21.1 Dr. Robert Post, MD: Youth-Onset Bipolar Illness

Renegade Psych

This week, we're back to give you more information on bipolar illness in youths and the use of lithium with one of the world's leading experts on both, former Chief of the biological psychiatry branch of the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) for 20 years, Dr. Robert Post, MD and psychiatrist. Dr. Post has spent nearly the entirety of his career working in academia and research, and like our last guest, Janusz Rybakowski, MD, is a former recipient of the Mogens Schou Award. In Part 1 of this conversation, Dr. Post emphasizes how much sicker we are in America compared to our European counterparts, specifically in reference to bipolar illness (though extending into other chronic medical conditions as well), with a higher prevalence, increased markers of severity, and earlier onset. He emphasizes the need for early and aggressive treatment, sometimes requiring the use of multiple mood-stabilizing medications... This leads to a back-and-forth with me imploring that we are already an overdiagnosed and overmedicated society, while Dr. Post argues that delayed treatment leads to worse outcomes. We reconcile with discussions on balancing the risk of overmedicating with the benefit of early treatment, ensuring appropriate diagnosing with the utilization of long-term daily or weekly mood charting, and the avoidance of the most commonly prescribed medication class to youths and adolescents, the SSRI "antidepressants," and the need to utilize more lithium. We additional reconcile on the initial use of safe and effective non-pharmacologic treatments such as Family-Focused Therapy, as well as safe supplements that have efficacy in managing bipolar symptoms such as N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC), L-Methyl-Folate (LMF), and Acetyl-L Carnitine (LAC). In addition, we talk about the role of consciousness in the ability to develop bipolarity, as well as the role of inflammation with so many pro-inflammatory sources that exist in America that are banned in Europe (food additives, environmental wastes, etc.). Thanks for listening, check out part 2 next week.

Thanks for listening to the audio podcast... You should check out our posted video podcast on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaZ1bds1MGMM4tSbY7ISqug) as there are graphics overlaying the video to make it all more interactive and educational. For more social media content, check us out on all social media platforms @RenegadePsych. If you have any comments, questions or challenges to the information we've presented here, if you'd like to be a guest to the show, or if you have general comments, questions, or suggestions, email us at [e-mail] and follow the link https://renegade-psych.podcastpage.io/ to our website for source material, transcripts, and additional links for my guests. If you feel passionate about our message and what we're trying to do, and you'd like to donate, you can also follow the link in the show notes to our website.

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.