Customer Reviews

Orthomolecular Psychiatry: Treatment of Schizophrenia

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This is one of the most important books on psychiatry ever written. It is not speculation that high doses of vitamins can effectively treat mental illness; it is a fact. In this authoritative volume, you have an entire textbook devoted to the subject. One might bear in mind that the principal editor of this book is no other than Linus Pauling, the only person in history to have won two unshared Nobel prizes. 36 contributing authors in thirty articles provide abundant scientific basis for aggressive use of orthomolecular (megavitamin) therapy, especially in psychosis. Though often technical, this book is a powerful response to those who insist, still, that RDA or RDI quantities of vitamins are quite adequate for all. Complete, from case histories to biochemical mechanisms, Orthomolecular Psychiatry, along with its many hundreds of included references, firmly establish very-high-dose vitamin therapy as the treatment of choice for schizophrenia, dementia, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and related illnesses. Specific therapeutic guidelines are provided, with emphasis on the most important outcome: results. Most highly recommended.

this big book,(physicaly and contently),is the early work and case histories that was documented in one extraordinary book that includs the work of: linus pauling,david hawkins, abram hoffer, and many other orthomolecular psiciatrists that gave in this book the true sight of how orthomolecular medicine really work in a very severe cases of psyciatry patients.a lot of case histories are well expressed and it is in the very simple easy to understand. this is not only for a professionals only, but also and a must in everyone 's book-case that have or know someone that need this treatment. the book also show how and when the conventional drugs are making good beneficial resoults, and when they are not,and when and how to used them in a way that will lead to the minimum use of them compare to the alternative orthomolecular psyciatry approach

This is my first book review. First off, I totally disagree with "Gregorius"'s negative review. He stated, "Almost everything this book proposes in terms of diagnosis, causes and treatment of mental disorders has either never been supported or has been disproven by subsequent research" but offered ZERO proof to back up his claim. I'd be interested in seeing this "subsequent research", because, in my real-world hands-on experience, this book has worked miraculously well.

This book turned me from being an adverserial non-believer in the underlying premises of this book into an enthusiastic convert in the books non-toxic approach to psychiatry. It was my erroneous thesis that abnormal behavior causes the biochemical imbalances seen in schizophrenia, and not the other way around. Not only that, but it proved to me that "Orthomolecular Psychiatry" will transform a totally mentally gone catatonic hallucinogenic schizophrenic individual back into their normal sane self.

In my experience, the orthomolecular approach worked so extremely well, that it made me feel like Jesus, because it seemed like a true miracle to me, and everyone involved in the patient's care was ecstatic about the success. Don't get me wrong, it was extremely hard work. One has to know and understand what one is doing. One needs a decent medical background in order to understand this book. One needs to consult other books, to supplement and update oneself on the findings and discoveries documented in this book. I suggest: a review on the upper safe limits of all recommended nutrients; a review of how circadian rhythms, the menstrual cycle (p. 466), pregnancy, post-partum depression, and Seasonal Affective Disorder affect the the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems; The Healing Nutrients Within by Eric R. Braverman, Carl C. Pfeiffer; and lots of note-taking.

It is recommended that one buy only the highest quality natural nutrients that one can afford. Don't buy synthetic Vitamin E, make sure it's "Natural" Vitamin E. If one buys Vitamin B-12, then it should be the hydroxycobalamin form, NOT the cyanocobalamin form, as the cyano- form is not only useless to the body, but toxic, too. When one gets the high-potency multi-vitamin/multi-miniral supplement, (s)he should make sure it has NO iron, unless the lab tests show an iron deficiency. Finally, as far as Vitamin B-3 goes, one needs to make sure it's either the niacinamide or the "flush-free" niacin form. Which form of vitamin B-3 is best depends on the patient's specific medical history. Keep in mind that niacin is contraindicated in gout, peptic ulcer, hypertension, and diabetes (p. 642). Niacin has a hyperglycemic effect, and thereby increases the need for insulin. Any underlying hypoglycemia will need to be corrected before undertaking the protocol for schizophrenia (p. 640), otherwise it won't work. Which orthomolecular protocol is followed also depends on whether the patient is histadelic or histapenic (pp. 465-474).

The nutritional supplements will probably cost at least around $200 for the first 90 day supply, and decrease in cost as the mental condition improves. If you think that's expensive, wait until you try a single overnight stay at the psychiatric hospital, where patients are conveniently kept mentally disabled, so as to maximize profits, either because, with rare exception, the psychiatrist is too incompetent to cure the patient, or (s)he knows better, but is too corrupted by greed, to give a damn about the patient, so (s)he puts the patients on drugs... for LIFE. Drugs, as in foreign chemical substances that are not meant for human consumption. Didn't you ever hear: "Just say NO to drugs!". Oh, but pharmaceutical drugs are legal. So what! The body doesn't care if drugs are legal or illegal, they're ALL toxic and will adversely react to them as such. If you are a hard-core allopathic physician reading this post, with a drugs and surgery FIRST mentality, you are in violation of you Hippocratic Oath: FIRST DO NO HARM. Or was that Oath you took just a bunch of B$ to you, patients be damned?

The patient will also need to exercise regularly and moderately to speed up the biochemical transformation and detoxification, and to go on a low-carb high-fiber diet, somewhat similar to the Atkins diet. The vegan Ornish diet should also work, except most people find it to be too austere to stay with it. An intense amount of study by the clinician and the patient's adherence to the protocols are required in order for the treatment to work quickly and successfully.

Some final words to the wise: Except for the patient's genetic makeup, all the behavioral, psychological, social, environmental, dietary, and other factors that contributed to the development of schizophrenia need to be permanently removed and/or minimized to the fullest extent possible, otherwise the patient is liable to have a relapse, and need to be treated again. Educating the patient is extremely important. Three other great psychiatry books are: Reality Therapy by William Glasser, MD, Toxic Psychiatry by Peter Breggin, MD, and Head First: The Biology of Hope by Norman Cousins. As the authors of Orthomolecular Psychiatry amply prove, thank God not every medical scientist and physician parks their brain at the door, when they enter graduate and medical school.

An amazing collection of writings from some of the leaders of the "orthomolecular medicine" movement. It was co-edited by the movement's founder, Linus Pauling, who also wrote or co-wrote many of the chapters. Almost everything this book proposes in terms of diagnosis, causes and treatment of mental disorders has either never been supported or has been disproven by subsequent research.

This is not a book to read for information on mental disorders and their treatment - it is for historical reference only. Like an ancient Egyptian medical papyrus, it is fascinating reading but has little or no valid medical or scientific information. It does, however, explain where some of the current medical nonsense seen in "alternative" or "complementary" medicine got its start.

If you have an interest in medical history or the strange side-alleys of medicine, this is a book you'll want to have in your collection.

Avoid this old book on long-disproven "vitamin cures Schizophrenia" theories - and buy a book by Nancy Andreasen or Irving Gottesman on the new genetics and genomics of schizoprhenia.

This book covers an approach which Dr. Abram Hoffer and others developed in the 1950s, but which by the 1970s was proven to be fruitless. The work of Dr. Hoffer and others is discussed in detail in the American Psychiatric Association Task Force Report, July 1973, which points out methodological flaws in the early work and reviews later studies which failed to show any benefit for such treatments.

In recent years, new medicines, with improved side-effect profiles and techniques to overcome problems with social and occupational functioning, have been well proven advances for the treatment of schizophrenia. Early intervention programs should prevent some of the serious dysfunction of the disease.

Serious illnesses like schizophrenia require proven treatments. Vitamin treatments as "alternative" therapy for schizophrenia should not be recommended.