Mood Disorders

From anxiety to depression to panic attacks and bipolar disorder, the most often prescribed treatments for these disorders are prescription medications – all of which have potentially serious side effects – including death!

“Emotional Disorders” do not involve a deficiency of Paxil, Prozac, Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Xanax or the like, but rather stem from deficiencies or imbalances of the chemicals known as neurotransmitters which themselves are the substances on which these drugs work. In other words, these prescription medications can only provide their “benefits” if enough of the neurotransmitter it works on is available in sufficient amounts. If there is not enough neurotransmitter to act upon then the drug will not work and the patient is left with only the side-effects rather than its possible benefits. For the same reason, drugs that once seemed to provide relief of symptoms (but never resolved the underlying deficiency or imbalance) stop working or need to be taken more frequently or in higher doses. What’s more, prominent psychologists/psychiatrists and pyscho-pharmacologists from Harvard University have recently determined that a significant percentage of patients who are unipolar (depressed) will become bipolar if allowed to remain on these medications long-term. Unbeknownst to many practitioners, there are ways to determine if there exists a deficiency/excess/imbalance within and between these neurotransmitters by utilizing a state of the art urine test to determine these chemical levels.  These results, along with an accurate history and physical examination, will often allow the astute practitioner to provide a non-prescription formulation that will correct these chemical flaws through an intervention commonly referred to as TAAT or “Targeted Amino Acid Therapy.”

In essence, prescription medications used in depression and anxiety do not address an underlying “problem(s)” they only address underlying symptoms.  Unfortunately they are unsuccessful at best and far too often produce more detrimental symptoms than the patient initially complained of.  This is even recognized by the pharmaceutical manufacturers and offered up to the patient with their warnings regarding side effects during their commercial TV advertisements, which take longer to list than does their benefits! BOTTOM LINE: Fix the problem not the symptom. Anxiety and depression may not be as simple as taking amino acid supplements; it also involves psychiatric intervention as well to provide understanding of both the situational as well as the chemical sources of the problem – not just the symptom.