31.1 Functional Psychiatry with James Greenblatt, MD

Renegade Psych

Join me as I sit down with Dr. James Greenblatt, MD, to discuss his work within the field of what's called functional, or integrative psychiatry. Dr. Greenblatt uses many of the tools he learned in medical school paired with an integrative critical thinking approach. He tests for mineral and vitamin deficiencies, indirect markers of neurotransmitter abnormalities, AND ensures every patient gets a full medical workup to rule out medical causes of depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism, bipolar, schizophrenia, and many more psychiatric diagnoses. Dr. Greenblatt is anti-DSM due to its' primary focus on subjective symptom reports, which oftentimes substantially overlap between so-called 'distinct' psychiatric disorders, and instead tries to gather as much objective information and data as possible in order to help treat his patients. We talk about the role of, not just high doses of lithium in bipolar disorder but also, low doses of lithium for irritability, impulsivity, and cognitive rigidity, with underrecognized (and sometimes incredible) results in ADHD and autism, as well as any suicidal patient. While some view Dr. Greenblatt's approach as 'quackery,' I'm here to tell you I've started to test for some of the same things and am finding abnormalities in lab work that guide my treatment, and now I'm starting to see results in my patients. It's so much more exciting than the machine-gun-full-of-SSRIs traditional approach to practicing psychiatry, where 75% of the algorithms dictate that I prescribe an SSRI for everything from depression to anxiety to autism to post partum symptoms to eating disorders and OCD, etc. etc. Practicing 'idiot' medicine is not why I went into medicine and Dr. Greenblatt offers a unique and holistic approach that combines techniques of traditional psychiatry with this new wave of a more functional approach.

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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