Quote:
Originally Posted by catdaddy
As a retired pharmacist I will pass along something that a psychiatrist whom I respected told me concerning the treatment of mental disorders: "Treat the body first." His approach was developed in large part because of his certified expertise as a neurologist and endocrinologist in addition to psychiatry.
The treatment plan for each of his patients started with a full physical evaluation with labs. He made mention of the fact that about 50% of patients he saw for mental disorders suffered from untreated physical ailments such as diabetes, thyroid disease, etc. and often those conditions exacerbated the mental condition of the person. His experience was that unless the physical problem was successfully addressed the treatment of the mental disorder was unlikely to be successful.
Before going down the road of adding medications to an already complex psychoactive polypharmacy situation I'd be inclined to have a complete diagnostic physical to rule out any underlying somatic problems first, and a professional evaluation of lifestyle habits/routine to determine if there may be some correctable physical elements contributing negatively to your mental health.
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I'm certainly no Dr., but on a common sense level, this make so much sense to me.