of this is often lacking, and this presents a higher risk of side effects. Melatonin has unique qualities in this class of supplements. It can be especially beneficial in disorders of circadian beat. It may be used together with supplements like Ashwagandha, Chamomille, Kava, L-Theanine, and Valerian, or by itself. L-Tryptophan can also be effective, and is particularly sometimes with the other supplements listed.