Anti-depressants; withdrawals/alternatives
“Despite the fact that antidepressants are one of the most-prescribed drugs in the nation,” says Dr. Jacob Mirman, “they are not a panacea. They can cause many problems.”
“Patients report suffering many types of side effects, some of which can be almost as debilitating as the depression itself. Many patients claim that while initially they can see an improvement in their mood, they report that the efficacy wears off.”
“Also, there is another downside that is rarely discussed; one that I have heard from many patients. Anti-depressants are addictive and getting “off them” can be a struggle.”
We offer many effective alternative treatments for anxiety and depression
“Many of my patients suffer from anxiety and depression,” says Dr. Jacob Mirman. “Most of them have tried many different treatments which usually includes the standard pharmaceutical medications. Yet these patients have found no relief. Patients are delighted to learn that at Life Medical we offer a variety of effective treatments over and above the most commonly prescribed medications.”
Patients appreciate our thorough initial exam
When a patient comes in for depression treatment, during the initial appointment Dr. Mirman takes the time to listen carefully to each patient so he can evaluate their needs based on many factors including:
- Philosophy of care
- The patient’s specific symptoms
- Any medications or treatment types they have used previously
- Insurance coverage
NeuroResearch supplements
“NeuroResearch supplements work very well for anxiety and depression and can replace prescription drugs,” says Dr. Mirman.
“These supplements are almost always more effective than pharmaceuticals. I have used these supplements to successfully help patients with depression and anxiety. Many have experienced dramatic improvements in their symptoms.”
NeuroResearch supplements contain amino acids 5-HTP, L-tryosine, L-Dopa and other nutritional components that assist the body in achieving proper neurotransmitter balance to alleviate mood disorder symptoms.
How the supplements work
There is a big difference in how pharmaceuticals work in the brain and how the NeuroResearch supplements work to increase neurotransmitter levels in the brain synapses, allowing the nerve cells to communicate with each other more effectively.
NeuroResearch supplements increase the overall amount of neurotransmitter molecules in the brain. These supplements never stop working.
Antidepressant drugs, on the other hand, work by redirecting the available neurotransmitter molecules to the target areas, but in the process, they deplete the stores of these molecules. That’s why these drugs often don’t work as well after a while; once depletion sets in, fewer molecules are available to be redirected.
In the long run, these drugs can make depression worse by causing neurotransmitter depletion. Many doctors don’t understand this physiology and feel the drugs increase amounts of these molecules in the brain, but it is not true.
This is one of the main reasons Dr. Mirman prefers NeuroResearch supplements over pharmaceuticals and why his patients experience better success. These supplements are not only very effective, they do not have the harmful side effects associated with typically prescribed depression drugs.
Medical cannabis
Medical cannabis is very effective in treating depression and anxiety; usually it is more effective than traditional pharmaceuticals. The number of cases we are seeing where cannabis works very effectively and quickly is in the thousands at this point.
Homeopathy
There are many methods to affect the body’s energy. Homeopathy is one such method. Homeopathic remedies are, in effect, energetic messages administered in the form of a pellet or a drop of liquid that can be taken by mouth. It may sound too incredible to be true, but this 200-year-old system of medicine has survived multiple attempts to discredit it, and its practitioners are now more numerous than ever. In fact, it now boasts a large body of medical research that proves its effectiveness as compared to placebo (a sugar pill).
Many patients with depression and anxiety can be permanently relieved of their complaints with a single well-chosen homeopathic remedy. Patients will only need to be on homeopathic remedies until they achieve their desired state of health.
Bach flower essences
Bach flower is another method which is its own system of herbal therapy. Bach essences are often very helpful in cases of situational stress for patients who experience depression or anxiety, and they are inexpensive. These remedies have been safely used for more than a century. The Bach flower remedies are made from wildflowers and are safe for the whole family including pets. The remedies are preserved in grape-based brandy.
Closing thoughts on treatments for depression
“When treating mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, I like to think of an analogy of keeping your home computer running,” says Dr. Mirman. “When a computer malfunctions, the problem could be in the hardware or the software. A good technician, like a good doctor, must look at all sides of the equation to correctly solve the problem.”
“The biochemical methods such as drugs, supplements and herbal remedies are the methods we use to treat the ‘computer hardware’. The non-biochemical methods like homeopathy are effective to ‘de-bug the operating system’. Both should be used appropriately. To get the best results both methods should be used appropriately for depression and anxiety.”
The potentially life-changing dangers in school sports
Sports injuries are not taken seriously enough
“Parents and their children don’t consider the possible dangers inherent in school sports,” says Dr. Jacob Mirman. “And I have seen firsthand the devastation that can be done to the lives of students participating in these activities.”
“I recently treated a 31-year-old patient for medical cannabis certification. No, he is not currently a student, but the fact is that he has chronic pain from multiple traumas sustained playing football in high school in 2012. These injuries included several episodes of patella dislocation (wrecked knee), a vertebral fracture in the chest area, and multiple lumbar disc herniations. When he came to see me, he was on both opioids and antidepressants.”
“In order to help him, I did indeed certify him for medical cannabis: but in my opinion it was too little too late.”
“These injuries sustained in high school will have life-long detrimental effects for this man. All for the sake of a ‘game’. In my opinion, letting kids play games which cause trauma like this on school grounds is criminal. I feel so strongly about the matter, that if I was ever able to be an expert witness in a personal injury trial against a school system I would gladly volunteer.”