Where do you see the future of mental healthcare going?
Honestly, if we don’t change things, nowhere and fast. Let me explain. The current standard of care for mental health is matching condition A with drug B and it seems to be working, from a financial perspective. The economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic are expected to inch things along. Globally, antidepressant sales are projected to double from $14.3 billion to $28.6 billion in…just...one…year. A very high majority will undoubtedly be from first time prescription fillers. We need to completely change how we identify, interact and work with these patients.
What is one of the biggest hurdles that we face as a society in regard to mental health?
In my opinion, recognizing the problem before it is too late can save many relationships, marriages and lives. It’s not always obvious to spot those who suffers from mood disorders. Many physicians also have trouble differentiating these patients from other conditions. Symptoms such as fatigue and insomnia can easily be blamed on other causes such as aging or a hormonal imbalance. There has been too much neglect within a primary care setting as it relates to recognizing mental health issues. It is even more important for friends and loved ones to check in on one another from time to time. At times there are only subtle changes that someone close can pick up on.
Are there tests available to be able to help doctors and patients get to a proper diagnosis?
In 2020, I am happy to report the tests available are almost endless. You can look at things such as your stress response hormones, sex hormones, neurotransmitters and more. There are even genetic tests available that can help guide you through the complexities of the pharmaceutical world.
What are some things that people can do right now to ensure their mental health?
Stress is a major driver in many chronic conditions and mood disorders are no different. It is important to define stress as it comes in many different flavors for different people. Stress can be emotion such as the death of a loved one or it can be physically initiated such as from a sickness. In either scenario, stress functions within a cycle. At times this cycle is more like a hamster wheel that you can’t jump off of. Believe it or not there are rather simple ways to break the cycle: light activity such as walking or even deep breathing. Unconditional love say from your cat or dog will increase your feel-good hormones. And perhaps the most powerful of all we find is laughter and even more powerful is laughter in a small intimate group such as your friends, social setting. If those don’t work for you there is the good ol’ fashion cry or screaming into a pillow. Yes, those actually work too.
Dr. Brett Winseiwski prides himself on truly listening to his patients and finding the missing puzzle piece to their story. He has been practicing natural medicine for over 10 years and spends most of his time as a full-time clinic director and clinical consultant at Gateway Natural Medicine & Diagnostic Center. Dr. Wisniewski concentrates his studies in immunology, autoimmune disease, infectious disease and cancer. He is recognized, nationally, for presenting on such topics and enjoys pushing the limits of diagnostics and natural medicine.
Gateway Natural Medicine
1211 Lake Avenue #101
Berthoud, Colorado
970-532-2755
gatewaynaturalmedicine.com
