Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Psychiatry

Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Psychiatry will start psychiatrists
and other mental health professionals on the journey toward a more complete
understanding of the most common CAM treatments in use today.

The
alternative therapies discussed in this book pre-date our own conventional
treatments by hundreds and even thousands of years. These therapies have been
"conventional" medicine for hundred of millions of people who have used them
throughout the centuries, and people continue to use them today.

One of
the few texts that provides an academic and practical review of complementary
and alternative medicine, the book is written from the perspective of clinicians
who practice in both traditional and alternative medicine. The book covers the
major areas in CAM, including herbal medicine and nutrients, acupuncture,
meditative therapies, and yoga. It provides the most important and up-to-date
scientific data along with controversies that exist in the field. With all of
the chapters extensively referenced, the book will serve as a tremendous
resource for those interested in exploring these areas in greater
depth.

As evidenced by the statistics, patients today are taking
increasingly active roles in managing their health care. They are using CAM
therapies in the medical setting along with or in place of conventional
treatment. They are using them for promoting wellness; for chronic conditions
which they feel do not respond well to conventional approaches; and for more
serious illnesses, as evidenced by the large number of inquiries being sent to
the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National
Institutes of Health. Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Psychiatry
contains a thorough review of problems that may be encountered by the physicians
treating these patients, and it also serves as a guide in advising patients who
are seeking out CAM therapies.

This book will appeal to a wide audience of
professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers,
nonpsychiatric physicians, and residents by providing a guide for treatment with
nutrients and botanical preparations and the foundation for the use of
meditation, acupuncture and yoga along with traditional psychiatric
treatment.