Naturopathic Medicine in Mesa AZ

Tara Peyman, Naturopathic Doctor

5416 E. Southern Ave., Ste. 110 Mesa, AZ 85206 phone: (480) 985-0000

Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: Safe, Homeopathic Medicine for Your Child

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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

by Tara Peyman, ND

Increasingly, young children are being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Most of these children do not have symptoms that are consistent with adult bipolar symptoms (distinct depressive episodes alternating with manic episodes), but rather they have "rages" or temper tantrums. Uncontrolled mood swings with violent behavior is typical in these cases. In the upcoming years, most of these children will most likely be diagnosed with Temper Dysregulation Disorder with Dysphoria, a new diagnosis that is actually much more specific and accurate for this type of psychological disorder. This diagnosis is one of the updates that are being made to the fifth edition of the diagnostic manual for psychiatric conditions which will be published in the next few years.

Until then, children displaying this behavior will continue to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and prescribed anti-psychotic medications that have not been extensively studied in children.

There is a safe and natural alternative to these medications. It is called homeopathic medicine.

Homeopathy is a natural form of medicine that works with the body to restore balance and health. There are thousands of different homeopathic remedies, and each one is made from its own natural source, such as a plant or mineral. Each one of these homeopathic remedies can be used to treat a specific set of symptoms, and the prescription is individualized to every case. So, each child who presents with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder may receive a different homeopathic remedy.

Homeopathic medicine is very safe, and because it works with the body rather than trying to suppress the symptoms, it does not cause side effects. The medicine acts as a reminder to the body to bring things into balance. It does not add anything to the system or take anything away; it modulates things so that everything simply works better.

Usually homeopathic remedies come in the form of small sublingual pills that taste sweet, and are typically taken daily. Some people only need a dose as needed when symptoms arise. Over time, the homeopathic medicine may be changed and adjusted based on the child's response, and also based on any new symptoms that may come up.

Homeopathic medicine works very well for a wide variety of conditions, and for people of all ages. It can be used safely during pregnancy and nursing, and even for infants with colic or teething pain, for example. Most people feel better within a few days to a few weeks of taking the correct homeopathic medicine. Often in children or adults with bipolar disorder or other anxiety disorders, the effects of the homeopathic medicine can be noticed within hours. The amount of time needed to fully recover and reach a state of remission will depend on several factors, including the amount of time the person has been sick, so each case is unique. Because homeopathy can actually help to restore real balance, the patient may be able to use this type of medicine for a period of time, and then not need to take anything, unless some difficult stress brings on new symptoms.

There are no interactions with prescription medications and homeopathy, so we can start a patient on a homeopathic protocol while he or she is still taking medications, and then taper the prescriptions down safely over time. The goal with this treatment is to help improve overall health and stability, so that the person can live their life to the fullest.

Dr. Tara Peyman is a board-licensed naturopathic physician with an expertise in treating bipolar disorder and depression with homeopathic medicine. She has also developed natural treatment programs for diabetes and smoking cessation. Call for your comprehensive initial visit or a complimentary 15 minute phone consult: Tempe, Arizona: (480) 456-0402 or Mesa, Arizona: (480) 985-0000. Visit www.DrTaraPeyman.com for more information.

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Do You Have Bipolar Disorder?

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Thursday, August 05, 2010

BIPOLAR DISORDER (MANIC DEPRESSION)

Bipolar disorder involves cyclical periods of depression and mania. This is why it is called bipolar disorder, meaning that the person has mood swings from one extreme (depression) to its polar opposite (mania). People with depression alone can have mood swings, irritability, or changes in energy; it is important to distinguish mood swings from a manic episode.

Symptoms of mania include:
Increased energy
Inflated self-esteem
Decreased need for sleep
Impulsive, risky behavior
Excessive, rapid speech
Inability to concentrate with racing thoughts
Restlessness and extreme irritability
Excessive time spent in social or work activities

In a classic presentation of bipolar disorder, the depression symptoms last at least 2 weeks, and the mania lasts at least 4 days. Some people have much more rapid cycles, with mood episodes that fluctuate quickly between mania and depression. Some people have mixed states of depression with manic symptoms. It is important to establish a proper diagnosis for your mood disorder, because this can effect treatment protocols.

Because of the increased energy and inflated self-esteem, most people with bipolar disorder often actually enjoy the manic periods, because it is such a change from feeling depressed. However, the impulsive, risky behavior can be very detrimental to a person’s safety and well-being. These behaviors can include gambling all of one’s savings, purchasing expensive items that one cannot afford, or engaging in sexual promiscuity. Some people with mania may not sleep for 3-4 days at a time, and can forget to eat or take care of themselves. They may work all day and night for days, or constantly go out to try to meet new people, to the point that it damages their health.

There are different types of bipolar disorder. Bipolar I involves cycles of depression and severe manic episodes. Bipolar II involves cycles of depression and hypomania (symptoms similar to mania but less intense or of a shorter duration). The diagnosis of bipolar disorder is based on your symptoms, so your doctor will ask you questions to determine whether this condition affects you. Tests may be performed to rule out other causes of your symptoms. Once underlying causes are ruled out, we can then proceed to natural treatments to stabilize your moods.

Dr. Tara Peyman is a board-licensed naturopathic physician with an expertise in treating bipolar disorder and depression with homeopathic medicine. She has also developed natural treatment programs for diabetes and smoking cessation. Call for your comprehensive initial visit or a complimentary 15 minute phone consult: Tempe, Arizona: (480) 456-0402 or Mesa, Arizona: (480) 985-0000. Visit www.DrTaraPeyman.com for more information.

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Testing for Bipolar Disorder: Is Neurotransmitter Testing Helpful?

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Tuesday, August 03, 2010

NEUROTRANSMITTER TESTING
by Dr. Tara Peyman.

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the body, such as serotonin and dopamine. Urinary neurotransmitter testing represents peripheral (body) levels of these chemicals, and is not correlated with brain levels of neurotransmitters. The reason for this is that there is a barrier between the body and the brain that keeps chemicals separate. This is the primary reason that I do not use neurotransmitter testing for my patients. Some physicians attempt to make clinical correlations between peripheral and brain levels, assuming that if urinary serotonin is low, your brain serotonin might also be low, which could contribute to depression. This is simply an assumption and is not necessarily true. I find other testing to be much more reliable and helpful for long-term success in symptom reduction. I use thyroid testing, blood counts, nutrient deficiency testing, blood sugar testing, hormone testing, and organic acid testing to rule out underlying physical causes or aggravating factors of mood disorders.

The use of neurotransmitter testing also makes the flawed assumption that neurotransmitters have a causative relationship to mood disorders. Research has shown plenty of correlations between neurotransmitter activity in certain parts of the brain and specific mental illnesses. However, we are not sure whether these correlations represent a cause or an effect. There may be increased dopamine activity in the brains of some patients with schizophrenia, but we do not know that dopamine itself is the cause of schizophrenic symptoms. As an analogy, you are a lot more likely to see people carrying umbrellas on a rainy day, but the rain is not created by the umbrellas. Looking for high or low levels of a certain neurotransmitter as a cause of mental illness is like assuming that the umbrellas are causing the rain. The fluctuation of neurotransmitters is more likely a result rather than a cause, and the actual cause is far more complex than that. Studies of brain levels of serotonin from a non-depressed patient versus a depressed patient can be exactly the same. Serotonin is also produced in much higher levels in the digestive tract than in the brain, and so urine levels of serotonin are perhaps more helpful in the assessment of intestinal disorders than mood disorders. Neurotransmitter levels are often completely irrelevant in the attempt to find potential treatments for mood disorders, and this testing is therefore a disservice to patients and doctors.

Mood disorders are complex and specific to each individual, and cannot be reduced to a simple neurotransmitter dysfunction or deficiency. It may be tempting to assume that your depression or bipolar disorder is just because of a chemical imbalance. The truth is that it is not that simple. Our mental and physical health is dynamic, and must be treated as such. This is one of the reasons that homeopathic medicine works so well to treat mental health disorders, because homeopathy can actually correct the underlying dynamic imbalance, which a neurotransmitter supplement or antidepressant medication cannot do.
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Dr. Tara Peyman is a board-licensed naturopathic physician with an expertise in treating bipolar disorder and depression. She has also developed natural treatment programs for diabetes and smoking cessation. Call for your comprehensive initial visit or a complimentary 15 minute phone consult: Tempe, Arizona: (480) 456-0402 or Mesa, Arizona: (480) 985-0000. Visit www.DrTaraPeyman.com for more information.

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D is for Depression

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Tuesday, July 06, 2010

by Tara Peyman, ND
Most people are aware that vitamin D is important for bone health. Research is also always emerging confirming the importance of vitamin D for prevention of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and a variety of other diseases. However, recent studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency may increase your risk of depression as well.
Vitamin D is actually a hormone that you create in your skin from exposure to the sun. Vitamin D is then activated in the liver and kidneys. You can also take in vitamin D from certain foods, including fish and eggs. Vitamin D is one of the vitamins that can be stored in the body, along with vitamins A, E, and K. Vitamin D supplementation can be very useful for improving stores, in the form of liquid drops or capsules.
The association between low vitamin D levels and depression is particularly strong in people over the age of 60, and people who live in areas with fewer sunny days. Some people with depression have seasonal affective disorder, which involves fluctuations of mood with the change of weather or seasons. If a person is already deficient in vitamin D, lack of exposure to the sun only worsens vitamin D deficiency, which can in turn exacerbate depression.
It is important to have your vitamin D levels tested by your doctor. This is done with a simple blood test. "Normal" levels are between 30-100 ng/mL, however, a level below 60 ng/mL is suboptimal. If your levels are below 60 ng/mL, you may consider supplementation to increase your vitamin D stores to prevent illness.

If you have depression or another chronic illness, and you have low or suboptimal vitamin D levels, you may benefit from vitamin D supplementation as a part of your homeopathic or conventional treatment regimen.

References:
[1] Vitamin D deficiency associated with depression: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20595420
[2] Low vitamin D increases risk of depression and cardiovascular disease: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20569717
[3] Vitamin D deficiency associated with chronic pain: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20498201$0$0
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Tara Peyman is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor in the state of Arizona. She has an expertise in treating bipolar disorder and depression with natural medicine. Dr. Peyman has also developed comprehensive, naturopathic programs for weight loss, diabetes and smoking cessation. She practices at East Valley Naturopathic Doctors in Mesa (480.985.0000) and in Tempe (480.456.0402). Call for a free 15-minute consultation, or visit www.DrTaraPeyman.com for more information.

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Bipolar Disorder and Mental Health: Your Illness Does Not Define You

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Saturday, June 26, 2010

by Tara Peyman, Naturopathic Physician

When someone is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, depression, or another mental illness, they will often be told, "You are bipolar." "You are schizophrenic." "You are depressed."

This doesn't happen with most physical conditions. You don't hear someone say, "I am arthritis," or "I am lupus." That would be ridiculous. They say "I have arthritis," or "I have lupus," because they are a person with a medical condition that can be treated. It does not define them.

If you are struggling with mental illness, sometimes family members, friends, or doctors treat you as if the disease defines who you are. This is not the way things should be. People with mental illness should be treated just like everyone else who has a medical concern: like a human being with a health problem that needs appropriate treatment and care.

People should not be treated as if their medical condition is a part of their personality. People with mental illness can have completely normal personalities just like everyone else, ranging from outgoing and friendly to shy and quiet. It is usually because their illness can negatively affect their behavior that people make the mistake of assuming that the patient's personality is defined by their disorder. This is simply not true. When the disorder is treated, their natural healthy personality emerges again, just like someone with a terrible flu feeling irritable or moody during their illness would be back to normal when well again.

I recently read an article about nutritional supplementation for bipolar disorder, which discussed the use of fish oil as a mood stabilizer. The author of the article commented that if taking fish oil eliminated the patient's symptoms and stabilized mood and energy, then "are those patients still bipolar?" I would answer that they aren't bipolar to begin with. They have bipolar. They are a person with bipolar disorder, who can become less symptomatic and go into a state of remission with the right treatment. Fish oil, homeopathic medicine, exercise and healthy food, conventional medications, and psychological counseling can provide these paths to remission.

I think it is important for patients and physicians to approach mental illness in this way, rather than to think of it as something that the person will live with forever because it is just "who they are." I fundamentally disagree with this idea, and I have seen people recover fully from bipolar disorder and other serious mental illnesses, so that they feel like their natural self again, free to live their life as they want. It is possible, with the right help.

--Tara Peyman is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor in the state of Arizona. She has an expertise in treating depression and anxiety with natural medicine. Dr. Peyman has also developed comprehensive, naturopathic programs for weight loss, diabetes and smoking cessation. She practices at East Valley Naturopathic Doctors in Mesa (480.985.0000) and in Tempe (480.456.0402). Call for a free 15-minute consult, or visit www.DrTaraPeyman.com for more information.

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The Bipolar Diet: How Your Food Can Be Your Medicine

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Wednesday, May 19, 2010

By Tara Peyman, ND

For people with bipolar disorder, one of the most important factors in stabilizing healthy mood and energy is balanced nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. There are a few key nutrients that can be particularly important for people with bipolar or depression. Many patients with mild to moderate depression or bipolar disorder can significantly reduce symptoms with diet and exercise alone.

Following these few simple steps can encourage better control of moods and healthier energy balance:

1. Regularly Scheduled Meals. Often people with bipolar disorder or mental illness will skip meals, forget to eat, or overeat even if they are not hungry. Eat a nutritious meal three times daily on a regular schedule, even if you do not feel hungry. Stop eating when you are actually full. Pay attention to cues from your body or mind that tell you your blood sugar might be low, such as light-headedness, weakness, or irritability. Keeping your blood sugar balanced can support stability of moods and energy.

2. Omega 3 Oils. Fish oil, flax oil, and other omega 3 oils have been particularly helpful in reducing symptoms of depression and bipolar disorder in some patients. Dosages depend on the individual case, but often higher doses provide better results. Omega-3 oils can also assist in cholesterol balance, heart health, skin health, and many other concerns.

3. B-vitamins. It is important to consume foods that are rich in B vitamins every day, such as fresh fruit, green vegetables, and whole grains. B vitamins are utilized quickly by the body and cannot be stored, so regular consumption of fresh whole foods is vital to keep your B vitamin status sufficient. A B complex or high-potency multivitamin supplement can be used to increase vitamin status as well. B vitamins are important for the general population, but especially for people with mood disorders, because B vitamins are utilized in the body and brain for energy production and mood stability.

A healthy diet with a balance of protein, vegetables, and whole grains can be essential in the recovery from bipolar disorder. For people with mental illness, taking care of yourself is not always easy, but a few simple steps can make a huge difference. Once you make one change, it can be a motivating force to spark new positive changes in diet, exercise, and other aspects of your life.

The above recommendations must not replace the advice of a personal physician. Always consult a physician before making any changes to supplements or medications, to ensure your health and safety.

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Tara Peyman is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor in the Phoenix, Arizona area. She has an expertise in the homeopathic and integrative treatment of bipolar disorder and mental illness. She has also developed comprehensive, naturopathic programs for weight loss, diabetes and smoking cessation. She practices at East Valley Naturopathic Doctors in Mesa, AZ (480.985.0000) and in Tempe, AZ (480.456.0402). www.DrTaraPeyman.com.

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Naturopathic Testing for Schizophrenia & Bipolar

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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

For people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, violent anger, ADHD, autism, or behavioral disorders, organic acid testing (OAT) can uncover hidden causes or exacerbating factors of these conditions. This testing can also be helpful for people with persistent depression or anxiety, especially if digestive disorders are associated.

Organic acid testing is a urine test that is run through a specialty lab. This test is covered by Blue Cross PPO insurance only. It measures levels of candida or other yeast markers, bacterial imbalances, metabolic and toxicity markers, vitamin deficiencies, and provides an array of other helpful information.

Another potentially helpful test in some of these cases is urinary heavy metal testing. Certain metals, such as mercury and lead, can be stored in the body over time. Most people have been exposed to some level of toxic metals in their lifetime, but some patients are more susceptible to developing certain diseases because of their environmental exposures. People who may have a tendency toward psychiatric illness may be more likely to progress to a symptomatic state if their levels of these environmental chemicals is high enough.

We can test the patient's current exposure and stored levels of heavy metals, and determine whether this is an aggravating factor in their illness. If so, chelation protocols may include oral or IV treatments over a period of time to remove the metals and restore normal balance to the neurological and immune systems. This testing may be covered or reimbursed by some insurance companies.

Specialty testing can illuminate the specific needs of that patient, and allow for a more individualized treatment approach. This testing can serve as a roadmap for creating a treatment protocol that speeds recovery. Imbalances detected can be treated with specific medications, herbs, heavy metal chelation protocols, or supplements, which can be used for a period of time and then discontinued after symptoms improve. Testing may be repeated after treatments are complete, but usually we can simply monitor symptom progress as a guide for treatment response.

I have seen patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder significantly improve when homeopathic medicine is combined with treatments based on individualized test results. Schizophrenia is still very challenging to treat, and medication is sometimes used in conjunction in severe cases, but with individualized protocols it is possible to reduce and even reverse the symptoms of schizophrenia using natural medicine alone. The most important thing is to be properly diagnosed, and to be persistent with getting help.

Dr. Tara Peyman is a board-licensed naturopathic physician with an expertise in treating bipolar disorder and depression. She has also developed natural treatment programs for diabetes and smoking cessation. Call for your comprehensive initial visit or a complimentary 15 minute phone consult: Tempe, Arizona: (480) 456-0402, or Mesa, Arizona: (480) 985-0000. For more information, please visit www.DrTaraPeyman.com.

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Homeopathic Treatment of Bipolar Disorder

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Monday, January 04, 2010

Real Hope for Real Recovery: The Homeopathic Treatment of Bipolar Disorder
by Tara Peyman, ND

Approximately 5 million Americans are suffering with bipolar disorder, and most of these people are taking medications that may be causing undesirable side effects. In addition to potential side effects, there are serious long-term risks associated with some of these medications. Despite the prevalence of bipolar disorder, few people are aware of the possibility of safe and effective natural alternatives to these conventional medications.

There are several alternatives to medications that I often recommend when treating people with bipolar disorder, including lifestyle changes, psychological counseling, botanical medicine, acupuncture, targeted nutritional therapies, and homeopathic medicine. I find that homeopathic medicine offers the quickest and safest path to recovery, when compared with other treatments.

As a naturopathic doctor, I may recommend a combination of several therapies, as appropriate for each case. For people with bipolar disorder who are interested in these alternatives, it is important to consult with a physician or therapist who has an expertise in the above treatment methods, in order to ensure an optimal outcome, rather than the patient trying to use these therapies on their own. This is especially true if the patient is also taking medications for his or her condition.

When a patient with symptoms of bipolar comes into my office, my first step is to establish a clear diagnosis of their mood disorder. Testing may be helpful in ruling out chemical or hormonal imbalances, such as a thyroid disorder for example, which can contribute to symptoms of depression, mania, or anxiety.

Some people may have been misdiagnosed with depression or bipolar disorder, when their mood changes are in fact due to some biological cause that can be treated by correcting the underlying hormonal or chemical problem. Other people have been misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder when they actually have another psychological diagnosis that may require different treatment, such as a personality disorder or another condition that can cause similar symptoms or behaviors.

A NATUROPATHIC APPROACH

With a clear diagnosis, we can proceed to natural treatments. Naturopathic physicians are trained to find and address the deepest fundamental causes of the person’s health concerns. When determining where to begin with treatment, we look to these causes rather than only the superficial symptoms, and choose treatment options that will correct the underlying cause.

Naturopathic doctors also approach the patient as a dynamic whole, with interconnected and interdependent systems, rather than taking a more mechanistic view of looking at the patient as a machine with broken parts that must be fixed with one drug per broken piece. When one system is out of balance, it often will affect other body systems. With this perspective, we can recommend a simpler and safer treatment plan that can address multiple health concerns by getting to the root of the problem.

Homeopathic medicine is one of the best options for addressing the cause of mood disorders, and is one of the types of medicine that naturopathic physicians are trained to utilize. Homeopathy was developed by a German physician several hundred years ago, and is currently used throughout the world, with particular popularity in India and parts of Europe. There are hundreds of homeopathic remedies, each made from a single natural substance, such as a plant or mineral. These plants or minerals are made into a solution that is diluted by a specific, standardized process, and these solutions are then used to coat small sublingual pills.

Each homeopathic remedy can be used to treat a specific set of symptoms. Rather than giving the same medicine to each patient with the same diagnosis, homeopathic remedies are selected for each person based on the entire symptom picture, in addition to the diagnosis and disease pathology. For treating bipolar disorder, there are several hundred homeopathic remedies that can be helpful.

In order to find the right one for you, your naturopathic doctor will ask specific questions to understand the etiology of your mood disorder, what makes you feel better and worse, any associated physical symptoms, and a variety of other questions to be sure we have a clear picture of all elements of your health concerns. Your homeopathic remedy can also benefit other aspects of your health while it improves your mood, because it is working to restore balance overall.

HOW HOMEOPATHY WORKS DIFFERENTLY

Conventional treatments for bipolar disorder, such as antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs, work to suppress symptoms rather than permanently correcting them. Homeopathic medicine works differently. It stimulates the person’s innate ability to restore natural balance.

For example, if the patient is not readily producing sufficient serotonin to aid in feeling happy and relaxed, homeopathic medicine can stimulate the body to actually push the pathways to convert more of the precursors into serotonin. If the person is overproducing adrenaline and feeling anxious, the right homeopathic medicine can help to regulate this overproduction and normalize mood.

Your body is always trying to get back to a healthy state of balance. Homeopathic medicine assists in this process, and does so gently, but rapidly. Most people feel a difference within 2-4 weeks of taking the correct homeopathic prescription. People with bipolar disorder most often respond even faster, typically noticing an improvement in symptoms within only a few days.

Most patients who seek naturopathic treatment are already taking psychiatric medications, and are interested in reducing or eliminating these drugs. One of the benefits of homeopathic medicine is that it does not interact with medications, so it is safe to begin homeopathic treatment while we are in the process of tapering you off of medications. Homeopathy can also assist the person in reducing symptoms that might not be well controlled by medications, even if the patient wants to remain on medications.

Tara Peyman is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor in the state of Arizona. She has an expertise in treating bipolar disorder and depression with natural medicine. We offer a free 15-minute consultation with Dr. Tara Peyman to help you learn whether she is the right doctor for you. Call us to schedule your free consult, or to get started with your comprehensive initial consultation.

Feel Like Yourself Again With Natural Medicine
Tempe, AZ: 480.456.0402
Mesa, AZ: 480.985.0000

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Is Depression Just a Chemical Imbalance?

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Monday, January 04, 2010

by Tara Peyman, ND

The current practice of psychiatry in the US is driven by a few basic assumptions about human emotional experience, and some of these assumptions are not clearly backed up by scientific factual evidence.

The primary assumption is a reductionist idea that an imbalance in levels of one or more neurotransmitters is the underlying cause of bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia and psychotic disorders, personality disorders, and other mental health concerns. This first assumption then leads to the rationalization of the use of psychiatric medications to attempt to correct imbalances in neurotransmitter levels. These assumptions were developed primarily by chemical companies, initially by accident while trying to test other products, when they found that certain drugs caused symptoms like sedation, euphoria, apathy, etc. Then they thought, "Well if this drug causes euphoria, maybe we can use it to treat sadness."

Some of the main flaws in that reasoning are:

1) Despite the fact that psychiatric medications alter brain chemistry, and can definitely reduce symptoms of mental illness, there is no clear evidence that these medications are actually correcting any specific imbalance. What they are more likely doing is creating a stronger, more noticeable, less upsetting experience for the patient. In other words, if the patient is anxious, a benzodiazepine creates an overpowering experience of relaxation that overrides the patient's original sensations and thoughts associated with anxiety. The patient still has anxiety, they just don't have the ability to notice it while they are under the influence of the medication.

2) Actual brain levels of dopamine, serotonin, and other neurotransmitters can be the same between patients with depression and without depression symptoms. These neurotransmitters are used for a huge variety of metabolic processes, and we really just do not fully understand the complexity of their effects, especially when it comes to mood disorders. We can make generalizations and guesses, and use these guesses to make drugs that alter brain chemistry.

3) The attempt to reduce human emotional experience to an excess or deficiency of a couple neurotransmitters is overly simplistic and unrealistic. The human brain and emotional experience is highly dynamic and complex. It's unreasonable to assume that a serotonin deficiency alone causes the experience of depression, and that increasing serotonin between neurons actually corrects depression.

I am not opposed to the use of psychiatric medications. I think they have been very helpful for a huge number of patients. They just don't treat the actual cause of the problem.

It may be tempting to assume that your depression or bipolar disorder is just because of a chemical imbalance. The truth is that it is not that simple. Our mental and physical health is dynamic, and must be treated as such. This is one of the reasons that homeopathic medicine works so well to treat mental health disorders, because homeopathy can actually correct the underlying dynamic imbalance, which a neurotransmitter supplement or antidepressant medication cannot do.

References:
Valenstein, E. Blaming the Brain: The Truth About Drugs and Mental Health.
Breggin, P. Your Drug May Be Your Problem.
Ross, C. Pseudoscience in Biological Psychiatry: Blaming the Body.

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Tara Peyman is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor in the state of Arizona. She has an expertise in treating bipolar disorder and depression with natural medicine. Dr. Peyman has also developed comprehensive, naturopathic programs for weight loss, diabetes and smoking cessation. She practices at East Valley Naturopathic Doctors in Mesa (480.985.0000) and in Tempe (480.456.0402). Call for a free 15-minute consultation, or visit www.DrTaraPeyman.com for more information.

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Homeopathic Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Post traumatic stress disorder is a type of anxiety disorder. PTSD occurs after witnessing a life-threatening or severely frightening experience. This condition is prevalent among veterans, and is also common in victims of violent crimes, abuse, accidents, natural disasters, and other psychologically traumatic events.

Symptoms of PTSD may occur immediately after the event, or several months later. It is expected to be in shock for a few hours to a few days after any highly stressful experience. However, if the symptoms interfere with your daily life to a significant degree, or if the symptoms persist for more than 4 weeks, professional treatment may be necessary.

People with PTSD often have difficulty sleeping, may feel more “on edge” than normal, and can have flashbacks or disturbing thoughts that interrupt their daily activities. Some people will block out memories of the traumatic event, or become emotionally “numb” in an attempt to avoid the stress caused by the experience. Many people with PTSD will feel depressed or detached from others, and often turn to alcohol or substance abuse to medicate their depression or anxiety.

For people who are interested in treating the underlying cause of PTSD, one of the safest and most effective treatments is classical homeopathic medicine. Homeopathy is a natural method of treatment in the form of small sublingual pills made from natural sources such as plants or minerals. This medicine stimulates your body’s innate ability to heal, restoring health naturally. Rather than suppressing your symptoms like most conventional treatments, homeopathy helps you heal from the inside out, working towards a cure of your illness.

There are thousands of homeopathic remedies, and each one is used to treat a specific set of symptoms. In order to find the correct homeopathic medicine for your case, I would need to listen to your story, and understand all of your symptoms in their entirety. This usually takes about 1-2 hours, and is a very comprehensive consultation. By treating you as an individual, the patient can get better results, leading to a faster and more complete recovery.

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Tara Peyman is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor in the state of Arizona. She has an expertise in treating bipolar disorder and depression with natural medicine. Dr. Peyman has also developed comprehensive, naturopathic programs for weight loss, diabetes and smoking cessation. She practices at East Valley Naturopathic Doctors in Mesa (480.985.0000) and in Tempe (480.456.0402). Visit www.DrTaraPeyman.com for more information.

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