Sudhir Gadh
Stony Brook University, USA
Title: Modern Psychiatry’s ancient failure: the rise of Lithium
Biography
Biography: Sudhir Gadh
Abstract
Despite advances in pharmacology, diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric conditions, suicide and homicide remain not only prevalent but are rising in certain parts of the United States. While economic and substance abuse factors are significant, I’d like to show how failures in prescribing practices are contributing, specifically in the under-prescribing of the most effective anti-suicidal medication/mineral: Lithium. Using data from 2013, showing the top 25 most prescribed psychiatric medications, it is clear that lithium is both misunderstood and ignored as a weapon against mental illness. The reasons for this begin with the influence of pharmaceutical companies and end with the fear and ignorance of how effective even small doses of lithium can be. I will share both data from around the world, anecdotal data from my years of practice and stories from both to illustrate why low dose lithium use is not only safe and effective in a variety of conditions but potentially game changing on a global scale.