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The Role of Allergies, Poisons, and Toxins in Psychiatry | 59

5. The Role of Allergies, Poisons, and

Toxins in Psychiatry

Dan Stradford

One of the significant achievements of modern psychiatry has
been the categorization of symptomatology. We know that
people who experience manic phases, for example, often
respond to treatment with lithium. By classifying symptoms into
common syndromes, each of which has its own recommended
treatment, the physician has a better concept of how to address
a specific constellation of behaviors and mental phenomena he is
presented with.
This same classification system, however, can create a false
sense of certainty, which can lead to misdiagnosis. The
practitioner can fall into the habit of assessing a patient using
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) criteria, assigning a
diagnosis, and prescribing in accordance with diagnostic
protocols. While this is an efficient system, the truth is that five
different patients with a diagnosis of depression, for example,
can have symptoms due to five completely different etiologies.
Thus, five different treatment plans may be in order, not a
generic approach based strictly on diagnosis.
Two such etiologies that can deceive a psychiatrist’s diagnostic
eye are allergies and toxins. While treating symptoms