Open Dialogue - Finland - the hardly mentioned but very effective non-drug ways...

[Luc]

What is the message of this video? My comuter is too slow to view it.

It's the "Open Dialogue" project in Finland. They use non-drug methods to treat psychosis (or what the mainstream has come to call it) with great success. They have been able to succesfully treat aproximately 85% of the cases (first-break psychosis).

http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/mental...-open-dialogue

Also, they have recorded a 90% decline in schizophrenia. http://www.psychforums.com/schizophr...opic61263.html

[Junior]

Junior -- what has your naturopath recommended?

Sorry Sheila, only just saw this now

First she agrees that I haven't endured 10% of what some others have. People like you guys here for example. I'm not sensitive to drugs, allergy prone, etc, and I can only guess that is why. I also believe that if I'd come off Paxil earlier, before I got addicted, I wouldn't have had too many problems. When I first came off it after only 6 months all I had was some dizziness. During the 10 years I was on it later, I could alter the dose by 10mg at a time, with virtually no issues. Now I'm doing drops of just 1mg!

Second, different things at different times. Some things haven't worked and I've reported that back to her. My mainstay has been a product called Inkephalin which is a precursor to dopamine and helps to raise the levels of dopamine. My main issue has been disrupted sleep and this helps. (Dopamine leveles are affected in depression and it's my belief that the sleep issues in depression are caused by this). I've also taken a product called Pre-Dop in the past which helped enormously when I struggled to sleep for more than an hour at a time. Neurocalm is very good for racing thoughts. I actually gave some to my son recently. I'm weaning him off Prozac after 7 years and the drop from7.5 to 5mg was too big for him. The Neurocalm really helped him for a few days there. Those are the only 2 i'm using at the moment. I also take Valerian Forte, which I get from the supermarket, on an as needed basis. It helps to calm the nervous system and assist with sleep.

Other things? Umm... things to nurture the nervous system ... umm... as I said it depends on what symptoms are manifesting at the time. I think we used things for amino acids early on, especially having switched a/ds 3 times in 6 months, but that was over 3 years ago and I'm hard pressed to remember what I took then. I can check for you, though, if you are really interested.

I should point out that I've been very fortunate. I know many people who have tried natural remedies only to have practitioners who don't understand w/d. Mine does. She has helped people to get off lithium in the past and helps a lot of people now with getting off SSRIs and SNRIs. And she's literally 'just up the road'. Four doors up the road :D

[Sheila]

Thanks for writing that out, Junior. I like to hear what is being tried by different people. There is still much for us to learn about helping this syndrome.

[Junior]

There certainly is Sheila. On a very general and broad level, I would think things that help depression and anxiety would be beneficial as many w/d symptoms mimic these. BUT thinks like HTP and St Johns Wort should be avoided as they altermuch the same things as ad/s themselves. Just my opinion.

My naturopath listens to what I describe, looks in my eyes (iridology) and at my tongue, then considers recent research and her own experience in helping others. She is in her 50s and has had lots of experience. She is also a realist and accepts that people will see GPs and that all the different types of medicine complement one another. This is one of the things I really like about her. She deal with life, not ideals.

It is always going to be difficult knowing how to help others going through w/d since so little is understood about the neurological bases of things like depression and anxiety in the first place. But anecdotal information is probably the best we have. And you and your team here are doing an awesome job. Keep up the good work

[Sheila]

Thanks so much for the compliment, Junior! I think iridology is so cool. I would like to have an iridology exam. I remember how much you like your naturopath. It's so wonderful to find a healer you really like and trust!

[Luc]