Inland Empire Chapter of CAMFT

The Stress Cycle: Physiological Links with "Psychological" Disorders

The Role of Stress, Inflammation, and Gastrointestinal Imbalances in Various Psychiatric Conditions

Dr. Pejman Katiraei

Summary:

Our current medical model focuses on pharmaceutical neurotransmitter balancing as a means of treating psychiatric conditions such as ADHD, anxiety, and depression. There are times that this model works well. There are times it does not. The body functions as one unified whole. An imbalance in one organ system can affect any other. The gastrointestinal tract is one of the largest organ systems in our body. What most people do not realize is that the gastrointestinal tract is intimately tied to the central nervous system through the blood stream and peripheral nervous system. Imbalances in the gastrointestinal tract create imbalances in neuronal function. Imbalances in the gastrointestinal tract can manifest as symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, and even depression. Please join us to learn about the gut-brain connection and how simple dietary change and supplementation can profoundly influence the well- being of your patients.

Objectives: To obtain basic awareness of how to:

1. Recognize presence of a psychiatric disorder which may have genesis in body chemistry imbalance.

2. Treat persons whose compromised functioning arises from gastrointestinal imbalances.

3. Understand how our body’s system of organs is also a massively interconnected set of chemical and cellular processes.

4. Become more effective in treating clients by having a more adequate cognitive model of “what’s going on” in a body, in a person.

Bio:

Dr. Pejman Katiraei is a board-certified pediatrician and integrative medicine practitioner. Dr. Katiraei completed his Bachelors of Science in biology at UCLA and then obtained a doctorate in osteopathic medicine from Western University of Health Sciences. He completed his pediatric residency at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital and then spent an additional year as Chief Resident to assist in running the residency program and teaching pediatric residents. Subsequently, Dr. Katiraei went on to complete his fellowship in integrative medicine under the direction of Dr. Andrew Weil at the University of Arizona. He is now an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He founded and directs the Loma Linda University Wholistic Medicine Clinic where he has helped numerous children and adults become free of psychiatric dis-ease through diet and supplementation. For more information contact: Dr. Pejman Katiraei, Loma Linda University Healthcare 25845 Barton Road Loma Linda, CA 92354 Phone: 909-558-2828 or his private practice in LifeSpan Medicine in Santa Monica, CA.

The Stress Cycle: Physiological Links with "Psychological" Disorders- Synopsis

In our January IE CAMFT meeting, we had the pleasure of hearing from Dr. Pejman Katiraei DO, who told us about the physiological links with psychological disorders, specifically the link between the gastrointestinal tract (our guts) and the brain. Dr. Katiraei is a board certified pediatrician and integrative medicine practitioner who has a strong passion for helping people, and many endeavors in which he does this. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He founded and directs the Loma Linda University Wholistic Medicine Clinic, which helps children and adults become free of psychiatric and psychological disease through diet and supplementation. Dr. Katiraei also has a private practice in LifeSpan Medicine in Santa Monica, CA.

Dr. Katiraei did an excellent job of presenting his advanced, in-depth knowledge of the topic in a simple manner that we could all understand. The gastrointestinal tract is one of the largest organ systems in our body, controlling 80% of the body’s blood flow and having direct ties with the central and peripheral nervous systems. Thus, infection and inflammation cause imbalance in the gastrointestinal tract, which often manifests as psychological disorders.

 We have all heard that stress is a silent killer, and now we can understand the physiological reason behind that statement. The body’s stress response is what causes this inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. When we think of stress, we typically think of emotional stress. Stress that causes inflammation also often comes from toxins such as lead, BPA, methyl mercury, and phthalates; as well as processed foods such as fast food (no more McDonalds!). When the body is stressed it releases stress chemicals into the gastrointestinal tract such as histamine, chymase, tryptase, lL-1b, and TNF-a, which causes intestinal permeability (holes) in the gastrointestinal tract. These stress chemicals and the intestinal permeability they cause is significantly associated with psychological disorders such as OCD, ADHD, schizophrenia, mood disorders and anxiety disorders.

This is a continuous vicious cycle in which angry/stressed person gives rise to angry/stressed cells and vice versa. Inflammation inside one’s body stresses the person. When a person is stressed, their body produces more stress chemicals which cause further inflammation in the body…and the cycle continues. So what can attenuate this vicious cycle? Dr. Katiraei taught us about proper diet and adequate vitamins, minerals and nutrients that can stop the cycle and improve psychological and physical well-being. 60% of the brain is made of lipids, which makes healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids essential for proper functioning. Omega-3 fatty acids strongly influence the metabolism of dopamine, with deficiency effecting vesicle formation by disrupting membrane formation and function. Studies show that the vitamins and nutrients required for normal dopamine levels are vitamin C, iron, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, folic acid, B6, B12, and magnesium. Diet suggestions for getting what the body needs in terms of these nutrients and avoiding stress-inducing foods are a gluten and/or dairy free diet, probiotics and prebiotics, and high doses of fish oils.

Of course to ensure that we as MFT’s do not make recommendations beyond our scope of practice, we can always refer our clients to wholistic practitioners, such as Dr. Katiraei, who specialize in treating psychological disorders with these diets. This wholistic approach to psychological disorders is simply another option for client’s who do not seem to respond well to traditional psychotropic medications or simply prefer to not take medications. Dr. Katiraei has had great success treating such clients in his wholistic medicine clinic. To learn more about wholistic medicine for psychological disorders you can contact Dr. Pejman Katiraei by phone at (909) 558-4993 or email him at pkatiraei@llu.edu. You can also get information about Dr. Katiraei’s wholistic medicine clinic at www.wholistickids.org. Thank you Dr. Pejman Katiraei for your intriguing and informative presentation on the physiological links with psychological disorders!