How
would you like to receive a diagnosis of chronic mental illness, be placed on
leave from your job, and be tormented by depression, insomnia, anxiety, and
obsessive thoughts—when your real problem was too much tuna fish? It happened to a young teacher in Alberta, Canada.
A
published report on this man in the Journal
of Forensic Science demonstrates the role toxic exposures can play in
mental health. The teacher was suicidal by the time he reached
Dr. Stephen Genuis, MD. A member of the American Academy of Environmental
Medicine, the doctor ran tests that
revealed high levels of mercury. It was learned that the teacher had eaten canned tuna everyday for years.
After changing his diet and undergoing treatment to reduce mercury levels, the
patient started to improve. Within eight months, he was symptom-free,
discontinued his medications, and returned to work.
Genuis notes that a range of
environmental toxins can affect brain function, emotion, thinking, and
behavior. He suggests that chemical toxicants should always be considered when a patient
is demonstrating neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Source: “Toxicant
exposure and mental health—individual, social, and public health
considerations,” Stephen J. Genuis, Abstract:
Journal
of Forensic Science, Vol. 54, No.2, March 2009.
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