As a doctor of pharmacy, I studied the pharmaceutical guidelines for various mental illnesses. But when I was personally impacted by different mental state, I started questioning how we think about mental health. I was dissatisfied with the medical community’s one-size-fits-all approach. I didn’t want to take drugs all my life. There had to be another way. 

Pain is energy, and it led me to do deep scientific research to better understand my own mental health I knew that if I could understand myself, I would be able to bring understanding and help to others. 

In pharmacy school, we learn about diseases and guidelines for appropriate pharmaceutical treatments. We don’t explore (or learn how to explore) other possibilities. For example, we’ll study diabetes drugs, but we won’t study tailored nutrition, supplements, or other factors that are probably the cause or aggravating factors related to diabetes. The same applies to mental health. We learn the diseases as described in the DSM-V and the treatment algorithms for each. Never do we learn that food can impact a person’s mental state. Research, as well as personal and professional experience, showed me how much we miss with the classic pharmacy school mindset. Let’s dive into the three main lessons I’ve learned in my research on mental illness.

1. I don’t trust my emotions. 

During my research, I uncovered thousands of scientific papers connecting various nutrient deficiencies with specific emotions. Are the emotions we feel really ours or a reflection of chemical imbalances? The answer may surprise you. Anger, for example, could be a reflection of vitamin B, zinc, and protein deficiencies. So, is anger an emotion or a chemical imbalance caused by nutrient deficiency? Could emotions be indicators of chemical imbalances within our bodies? (Similar questions can be asked of mental illnesses, which we’ll dive into in other articles.)

Emotions are guidance for healing. Not trusting emotions doesn’t mean invalidating or ignoring them—quite the opposite! By seeing them, we can assess what’s missing in our bodies. Once the body is balanced, it’s easier to fully understand and explore the emotions we feel.  

2. We can (self-)heal without pharmaceutical drugs.

Pharmaceutical medication is one option for treating mental illnesses, but it should be offered as a last resort. This statement should not incite anyone to stop any drugs on their own. Safe deprescription should become part of therapy. However, as a pharmacist, I noticed that the traditional medical system doesn’t always acknowledge other possibilities for mental health treatments, so you may need to advocate for yourself to your doctor. 

I little over a year ago, I stopped taking my prescribed ADHD/binge-eating drug, but I did so gradually so my body could compensate with the change. Not taking this kind of approach could have led to failure. If someone is depressed, something is off in their body. Should you feel bad for taking pharmaceutical drugs? Absolutely not! But were you offered other options? The options one receives depend on who one seeks help from. It is up to you, the patient, to determine whether a treatment option is right for you.

Treatment options that a doctor or psychiatrist shares are just that: options. You have choices. Close-mindedness, lack of knowledge, and rigid (false) beliefs unfortunately didn’t allow other possibilities to emerge and be widely accepted. 

3. Spirituality is central to relapse prevention.

Spirituality and spiritual growth are about consciousness and understanding who you are. The spiritual life is a journey of self-discovery. We feel, interact, grow, change, and so on. Understanding and reconnecting with your inner self is part of healing. It can sound easy, but we are born in societies where everything comes predefined. We have cultural and social pressures and transgenerational traumas. We have definitions of normality that bump against who we truly are—and who we can become. We are bombarded with misbeliefs throughout our lives. Spiritual growth is about having new perspectives and giving yourself a voice. Sometimes self-construction will require deconstruction. It’s a journey.  

Biochemical balancing—that is, addressing nutrient excesses and deficiencies—will help you do this type of work, allowing you to grow, gain clarity, and become who you are. This discovery often leads to an indescribable feeling of peace, bliss, and wellness. 

4. Bonus: We don’t know much

This is a fact. As I read scientific articles, I noticed that most of them depended on theories created by other humans. However, if we truly understood depression and had the right theories, wouldn’t antidepressants work 100 percent of the time? They don’t, of course, so surely there is something we’re not seeing. I’m not saying we should disregard scientific advancement. We would not be anywhere near where we are without it! However, science tends to reduce life, a complex concept, to simplistic ideas. Failure seems inevitable with such a perspective. Acknowledging that there is a lot we still don’t know has humbled me quite a bit and opened my mind to endless possibilities. 

My research changed me. I plan to share lessons from my ongoing journey. Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts or questions!

Follow me on IG and TikTok: @DrStephanieElle 

With love, 

Stephanie