In my practice, I use the best methods and therapies from mainstream and alternative psychiatry. This allows me to choose from many types of treatment based on each person's diagnosis and individual characteristics.
Among the natural alternatives, I prefer those that are natural to human systems. In other words, they are substances that already exist in your body. Examples include amino acids that influence the mechanisms underlying anxiety and depression.
I also use herbs such as St. John's wort. Although herbs are natural, they are foreign to the body and can act much like drugs, causing side effects. People who take St. John's wort on their own often buy products of poor quality with less herb than the label states, so they do not get a good response. Or side effects occur unexpectedly, so treatment is interrupted.
I only recommend natural products that are pharmaceutical grade and proven by independent analysis. When it is needed, I combine therapies or add supportive therapies. My patients' rate of response with natural therapies is high.
My interest in natural therapies began early in my career. During President Nixon's historic visit to China, a famous reporter, James Reston, developed appendicitis. The Chinese doctors used acupuncture anesthesia, and acupuncture became an overnight sensation in the United States. Soon after, I was Medical Director of the Acupuncture Research Project at UCLA, the first such project in America.
Two of the acupuncturists at our project were also herbalists. We had many conversations. I did plenty of reading. Interestingly, my experience at UCLA led to my interest in psychiatry. At the acupuncture clinic, I was responsible for in-depth interviews of all new patients. Some interviews were brief, but others took hours. Many of our patients had chronic pain syndromes. Their histories were complex and their feelings were deep. Some were brilliant. Others were famous celebrities.
Following my work at UCLA, I undertook a residency in psychiatry at UCSD. These are the origins in mainstream and alternative therapies that led me to practice integrative psychiatry.
In recent years, I have included information about natural therapies in all of my books. The reason is simple. Often people can avoid problems with prescription drugs by using natural therapies.
Jay Cohen MD
What You Need to Know about Statin Drugs and Their Natural Alternatives.
The Magnesium Solution for High Blood Pressure. How to Use Magnesium to Help Prevent & Relieve Hypertension Naturally.
The Magnesium Solution for Migraine Headaches. How to Use Magnesium to Help Prevent & Relieve Migraine and Cluster Headaches Naturally.
