What is the role of medicine in psychiatry?
Dr. Gomberg: Conventional psychiatry is my mainstay. Many medications utilize the mind/body connection in that they interact with neuroreceptors to help normalize deficient neurotransmitters. Many of the recently developed drugs are more selective in their action… the aim is to get efficacy while minimizing side effects. The newer medications are designed to regulate naturally existing substances in the mind/body. Nothing is perfect, and side effects still occur. While medicine’s role in correcting an imbalance may be necessary, it is often insufficient because it is just one piece of the puzzle. There are many factors that support optimal health: physical, cognitive-emotional, relational, and spiritual. When faced with complex emotional challenges, we tend to embrace one solution… Dr. Gomberg: Yes… being prescribed medication can lead to the thought, “this is the answer.” Too much faith and power are attributed to one thing. But any “one thing” is rarely enough. Multiple elements
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