Tag Archives: national institute of mental health

Do people really need to stay on anti-psychotic medications over the long haul?

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By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.

Drugs

Medications.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

Are psychiatric meds for life?

The conventional wisdom has been that one you were put on an anti-psychotic you were going to be on it for life. People who stopped taking their meds were at high risk for a relapse.

Now comes a blog post, from no other than the director of the National Institute of Mental Health, reporting that we may have been wrong about this.

You can read the full director’s report at the link below.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/2013/antipsychotics-taking-the-long-view.shtml

Please do not read my post or even the Director of NIMH and stop taking your meds. Talk to your doctor first.

But consider that meds and meds alone may not be what you or others with a mental illness really need.

You might also want to talk a look at Aaron Beck’s book on cognitive therapy and schizophrenia. The link is below.

Schizophrenia: Cognitive Theory, Research, and Therapy

“Counselorssoapbox is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.” We recommend only books we think are good and maybe occasionally make a buck.

So as with all other treatments, one size, one method is not the right approach for everyone.

Staying connected with David Joel Miller

Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!

My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.

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Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.

As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.

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New Bipolar drug trial

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Bipolar.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

In past blog posts, I mentioned that one difference between people with Bipolar disorder and people with unipolar depression was the way that people with Bipolar Disorder sometimes react suddenly and dramatically to medications, especially anti-depressants. I came across this article on a new trial of drugs being conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health. Thought this might be of interest to some of you. But please folks, don’t try this at home. New drugs should only be tried after consulting with your current provider and medication should always be supervised by a medical professional. If any of you are involved in this trial or hear more about it let us know what you find out.

NATIONWIDE RECRUITMENT–BIPOLAR DISORDER RESEARCH STUDY: ANTIDEPRESSANT RAPID EFFECTS OF KETAMINE

Individuals who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder may be able to participate in a trial designed to understand the causes of depression and rapid antidepressant response. Specifically, this study is testing whether ketamine, a drug that affects glutamate in the brain, will improve symptoms of depression within a matter of hours.

Individuals between 18 and 65 years of age who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and previously failed to respond to treatment may be eligible for an inpatient trial designed to bring about a rapid antidepressant effect. After completion of the study, the participant is transitioned back to a clinician in the community. In addition, all research participation is without cost and NIMH will cover all transportation costs from anywhere in the United States. Compensation is provided for study procedures. To find out more information, please call 1-877-MIND-NIH (1-877-646-3644) or email moodresearch@mail.nih.gov. For more information on research conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, MD click here http://patientinfo.nimh.nih.gov.

The photo above is from Wikimedia and is not the drug they are talking about for the study. You will probably need to cut and paste the link above. Short post tonight but more is on the way. Until next time, have a happy life. David Miller, LMFT, NCC.