COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE IN THE TREATMENT OF SCHIZOPHRENIA

During the past century, many scientific discoveries and industrialization greatly contributed to the progress in medicine and significantly improved a quality of life of psychiatric patients. Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder. Due to synthesis of numerous high quality antipsychotic medications, a great progress in the treatment of it has been made during the last 50 years. In five thousand years of the recorded history, it is known that in the early times, people used different methods and procedures in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. In recent decades after great discoveries, medicine based on facts has also faced a number of disappointments. The medicine gradually begins to understand that some of the alternatives used earlier in centuries are complementary methods that were unnecessarily suppressed and excluded from the treatment. On the other hand, a number of countries where this is legally possible is growing and there is also an increasing number of patients seeking alternative and complementary methods in the treatment of schizophrenia. The aim of this paper is to encourage and reflect upon the meaning of alternative and complementary methods in the treatment of schizophrenia as well as to try and prevent forgetting their meaning whenever it is justified and based on facts

COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE IN THE TREATMENT OF SCHIZOPHRENIA

During the past century, many scientific discoveries and industrialization greatly contributed to the progress in medicine and significantly improved a quality of life of psychiatric patients. Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder. Due to synthesis of numerous high quality antipsychotic medications, a great progress in the treatment of it has been made during the last 50 years. In five thousand years of the recorded history, it is known that in the early times, people used different methods and procedures in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. In recent decades after great discoveries, medicine based on facts has also faced a number of disappointments. The medicine gradually begins to understand that some of the alternatives used earlier in centuries are complementary methods that were unnecessarily suppressed and excluded from the treatment. On the other hand, a number of countries where this is legally possible is growing and there is also an increasing number of patients seeking alternative and complementary methods in the treatment of schizophrenia. The aim of this paper is to encourage and reflect upon the meaning of alternative and complementary methods in the treatment of schizophrenia as well as to try and prevent forgetting their meaning whenever it is justified and based on facts

THE PREVALENCE OF METABOLIC SYNDROME IN PATIENT WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Background: Although the connection between body and soul is written in the Bible, research papers haven\u27t given much attention to it until the past few decades. Recently, both here and abroad, there have been more studies that investigate the prevalence of various somatic disorders in psychiatric patients, including metabolic syndrome. Objective: The objective of this study was to establish the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and it’s components in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Subjects and methods: Metabolic syndrome and its components were investigated in 60 patients with chronic PTSD conditioned by the war and in 60 patients treated for somatic problems by their family physician in Mostar. Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was statistically significantly higher in patients with PTSD (48.3%) than in the control group (25%) (P=0.008) and the number of its individual components (test group 2.38±1.30 compared to control group 1.72±1.24) (P=0.005). PTSD patients diagnosed with metabolic syndrome had significantly more frequent hyperglycemia (P=0.010) and abdominal obesity (P=0.044) compared to the control group. Conclusion: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome increased in patients with PTSD compared to the control group

STIGMATIZATION OF MENTALLY ILL PATIENTS THROUGH MEDIA

The stigmatization of mentally ill patients has negative labelling, marginalization and exclusion of people simply because they have a mental illness. Stigma has negative consequences for the individual and his family, as well as for psychiatry as a profession and the entire community. Stigma weakens the mentally ill, reinforcing a sense of alienation, which has negative consequences on the course of the illness. The media can inform the public about the treatment of mentally ill patients by conveying correct information, who can then act positively towards improving the quality of treatment. Stigma and self-stigma create a feeling of low self-esteem and fear of rejection, due to which mentally ill people avoid the media and very rarely speak publicly about their illness. The realization of information rights is very delicate and it is reflected through two opposing but substantially equivalent human rights: 1. Right to information, 2. Right to privacy. Which of the two rights will get advantage depends on the circumstances of each case and journalism ethics. The relationship of psychiatry with the media and especially the media with psychiatry must be extremely correct and professional, based on facts, and not on the pursuit of media sensationalism. The media can significantly reduce the current level of stigmatization of the mentally ill by adequate and correct reports, and thereby facilitate their role in family and society. Lack of knowledge and understanding of mental illness contributes to stigmatization. Education of patients, their families and journalists is crucial if we want to better understand people with mental illness and reduce stigma

THE PREVALENCE OF METABOLIC SYNDROME IN PATIENT WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Background: Although the connection between body and soul is written in the Bible, research papers haven\u27t given much attention to it until the past few decades. Recently, both here and abroad, there have been more studies that investigate the prevalence of various somatic disorders in psychiatric patients, including metabolic syndrome. Objective: The objective of this study was to establish the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and it’s components in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Subjects and methods: Metabolic syndrome and its components were investigated in 60 patients with chronic PTSD conditioned by the war and in 60 patients treated for somatic problems by their family physician in Mostar. Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was statistically significantly higher in patients with PTSD (48.3%) than in the control group (25%) (P=0.008) and the number of its individual components (test group 2.38±1.30 compared to control group 1.72±1.24) (P=0.005). PTSD patients diagnosed with metabolic syndrome had significantly more frequent hyperglycemia (P=0.010) and abdominal obesity (P=0.044) compared to the control group. Conclusion: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome increased in patients with PTSD compared to the control group

STIGMATIZATION OF MENTALLY ILL PATIENTS THROUGH MEDIA

The stigmatization of mentally ill patients has negative labelling, marginalization and exclusion of people simply because they have a mental illness. Stigma has negative consequences for the individual and his family, as well as for psychiatry as a profession and the entire community. Stigma weakens the mentally ill, reinforcing a sense of alienation, which has negative consequences on the course of the illness. The media can inform the public about the treatment of mentally ill patients by conveying correct information, who can then act positively towards improving the quality of treatment. Stigma and self-stigma create a feeling of low self-esteem and fear of rejection, due to which mentally ill people avoid the media and very rarely speak publicly about their illness. The realization of information rights is very delicate and it is reflected through two opposing but substantially equivalent human rights: 1. Right to information, 2. Right to privacy. Which of the two rights will get advantage depends on the circumstances of each case and journalism ethics. The relationship of psychiatry with the media and especially the media with psychiatry must be extremely correct and professional, based on facts, and not on the pursuit of media sensationalism. The media can significantly reduce the current level of stigmatization of the mentally ill by adequate and correct reports, and thereby facilitate their role in family and society. Lack of knowledge and understanding of mental illness contributes to stigmatization. Education of patients, their families and journalists is crucial if we want to better understand people with mental illness and reduce stigma