Complimentary Medicine Carlat Reports

Expert Q&A

From The Carlat Psychiatry Report, ADHD

Topics: ADHD | attention | Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder | Complimentary Medicine | natural treatments

TCPR: What’s missing in how we treat ADHD? Dr. Brown: Even with stimulant treatment, patients can still have a lot of executive dysfunction. Many have comorbid conditions like dyslexia or processing disorders that stimulants do not treat. TCPR: How do you screen for those problems? Dr. Brown: Neuropsychological testing is not necessary for di

Clinical Update

How to Prescribe Omega-3 Fatty Acids

From The Carlat Psychiatry Report, Living With Mental Illness

Omega-3 fatty acids (“fish oil”) claim broad benefits in physical and mental health and have even made it into a few treatment guidelines in psychiatry. But most products on the shelf do not have the right ingredients for psychiatric use. In this article, I’ll review how and when to use omega-3s. Mechanism Omega-3s are “essential fatty acids

Clinical Update

How to Use SAMe in Clinical Practice

From The Carlat Psychiatry Report, The Difficult Patient

S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) is an over-the-counter supplement that’s usually lumped with the complementary and alternative (CAM) therapies in psychiatry. However, it is one of a few CAM therapies with efficacy that rivals standard medications. SAMe raises levels of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, acting in some ways like the fabled triple reu

Expert Q&A

Nutritional Psychiatry in Practice

From The Carlat Psychiatry Report, Bipolar Disorder

TCPR: Why should we talk about diet with our patients? Dr. Ramsey: I am an avid practitioner of psychotherapy and psychopharmacology, but we often need more tools to help our patients, and there is a lot of science behind nutritional psychiatry. There are now three randomized trials showing that people with depression can benefit by shifting to a Medit

Clinical Update

Light Therapy: Good for What Ails You?

From The Carlat Psychiatry Report, Mood Disorders

Topics: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ADHD Alternative treatments Antidepressant Augmentation Bipolar Depression Bulimia Nervosa Complementary treatments Complimentary Medicine Depression Depressive Disorder Light and Dark Therapy Light therapy Lightbox PTSD Seasonal Affective Disorder Sexual Dysfunction Sleep Sleep Disorders Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

There are several lifestyle changes with broad health benefits that we often encourage in our patients. Exercise, a healthy diet, sleep hygiene, and supportive social connections are near the top of the list, and bright daytime light might be worth adding. Light therapy is a standard treatment for seasonal affective disorder, and in this article we’ll

Research Update

Omega-3s and Metabolic Risks in Schizophrenia

From The Carlat Psychiatry Report, Mood Disorders

REVIEW OF: Pawełczyk T et al, Schizophr Res 2021;230:61–68 TYPE OF STUDY: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial Patients with schizophrenia are at greater risk for metabolic syndrome, whether from lifestyle, antipsychotic side effects, or the illness itself. Omega-3 fatty acids have metabolic benefits in the general population, and lev