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Interest in lithium has been updated in recent years as not only as a classic mood stabilizer for bipolar diseases, but also as a potential low-dose supplement with broader health benefits. Several studies suggest that even trace amounts of lithium can improve Cognitionpromotes longevity and reduces the risk of suicide (Hamstra et al., 2023).
because Psychotherapy In many cases, patients who struggle with the body are involved suicide, self-harmor emotional dysregulation, it is worth asking whether clinicians should consider recommending low-dose elemental lithium supplementation to patients seen in treatment.
Lithium has a distinctive place in psychiatry (Ruffalo, 2017). At therapeutic doses, this is one of the most effective treatments Bipolar disorder And re-issue depression. More importantly, lithium is the only one Psychiatry medicine It has been consistently shown to prevent suicide (Lewitzka et al., 2015). Observational studies and clinical trials have repeatedly demonstrated this protective effect. This is a distinctive trait with all other psychotropic drugs. Many of the contemporary scholarships on the anti-Susidal properties of lithium were advanced by my Tufts colleague, Nassir Gaemi.
Low-dose lithium
A more speculative question is whether some of these benefits are realized at much lower doses, perhaps even in non-populations. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders– A defined mood disorder, including individuals present in psychotherapy with symptomatic mood symptoms, chronic suicidal ideation, impulsiveness, or self-harm.
Low-dose lithium supplementation is generally defined as intake that results in serum concentrations below 0.5 mm, below traditional treatment ranges. Interest in this approach has been promoted by ecological studies showing areas with higher lithium concentrations in drinking water have lower suicide rates. Animal studies include mood regulation, cognition, inflammation, and Oxidative stress. Human studies are more limited, but often in the range of 5-10 mg (corresponding to lithium lithium carbonate), research in individuals using commercially available lithium supplements, perceived mood improvements, and anxiety. Side effects are usually mild, but not absent and several withdrawal-like symptoms have been reported.
Despite this promise, the evidence base other than mood disorders remains incomplete. There are no large-scale trials of low-dose lithium in patients whose main difficulty is self-harm. Personality disorderor chronic suicide without mood illness. Still, it is difficult to ignore the possibility that compounds with proven records of suicide prevention at therapeutic doses (and trace amounts in ecological studies) could provide protective benefits even at equally low doses. In this case, supplemental lithium can be an important adjunct to psychotherapy and reduce impulsivity in ways that stabilize mood and make treatment more effective.
Careful clinical research and further research are required
Clinicians who want to consider this possibility must proceed with caution. Patients should undergo a medical evaluation collaboration Highly recommended for psychiatric or medical colleagues. Continuous monitoring of suicide, self-harm and physical health is essential, and patients should be informed of both potential benefits and uncertainties. Until there is stronger evidence, lithium supplementation should not be a routine recommendation and should be considered a promising area of careful clinical research and further research.
Lithium has been part of psychiatry for over half a century, and its ability to reduce suicide stands as one of the most consistent findings in the field. Whether its benefits extend to patients with psychotherapy at low doses remains an open question. For now, the most responsible attitude is to recognize both the unique anti-Scidal power of lithium and the need to carefully study its potential role as a natural supplement in patients at risk of self-harm and suicide.
If you or someone you love is thinking of committing suicide, immediately seek help. Open 24/7, reach out to Crisis Text Line by dialing 988 for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or texting 741741. The Psychology Today Therapy Directory.
