Herbs and Alternative Therapies
for Psychological Disorders
online conference transcript
 Bill Docket discusses herbal remedies and alternative therapies
used for psychological disorders. Mr. Dockett studied Traditional Therapeutic
Herbalism and is also a certified addictions counselor.
David
Roberts is the HealthyPlace.com moderator.
The people in green are audience members.
To read transcripts of previous chat
conferences,
click here.
David: Good evening everyone. I'm David Roberts. I'm the
moderator for tonight's conference. I
want to welcome everyone to
HealthyPlace.com. Our topic tonight is "Alternative Remedies and
Therapies for Psychological Disorders". Our guest, William Dockett, has
over nine years of experience in the mental health field. He is a Traditional
Therapeutic Herbalist and a certified addictions counselor.
I also want to run our usual disclaimer, that we
are not recommending or endorsing any of the suggestions of our guest. In fact,
we strongly encourage you to talk over any therapies, remedies or suggestions
with your doctor BEFORE you implement them or make any changes in your
treatment.
Good evening, Bill, and welcome to
HealthyPlace.com. Can you
explain what traditional therapeutic herbalism is?
Bill: Hello, and thank you for inviting me. Traditional herbalism is the
use of herbs for healing. The most common is Chinese Herbalism or TCM.
David: Do
various herbal remedies work for mental health issues like
depression,
bipolar, ADD,
etc.?
Bill: Yes, the most common ones are St. John's Wort, Valerian, and
Chamomile, which is also used for folks sensitive to St. John's Wort.
David: Are
there any mental health areas where herbs are ineffective in treating a
psychological disorder?
Bill: Yes,
schizophrenia and organic mental disorders.
David:
Besides herbalism, are there any other remedies that are effective
in treating psychological disorders?
Bill:
Actually, yes. Acupuncture is very effective for stress disorders. Also
aromatherapy works well for stress and uplifting spirits in general.
David: I
know you are an herbalist, so maybe this is an unfair question, but would you
recommend that a person use herbal treatments rather than standard psychiatric
medications? Are they, in your estimation, equally as effective?
Bill:
Herbal treatments can be as effective as medications, but they take longer
to be effective. For severe mental illness, I would default to medications, and
as always, any treatment should be discussed with your doctor. I am not sure
how psychiatrists in general feel about herbal medications, though. It might be
hard to find one who will work with herbals.
David: So
what type of specialist would you go to then? And how much longer do herbs take
to be effective vs. standard medications?
Bill: The specialist really depends on the preferences of the main
psychologist working with the client. Osteopaths are generally more
holistically inclined. As far as effectiveness, herbal medications work with
individual body chemistry and it usually takes at least two weeks for herbal
treatments to show effects when treating depression.
David: We
have a lot of audience questions, Bill. Let's get started:
Charbeaner:
How much Same (Sam-e) will really help mild to moderate depression? Is there
something better and should you take Same with Folic Acid and B12? I have heard
400 mg of Same will work, but then I have heard it must be much much more. I
cannot take standard antidepressants, i.e. Prozac, etc., because they upset my
colon. I have depression and I need help.
Bill: First, I would say that it is important to consult with your doctor
or an herbal specialist who has your case history. However, Same and B12 would
be a good combination. I can't really comment on dosage without your individual
case history. An additional comment: try eating fresh or pickled ginger for an
upset colon.
Ellen R:
What herbal remedies are being used in the treatment of chemical dependency
at this time?
Bill:
Generally, I use a combination of gingko, chamomile and St. John's Wort.
Gingko increases blood circulation, and improves memory. Chamomile soothes
anxiety and it also helps regulate sleep patterns. St. John's Wort, Same are
for easing depression. I use these in conjunction with traditional addictions
therapies, such as counseling.
kaymac: Are
any of these herbs safe for children or teenagers with mild depression?
Bill: Yes, but proceed with extreme caution. I hesitate to give
suggestions in this case, because it is so easy to overmedicate young children,
as well as the elderly. Herbal treatments for these groups should definitely be
done only under professional supervision.
reneeandjerry:
Are there any long-term, strong sleep herbs, that help
anxiety that I can take?
Bill:
Valerian works well, in moderation. So does kava-kava. However, valerian
sometimes causes headaches or a "hangover" effect. Furthermore, you
should investigate the reasons behind your anxiety. The herbal treatments can
only help the symptom and lack of sleep, they will not address the cause of
your anxiety.
David: What
about taking these herbs you're mentioning while at the same time taking
prescription medications. Is there a concern about side-effects or toxicity
here?
Bill:
There is always a concern of toxicity or ill effects when mixing
medications. Mixing medications is never a good idea unless you have the
approval of a medical professional.
David: What
kinds of side-effects from herbals can one expect?
Bill: On my website, there is a list of common drug interactions. Of the
ones I mentioned, there are few side-effects from herbals. For example, I would
not take ginko if I am taking any type of clotting medication.
David: Here
are some more audience questions, Bill:
elizabetha2:
If you have severe Bipolar Disorder, will these herbs help at all, or is
this considered an organic brain problem?
Bill: For severe
bipolar
disorders, I would generally default to medication, but you could also use
Same, and it will not interfere with most SSRI's. So a combination
approach.
cassady: In
Bipolar 1 cases, do you know of any instances where herbs have replaced
anti-psychotic meds?
Bill: Not as a total treatment, initially, but I have known some
individuals who made the transition to a mostly herbal regimen.
David: We
have a lot of bipolar questions:
gremmy:
What can Valerian Root do to help bipolar disorder, i.e., specifically the
hypomanias, etc?
Bill: Valerian will definitely calm you down, but it is rather a
strong herb. I would generally recommend kava kava, and chamomile to sedate
instead. Valerian often causes too much drowsiness.
Ellen R:
Are there herbal remedies, in addition to those for depression, that are used
to treat irritability and explosive anger symptoms?
Bill:
None specifically, that I am familiar with, for anger issues. For that, I
would default to a counseling approach and self-concept issues.
whinavi: I
am bipolar and am treated with 1750mg of
Lithium and
2000mg of Epilum per day. Despite this, I still have manic episodes. What would
you suggest as an alternative? By the way, I suffer from mania and not
depression.
Bill:
I am leery to make recommendations when Lithium is involved, due to it's
finicky nature and long half-life.
David: Is it
your experience that most people turn to herbs because of the side-effects of
standard psychiatric medications? Or do you think herbs should be a first-line
of treatment?
Bill:
I have mostly seen the use of herbs as treatment for side-effects, and for
frustration with traditional psychiatric medications, seldom as a first line
defense. This is possibly due to lack of knowledge.
David: I'm
getting some questions about brands and manufacturers and the best place to buy
herbs. I think part of that stems from reports that "not all
brands/manufacturers are the same." Can you shed some light on
that?
Bill: This is true. Not all brands are the same, and herbs are not
regulated by FDA. When looking for herbs in stores, you want to look for a
complete herb and not just the active properties. This is because it is the
complete herb that works, and most herbs in the stores contain only active
properties. When you have only active properties, there is nothing to balance
any side-effects caused by that property, which is where the inactive
properties come into play. I believe GNC has a product called the herbal
fingerprint line.
David: Is
there something on the label, some "code words", that consumers
should look for to indicate this is a complete herb?
Bill: Yes. Like I stated, "complete", "fingerprint",
"full spectrum", and always try and find "organically
grown."
reneeandjerry:
Are there any herbs that, in combination, treat daytime fatigue?
Bill: Well, as an energy boost, there is always ginseng, I often tell
clients Korean or American opposed to Siberian. Siberian tends to give only a
short-term boost, that the the body quickly adapts to or builds a tolerance
for.
pam: Am I
correct in assuming that it is not recommended to take herbal supplements while
on medications?
Bill: Not without first consulting your doctor.
David: I was
just thinking, would you take herbs as a preventative measure? For instance, to
prevent depression or anxiety, lets say.
Bill: Again herbs/medications only treat symptoms and not the underlying
causes of your problems.
David:I also
wanted to ask you are there herbs for
ADD, ADHD.
Bill:
I have seen the most dramatic results with a reduction in refined sugar,
(sugar busters diet) and I believe the removal of yellow dye #5.
David: I
know it's late now, so I want to thank Bill for being our guest tonight and
sharing his knowledge and experience with us. And thanks to everyone in the
audience for coming and participating. I hope you found it helpful.
Bill:
Thank you and good night everybody.
David: Good
night everyone.
We hold topical mental health chat
conferences every Wed. and Thurs. nights. The schedule and transcripts from
previous chats are
here.
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