Our patients have the advantage of a wide range of modalities that we offer for anxiety and depression.
Our providers are not bound to use one particular system to treat mood disorders. We look at the patient, their situation, the timing, their location and their insurance and monetary limitations.
There are many convenient ways to have an appointment regarding your depression or anxiety
For our patients’ convenience we can conduct appointments in a number of ways:
- The appointment can be done in our clinic in St. Louis Park (medical cannabis certifications require that the first appointment be done in person)
- Appointments can be done over Skype using Zoom (see Life Medical home page)
- Brief initial consultations can be handled with an email or a simple phone call at no charge
Initial appointments
During the initial appointment we take the time to listen carefully to each patient so we can evaluate their needs based on a number of factors including:
- The patient’s specific symptoms and medical history
- Type of care they are looking for
- Any medications or treatment types they have used previously
- Insurance coverage
- The patient’s financial situation
Biochemical options: drugs, supplements and herbal treatments
DRUGS:
This group of treatments includes well known medications such as Prozac and Zoloft which are medications popularly prescribed by mainstream physicians. We can discuss all of these.
SUPPLEMENTS:
At Life Medical we use NeuroResearch supplements in place of pharmacologic drugs as a treatment for neurotransmitter imbalance disorders. These 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.
Mood disorders take place when there is a breakdown of communication between brain cells. There is a big difference in how pharmaceuticals (drugs) work in the brain and how the NeuroResearch supplements work to increase neurotransmitter levels in the brain synapses so the nerve cells can communicate with each other more effectively.
The pharmaceuticals redistribute the available neurotransmitters from where they are stored to the synapses. The problem with this approach is that when you take the neurotransmitters from one place and move them to another you are depleting the source; once the source is depleted the drugs stop working.
On the other hand, the NeuroResearch supplements increase the overall amount of neurotransmitters in the entire brain; the supplements never stop working. This is one of the reasons we prefer them over pharmaceuticals and why our patients experience such a high level of success.
I have used these supplements to successfully help patients with depression and anxiety. Many have experienced dramatic improvements in their symptoms.
CLICK HERE to read two successful case studies involving supplements
HERBAL THERAPY:
There are three treatment types that fall under the category of herbal therapy:
- Medical cannabis
- Bach flower is another method which is its own system of herbal therapy.
- Herbs used for mood disorders including St. John’s Wart and Valerian.
MEDICAL CANNABIS:
The MN Department of Health has listed PTSD as a condition which can be treated with medical cannabis. Many patients who experience PTSD also list depression or anxiety as a symptom. Many of the other qualifying conditions for medical cannabis have anxiety as a side effect as well. Medical cannabis is very promising in these cases for relieving the anxiety. The number of cases we are seeing where cannabis works very effectively and quickly is in the hundreds at this point.
CLICK HERE to determine your eligibility for Medical Cannabis
Medical Marijuana can be more effective than traditional medicines for PTSD patients. The medications most commonly prescribed to help people with PTSD often don’t work well. Plus, there is a risk for unpleasant side effects with most of these pharmaceuticals.
One very successful treatment option for patients suffering from PTSD is medical cannabis.
CLICK HERE to fill out an 8-question form to determine your eligibility for Medical Marijuana
If you qualify for the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program the providers at Life Medical will be glad to help you with PTSD issue. Simply call us at 952-933-8900.
Recently a woman from Russia came in because she was feeling very depressed. This patient didn’t have any medical insurance and was not able to afford any kind of expensive treatment so we carefully considered the best options for her.After listening closely as she described her symptoms, it sounded like her depression had a lot to do with her recent move to the United States. I determined that a great part of her problem was that she was feeling very homesick.
For this patient’s treatment protocol I decided to use the Bach flower essence of Honeysuckle. After using the remedy for only two weeks she said she was much less homesick and was feeling much less depressed. Her sleep improved significantly as well. Bach essences are often very helpful in cases of situational stress and they are inexpensive and fairly easy to prescribe.
HERBS:
There are a variety of herbs that can be used for mood disorders such as Valerian that he uses for anxiety and St. John’s Wart there are many other herbal preparations that could be applied.
Non bio-chemical treatments
PSYCHOTHERAPY:
Our mental health providers are skilled in treating depression, anxiety, mood disorders and PTSD with psychotherapy. This type of therapy treats problems and boosts happiness by modifying dysfunctional emotions, behaviors, and thoughts. It focuses on solutions, encouraging patients to challenge distorted cognitions and change destructive patterns of behavior. We almost often pair psychotherapy with other therapies to enhance the results.
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, 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.
ACUPUNCTURE:
Acupuncture also works by affecting the body’s energy, helping patients in a very similar way to homeopathy. It is often beneficial in mood disorders.
AUDIO VISUAL ENTRAINMENT THERAPY:
This effective, drug-free alternative therapy utilizes technology that helps settle hyperactivity, promote relaxation and improve mood and logical thinking. The device is the result of many years of research and studies. Two separate studies have shown that ADHD behaviors were reduced significantly with AVE. Patients with PTSD can also benefit from this therapy. Sessions can be designed to stimulate or calm the left, right or both hemispheres of the brain depending on the patients’ symptoms. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE…
AN ANALOGY ABOUT MOOD DISORDERS
When treating mood disorders a good analogy is to think of keeping your home computer running. 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 like the drugs, supplements and herbal remedies are like treating the computer hardware and the non-biochemical methods like homeopathy are similar to the de-bugging of the operating system. Both should be used appropriately. To get the best results both methods should be used appropriately for depression and anxiety.
If you are experiencing depression or anxiety and have found no relief using traditional medicine, schedule an appointment with Dr. Jacob Mirman by calling the clinic at 952-933-8900.