This is my first book review. First off, I totally disagree with Gregorius's negative review. He stated, "Almost everything this book proposes in terms of diagnosis, causes and treatment of mental disorders has either never been supported or has been disproven by subsequent research" but offered ZERO proof to back up his claim. I'd be interested in seeing this "subsequent research", because, in my real-world hands-on experience, this book has worked miraculously well.
This book turned me from being an adversarial non-believer in the underlying premises of this book into an enthusiastic convert in the book's non-toxic approach to psychiatry. It was my erroneous thesis that abnormal behavior causes the alleged biochemical imbalances seen in schizophrenia, and not the other way around. However, "biochemical imbalance" is more of a myth than reality, as the biochemistry of the body is always in a constant state of change. Nevertheless, the book proved to me that "Orthomolecular Psychiatry" will transform a totally mentally gone, catatonic, hallucinogenic, schizophrenic individual back into their normal sane self.
In my experience, the orthomolecular approach worked so extremely well that it made me feel like Jesus, because it seemed like a true miracle to me; and everyone involved in the patient's care was ecstatic about the success. Don't get me wrong; it was extremely hard work. One has to know and understand what one is doing. One needs a decent medical background in order to understand this book. One needs to consult other orthomolecular experts and books, to supplement and update oneself on the findings and discoveries documented in this book. I suggest: lots of note-taking, a review on the upper safe limits of all recommended nutrients; and a review of how circadian rhythms, the menstrual cycle (p. 466), pregnancy, post-partum depression, and Seasonal Affective Disorder affect the the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. I also suggest: The Healing Nutrients Within.
It is preferable that one seek the highest quality natural nutrients, and buy them at the lowest possible prices one can find. While synthetic Vitamin E (dl alpha-tocopheryl) still has antioxidant benefits, it's still not as beneficial as "Natural" Vitamin E (d alpha-tocopherol), due to it's chirality - the l alpha-tocopheryls are "left-handed" molecules, and are therefore unrecognized by the body's Vitamin E-dependent enzymes. If one buys Vitamin B12, then it should be the hydroxycobalamin, methylcobalamin, or adenosylcobalamin form, NOT the cyanocobalamin form, as the cyano- form is not only useless to the body, but toxic, too. If the patient has high homocysteine levels, then methylcobalamin would be the preferred form of B12. When one gets the high-potency multi-vitamin/multi-mineral supplement, (s)he should make sure it has NO iron, unless the lab tests show an iron deficiency. However, under no circumstances should the supplement contain "iron oxide" nor "ferric oxide" (unless you like the idea of eating RUST). If possible, also avoid beta-carotene and/or Vitamin A supplementation, because such nutrients tend to become toxic even at doses not much higher than RDI or RDA (Youtube: BBC - Horizon - The Truth About Vitamins). Finally, as far as Vitamin B3 goes, one needs to make sure it's either the niacinamide or the "flush-free" niacin form, inositol hexanicotinate (IHN). Which form of vitamin B3 is best depends on the patient's specific medical history, lab test results, and symptoms. Keep in mind that niacin is contraindicated in gout, peptic ulcer, hypertension, and diabetes (p. 642). Niacin has a hyperglycemic effect, and thereby increases the need for insulin. Any underlying hypoglycemia will need to be corrected before undertaking the protocol for schizophrenia (p. 640), otherwise it won't work. Which orthomolecular protocol is followed also depends on whether the patient is histadelic or histapenic (pp. 465-474).
The nutritional supplements will probably cost at least around $200 for the first 90 days supply, and decrease in cost as the mental condition improves. If you think that's expensive, just watch Making a Killing: The Untold Story of Psychotropic Drugging on YouTube, or just wait until you try a single overnight stay at the psychiatric hospital, where patients are conveniently kept mentally disabled, so as to maximize profits, either because, with rare exception, the psychiatrist is too incompetent to cure the patient, or (s)he knows better, but is too corrupted by greed, to give a damn about the patient, so (s)he puts the patients on drugs... for LIFE. Drugs, as in foreign chemical substances that are not meant for human consumption. Didn't you ever hear: "Just say NO to drugs!"? "Oh, but pharmaceutical drugs are legal." So what! The body doesn't care if drugs are legal or illegal, they're virtually ALL toxic; and the body will adversely react to them as such. If you are a hard-core allopathic physician reading this post, with a "drugs and surgery FIRST" mentality, you are in violation of your Hippocratic Oath: "...NEVER DO HARM...". Or was that Oath you took just a bunch of B$ to you, patients be damned?
The patient will also need to EXERCISE regularly and moderately to speed up the biochemical transformation and detoxification, and to go on a low-carb, high-fiber diet, somewhat similar to the Atkins diet (minus the saturated, hydrogenated, and synthetic fats, and minus ALL the omnivore, predator, and scavenger meats, such as pork, shellfish, shrimp, etc.). The vegan Ornish diet should also work (minus the high-carb, low fiber, and/or toxic vegetation, especially wheat and mushrooms), except most people find it to be too austere to stay with it. An intense amount of applied learning by the clinician and the patient's adherence to the protocols are required in order for the treatment to work quickly and successfully.
Some final words to the wise: Except for the patient's genetic makeup, all the behavioral, psychological, social, environmental, dietary, and other factors that contributed to the development of schizophrenia need to be permanently removed and/or minimized to the fullest extent possible, otherwise the patient is liable to have a relapse, and need to be treated again. Educating the patient is extremely important. Some other great psychiatry books are: Reality Therapy: A New Approach to Psychiatry (Colophon Books); Toxic Psychiatry: Why Therapy, Empathy and Love Must Replace the Drugs, Electroshock, and Biochemical Theories of the "New Psychiatry"; Head First: The Biology of Hope and the Healing Power of the Human Spirit; Orthomolecular Treatment for Schizophrenia; and Natural Healing for Schizophrenia And Other Common Mental Disorders (also available in Spanish, Curación Natural Para Esquizofrenia: Y Otros Trastornos Mentales Comunes (Spanish Edition)). As the authors of Orthomolecular Psychiatry amply prove, thank God that not every medical scientist and physician parks their brain at the door, when they enter graduate and medical school.
2012-04-25 edited review: In regards to Gregorius's unsubstantiated negative review here, I'm going to take a wild guess and suppose maybe he was referring to the American Psychiatric Association Task Force Report, July 1973 that szwebmaster, the other negative reviewer here referred to. However, Dr. Abram Hoffer, MD, PhD wrote a rebuttal to that report; it's called Megavitamin therapy: In reply to the American Psychiatric Association Task Force report on megavitamins and orthomolecular psychiatry. May the truth prevail, and lies fail.
