Alternative Treatments

Many or most alternative treatments for mental illness are considered by mainstream medicine to be complementary. When a treatment is complementary that means that it should be used with or in addition to the regular pharmacology treatment(s) and other treatments that may be prescribed by a mental health professional or provider agency.

Alternative treatments may vary in their level of effectiveness. Many times studies haven't been as rigorously performed in a way that proves their safety. At times the way that studies need to be performed to be considered proven may seem to be excessive. However, when you consider interventions and treatments that have been used in the not too distant past, you may better be able to understand why it is so very important that there be a way to prove the effectiveness of all treatments, not just alternative or complementary treatments.

It is important, especially when you examine past shams found in treatments for mental illness. Things like lobotomies, cold wet sheets, masks and other horrific examples were considered cutting edge, effective treatments in their time. More recently, things like rebirthing therapy, Vitamin B6 and B3 for Schizophrenia, while some might find them helpful, have not been found to be helpful for most people trying to get into recovery. People do not want to waste time traveling down an ineffective path.

Complementary treatments are things that may really enhance a person’s recovery journey. They might include things like:

Mindfulness meditation Fish oil Acupuncture Vitamin therapy Light boxes Light and dark therapy Vitamin d therapy

Some alternative treatments are becoming mainstream treatments. Others are still new (some may be considered experimental), and may eventually become mainstream treatments, while others won't ever end up becoming accepted as a mainstream treatments. While they are new, the cost of some treatments is prohibitive. Some may be used by provider agencies and some may not. Some alternative treatments are:

Vagus nerve stimulation Trans-cranial magnet stimulation Art therapy (also complementary, becoming widely used, but not really proven) Writing groups (also complementary, becoming widely used, but not really proven) Clubhouses that are not ICCD certified Classes in recovery

Alternative and/or complementary treatments may or may not be helpful to an individual person. Whether these treatments are helpful or not will depend upon each person’s experiences, beliefs and how things are implemented.

Some people choose alternative or complementary treatments as their primary treatment regimen. Whatever a person chooses to do, treatments need to be coordinated. Both the mental health team and physical health teams (if they are different) need to know what alternative or complimentary treatments are being used.

Some alternative/complementary treatments may affect more mainstream treatments adversely. It is very important that your medical doctors and your psychiatric team know about things like herbs, which can enhance or diminish the effect of psychiatric medications, or fish oil, which may act as a blood thinner when used in large dosages. Letting your treatment team(s) know what is being used or done will help any treatment be more safe and effective.

Alternative/complementary treatments also might affect other alternative or complimentary treatments. For example, using large amounts of Vitamin D may affect how much you need or want to use a light box. The same may be true with regard to light and dark therapy. Letting your treatment team(s) know what is being used or done will help lessen unintended interactions and improve effectiveness.