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
poster:Quintal
thread:739215
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070308/msgs/739216.html