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In This Issue
about safe harbor
about alternative
mentalhealth.com
Editor's note
Articles
Lead Found in Large
Percentage of Bathtubs
Herb Rhodiola May Help
Depression
Children's Behavior,
Performance Improved by Vitamins
Folate (Vitamin B9) May
Reduce Alzheimer's Risk
Famed Shock Researcher
Admits Treatments Cause Brain Problems
Chronic Cough
Increases Likelihood of Depression
ANNOUNCEMENT: 36th
Annual Orthomolecular Conference, Toronto, April 20-22
The Editors
Dan Stradford, Editor
Alan Graham, Contributing Editor
SafeHarborProj@aol.com
AlternativeMentalHealth.com
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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, Safe Harbor 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.
About AlternativeMental
Health.com
ALTERNATIVEMENTALHEALTH.COM
is the world's largest website devoted exclusively to
alternative mental health treatments. It includes a directory
of over 350 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.
Special AlternativeMentalHealth.com T-shirts
and bumper stickers are available at our online store.
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.
Contact Us
Safe Harbor
787 W. Woodbury Rd., #2
Altadena, CA 91001
Phone: 626-791-7868
Fax: 626-791-7869
SafeHarborProj@aol.com
AlternativeMentalHealth.com
Safe Harbor New Mexico
Louisa Putnam, President
505 988-4242
louisa_putnam@mcmxi.com
We welcome your donations. As a nonprofit
organization, Safe Harbor is supported solely through the
generosity of the public. Donations can be made online at our
web site or mailed to the above address. We also accept Visa/
MasterCard by phone. Thank you.
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Editor's note
As Safe Harbor enters its ninth year in 2007, we thought
we'd take a moment to review changes in the world of mental
health since our inception.
Although it has been our good fortune to meet many
competent, forward-thinking psychiatrists over the past years,
we have had to conclude that the field of psychiatry in
general is probably the slowest progressing of all the health
professions. Therefore, it has been with delight that we have
been able to witness the changes that have occurred.
One of the great success stories has been the use of
omega-3 fatty acids in psychiatry (commonly given as fish
oil). First brought to international attention by Dr. Andrew
Stoll of Harvard when he found fish oil to be successful in
treating bipolar disorder, omega-3s have now become well
understood in the psychiatric community to bring improvement
for a broad array of mental symptoms.
Another dramatic change has been the recovery movement in
mental health. Though this was not brought about by
psychiatrists, but by consumers, the mental health
establishment has, reluctantly at first, gone along with the
desires of patients to find a life in spite of mental illness.
This is a great stride for patients, though, unfortunately, it
has not brought the psychiatric profession to believe that
actual recovery is generally possible, particularly for those
with psychotic disorders.
Another change has been the discontinuation of the
"chemical imbalance" theories of psychiatry. After
many years of using this phrase as a justification for
medicating the brain—and after a near equal number of years
of ridicule by a doubting public (after all, the only
chemicals to balance in the brain are nutrients, aren't
they?)—drug companies and psychiatry in general has
abandoned this oversimplistic marketing slogan and
acknowledged that such things as depression can come from many
sources.
Finally, we've witnessed the acknowledgment, after years of
public protest, that drugs such as SSRIs and antipsychotics
do, indeed, cause such problems as suicidality, obesity, and
diabetes.
Let us hope this progress continues and a day comes when
psychiatry comes to realize that mental health requires a
holistic view—looking at physical health, metabolic health,
diet, toxin exposures, allergies, environmental conditions,
personal relationships, education on dealing with life, and
even spiritual matters.
That will bring many smiling faces in the
mental health wards – and, we believe, a lot more
recoveries.
Lead Found in Large Percentage of Bathtubs
An untold number of adults and children are unknowingly
exposed daily to toxic lead – and its debilitating mental
and physical effects – from their bathtubs.
The site www.care2.com reports the case of a 66-year-old
man who inexplicably experienced personality changes,
paranoia, short term memory loss, abdominal pain, and
constipation. It was finally discovered that he had severe
lead poisoning after drinking wine made from grapes soaked in
a bathtub with a lead enamel glaze.
In 1995 a study was reported by Unique Refinishers of
Atlanta – known as the world's largest and oldest
refinishing company - that of 600 bathtubs tested, 64% were
found to have leachable lead on the surface. The problem is
usually found in older tubs.
The legal firm of Monheit, Silverman, and Fodera cite
Claude Limoges, the president of American Lead Consultants, as
reporting: "We find lead in the tubs 50% of the time,
when we inspect an older home, and we almost always test the
tub for lead. In many cases, the enamel is cracking and it is
clear that the lead is leaching into the water when a bath is
drawn. This can be very dangerous for a child who is bathed in
that tub. Especially for children who are under the age of 7.
In other situations, due to the hardness of the water, or the
use of harsh detergents, the enamel finish is worn down, and
even though no perceptable cracks are there, the lead can
still get into the water in which the child is bathed, or can
be picked up by the child simply playing in the tub, touching
the tub surface, and placing his hand into his mouth."
Safe Harbor received a report from a woman who owns a
refinishing company and tested her own bathtubs for lead. Two
of three tested positive – and the tubs were a frequent play
area for her children who liked to drink the tub water in
teacups while holding tea parties during bath time.
Lead enters the body most commonly through ingestion and
inhalation. Small amounts can be absorbed through the skin.
Unborn children are openly exposed to lead if the mother takes
it into her body.
Lead poisoning has long been known to cause personality
changes, depression, memory problems, learning difficulties,
"ADD," and a host of other mental and physical
problems. In a poignant letter in his later years, the great
Beethoven— plagued by deafness, rages, and
depression—asked that a physician "describe my
affliction...so that, as far as is possible, the world may
become reconciled with me after my death." More than 150
years passed before Dr. Willam Walsh of the Pfeiffer Treatment
Center near Chicago was permitted to test the composer's hair
and found that high lead levels had plagued the musical
genius.
The solution? First, you can test your bathtub
with a kit as cheap as $13 from online suppliers. If found to
test positive for lead, the tubs can be refinished so the lead
glaze no longer "leaks" lead, or the tub can be
replaced.
HERB RHODIOLA MAY HELP DEPRESSION
Known in scientific circles as rhodiola rosea, the
herb rhodiola has been used for centuries in traditional
European and Asian folk medicine for a host of symptoms,
including fatigue, depression, nervous system disorders, colds
and flus and low stamina.
Although less well-known in the Western world, rhodiola has
been gaining in popularity in English-speaking countries as a
remedy for low mood and fatigue. The many scientific studies
of the herb have improved its reception in medical circles.
Since 1969, R. rosea has been included in official
Russian medicine. The Pharmacological and Pharmacopoeia
Committee of the Soviet Ministry of Health recommended
medicinal use and industrial production of liquid R. rosea
extract. In 1975, the Soviet Ministry of Health approved and
registered a preparation of the herb as a medicine and tonic,
allowing large-scale production under the name Rhodiola
Extract Liquid, an alcohol-based extract. Medical and
pharmacological texts describe its use as a stimulant for
asthenia (fatigue), for somatic and infectious illnesses, in
psychiatric and neurological conditions, and in healthy
individuals to relieve fatigue and to increase attention span,
memory, and work productivity.
In Sweden, rhodiola was recognized as an Herbal Medicinal
Product in 1985 and has been described as an antifatigue agent
in the Textbook of Phytomedicine for Pharmacists. In
the textbook of pharmacology for dispenser training in Sweden,
R. rosea is mentioned as a plant with a stimulant
action. Also, the Pharmaceutical Book (Lakemedelsboken
97/98) mentions R. rosea as one of the most
commonly used psychostimulants in the group of officially
registered herbal medicinal products. In Denmark, R. rosea
is registered as a medical product in the category of
botanical drugs. Registered preparations are extensively used
in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries to increase mental
work capacity during stress, as a psychostimulant, and as a
general strengthener.
Rhodiola can be purchased online and in most large
supplement stores in the U.S.
For more information on the herb, see:
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=u5oiq9bab.0.0.sx8mssn6.0&ts=S0220&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.herbalgram.org%2Fherbalgram%2Farticleview.asp%3Fa%3D2333.
Children's Behavior, Performance Improved
by Vitamins
For a number of years now, Vitamin Relief USA, a nonprofit
organization, has taken on the remarkable task of providing
multivitamins to underprivileged children. Safe Harbor's good
friend, popular nutritional psychiatrist and author Hyla Cass,
MD(www.cassmd.com)—as
a Vitamin Relief USA board member and former president—has
been kind enough over the years to keep us posted on the
remarkable achievements of this group.
A recent survey of parents and teachers of the
vitamin-treated children by the organization found that over
half of the parents reported an increase of energy and
appetite in their children. 36% of teachers and 36% of parents
said students' self-esteem had improved. One out of every four
parents said their children were less depressed, less angry
and less aggressive. Almost one-third of teachers reported an
increase in the children's concentration.
In addition, survey results confirm that long-term use of
VRUSA vitamins leads to an increased reduction of seasonal
illness in children. For example, in 2002, 37% of teachers and
staff reported less illness in participating children,
compared to 52% this year. In day-to-day life, this
improvement in the children equates to less time at the
doctor's office and more time in the classroom. It is no
surprise that more than one-third of the teachers and staff
reported the students were performing better at school.
"These survey results are all welcome validations
about the value and the benefits that Vitamin Relief USA's
programs are providing every day to children in need,"
says Michael Morton, VRUSA's Executive Director.
Vitamin Relief USA provides daily vitamins to over 24,000
children in 31 states across the United States. Collaborative
distribution sites include Head Start, Healthy Start and WIC
programs, K-12 public schools and school districts, Volunteers
of America, Rotary Clubs, Health Care for the Homeless
Clinician's Network, community health centers, homeless and
battered women shelters, Native American programs, Salvation
Army, YWCA and YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs, City Park and
Recreation Departments, hospital outreach programs, public
health departments, medical and nursing school community
outreach programs, and countless other community-based and
faith-based organizations. Last year VRUSA supplied over 14
million supplements to children alone.
To support Vitamin Relief USA or for further
information, please call 805-715-2693 or log onto http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=u5oiq9bab.0.0.sx8mssn6.0&ts=S0220&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vitaminrelief.org.
Folate (Vitamin B9) May Reduce Alzheimer's
Risk
Research carried out in New York City has found that
increased intake of folate may reduce the likelihood of
developing Alzheimer's Disease. It was also found that
elevated intake of vitamins B6 and B12 did not show the same
benefit.
The study was lead by Columbia University Medical Center's
Dr. Jose Luchsinger. Researchers studied 965 people, aged 65
and older (average age near 76) in Manhattan. Higher levels of
folate ingestion, through diet and supplements, correlated
with reduced risk for Alzheimer's.
Although the researchers did not wish to assume the study
was definitive, the results do confirm what has been found in
previous research. It is theorized that the protection comes
from folate breaking down an amino acid in the blood called
homocysteine. Folate (also known as vitamin B9) is found in
such foods as leafy green vegetables like spinach, citrus
fruits and beans. The word folate comes from a Latin word for
"foliage," since green leaves are good source of the
nutrient.
The study was published in the January 2007
issue of Archives of Neurology.
Famed Shock Researcher Admits Treatments
Cause Brain Problems
For more than two decades, psychologist Dr. Harold Sackheim
of Columbia University has been on of the world's foremost
authorities and proponents of electroshock or
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), claiming routinely that it is
"safe and effective." When psychiatrist Peter
Breggin challenged the safety of ECT, Sackheim is quoted as
saying, "Not only hasn't the Breggin brain damage theory
been proven, it's been disproven." Thus it came as a
"shock" to the psychiatric community when Sackheim
published a study in the January 2007 issue of Neuropsychopharmacology,
reporting "this study provides the first evidence in a
large, prospective sample that adverse cognitive effects can
persist for an extended period, and that they characterize
routine treatment with ECT in community settings."
The research, which reviewed more than 300 patients in the
New York City area, found, among other things, that 12.4% of
the patients "met the...criteria for having marked and
persistent retrograde amnesia..."
Medical News Today, a popular healthcare industry
news source, called the revelation "a stunning
reversal."
"For the past 25 years," the publication reported
the day after Christmas, 2006, "ECT patients were told by
Sackeim, the nation's top ECT researcher, that the
controversial treatment doesn't cause permanent amnesia and,
in fact, improves memory and increases intelligence.
Psychologist Sackeim also taught a generation of ECT
practitioners that permanent amnesia from ECT is so rare that
it could not be studied. He asserted that most people who said
the treatment erased years of memory were mentally ill and
thus not credible."
Also, according to Medical News Today, Sackheim, who
has received numerous federal grants, has never revealed his
financial connections, as required by federal law, to a shock
therapy machine manufacturer called Mecta, and he did not
reveal it to New York state officials, as required by state
law, until 2002. Nor did he reveal it in the Neuropsychopharmacology
article.
The news that ECT causes long-term cognitive deficits does
not come as a surprise to its many critics or the multitude of
patients who have spoken out against it for decades.
For more information on the unpopular opinions
about ECT, see http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=u5oiq9bab.0.0.sx8mssn6.0&ts=S0220&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ect.org.
Chronic Cough Increases Likelihood of
Depression
Researchers reporting in the December 2006 issue of the
journal Chest found that people suffering from chronic
cough are at increased risk of depression.
Of 100 patients who sought evaluation and treatment for
chronic cough, 53% were depressed based on a Center for
Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale of 16 or above.
It is noteworthy that after 3 months of treatment both
cough and depression improved.
This "supports a causal link between chronic cough and
the presence of depressive symptomatology," the
researchers commented.
A significant correlation was found between improvements in
the cough and depression scores, even after taking into
account gender, age at study entry, cough duration at study
entry, depression score at study entry, and possible
interactions between gender and depression score.
"Our study has demonstrated that depressive
symptomatology is very common in patients with chronic
cough," the researchers stated.
"Physicians and other caregivers must be
cognizant of the significant risk of clinical depression in
this patient population."
36th Annual Orthomolecular Conference,
Toronto, April 20-22
The International Society of Orthomolecular Medicine hosts
its 36th annual conference, Nutrition Medicine Today, on April
20-22 in Toronto, Canada. Physicans and other speakers will
present on such topics as orthomolecular (nutritional)
approaches to optimize immunological, neurological,
cardiovascular and endocrine function.
On April 19, actress Margot Kidder with emcee a tribute
dinner for Dr. Abram Hoffer, age 89, one of the founders of
orthomolecular medicine. Funds raised will go to the
International Schizophrenia Foundation.
For more information, go to http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=u5oiq9bab.0.0.sx8mssn6.0&ts=S0220&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.orthomed.org%2FNMT%2Fnmt.html.
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