Join me with Cara Hoepner, a San Francisco-based PMHNP, to discuss how we SHOULD be practicing psychiatry. This is a 2-part series and in this 2nd part, we talk more about some of the issues that plague our field. We talk about how our first imperative has to be to rule out any medical cause of psychiatric symptoms, then discuss how Cara individualizes her treatment for each patient, balancing non-pharmacologic necessities for good mental health like diet, movement, and breathing/meditation, with a creative but safe pharmacologic armamentarium, all in an effort to address ROOT CAUSES of psychiatric symptoms. Cara discusses some of the risks of long term antipsychotic use, the importance of sleep and diet, and points out that 98% of Americans are metabolically unhealthy from a functional and integrative psychiatry-perspective. Another interesting part of the discussion is Cara revealing her own journey with MCAS, or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and how that allows her to more easily recognize MCAS and refer patients to the appropriate treating clinican. We talk about the common overlap of MCAS with OCD. Lastly, we briefly talk about the benefits and detriments of using acute anti-inflammatory agents, which, of course, leads us to a lengthy detour talking about lithium and its unique anti-GSK-3-beta chronic anti-inflammatory action. Hope you enjoy!

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Disclaimer, this podcast is for informational purposes only. The information provided in this podcast and related materials are meant only to educate. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. While I am a medical doctor and many of my guests have extensive medical training and experience, nothing stated in this podcast nor materials related to this podcast, including recommended websites, texts, graphics, images, or any other materials should be treated as a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, diagnosis or treatment. All listeners should consult with a medical professional, licensed mental health provider or other healthcare provider if seeking medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.