Brain Imagining by SPECT: Contact the US-based Amen clinics online site. Dr. Daniel Amen MD is a board-certified Neuro Psychiatrist who performs and houses the world’s largest SPECT scans for psychiatric diagnostic purposes. See Amen’s bookstore for great resources. In Canada, SPEC imaging has been recently approved as a diagnostic tool for major psychiatric conditions. 

Brain Mapping by qEEG: Dr. Frank Lawless Ph.D, US based Psycho-Neuro-Plasticity Clinic: Dr. Lawless is a focuses on brain health for mental health and like SPECT utilizes qEEG recordings to offer a clinical picture of brain’s operations that may be connected to the mental illness at hand.

Nutrition for Mental Health Treatment: US based Dr. James M. Greenblatt, M.D., is a board certified Psychiatrist who specializes in Integrative Psychiatry, that uses nutrients and foods along with medications if merited. He is the author of several books on this field of practice.Nutrition for Mental Health Treatment: Dr. Danial Amen, MD, of Amen Clinics is a board certified Psychiatrist who in addition to applying SPECT imaging is also an Integrative Psychiatrist who uses nutrients and foods along with medications if merited.

“Brief Recovery Work” foundation for The Recovery Protocol Breakthrough: The foundation for this generative practice is based on the application of Narrative Practices. See publications, “Maps of Narrative Practice” by Michael White, co-creator of Narrative Practices and “Narrative Medicine: The Use of History and Story in the Healing Process” by Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona, M.D., Ph.D., in Psychiatry.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation involves passing magnetic waves directed at specific areas of the brain to treat protracted “treatment-resistant” neuropsychiatric conditions. Both long-standing depression and anxiety-based disorders such as OCD and PTSD are some of the disorders that this form of treatment addresses. This technology is becoming more mainstream in practice access and availability. A patient shall experience multiple treatment exposures to TMS, over time and this procedure is performed on an outpatient basis at a clinic, hospital or psychiatric facility.

Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT): This is the most used treatment of last resort for the public with “treatment resistance” at play. The procedure is both accessible and available. Most major neuropsychiatric conditions like Depression and Anxiety disorders including schizophrenia have responded well. This procedure is much safer now. With ECT, electrical impulses are passed through the brain to disrupt dysfunctional neural firings and reset the brain to fire more normally. The ECT procedure can be performed during an in-hospital stay or can be done on an outpatient basis from a hospital or psychiatric facility.

Psychedelics: The use of psychedelics as a psychiatric treatment modality is now arriving at the public’s door. The first on the scene is the use of Ketamine (Special “K” on the streets or used as a common anesthetic) as a psychedelic is gaining more traction, access and availability in the public sphere. There are two types of Ketamine used to address protracted anxiety disorders and depression. There is a Ketamine form which is FDA and Health Canada approved that is delivered in a medical clinic. This version is a non-psychedelic treatment because of a variance in its chemical structure. The second version of Ketamine is used for anesthesia at a certain dose but for the psychedelic experience, a lower dose is applied.

The next psychedelic in line to receive FDA and Health Canada approval is “psilocybin”, from magic mushrooms. Research has shown that those with “treatment-resistant” depression and anxiety-related disorders can be candidates for this form of treatment.

CBC/THC Cannabidiols: The use of cannabidiols such as THC/CBD combination or in their single form is used by people who are experiencing protracted “treatment resistant” depression and anxiety-related disorders. Many physician providers are now beginning to prescribe cannabidiols and in some countries and states (provinces) it is legal to grow these medicinal for private use.

Integrative Psychiatry: There are many terms used to name the psychiatric practice that fuses conventional drug treatment with a nutritional approach for major mental health conditions. Some of the terms used are Integrative Psychiatry; Functional Psychiatry; Nutritional Psychiatry and Orthomolecular Psychiatry. Presently, a few private institutions are spouting up that train psychiatrists in this integrative field of medicine. Independently, there are private clinics around the world that apply nutrition to heal major mental health disorders and behavioral problems. There are health practitioners like Naturopathic Doctors, Psychologists, Social Workers and Nutritionists trained in applying nutrition to mental health problems. However, the integrative approach has not gained traction with mainstream psychiatry to date.

Start your investigation, with books and resources by Dr. James Greenblatt MD in Psychiatry; and Dr. Daniel Amen MD neuropsychiatrist who founded the Amen Clinics in the US or through the Orthomolecular Medicine Society is a good start to familiarize oneself with this approach to mental health, as well as, the video link included above as a resource.

A place to start regarding finding a nutritional practitioner in mental health is to search for Naturopathic Colleges and or Nutritional Schools that may offer leads to a practitioner. Presently there is no registry for psychiatrists as far as I am aware that can designate whether an integrative practice is offered in their practice.

In my case, I searched high and low till I discovered leads that led me to an integrative psychiatrist in private practice for my protracted depression and anxiety disorders. This was one of the best decisions I made in my recovery journey. The turnaround was amazing. Through this psychiatrist, I was introduced to blood testing for deficiencies in lipids, vitamins, minerals, and hormones which were contributing to sustaining the life of the mental health conditions I faced. In addition, there was a thorough nutritional assessment and a diet reset on my part along with minimal use of medication.

Mindfulness /CBT: The most researched psychotherapy approach for treating depression and anxiety disorders is the application of Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It is the most available and accessible mode of therapy in the public sphere. This therapy is offered by most social work psychotherapists and psychologists who practice psychotherapy.

If there is a specific trauma memory or theme attached to the mental health condition, currently the “Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)” modality is widely available through trained psychologists and psychotherapists in this form of therapy.

Brief Recovery Work (BRW): The Recovery Protocol Breakthrough, is based on the practice of Brief Recovery Work (BRW). This practice is based on marriage between Recovery Orientation principles; Narrative Practices and Relational Therapeutics. In short, BRW is a regenerative practice focused on massaging an individual’s “personal agency” and “hopefulness”, the recovery mindset, to leverage their strengths towards generating a recovery. In applying BRW a person can experience a transition from an “Illness Centered Life” to a “Person Directed Life” which offers greater autonomy in living whether on medication or not.

Brief Recovery Work (BRW), as presented, in this protocol breakthrough, is the first of its kind to target psychiatric treatment within the “Treatment Room” of the physician provider to get more from medication therapy for those who are living with protracted “treatment resistance” connected to mental disorder undermining their life. The alliance between the conventional drug approach and recovery allows the patient to gain more from treatment while forging a life for themselves that is less influenced by the mental health condition held.