GENIUS FORUMS

With my growing distaste of psychiatry (and my recognition that my diagnosis "schizoaffective disorder with underlying symptoms of depression" translates to "a patient who cannot be classified as schizophrenic, bipolar, or depressed, yet behaves in such a way that he can be given any of the broad-spectrum drugs used to treat any of those three disorders at the doctor's discretion"), I've added a homeopath to my retinue of medical advisors.

During my first consultation, when I mentioned my abuse of crystal meth five years ago, rather than slapping me with a label (two psychiatrists first labeled me, incorrectly, as a "drug-induced psychotic", a diagnosis that landed me back in the hospital a year later when my improperly-prescribed medication malfunctioned), he asked which symptoms the drug felt like it was treating. This is without a doubt the most respect a single physician of any kind has afforded me.

With the attempts of orthodox medicine to crush homeopathic medicine, and the claims of homeopaths that orthodox medicine fails to treat anything and only tries to crush them because homeopathy is less profitable than assembly-line medical practise, it is difficult to tell the truths of the matter. Homeopaths claim that their treatments are fully compatible with "allopathic" medicines.

Here is the question: have I just been seduced by a snake-oil salesman, or are homeopathic treatments truly more effective than allopathic treatments?

Trevor,

Would you consider a well balanced diet to be compatible with your current dose of medication?

Follow your heart, as I sense that a homeopathic remedy is one in which you'll be able to freely exchange ideas, as well as prescriptions.

Source out Taoist wisdom on the matter. Tap into your dream state and utilize your creative nature to problem solve. Alternate wisdoms.

Steven,

Would you consider a well balanced diet to be compatible with your current dose of medication?

A well-balanced diet is highly recommended, as are particular vitamin supplements. As well as a couple of homeopathic cures (one for anxiety, and one to "detoxify my brain"), he suggested that I take the supplement "Inositol" (a word that seemed eerily familiar... a quick search of the Internet mentioned that Inositol powder is sometimes used to cut crystal meth -- no wonder I know it).

When taking homeopathic remedies, a patient cannot drink alcohol, coffee, or large quantities of tea. Chocolate is also forbidden. Unless you consider these consummables to be necessary to a balanced diet, then the answer to your question is "yes".

Follow your heart, as I sense that a homeopathic remedy is one in which you'll be able to freely exchange ideas, as well as prescriptions.

Currently, I think that for psychosis, an infinitessimal dose of a naturally-occuring psychotic agent (such as THC, mescaline, or LSA) would be very useful, for the same reason that other homeopathic drugs are chosen. The dose, of course, would have to be a thousandth-part or millionth-part of the doses prescribed by street vendors for entertainment. If I develop a trust for my homeopath, I will mention this theory.

Source out Taoist wisdom on the matter.

I already treat people like the modern equivalent of straw dogs: chess pieces. :)

Tap into your dream state and utilize your creative nature to problem solve.

There is an method I used to use, but couldn't find any way to make effective, based upon Freud's theories of the subconscious. Basically, I'd write a quick one-page fairy tale and spend the next 2 weeks "deciphering" it through the same method that Freud used to decipher dreams.

Trevor,

S: Would you consider a well balanced diet to be compatible with your current dose of medication?

T: A well-balanced diet is highly recommended, as are particular vitamin supplements. As well as a couple of homeopathic cures (one for anxiety, and one to "detoxify my brain"), he suggested that I take the supplement "Inositol" (a word that seemed eerily familiar... a quick search of the Internet mentioned that Inositol powder is sometimes used to cut crystal meth -- no wonder I know it).

Sounds like a smart Doc.

Or just a good coincidence.

When taking homeopathic remedies, a patient cannot drink alcohol, coffee, or large quantities of tea. Chocolate is also forbidden. Unless you consider these consummables to be necessary to a balanced diet, then the answer to your question is "yes".

Fan of tea, right?

You could always "pull a Tomas" and brew up some of the prescribed magical medicine.

S: Follow your heart, as I sense that a homeopathic remedy is one in which you'll be able to freely exchange ideas, as well as prescriptions.

T: Currently, I think that for psychosis, an infinitessimal dose of a naturally-occuring psychotic agent (such as THC, mescaline, or LSA) would be very useful, for the same reason that other homeopathic drugs are chosen. The dose, of course, would have to be a thousandth-part or millionth-part of the doses prescribed by street vendors for entertainment. If I develop a trust for my homeopath, I will mention this theory.

Didn't know that.

S: Source out Taoist wisdom on the matter.

T: I already treat people like the modern equivalent of straw dogs: chess pieces. :)

Ah, I see. :)

The sages of yore might also have some 'medicinal' wisdom that you could (h1,e2) with, though.

Trevor wrote:

With my growing distaste of psychiatry

It's about time. However, I thought the right meds work wonders for most people.

my diagnosis "schizoaffective disorder with underlying symptoms of depression" translates to "a patient who cannot be classified as schizophrenic, bipolar, or depressed, yet behaves in such a way that he can be given any of the broad-spectrum drugs used to treat any of those three disorders at the doctor's discretion"),

Seems to me you're too complex for your doc, which of course is as it should be!

I've added a homeopath to my retinue of medical advisors.

I've tried St. John's Wort, which is supposed to somewhat relieve depression and it seemed to do just that, but I think it was only because I was naive and overly-optimistic, recipe for placebo. Afterwards, I read and considered a few pieces of contrary to my belief info, which seemed to drawback my mind-over-matter mentality, therefore hindering the pleasurable effects of the herb and at the same time exaggerating an upset stomach. I don't use St. John's Wort anymore and if I did the effects would be unnoticeable. Sometimes to me it Seems like believing in something false but beneficial, may be much more worthwhile then learning the truth. But then again, the truth is sometimes very hard to uncover especially when there is interest to be gained. Sorry, if that is unclear, hope this helps:

Pro-herb: http://www.all-natural.com/hyp-1.html

opposing: http://www.cassmd.com/library/sjw.study ... s.pub.html

Notice that the second one is an MD. Anyways, they both have motive.

Then there's this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John%27s_Wort

he asked which symptoms the drug felt like it was treating.

Took them a while...*pfff*

Here is the question: have I just been seduced by a snake-oil salesman, or are homeopathic treatments truly more effective than allopathic treatments?

The jury's still out on that one. I'd want to know which one makes more profit, which one has had the most problems, as in, complications and mishaps and other [...]...Do you have anything in mind?

Btw, I once tried a colon cleanse...WOW! My suggestion is the same when eating a large bag of prunes.

Trevor Salyzyn wrote: Here is the question: have I just been seduced by a snake-oil salesman, or are homeopathic treatments truly more effective than allopathic treatments?

I don't know of any good evidence for it being more effective than a strong placebo. Which is of course by itself very effective, depending how much one can be fooled by it (eg fake operations by surgeons with artificial blood and scars work very well on skeptical people). The strange properties of water might in some cases explain why homeopathy could be effective while the active ingredient is diluted so much.

But really, another approach might be more worthy of consideration. The mind is basically a result of what comes in and what goes out of our body-mind complex, creating a rut. So apart from the in-fluence: diet, thoughts, reading, air quality, people around you, which all could be changed by examining intuitively deep inside what might have a more than expected impact on you, you could do the same with the activity patterns. Exercise, stretching, yoga, muscle tensions, daylight patterns, sleeping cycles and so on. Again there is no one single formula that impacts everyone. You have to work out your own path, with one step often leading to the introduction of another one.

For example a difficult exercise might require a certain amount of discipline. But when mastered, the discipline could help in ruling over a powerful overdeveloped imagination - it being one factor that can easily overpower rationality. The discipline functions here as counter-weight for a certain brain chemistry: its outpourings are more contained. Too much development with discipline however could cause rigidness and compulsion disorders, so it's like every other medicine a careful balance and not good for everyone even when symptoms appear the same.

The way our neurons and body chemicals interact with body-state and activity is something to explore if you want to guide your own healing. It doesn't mean medication is avoidable though. There are limits to everything: if one looses the proverbial leg, one needs a cane or wheelchair, if you want to move forward without crawling. No reasoning will grow the leg back though it might help you find the optimal solution for your circumstance, like amputating the other leg and mount yourself on a cart. :)

1) Exercise (yoga in morning, weights 2-3x/week, light cardio 3x/week - mixed up to your liking :)
2) 8-9 hours sleep
3) Quality Diet (fruits, veg, meat, rice, fish - no gluten or lactose if even a little intolerant)
4) Multi-vitamin
5) Quality Omega-3 suppliment
6) Zinc (50mg before bed)
7) Sunlight or tanning bed (1-2x/week)

It sounds simple but to make it habit means ripping yourself out of current routine, but this to me is the physical FOUNDATION of healthy living. It can really make the difference between borerline insane thought patterns and a clear, light, and easy world. Perfect this and things will smile upon you. Researched and Tested. Its a choice you'll have to make for yourself.

Skipair

Sounds not like a bad routine. Instead of tanning beds I'd advice more outdoor existence. It's not only the daylight but also the connectivity with nature, wind and surroundings which have lots of impact, in their subtleness.

About the zinc, I do suspect very active brains or over-developed neuron pathways need extra feeding in the zinc and magnesium department. Perhaps iron too. I've not figured out the science behind it yet but there are too many reports in this direction to discount it. I suspect it's also a combination thing because certain other chemicals regulate the intake or absorption of these metals so there's a limit to just simply taking supplements.

Diebert,

I don't know of any good evidence for it being more effective than a strong placebo.

I picked up a book from the local pharmacy called "The Canadian Guide to Homeopathic Self-Medication", which is what convinced me to see a doctor of homeopathy in the first place. There seems to be considerable research into the effectiveness of the thousands of drugs a homeopath can prescribe; these apparently work by the same principle that vaccinations do -- that is to say, by stimulating the immune system to fight infinetessimal quantities of some agent that in large doses would cause considerable harm to the body, or death.

I've been informed (by a homeopath) that in France, pharmacists are required by law to fill out homeopathic medications, as well as orthodox treatments. The alleged reason this is not the case in America and Canada is due to more than a century of attempts by orthodox medicine (in the form of the American Medical Association) to remove the threat of cheap, effective, non-assembly line cures. The nature of homeopathy is such that it cannot compete financially with orthodox medicine, no matter its effectiveness.

Diebert van Rhijn wrote:I suspect it's also a combination thing because certain other chemicals regulate the intake or absorption of these metals so there's a limit to just simply taking supplements.

Yes, ZMA is better than zinc alone, and shouldn't be taken with Calcium. For max absorbtion its best to take on an empty stomach before bed. It boosts testosterone levels, necessary for good health in general - immune system, energy, focus. I've taken up to 90mg/night depending on my diet/exercise.

As for the Omega-3, the body absorbs fish oils/cod liver oil better than flaxseed and other seed oils.

To most this will seem like useless diet knowledge, but it makes an unbelievable difference in how the body functions.

skipair, except for the Omega-3 and Zinc, I already do everything in that list, with a few additions:

1) B-100 Complex once per day
2) Inositol once per day
3) Three different psychiatric medications (seroquel, Effexor, divalproex) throughout the day
4) Two different homeopathic medications (labelled KALI-PHOS MP and STRAMONIUM)

Considering how many pills I'm already taking (at the advice of pharmacists, homeopaths, and psychiatrists), I'm not sure if I feel like adding more. Already, I can't even consume caffeine due to contraindications -- although, I think Magnesium might help with the facial twitches I sometimes get.

You do all the exercise and still feel like shit? Liar! :)

Hey, I never said I feel like shit. I simply feel disrespected by psychiatry.

For exercise, I take my dog for one to two 1-hour long walks per day, and I play with a wood-ax I found in the back yard (nothing relieves stress quite like chopping wood against the grain). As well, I bought meself a hunting knife to tool around with, and I plan to take up both blacksmithing and archery if I ever find a place to set up a forge and range (both are illegal within city limits). Since I did the martial-arts thing when I was little, I think I'm mature enough to do the weapon thing now.

Trevor Salyzyn wrote: I picked up a book from the local pharmacy called "The Canadian Guide to Homeopathic Self-Medication", which is what convinced me to see a doctor of homeopathy in the first place. There seems to be considerable research into the effectiveness of the thousands of drugs a homeopath can prescribe; these apparently work by the same principle that vaccinations do -- that is to say, by stimulating the immune system to fight infinetessimal quantities of some agent that in large doses would cause considerable harm to the body, or death.

If I ever needed to choose between regular medicine and an alternative I'd probably try out holistic medicine for the simple reason that its focus seems more rational and aware of causation. The only problem is that its success will be totally depending on the wisdom and experience of the specific holistic doctor, who may or may not use alternative medication like homeopathy, depending on his own convictions or research. Most likely the alternatives will be offered mostly as complementary therapy, not as replacement for heavy medication.

Trevor our whole society is all about money and little else. Strong psychological pressure to conform, straying outside the pen garners ridicule. I'm glad you're getting suspicious. I hate psych meds and suspect they harm many people. It is a difficult question as to whether you're on the right track or getting taken in, because when it comes to investgating alternative methods of health, you're kinda on your own. Personally, I have little to say about homeopathy except it does make sense to me and I have had absolutely excellent results with the flu remedy known as oscillococcinum.

I agree with sunshine, fish oil, and general research into health. Best site I can reccommend. http://www.mercola.com

I think Americans are seriously undernourished and it is a main cause of the rampant depression in young people.

Our prefab food is shit and they put msg in everything. It's sad, but if you want to be healthy, you simply can't be lazy. you've got to be proactive and do some sleuthing.

Does my post help?

Did I make a good point?

It adds one more verification my suspicions: nearly everyone who has encountered psychiatry has had bad experiences. Psychiatry is a corrupt and outdated institution that belongs as much in civilized society as concentration camps.

Mental health is not something to be taken lightly, and assembly-line doctors are more than ineffective: they are dangerous.

Homeopathy is not consistent with anything we know about how the world works. Admittedly, we don't know everything about how the world works, but what we do know leaves pretty much zero room for homeopathy to be anything other than an inventive way of making money. Operating on the rather odd idea that "greater dilution means greater efficacy," the dilutions used in modern homeopathy are so incredibly sparse that many homeopathic preparations do not contain a single molecule of the "active substance." That's pretty damning. In order for homeopathy to work despite there being absolutely nothing but water in most of the formulas, we'd have to invest some credibility in decidedly fringe ideas like "the memory of water" and such. Are you prepared to do that?

Alternatively, there might be some benefit to be gained simply from the placebo effect (which is very real and can be quite effective), but the downside there is that placebos often don't work as well when it is understood that they are in fact placebos. In order for an effective placebo effect to occur, it would probably be necessary to take the approach that "there might be something to it" - but all scientific and logical thinking says that there can't be.

Trevor our whole society is all about money and little else.

Proponents of "alternative medicine" are absolutely right when they level this charge at doctors, drug companies, psychiatry, and our mainstream health care system. Unfortunately, they often fail to apply the same insight to themselves. The alternative medicine field is filled with just as much (or arguably more) cynical money-grubbing activity as mainstream medicine is. For the reasons given above, I can't see how homeopathy could be anything but a blatant example thereof.

Uni:
...which does bring me to the interesting fact that I was paying for his advice.

I genuinely think that the homeopath, however, believes that his treatment is efficacious.

Agreed, most of them probably do.

That, of course, means next to nothing. Most young-earth creationists believe in their nonsense as well. It's still nonsense.

Also, for the record, use of the term "allopathic" is usually a very good signal that you're dealing with either a "true believer" or someone with something to sell (or both). This is one of the buzzwords that should send up red flags. Your checkbook, your credulity, or both are about to be tested.

Uni:
Well, it's gibberish. Thanks for pointing out my gullibility long enough for me to screw my head on straight.

The fact of the matter is, I felt threatened by my psychiatrist. He behaved incredibly poorly during an appointment, and lost track of his clinical sense. I don't respond well to threats.

However, I respond even less well to sugar-coated kindness. :)

No problem. It's amazing how even the most skeptical of us can have moments of gullibility with these things. I've had my own follies in that regard from time to time.

And yes, some of these "mental health professionals" can be idiots. I've recently enrolled in an "anger management" class in which everybody sits clustered together like a can of sardines. This is despite the fact that I have social anxiety as a diagnosis and the proximity means I can't concentrate on a damn thing that is being said during the session. Did anyone think about that? Nope, apparently not. The waiting room itself is equally bad, with literally zero space between small chairs and it's usually standing room only. Ugh.

So yeah, I can understand being mentally sandbagged by a "mental health" experience and thinking poorly as a result. Been there, done that.

In the first place, hominid case workers, eg, witches & shamen, have always helped raise the kids of incompetent parents to maximize genetic diversity in small gene pools. They did not expect everyone to be what we now call 'normal', and indeed tribes often relied on the the deviant minds for prophecy and innovation.

If you tell a witch you hear voices, she dont call you crazy, but tries to figure out what the voices are saying. Common in the witch bag of tricks were psychedelic entheogens used in ritual so that everyone could hear the voice of the divine. People who did it this way didnt go round murdering other people cause they got the name wrong.

Anyway, for many of us, we were not innately adapted to modern culture, but village life, where people watched out for each other rather than calling the authorities. They also used sacred potions that had been in ritual use for millenia, and didnt experiment (without supervision no less) with powerful psychoactive compounds their tribe was not adapted to. So, its hard to tell at this point, what damage may have been done....

But not only with 'recreational drugs' but a hose of modern chemical contaminants. Neurological studies show that homeopathic levels of organo-phosphate exposure can have devastating effects on neural development during childhood, and even in utero. DES and Thalidomide come to mind.

Homind evolution in Europe provided over 100 wild plants and animals in the diet that in turn, provided an array of trace minerals that are not in the food from your local stupid market. So- trace mineral supplements now, may well be of value; altho I would also suggest that LSD or some other powerful entheogen, used at the sacred time, under sacred supervision, in the sacred space and in the sacred way, could well help lay down neural pathways that should have been established during development.

Course, this usually also destroys Christian faith, so the political system frowns on it. However, Soma is legal, and was used by Native Europeans for millennia. Native Americans have a different set, so what you should try depends on your own native practioners.