Page 28 - Complementary and Alternative Medicine Treatments in Psychiatry

28 | Complementary and Alternative Medicine Treatments in Psychiatry

dyscontrol, fatigue/apathy, and increased risk of suicide (Reeves
2011).
Even up to five years after non-impact brain injury (whiplash),
patients have been frequently found (greater than norms) to
have cognitive deficits—primarily in the area of executive
functioning—and problems with behavioral control, sleep, and
sexuality (Henry 2000).
In addition to mainstream medical procedures, CAM
treatments for mild to severe TBI include acupuncture,
chiropractic, neural therapy, and EEG biofeedback. Hyperbaric
oxygen (HBO) treatment has been found to be effective for post-
TBI mental symptoms. A Chinese research team reported: “After
two courses of HBO treatment, 252 previously positive [TBI]
patients were examined again by SPECT. The results revealed
that 92 patients still had abnormal scans but 160 were now
normal.... The results of our study showed the distinctive
beneficial effect of HBO in neuropsychiatric disorders after TBI
and that SPECT images were far superior to CT scan in evaluating
the effect of HBO and neuropsychiatric disorders after TBI.” (Shi
2006)

Thyroid Issues

The thyroid gland regulates, among other things, metabolism
and the rate of energy usage in the body. Psychiatric symptoms
of hyperthyroidism include:
− Generalized anxiety
− Depression
− Irritability
− Hypomania
− Cognitive dysfunction
− Mania (in severe hyperthyroidism—thyrotoxicosis, “thyroid
storm”)