CBC News from Toronto, Canada reported in November 2012 that drugs given for mental illness are not as effective as we had assumed. CBC reported that even though there is greater awareness that one in five people are now suffering from mental illness, we find ourselves not knowing how to meet the growing need for effective treatment.
One woman CBC interviewed says she felt better once she got off the drugs she used for depression.
Thomas Insel, MD, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health in the USA, said that since 2010 large pharmaceutical companies are shifting out of the mental healthcare business to areas of less risk where there is a higher profit margin. Over the long term, the drugs are not working as they had hoped they would work. In April, 2013 Insel wrote in his Blog that researchers have to reassess the true cause of mental illness so we can effectively treat it more effectively. Insel said that at this point we have no bio-markers for mental illness.
Integrative Mental Healthcare
If the psychiatric drugs are not meeting the need, where does one turn? Integrative mental healthcare. This combines effective treatments from various models of health care, not limited to bio-medicine.
Some examples:
- certain compounds of vitamins and minerals have been impeccably researched and have proven to be effective with overcoming Bipolar Disorder (manic-depressive disorder) and improving other serious conditions;
- certain herbal remedies have proven effective in overcoming depression and anxiety;
- certain dietary changes can effectively reduce problems with attention and learning disabilities;
- particular family systems therapies have been shown to reduce psychosis and eliminate the onset of schizophrenia;
- exercise routines are very effective in combating stress;
- particular kinds of meditation practices can help optimize mental health;
- meeting with other experiencers for peer support..
Where does a person go to get guidance about using these specific protocols in integrative mental healthcare? The Integrative Mental Health University, IMHU.org, is a unique online central location that aims to fill the need for information about available effective options. Our expert faculty and guest presenters model the kind of expertise one can find in integrative mental health practitioners. IMHU encourages consumers to work with these practitioners who are more up to date with effective protocols for treatment.
Let the Buyer Be Aware
Most other mental health or mental illness websites are still dwelling on the obsolete and outdated model of care, limited to psychotropic drugs. Why?
- Most of the websites are sponsored by the big pharmaceutical drug companies and are thus part of the promotion to sell drugs.
- Our mainstream mental healthcare system has not re-educated itself and kept up to date. They don’t know about the treatments that are more effective than the drugs. The drugs are readily available. It takes time to learn new information, gain a new understanding, and get further training.