I apologize for my absence from blogging for the past several months. This was not my intention. However, I have a great excuse. I just completed my year long integrative psychiatry fellowship with Dr. James Greenblatt. The fellowship was insightful beyond words. It opened my eyes as a psychiatric provider that has been practicing since 2002. I want to share with you what integrative psychiatry is all about and hope that you will be excited about the future of this field.
Integrative psychiatry takes traditional Western medicine (ie., medications) and adds on a layer of complementary treatments, such as supplements, nutrients, kundalini yoga, and more. It differs from a strictly holistic approach by focusing on combining traditional and alternative approaches based on the comfort level of the patient.
I have been working in the field of medicine for a long time and would consider myself a skeptic when it comes to alternative approaches. Yet, the reality is that traditional psychiatric medicine doesn’t work for everyone. Many of my patients are frustrated with medication side effects or lack of efficacy. Its hard to ignore the statistics that so many people will quit seeking help because they don’t think something works. As Dr. Greenblatt says, “we need to do better”.
I decided to enroll and complete the Psychiatry Redefined fellowship so I could “do better” and understand that there are more approaches to caring for my patients. If medications are not the only answer, I want to be aware of other options that I can offer my patients. As we know, therapy and medication can have a 70% effectiveness rate in treating a variety of mental health issues. How can we get to 90% or even 100%?
I learned valuable information in this fellowship and I will be sharing this insight with my patients and blogging about it for those who are interested. Thanks for your time!