The “Mind” is Part of the Body
A Comprehensive Approach the Treatment of Psychological Issues
In 1960, Thomas Szasz wrote a groundbreaking book intending to remove the stigma from psychiatric conditions called “The Myth of Mental Illness.” The premise of the book was that psychological issues had no proven roots in biology, so should not be called “illness”. Was he right? Are “psychological issues” rooted in biology or do they stem from experiences in life? Current thinking/treatment protocols suggest that, in fact, “psychological” issues have both situational (based on life experiences dating from childhood) and biological roots.
Further, situational and biological roots are by no means mutually exclusive; biology affects experience and life affects biology. For example, someone born with a sensitive nervous system will process life events differently than others. And conversely, early life events beginning before birth can impact the nervous system directly by rewiring connections between nerves, affecting neurotransmitters and disrupting the adrenal “emergency system”. So, these problems are best viewed at both the physical level and the experiential level and addressed at all available access points in the diagnostic/treatment process. Imagine trying to undo a knot on a delicate jewelry chain by working on only one small section over and over again. Would you do that? No, you would loosen one part first. then another part, then another until ultimately the knot fell apart. You could never succeed unless the knot was addressed as a whole.
So, are drugs the answer? Every psychotropic drug has a profile affecting multiple neurotransmitters in very specific ways. It can be useful, but it is not tailored to the individual’s system, so it can affect them in certain ways both positively and negatively. It is rarely an excellent match to any individual’s body chemistry.
There are many very specific pieces of body chemistry that can be explored and directly adjusted to positively affect one’s psychological outlook. These underlying biological causes include, but certainly are not limited to: effects of sugar, food sensitivities, neurotransmitter levels, nutrient levels, adrenal and thyroid levels, presence of heavy metals or other toxins in the body, composition of the microbiome (population of gut organisms) and many more.
In addition, there are behavioral changes that can impact psychological stability and resilience. These include: exercise, diet (choices and patterns of eating), giving up addictions, meditation/ prayer, participating in community, getting adequate sleep and sleeping in the right pattern, etc. There are specific body-based treatments to help unlock the deepest issues under professional supervision: EMDR, Rolfing, bioenergetics. There are other transformational biological approaches such as homeopathy, essential oils, biofeedback, and hypnosis.
On the non-biological/not-directly physical side, there are multiple types of psychotherapy, both listening and cognitive therapies, that can profoundly impact “the mind” and ultimately transform the body by reconfiguring neural connections over time. Long before Prozac, Freud and his contemporaries were able to transform the lives of people with serious psychiatric issues simply through talking, without the use of any medications whatsoever, and create lasting change.
For minor, new-onset problems, any one of these many approaches might be sufficient. But for deeper issues and/or issues that have persisted over time, a multi-pronged approach which includes ALL the “moving parts” is indicated to establish profound, comprehensive, long-lasting results. This inclusive vision, along with the commitment to stay with the search until the “knot unravels” is the surest path to ultimate success.
Robin Ellen Leder, M.D., has been practicing functional/ alternative medicine for over 30 years. Her interest in caring for individuals who deal with psychiatric issues in a comprehensive, non-pharmaceutical way dates to her childhood. She began to work professionally with these issues using an inclusive holistic approach working with complementary medicine pioneer Dr. Robert Atkins (“The Atkins Diet”) and continues today in her Hackensack office.
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