In my experience, Americans (specifically Bostonians) are largely interested in mainstream medical approaches to psychiatric illness. Perhaps its all of the academic institutions or maybe it’s something that Harvard Medical School put in the local water supply, but the vast majority of my patients back in Boston were interested in evidence-based medicine (e.g. psychopharmacology and psychotherapy techniques) supported by a significant body of research.
Things are a bit different in Israel where the role of “Non-Western,” “alternative,” and “homeopathic” approaches have a greater following.
I can say that I too am very much a fan of non-pharmacological treatments in my practice. Nearly 100% of my patients are prescribed:
- Good Sleep Hygiene
- Daily Cardiovascular Exercise
- A Healthy, Well-Balanced Diet
- Daily Mindfulness and Relaxation Practice
That being said, many people benefit from standard medical treatment and I am not a big fan of unconventional treatments that have no scientific data supporting their claims (e.g. Homeopathy).
With this in mind, I hope that this article I wrote for Mishpacha Magazine last week may be relevant for some of the readership.
Wishing all a happy and a healthy day.