ABOUT SAFE HARBOR
Safe Harbor was founded in 1998 in the wake of growing public dissatisfaction with the unwanted effects of orthodox psychiatric treatments such as medication and shock therapy. Seeking to satisfy the desire for safer, more effective treatments, the Project is dedicated to educating the public, the medical profession, and government officials on research and treatments that, minimally, do no harm and, optimally, cure the causes of severe mental symptoms. Our primary thrust is education on the medical causes of severe mental symptoms and the use of nutritional and other natural treatments.
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EDITOR’S COMMENT
This is our first issue since the September 11 attacks on the U.S. and, like most American editors, I find myself at a keyboard trying to articulate the incomprehensible.
Our nation — our people — experienced a shock on that tragic day that thundered into the core of our souls. And now the battle is waged on foreign soil as Americans glance carefully about, looking for dangers that may lurk near and far. News reports say that antidepressant and tranquilizer sales are up as a result. Some people living at the brink of insanity have been pushed over the edge while others have been jolted out of their mental troubles.
Terrorism begets terror. That is its intent. And fearful people will sometimes seek refuge in chemicals, be they drugs or alcohol, that numb the anguish, the grief, the rage.
But this is no time to dull one’s wits, as medication is inclined to do. Mothers and fathers are needed at their best. The American worker — the soldier of our economy — is needed at his finest as the wolves of recession pant at our door.
It is normal to hurt at times like these. Pity the man or woman so numb that he cannot. But drugs are not the answer. Some simple advice: Get to work. Turn off the TV if it drags you down. Talk to friends, family, or people of your faith. Get some fresh air. Follow the advice of the Dalai Lama and help others achieve what you want by helping them relieve their anxiety or depression or fear. Knock off the bad eating habits. Hang around with positive people. And take a look at our first article.
NATURAL RELIEF FOR “SEPTEMBER 11TH” TRAUMA
Many are understandably depressed and anxious over the tragic events of September 11, so it is not surprising that in an article following the attacks Reuters reported a run on sleeping pills and anti-depressants. Depression, anxiety and sleeplessness are completely natural and appropriate under these circumstances (this is not a disorder), and there are several approaches which can help relieve the symptoms without drugs. Additionally, the body uses more nutrients in order to cope with stressful situations, and this increased demand can quickly lead to deficiencies which exacerbate the symptoms.
A summary of these remedies follows. More information can be found on each of these in earlier issues of Alternative Mental Health News and in articles at AlternativeMentalHealth.com.
Alternative remedies which can be used to help relieve depression and anxiety include exercise, St. John’s Wort, Melatonin, Magnesium, and Tryptophan, to mention a few.
Exercise: Even a 30-minute daily walk is proven to help depression more effectively than drugs.
St. John’s Wort: Studies found St. John’s Wort to be as effective as antidepressants — 350 mg. Three times a day.
Melatonin: Is a common remedy for sleeplessness, and has been found highly effective.
Magnesium: Not only does magnesium help relieve stress and sleeplessness, but given that is has been found that nearly 75% of Americans are already deficient in magnesium, the need for this nutrient is doubly important.
Trytophan: Many depressed people have low tryptophan levels. 5-HTP, a supplement which contains a form of tryptophan, has been shown in numerous studies to be as effective as antidepressants. A standard dosage of 5-HTP is 50-100 mg once or twice a day with meals.
Although any nutritional deficiency can cause and intensify mental and emotional symptoms, those which most obviously affect depression include several of the B Vitamins, Vitamin C, the amino acid Methionine, and a fatty acid called Omega-3.
Vitamin B1: Improves mood, a general lift. 50 mg. a day has been found effective in normal circumstances, but more can be used, and is needed, under stress.
Vitamin B2: Deficiency in B2 is not common, but can be created by antidepressant drugs. This leads to further depression.
Vitamin B6: B6 deficiency is common in depression. Supplements of B6 have been found effective.
Vitamin B9: Studies have found B9 (folic acid) deficiency in 35% of those suffering from depression. The most common symptom of folic acid deficiency is, in fact, depression.
Vitamin B12: This vitamins works with folic acid, and has been found to be deficient particularly in those over 50 years of age. Supplementation of folic acid and B12 often produces dramatic results in people who are depressed because of deficiencies.
Vitamin C: Deficiency is this vitamin can cause anxiety. It is common in those who have a poor diet (e.g., many Americans), or one low in fruits and vegetables.
Methionine: SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine), a form of methionine, has been found to be deficient in depressed people, and in the elderly. Common supplementation of SAMe starts with 1,600 mg a day, taken 800 mg twice a day or 400 mg four times a day, for two or three weeks, or until the person starts to feel the antidepressant effects. Then the dose is frequently reduced gradually to 800 mg or 400-mg a day, depending on the severity of symptoms.
Omega 3: Deficiency in Omega 3 fatty acids is especially common in people on low-fat diets. Population studies in different countries have shown that decreased consumption of Omega-3’s correlates with increased rates of depression. Omega-3 can be found as a supplement, or can be included in your diet. It is common in certain seeds, canola oil, soybean oil, egg yolks, and cold-water ocean fish.
Unfortunately, no one has a quick fix for the effects of the September 11th events, but we hope the above information helps. The information is, of course, for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.
ALZHEIMER’S VACCINE CLEARED FOR PHASE II TRIAL
As reported by the CNN Medical Unit in July 2001, an experimental vaccine designed to fight Alzheimer’s disease appears to be safe in humans and is showing an immune response, scientists with Elan Corporation announced.
The researchers report they have concluded the first phase of testing to assess safety, and expect to take the vaccine into phase two clinical trials by the end of 2002.
The vaccine, called AN-1792, was studied in 100 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease in the United States and the United Kingdom. The trials lasted more than a year.
“The product showed that is was safe for patients and a significant proportion of the patients were able to demonstrate an immune response. Their antibody levels went up and that indicates that this was having an effect in these patients,” he said.
Two years ago, Elan researchers reported remarkable results of the vaccine in mice. Mice immunized at a young age were protected from Alzheimer’s; in animals that already had the disease, the disease was halted and in some cases reversed.
The Alzheimer’s Association said Elan’s announcement is an exciting development but should not preclude other avenues of research to find a way of preventing or curing the devastating disease.
The vaccine is based on the theory that substances in the brain called amyloid plaques are the cause of Alzheimer’s dementia. A competing hypothesis holds that tangles of a protein called tau, not amyloid plaque, are the culprit.
The main ingredient of the plaques, in both mice and humans, is an enzyme called beta amyloid. The purpose of vaccinating with beta amyloid is to stimulate the immune system, notably microglial cells — the brain’s “garbage men” — to eradicate the plaques.
“If it turns out that the vaccine clears the protein out and it still doesn’t affect the disease, then that’s a clear indication that amyloid is not the causative factor,” said Thies.
The vaccine is the first to target a naturally occurring protein.
Schenk and his collaborators first tested their vaccine in mice that had been genetically engineered to develop amyloid plaques. In 1999, Elan researchers announced that their vaccine triggered an immune response in the mice that cleared the amyloid plaques from their brains.
Concurrent with Elan’s trials of the injected vaccine, Dennis Selkoe and colleagues at Harvard Medical School began testing a nasal spray version in the same type of genetically engineered mice.
FIFTY CONDITIONS THAT MIMIC “ADHD”
Thanks to the ADHD Parents Support Group, parents can arm themselves with a list of 50 conditions to eliminate before accepting a diagnosis of ADHD for their child.
By way of introduction, the group’s website states:
“For those who are searching for reasons behind their kid’s behavior, here are some possibilities. Many parents, because of not knowing, settle for ADHD as a diagnosis before looking at everything. ADHD is diagnosed by mental health professionals who form their opinion by observing your child’s behavior nothing more. There are no brain scans, blood tests, or anything else definite that is used during diagnosis.
“The problem with that is there are many other problems that have the same symptoms of ADHD. For example, any problem dealing with the fuels of the body: water, food, blood and air can cause behavior problems. Water, food, blood and air to the body are just like gas and oil to a car. If you put bad gas or have old or the wrong oil in your car, it will act up just like a child acts up when eating foods he is allergic to, drinking or breathing contaminated water or air or having blood disorders. There are also many medical, biological, emotional and mental conditions that mimic ADHD.”
Following are ten of the fifty items they list, with brief explanations. For the full list and full text please visit http://adhdparentssupportgroup.homestead.com/50conditionsmimicingADHD.html.
1. Hypoglycemia (Low Blood sugar) stemming from thyroid disorders, liver or pancreatic problems, adrenal gland abnormalities, or an insufficient diet.
2. Allergies to food dye, milk, chocolate, grains, etc.
3. Learning differences [or study difficulties that can be interpreted as such].
4. Hyper or hypothyroidism: An imbalance in metabolism that occurs from an overproduction or underproduction of thyroid hormones.
5. Hearing and vision problems: If a child can’t see or hear properly, school and other daily activities are nearly impossible and may cause ADHD-like symptoms, especially in educational settings.
6. Mild to high lead levels, even in the absence of clinical lead poisoning. Lead is the leading culprit in toxin-caused hyperactivity.
7. Spinal Problems: Some spinal problems can cause ADHD-like symptoms because the brain is receiving too many signals at once.
8. Toxin exposures: Children are more vulnerable to toxins than adults.
9. Carbon Monoxide poisoning: Sources include gas heaters, fireplaces, dryers, and water heaters.
10. Seizure disorders.
MENTAL PERFORMANCE ENHANCED BY GINKGO BILOBA/GINSENG FORMULA
A landmark clinical trial has found that a unique combination of Panax Ginseng and Ginkgo biloba extracts can significantly enhance mental performance in healthy, middle-aged people.
The study showed the unique Gingko biloba/Ginseng formulation can promote fast, accurate thinking, improve short and long-term memory retention and reduce mental fatigue. The results were recently presented at a National Institute of Mental Health seminar and announced today at a press conference at The Rockefeller University in New York City.
“This is one of the first demonstrations that a unique combination of botanical extracts can beneficially affect the memory of healthy, middle-aged volunteers,” said principal investigator Professor Keith Wesnes, Chief Executive, Cognitive Drug Research Ltd., Reading, England and visiting professor of psychology with the University of Northumbria, Northumbria, Newcastle. Prof. Wesnes developed the Computerized Cognitive Assessment System, and has conducted extensive research in the area of cognitive function. “These results suggest that individuals functioning in a fast-paced and demanding environment can improve their ability to process and retain new information and work with better mental efficiency.
“The 14-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, multi-center trial studied the cognitive effects of the herbal combination in 256 healthy volunteers between the ages of 38 and 66 years. The volunteers performed a battery of tests using the Computerized Cognitive Assessment System, a validated testing method accepted by the FDA and used to assess the effect of cognitive enhancing products. The study showed the group of volunteers receiving the active herbal combination had statistically significant improvements in cognitive function (average of +7.5%) compared to the control group receiving placebo. The combination product was well tolerated by study volunteers.
“I noticed that I was able to recall things that I had trouble remembering before like telephone numbers, names and even items on my shopping list which I always forget,” said Bill French, a study volunteer who, after the study was unblinded, learned he had been taking the combination. “Overall I just felt like I was thinking clearer and wasn’t so mentally drained at the end of a long stressful day.”
“While previous research has documented the effects of Gingko biloba on memory in older people, this study clearly shows that this specific formulation of standardized Ginkgo biloba and Ginseng extracts enhanced mental performance in a younger healthy population,” said Dr. Barbara Levine, Co-Director of the Human Nutrition Program at The Rockefeller University, speaking at the New York City conference.
“It’s also important for consumers to understand that research is product specific — meaning that the results seen in this study can’t necessarily be applied to all Ginkgo/Ginseng combinations.” The product used in the study was Ginkoba M/E, a dietary supplement manufactured and distributed by Pharmaton Natural Health Products.
The primary goal of the Human Nutrition Program at The Rockefeller University and the Nutrition Information Center at Cornell University is to serve as a resource for gathering and disseminating accurate and current information in nutrition research, clinical nutrition and basic nutrition principles. These programs strive to educate health professionals and the public about nutrition so that they can make informed decisions about maintaining a proper diet and proper use of dietary supplements and functional foods.
This study was supported by Pharmaton Natural Health Products, a division of Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
CHASTEBERRY EXTRACT EFFECTIVE FOR PMS SYMPTOMS
A recent study done by Rudiger Schellenberg, MD, PhD, and colleagues from the Institute for Health and Science in Hüttenberg, Germany, confirmed that chasteberry extract provides relief for the irritability, mood swings, and anger which can often accompany premenstrual syndrome. The results of the study were published in the British Medical Journal, January 20, 2001.
The extract, also known as agnus castus, or Vitex, comes from the peppercorn-sized fruit of the chaste tree, a small woody shrub that grows along riverbanks and hillsides in Mediterranean regions and Central Asia. Its medicinal use dates back centuries to European and Chinese traditional medicine.
In the study, 170 women were randomly assigned to receive either chasteberry extract or a placebo over three consecutive menstrual cycles. Of the women who received the chasteberry extract, 52% reported a 50% improvement in five of six self-assessed symptoms. These included irritability, mood alteration, anger, headache, and breast fullness. Physician assessment using three items on the clinical global impression scale corroborated the scores. Side effects were few and minor.
“This herbal remedy ought to be considered a therapeutic option in women in whom a causal origin for this syndrome cannot be established,” Dr. Schellenberg’s group concludes.
It is recommended that you consult your physician before taking chasteberry extract or other herbs.
RITALIN MORE POTENT THAN COCAINE
For some years, Nora Volkow, a psychiatrist who is now associate laboratory director for life sciences at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), has been studying the relationship of Ritalin to cocaine. Volkow and colleagues are acknowledged as leaders in the field of brain imaging of drug effects, having spent several years tracing the effects of drugs of addiction on the brain, using positron emission tomography (PET) and other advanced techniques. Among their long list of findings, they’ve identified the brain’s dopamine system as a major player in compulsive behavior, including drug taking and overeating.
In June 1995, the Archives of General Psychiatry published an article entitled “Is methylphenidate (Ritalin) like cocaine? Studies on their pharmacokinetics and distribution in human brain.” The study cited was done by Volkow, et al, to investigate the pharmacokinetics — the process by which a drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolized and eliminated by the body — of Ritalin in the human brain, to compare them with those of cocaine, and to evaluate whether cocaine and Ritalin compete for the same binding sites in the nervous system.
The study revealed that the regional distribution of Ritalin was identical to that of cocaine and that the two drugs competed with each other for the same binding sites. But they differed markedly in their pharmacokinetics. Clearance of Ritalin took 90 minutes, and clearance of cocaine took 20 minutes. For both drugs, their fast uptake in the brain paralleled the experience of the “high.”
The findings of a recent study done by Volkow at BNL, published in the Journal of Neuroscience and reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, not only confirm the similarities of cocaine and Ritalin, but find that Ritalin is more potent than cocaine in its effect on the dopamine system.
ADHD — a condition which to date has not been verified as a real physical, medical or neurological disease — is the primary reason a child is prescribed Ritalin. Ritalin prescriptions have increased fivefold in the past ten years. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, about 80 percent of the now 11 million prescriptions written for Ritalin are to treat ADHD. Given that there are approximately 46 million children in kindergarten through grade 12, these are sobering statistics.
In February 2000, the Journal of the American Medical Association article “Trends in the Prescribing of Psychotropic Medications to Preschoolers,” stated that psychotropic medications have tripled in preschoolers ages 2 to 4 during a five-year period.
Volkow told the media that she and her research team were “shocked as hell” at these results, and that “The data clearly show that the notion that Ritalin is a weak stimulant is completely incorrect.”
ABOUT AlternativeMentalHealth.com
ALTERNATIVEMENTALHEALTH.COM IS THE WORLD’S LARGEST WEB SITE DEVOTED exclusively to alternative mental health treatments. It includes a directory of over 200 physicians, nutritionists, experts, organizations, and facilities around the U.S. that offer or promote safe, alternative treatments for severe mental symptoms. Many of the physicians listed do in-depth examinations to find the physical causes behind mental problems.
Also included on the site is an array of articles on topics ranging from the medical causes of schizophrenia to the effects of toxic metals on mental health.
A bookstore page lists top books that cover many areas of alternative treatments with titles like Natural Healing for Schizophrenia and Other Common Mental Disorders and No More Ritalin.
AlternativeMentalHealth.com has been created to educate the public, practitioners, and government officials on the medical conditions that create “mental illness” and the many safe resources available for addressing and often curing severe mental symptoms.