Innovative Psychiatry
Anorexia Nervosa is a psychiatric disorder characterized by extreme food restriction, intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of body weight and shape, that can be debilitating, life-threatening, and even fatal. Until recently, the treatments available were largely ineffective, had high rates of relapse, very low recovery rates, and medications have been mostly ineffective.
Even when weight is restored after extensive treatment, many adults with anorexia are plagued by fear of weight gain, and consumed by worry about their weight and body shape, phobias with various foods, and chronic, long term struggles with accepting themselves for who they are.
Because of these things, gaining weight isn’t enough. These thoughts often lead to more food restriction and relapse. They interfere with recovery. And so the healing process is interrupted, disrupted, and often reversed. This is what we call the anorexic voice, and unless it can be quieted, relapse is almost inevitable.
New Innovative Treatment Has Become a Game Changer
We have demonstrated through our initial study, and in practice since, that a ketogenic diet to establish a state of therapeutic nutritional ketosis, can bring healing to brain cells, and help with weight gain. Since it isn’t necessary to eat copious amounts of food for this dietary therapy, it is easier for adults with this illness to comply. But as their weight and metabolism restore, there is still that pesky, defeating “voice” pounding away in their head, telling them they’re fat, they’re disgusting, and they can’t eat that…whatever it is in their plate.
To respond to this, we have found a series of ketamine infusions following the ketogenic diet, can quiet the anorexic voice. Once that’s taken effect, the illness loses its hold, and recovery can follow.
We invite you to read the blogs below, as well as our study.
We’ve talked before about our work with Caroline to help her recover from anorexia nervosa, and the subsequent pilot study with 5 women who had suffered from anorexia for many years. In both cases, we used a combination of a nutritional intervention that created therapeutic nutritional ketosis without weight loss and IV ketamine infusions to […]
Halley put on her makeup and looked in the mirror. She abhorred her round face and the fat on her chest and arms. She quietly resolved that she’d swim more laps tomorrow, because the 30 laps she swam daily just wasn’t improving her appearance. It was hard, so hard, to go out in public because […]
This is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week — NEDAwareness Week People come in a wide variety, don’t they? No one more deserving than another. Whether there are differences in skin color, differences in gender, differences in sexual orientation, differences in religion…or differences in IDEAS. And no matter the differences, no matter the variety, every body […]
If you know someone with anorexia nervosa, you know how chronic… dangerous… and life-threatening it can be. I bet you didn’t know it could go into full remission. This is the story of a novel idea, a brand new course of treatment, an innovative treatment procedure, and a protocol that was born out of love. […]
Anorexia, Ketamine, and the Default Mode Network Do you feel good about what you weigh? Or about how you look? If you hesitated to answer, you’re not alone. If you answered No…or…I’m not sure… again, you’re not alone. Survey Says: Majority Don’t Like the Way They Look Allure, a magazine centered on beauty, surveyed 2,497 […]
May is Mental Health Awareness Month Eating Disorders Are Psychiatric Disorders Surprised? Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder… The National Eating Disorder Association lists 10 conditions as eating disorders. And, it so happens that ketamine treatment can work wonders and restore your life. Too many people who don’t have a family member suffering with an […]
Your gut-brain axis is one of of the most effective systems you can use to transform your mood. Really? Really. We’ve been talking about that microbiome eco-system community that lives in your gut, and how it affects your mood, your wellness, and your mental health. The gut-brain axis is the pathway of communication between your […]
You Have The Power to Transform Your Life. To Find Out How – Keep Reading… If you struggle with depression or anxiety, you probably know that there’s a pretty good chance you’ve inherited that tendency from others in your family line. But you don’t have to feel helpless about that. There is so much you […]