Some Suggestions

While CCHR does not provide legal or medical advice, for which you should rely upon qualified attorneys and non-psychiatric physicians, we ask that you be aware that there are many non-abusive solutions to psychiatry.

1. COMPETENT NON-PSYCHIATRIC PHYSICAL EXAM

People in desperate circumstances must be provided proper and effective medical care. Non-psychiatric medical attention, good nutrition, a healthy, safe environment and activities that promote confidence, will do far more than the brutality of psychiatry’s treatments. A competent and ethical, non-psychiatric medical doctor can complete thorough physical testing to determine the presence of underlying physical problems or disease.

For example, “Mrs. J,” diagnosed as schizophrenic after she began hearing voices in her head, had deteriorated to the point where she stopped talking and could not bathe, eat or go to the toilet without help. A thorough physical exam determined she was not properly metabolizing the glucose that the brain needs for energy. Once treated, she dramatically changed, singing Christmas carols, talking to people, and completely stabilized. “She has completely recovered and shows no lingering trace of her former mental state,” a friend stated.

Therefore, always check for the underlying physical problem.

Studies show the frequency with which physical illnesses are misdiagnosed as “mental illness”— in one study, 83% of people referred by clinics and social workers for psychiatric treatment had undiagnosed physical illnesses; 42% of those diagnosed with “psychoses” were later found to be suffering from a medical illness; 48% of those diagnosed by psychiatrists for mental treatment had an undiagnosed physical condition.

In 1998, the Swedish Social Board cited several cases of disciplinary actions against psychiatrists, including one in which a patient was complaining of headaches, dizziness and staggering when he walked. The patient had complained of these symptoms to psychiatric personnel for five years before a medical check-up revealed that he had a brain tumor.

“When a person remains depressed despite normal efforts to remedy the problem, a physical source of the depression should be considered,” states an alternative mental health group on its website. This lists a number of possible physical sources, including: nutritional deficiencies, lack of exercise, thyroid problems, poor adrenal function, hormonal disorders, hypoglycemia, food allergies, heavy metals, sleep disturbances, infections, heart problems, lung disease, diabetes, chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, liver disease, and even some psychiatric drugs themselves.

Gary Oberg, M.D., past president of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, says, “Toxins such as chemicals in food and tap water, carbon monoxide, diesel fumes, solvents, aerosol sprays, and industrial chemicals can cause symptoms of brain dysfunction which may lead to an inaccurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or senile dementia.”

Dr. Thomas Dorman, an internist, says, “…please remember that the majority of people suffer from organic disease. Clinicians should first of all remember that emotional stress associated with a chronic illness or a painful condition can alter the patient’s temperament. In my practice I have run across countless people with chronic back pain who were labeled neurotic. A typical statement from these poor patients is ‘I thought I really was going crazy.’” Often, he said, the problem may have been “simply an undiagnosed ligament problem in the back.”

And Dr. William Crook in his book Detecting Your Hidden Allergies, says those bothered by irritability, depression, hyperactivity, fatigue and anxiety, need an immediate full medical, physical examination and a complete test for food allergies that could cause massive mental changes in a person.

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