You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

27 Responses to “Alternatives”

1. Royal Jelly Health Benefits says:

   August 24, 2009 at 8:41 pm

   I’ve recently started a blog, the information you provide on this site has helped me tremendously. Thank you for all of your time & work.
2. Joe Santos says:

   October 19, 2009 at 4:44 pm

   Thank god for CCHR. Psychiatry destroyed my LIFE. I have permanent headaches and Neurological sensory disturbances that make me unfunctionable and destroyed my life. Psychiatry and their psychiatric drugs did this to me. I was systematically lied too, brainwashed, and “had” by psychiatric fraudulent diagnosis and drugs which destroyed me physically and psychologically. Psychiatrists are crippling and killing people just like me on a daily basis. These psychiatrists NEED to be STOPPED. I never thought i would end up like this by trusting doctors. I got burned by psychiatrists when i was only 17, at that age i was naive, vulnerable, and afraid. Psychiatrists took advantage of that and intentionally, purposely, convinced me i was sick and had a “chemical imbalance” disease that required psychiatric drugs that i was told had to be taken for LIFE. I was pressured by them to take the drugs or if i didn’t i would be very sick. Well, psychiatrists made me very sick, so sick i can barely walk after 17 long years of walking around thinking psychiatric drugs were fixing a so called fraudulent “chemical imbalance” in my brain when in fact it was CAUSING a “chemical imbalance” in my brain as well as damaging vital neurotransmitters and neurons. I was severely sick when i was taking psychiatric drugs but was quickly interrupted and quieted by psychiatrists to make me believe it was my underlying “chemical imbalance psychiatric disease”. It was in fact the drugs causing me extreme mental confusion and sickly feelings for 17 long years until i found out about their fraud too late. I could never work when i was put on their drugs and continue school, as i was suffering psychiatric drug side effects and felt and looked like a drug addict. It is time to end psychiatry once and for all. It is a criminal organization hiding behind “doctors mantle” pushing drugs on vulnerable, naive, children and teenagers for profit. My life is destroyed and i blame psychiatry for all the damage they have done to me for some minor anxieties i had when i was young that could have been cured with some counselling. Now i have grave Neurological damage to my brain and body all because of psychiatrists who intentionally damaged me and no Lawyer wants to take my case because they know there is no certain win as psychiatrists bring their lies into the courtroom. Please put an end to Psychiatry before they make more children and teens into life long victims like me. May god deal with the psychiatrists who harmed me and may they burn in hell for all of eternal fire. May god give me the light and heal my damaged wounds. I have faith in god, god loves me and will punish the psychiatrists who harmed me for life. I will not forgive and will not forget what psychiatrists have done to me. I want JUSTICE.
3. Diane says:

   November 25, 2009 at 5:51 pm

   Thank you for letting me know there is light at the end of the tunnel and others agree and confirm that I am sicker now than I ever was when I first started taking Efexor. Looking forward to coming off them with help.

   Thank you.
4. Yin Thing Sih says:

   November 26, 2009 at 9:00 pm

   prayer must go hand in hand with alternative treatments.

   Physical treatments alone without acknowledging God is imperfect and illogical.

   The members of the afflicted must regularly pray together for God’s mercy and to be guided to the right treatment.
5. Steve Lockie says:

   November 29, 2009 at 3:23 am

   “Models of Madness” by Prof Reid and co.
6. Lisa Hunt says:

   December 7, 2009 at 7:54 am

   I have been a healthcare professional for over 25 years and I have not seen one person get better on psych drugs. It’s time to address these problems that are being created within the drug industry. Tell everyone you know to stay away from psych drugs. Tell a friend, save a friend. Tell a family member, save a family member from a live of sheer hell. Write, call, email, or fax your congressman to pass laws that protect us all from this massive psychiatric drug campaign. Don’t be the next victim. Check out natural solutions for every day problems.
7. Lisa Hunt says:

   December 7, 2009 at 7:55 am

   I have been a healthcare professional for over 25 years and I have not seen one person get better on psych drugs. It’s time to address these problems that are being created within the drug industry. Tell everyone you know to stay away from psych drugs. Tell a friend, save a friend. Tell a family member, save a family member from a life of sheer hell. Write, call, email, or fax your congressman to pass laws that protect us all from this massive psychiatric drug campaign. Don’t be the next victim. Check out natural solutions for every day problems.
8. Green Mental Health Care – Reclaiming Lives From Psychiatric Drugs says:

   December 7, 2009 at 10:11 pm

   [...] alternatives for mental health or for more information on safely coming off of psychiatric drugs visit our alternatives page. Bookmark and [...]
9. eleni says:

   December 10, 2009 at 3:56 pm

   And my life is destroyed from the phychiatric medicines. I take depakine, guetiapine and aloperidine. Some tell me that i have massive depressive and some tell schisophrenia.
   Please tell me what medicines is not dangerous to have.
10. shanhong LU, MD, PhD says:

    December 26, 2009 at 7:01 pm

    As a medical doctor, I realized many mental illnesses are due to environmental neurotoxins and stress and hormonal disruptions and neurotransmitter inbalances. We can now finally use lab measures combined with nutrition and spiritual healing to safely get people off drugs!
11. Kari Luoto says:

    January 26, 2010 at 8:09 am

    Most psychiatric disorders are caused by wrong nutrition, that causes uric acid buildup in the body, and depletes alcalic minerals.

    Depression, anxiety, panic disorder etc, can be cured in a matter of days or weeks by water, mineral salt and alcalic diet. Same goes with CFS, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis and other similar conditions.
12. Jonathan Adler says:

    January 26, 2010 at 1:19 pm

    If it is agreed that mental illness is not a physical problem in the brain, why are people on this website advocating alternative physical/biological treatments such as nuitrition? What is needed is psychosocial interventions such as family therapy and psychotherapy. ‘Holistic’ or ‘natural’ physical treatments may be helpful in helping the patient to come off the psychiatric drugs and repairing the neurological damage caused by the drugs.
13. Fouad Zennari says:

    January 30, 2010 at 2:33 pm

    Dear Sir Or Madam,

    Since 1989s up to 1999s, the whole Moroccan Authoritative Teams and the all Morocan Psychiatrique Services’ Teams of the main local Sidi Hussein Ben Asseur Hospital In Ouarzazate City South Of Morocco Country have savagely and violently tortured, harassed, violated and doped me in extreme toxical empoisonous and perilous ways to doze me up to hell to oblige me in absolute lively well smooth authoritative violated drug medications’ ways that have daily aimed to parctice against me the worst wildest live terrible practices of death-penalties’ treats to aim to kill me since I only was 16 years old.

    Right now, my whole personal verily innocent physique is dangerously become to be in time seemed to be lost away in the worst terrible painfully loss, neglects and marginalizatioins’ Labyrinth’s Sufferings since 1998s up to right today. That, I really can’t try to walk no more than 300 ms a day and I have daily vomited what I have tried to eat and drink, even so some water that I have sadly vomited everything and I sometimes feel as the wxorst deadly vertigo feelings, especially at night time around 11 O’clock at night up to the mornings’ time, daily; it has painfully started to feel like that since 1999s up to right today.

    Be back to my all childhood age, that I have yearly been the unique excellent student and the best basketball palyer as well as I have yearly won the best prime prices in Ping-pong Sports Chamopionship of all Ouarzazate City South Of Morocco Individual Sports as well as I have never commited no crime and no Environmental Violence against none and nobody at all, that I have in time been a very peaceful verily young man and well-educated verily innocent little child. But why all these worst wildest authoritative hellishly worst savagely practices of torture, harassments, brutalities’ treats………………………….and the worstwildest beast cruel criminalized illegal practices of so doped and hellishly betrayed drug medications against me to be in that time aimed to practice against me the worst infernal practices of death-penalties’ tries against me since 1989s up to right today.

    Also, how long I have daily contacted you to explain you about all of my personally worst wildest terrible illegal inhuman authoritative reaction and treats of every such kind of the worst sadly drug mediactions’ practices against me to be in time killed by the whole Moroccan National Systems’ Teams since I only was 16 years old up to right now and you have never tried to find me out and save me out of the wxorst illegal inhuman beast cruel loss and marginalizations’ reaction of them all in all. Why? And why not?.

    Please, I truly want you to be in extreme urgent ways to find me out and please, reply me in a verily urgent ways. With my all humble thanks to all of you in advance.

    Best Regards.

    Always,

    Yours Sincerely,

    Mr Fouad Zennari.
14. mark mathews says:

    February 14, 2010 at 9:18 am

    Health Recovery Center should be listed as an alternative reference for CCHR. Not only is Joan Mathews-Larson a commissioner on the CCHR board, she was instrumental in bringing knowledge of orthomolecular medicine into the chemical addiction field, and showing others the way to correct mental imbalances without drugs. Health Recovery Center continues to lead mental health/addiction treatment with “cause-based” approaches to restore the brain. CCHR needs to support people who augment and support CCHR.

    Mark Mathews
15. Green Mental Health: An Alternative to Toxic Psychiatric Drugs « Able 2 Help says:

    March 14, 2010 at 12:14 pm

    [...] For more information on Green Mental Health Care and Genita Petralli, visit our Alternatives page. [...]
16. Deb Schamber says:

    April 17, 2010 at 8:29 am

    I wanted to encourage anyone out there who is thinking about finding a way of life without psychiatric drugs. I have slowly been getting off these types of medication, and although it is not easy, in fact very difficult at times, it is well worth it! I feel like I reclaimed my mind-who can put a price on that? My story-in 1990, I was put on a drug called amitriptyline for insomnia because, as my doctor at that time told me, I was depressed. I remember telling him at the time that I didn’t feel “depressed”, I just couldn’t sleep. That began 20 years of hell, and I do mean hell! The side effects were horrible, among which was a 40 lb. weight gain ( and another 40 lbs. from additional drugs), and the initial dosage was 10 mg which over the course of 16 years had to be continually increased to a total of 300 mg, until finally in March of 2006, I ended up in a coma from a blood clot in my left lung. It almost brought death-I was also in heart, kidney and liver failure, and my doctors gave me 0 percent chance of living. However, due to the fact that I am a born-again Christian, God intervened on my behalf, and I did live! I came out of the coma 4 days later, and even the way I came out of the coma was a miracle-I still had full function of my body-I could talk, walk, feed myself, etc., which my family was told that if I ever came out of the coma I would have to go through a long period of rehabilitation. As the story continues, not knowing anything about antidepressant withdrawal, one thing that was very wrong was that I could not sleep, not at all. I now know I was in withdrawal from this drug. As a result, 4 months later I ended up in a psychiatric hospital and was once again put on psychiatric medication-lexapro and remeron. I improved only because I was sleeping. They kept me on the drugs and in the summer of 2007, once again, because the drugs were slowly losing their effectiveness-not sleeping well again-seroquel was added to the “cocktail”-until January 2008, I was up to 200 mg of seroquel. Things began to really go downhill from there. I experienced among other things extreme tiredness and psychological symptoms I had never had up until this point. As things began spiraling out of control, I became obsessed about the weight I had gained, so another drug was added to combat this-topomax 50 mg. I continued to deteriorate and in November 2008 another drug was added to combat the ever-increasing fatigue-welbutrin 150 mg. I finally woke up in February of last year, 2009, to the insanity of it all! I had been praying and felt like God was telling me it was time to start looking for another answer to the pain I was enduring due to all this medication. I immediately took myself off the welbutrin and topomax. This was probably not the best thing to do as I still didn’t know about withdrawal from these drugs. At that point, I felt none the worse for what I had done. Then in May of 2009, I cut the seroquel to half-100 mg. That is when the hell started again. For 2 months I felt like I was going to have a nervous breakdown and still didn’t relate my smptoms to withdrawal. However, I feel God had things planned for me to have the time to begin to search for information on these drugs and their withdrawal, as I lost my job in May, was eligible for unemployment, and now had the time and resources (access to the internet) to begin to educate myself about these drugs. I would like to add also that I underestimated what the withdrawal from these drugs can be like. Over the course of the last 10 months I have continued my withdrawal. I have taught myself about nutrition, vitamins, supplements that help, exercise, etc. Between July and November I withdrew from Lexapro. At the end of October I again decreased the seroquel to 50 mg. Not yet knowing how slowly one should come off these drugs I experienced chest pain in November and ended up in the emergency room once again. They did an angiogram on my heart and bloodwork and fortunately found nothing wrong with my heart. Why the unexplained chest pain? Withdrawal is the only explaination I have (at one point the attending physician accused me to cocaine use! It is very disconcerting to be accused of such a thing that has no basis of fact whatsoever.) The chest pain subsided, and I continued to withdraw-however, the unrelenting fatigue did not, and when I finally came off the last 50 mg of seroquel at the end of February I developed insomnia once again, and once again recurring mild chest pain. After reading about the many side effects of this one drug alone, I was determined NEVER to go back down that road again. It has been about 7 weeks in withdrawal from seroquel completely and finally the last 3 nights I have slept all through the night except for waking up once during the night, which I usually have to do to use the bathroom, and have been able to go back to sleep until morning. I AM making progress, although I have had to fight for it every step of the way! I still have one more drug to go-remeron. I am praying about the timing of this. This one I will be coming off of very slow, knowing what I now know about withdrawal. I have done many things that I believe have made this transition easier. Back in October I changed my diet, eliminating artificial anything, including anything with msg, and eliminated soda and diet soda (aspartame is a whole other issue in itself, went through withdrawal from this one, too!). I started taking vitamins and supplements, and exercising (as hard as this is to do, I believe it helps anxiety from the withdrawal). I would also like to point out the lack of most physicians, Christian included, to search for a physical cause for psychological symptoms. I have known for 27 years that there is something wrong in my physical body. From the time my daughter was born I suffered with debilitating migraines, periodic fatigue, severe PMS, unexplainable anxiety, and then 20 years ago the insomnia. I have now found out that ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A DEFICIENCY OF PROGESTERONE IN MY BODY! I am now 51 and could also never conceive another child, which I at one time wanted so badly. I have since found another doctor, beginning of this month, who has prescribed natural progesterone for me which I have been using for the past 11 days. I credit this with now helping me sleep again through the night. (An interesting side note to this is that a few doctors are now using progesterone to heal brain injury and trauma). To close, I would like to sum it all up by encouraging all of you that still feel enslaved to these DRUGS FROM HELL, that there is hope for freedom and recovery-mine is not complete yet, but when considering the alternative to going back to putting substances in my body that are actually causing physical injury and trauma to my brain, I choose to continue down the road to recovery. The answers that I have found may not be your answers-however, I would be willing to bet that for the vast majority of you the answer can be found in discovering a physical cause for your original symptoms. If you have a doctor who believes otherwise and is unwilling to give you the help that you need, find another one. Because of the loss of my job and my health insurance, I have had to go this alone most of the time. But there are many great sources of information out there-this site being one, any of the books by Dr. Peter Bregin, theroadback.com (listed on this site), and much, much information on the internet. Facing what I let these doctors and their medications do to me has not been easy, but I know I will, with God’s help, come out on the other side of this. I hope that what I have shared here helps at least one person out there begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. (To add one more point-there have been many positive, physical benefits-I have now lost 27 pounds and my cholesterol levels have now returned to normal (170) after being at a high of 272, of which the cholesterol drug simvastatin could not lower, even a a dose of 80 mg daily!) God Bless You All in your search for freedom!
17. Linda says:

    April 17, 2010 at 11:41 pm

    I am so grateful to find this site, I have tried alternative methods for a long time with the antidepressants and recently anti-anxiety medications, but nothing has helped. I wanted to use straight alternative, but the psychiatrist always told me I was having rebound effects. I have never been able to lose any significant amount of weight since being diagnosed with metabolic syndrome after my heart attack. I always felt it was the antidepressants or the night shift causing the problems. I had gained 65lbs on Prozac many years ago and was never able to lose it. I desepartly want to get off the drugs but have tried numerous times on my own and I feel horrible and cannot function. If I go to a Practioner maybe that will make the difference. The cost has always been a big issue since they do not accept insurance. Can anyone offer any suggestions. I am on Wellbutrin for ADD and Cymbalta for Clinical Depression and other meds for Thyroid, Diabetes, and Xanax XR. Thank you.
18. Carl says:

    April 26, 2010 at 12:11 am

    As a person living with advanced tardive dystonia to the point where I am homebound I would share your concerns. As well I am the first person to advocate to be under study for tardive psychosis, tardive dysphrenia and tardive dysmentia (which have been clinically noted in me). However,I have been noted as having made a full mental recovery with glycine, an NMDA receptor modulate, a new class of antipsychotic in Phase II FDA study that does not cause tardive dyskinesia or diabetes and promotes a fuller recovery and I am advocating for this class of antipsychotics to be FDA approved. I advocated to be on this novel treatment and continue to so others may see its benefit.
19. Natural Health Educator says:

    May 4, 2010 at 3:09 am

    Premier Educator of Leaders in Natural Health

    The Natural Health field is growing at a phenomenal rate throughout the world. And millions of Americans – aware of the detrimental effects of drug-based western medicine – are joining health oriented people around the globe in embracing an alternative natural approach. Encompassing the core building blocks of all living organisms, an holistic lifestyle promotes the building, repair, and maintenance of health.
    Read More…
20. urology says:

    May 25, 2010 at 6:18 pm

    Most of the people if not all are shifting to alternative medicine. Alternative med or natural medicine assures better quality of life than scientific med that has side effects in the end. Natural Med offers no overdose instead result to a healthy living.
21. phoenix rupp says:

    June 2, 2010 at 8:12 am

    Unfortunately many of these victims are low income people on welfare ssi or whatever and cannot afford most alterative treatments without financial assistance. medi- caid medicare will not cover them and the medical care you get while on these insurance plans is like getting healthcare from the dollar store.
22. Fi Milne says:

    June 5, 2010 at 11:12 pm

    It is a tragedy that many of the victims of this form of abuse are not educated enough to find the corret information.
    While there are clinics and drop in centers that are all too willing to offer the medicated pathways. There are very few who are strong enough to help others to find the alternatives and support them on that journey.
23. Terah Rutledge says:

    June 16, 2010 at 5:52 am

    What has helped me to reverse and in overcoming after being on the bad prescription drugs for over 12 years and being off for over 4 years is prayer, regular structured bible study in a group of people and at home. Exercise, good detoxes, reading books on health and nutrition. Also, massages, supplementing with vitamins. I have also done some intravenious chelation therapy, hyperbaric oxygen. This has all been costly but as the saying goes “lose your health and lose your wealth”. I intend to keep my health and have prosterity! I am not down to the weight I intend to be yet, but I have purchased a juicer just recently and just recently started drinking “Hexagonal Water”! I can tell a difference in this water inwhich I am getting real, solid hydration on a cellular level! It also helps with proper detoxification! Setbacks always come with a purpose and my life is getting better! These docters ought to be ashamed how they take advantage of their patients and my loyality goes to the “higher one” who is my real foundation and healer! Hope what I say here is somehow helpful to someone in need! There are some books outthere on “Patient heal thyself”! I beleive this and I am a living testimony of a person who has and continues to come full circle with my health and total being!
24. Kendra says:

    June 24, 2010 at 2:37 am

    http://www.truehope.com/press_coverage.aspx Here is another alternative resource, watch the videos on the right
25. Dr. Rod says:

    July 28, 2010 at 10:31 am

    I am a psychologist and work at a large county jail. I am thrilled to find another great resource here for the message I preach to my patients all day, everyday. I could tell you 500 stories about 8 year old kids being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, patients taking 3, 4, 8 medications, and horrible practitioners who assign these diagnoses and prescriptions again and again and again.

    I am so very discouraged with our mental health system. I am disappointed to see that the new DSM committee is stacked with pharamaceutical-backed members and that pharmaceutical companies are not held accountable for the lies, deceit, cover-ups, and outright damage they do to people (what is the disincentive for them when they are fined a few million dollars, which makes no difference to them when they profit billions per year?). I’m angry that the government chooses to take over the banking and auto industries (taking our freedoms in business) and lets these companies run wild and harm people with lies.

    On days like today, where I am fighting with my own colleagues to change how our city manages mental illness and treatment of it, I feel like quitting and becoming a garbage man. I try to remember that I am helping patients know the truth one by one. Chances are, I’ll be back to work tomorrow….
26. rulpert says:

    August 18, 2010 at 6:29 am

    hey you people should check out http://www.breggin.com peter breggin has been campaigning for psychiatric reform for 50 years he has information and books you can purchase. psychiatric medications are medicines of mass destruction propogated by medical degenerates of the field.

    please have a look at peter breggins site it will be most helpful to most.

    There is a another site for you to look at called http://www.jungcircle.com its run by a psychologist named maureen roberts. she actually really good she has a schizophrenic crisis line

    International Phone 61 8 8362 0980
    E-mail
27. christine nevins says:

    August 26, 2010 at 12:39 pm

    I have been a patient under the care of a consultant psychiartristfor many years of sheer hell and mental torture from 2001 to october 2008 she has misdiagnosed me mistreated me used her inappropriate behaviour towards me and her misuse of antipsychotic medication she has been treating me unproffesionally with paranoid schizophrenia and bipola affective disorder when i only have episodes of anxiety from time to time i suffered from very auful and drastic side effects from all of her deadly drugs i had changed consultants in october 2008 and continued with her dreadful treatment until the new consultant discontinued my off all psychatric drugs in november 2009 i have been further assessed by two other consultyants psychiatrists and no treatment ordered i am now back to my normal self and alive again i have had a terrible terrible dreadful time with her for all those precious years of my life i have reported her to her employer which is now being investigated such a disgusting experience

Subscribe: for CCHR Email Updates