77: Dr. Achina Stein: transforming mental health with Functional Medicine psychiatry

In this captivating online presentation from the IMMH 2023 conference, board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Achina Stein reveals how the intersection of functional medicine, gut restoration, and psychiatry can lead to lasting healing for depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges. She explains why the journey takes dedication and time, why psychiatry provides an ideal setting, and why it’s worth the effort. She also delves into very concrete clinical advice on the basics of how to implement functional medicine psychiatry. 

Dr. Achina Stein is a board-certified psychiatrist with over 25 years of clinical experience and serves as the Clinical Director of the Healing Depression Project. Also a certified practitioner with the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFMCP) and a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr. Stein was awarded the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Author of the best-seller What If It’s Not Depression, she explains how diet and lifestyle changes - including gut restoration and the 5R protocol - can significantly improve depression, anxiety, and mental health. In this comprehensive presentation, Dr. Stein reveals why standard psychiatric care often falls short by relying on a “silver bullet” approach, the limitations of medications, and why functional medicine offers a revolutionary path forward in psychiatry and mental health treatment.

In this episode, discover:

• Who benefits most from functional medicine and why it’s ideal for patients open to diet and lifestyle changes.

• Why functional medicine analyses food diaries, bowel movements, sleep patterns, exercise, toxin and mould exposure and physical exam/gait analysis in evaluations alongside more conventional  psychiatric care.

• Why a diagnosis isn’t always needed for treatment, and why changes to diet and lifestyle can treat conditions before they fully manifest.

• The link between complex chronic illness and mental health symptoms.

• The intrinsic connection between depression and inflammation.

• Other often overlooked root causes of depression and anxiety, including certain medications (e.g., Chantix, Accutane), low cholesterol, low Omega-3, low Vitamin D, thyroid issues, lupus and other autoimmune conditions, and hypoglycemia.

• Why antidepressants may not always improve symptoms and the potential downsides of their use.

• The importance of addressing infections, toxins, oxidative stress, hormone imbalances, digestive issues, blood sugar levels, and circadian rhythm in treatment.

• The 5R protocol (Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, Repair, Rebalance) and its role in restoring gut health for better mental health.

• Insights from the Dr. Hyman Questionnaire on how chronic toxicity impacts mental health.

• Why the gut-brain axis is a crucial missing link in treating depression, the mental health risks of gut permeability (leaky gut), and the critical role of diet in maintaining gut and brain health.

• Ways to strengthen the gut-brain connection and increase BDNF levels through HIIT, fasting, and cold exposure for mental health benefits.

• The crucial role of exercise in detoxification.

• Top dietary recommendations for improving depression, anxiety and mental health, including foods to add (vegetables, eggs, beef, fish, quinoa, nuts, seeds, fermented foods) and foods to avoid (caffeine, sugar, dairy, gluten).