Your patients are already using these treatments.The question is—should we be recommending them?

We’re building a new book on Complementary and Alternative treatments in psychiatry, and we’re at the point where your input could really shape it.

Chris Aiken is leading the writing, and the draft outline is already full of evidence-backed entries—vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, diet, sleep interventions, and more.

But some things aren’t so clear.

→ Should we include psychedelic therapy? 

→ What about tDCS or lightboxes? 

→ Do apps count—Headspace, Insight Timer, the ones patients already bring up? 

→ Where’s the line between CAM and lifestyle medicine—and does that line even matter?

We’re trying to build something practical, clinically honest, and genuinely helpful.

Here’s what’s in the current draft: 

→ Vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids 

→ Sleep and circadian interventions 

→ Diet-based treatments 

→ Lifestyle and movement-based therapies 

→ A section on unproven or potentially harmful approaches 

→ And summaries by diagnosisWe have the full outline—if you’d like to see it or offer more detailed input, message me.What would you add?

What would you leave out?

Would you use a book organized by diagnosis, treatment, or both?

This book is for real-world clinicians. Help us make it work for real-world care.

→ Follow me (Daniel Carlat, MD) for updates as we develop this further.

Join the conversation on LinkedIn with Dr. Carlat.