Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally. It can cause many symptoms, including hallucinations, paranoia, breaking from reality, flat affect or a reduced ability to express emotions.  People with schizophrenia require lifelong treatment. Early treatment may help get symptoms under control before serious complications develop and may help improve…

Are you feeling tired all the time? Do you find yourself wanting to hit snooze more than usual? Functional Medicine and clinical nutrition can help restore your energy by understanding the underlying issues that cause fatigue. Exhaustion and low energy are often a result of what’s happening on the inside, or sometimes, the lack of what’s…

In Australia and throughout the world, many of us do not get the sleep we need to function optimally. Often, there are underlying problems that cause regular cycles of sleep to be disturbed and the development of sleep disorders.  Sleep disorders are often a result of an underlying deficiency or an overstimulation of the brain.  Balancing…

COMT gene Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is one of a number of enzymes that process neurotransmitters such as dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine.  As we know, not everyone in Australia or anywhere in the world responds to stress in the same way. Life experience influences our perception of stress, but certain genes make us more or less sensitive…

What is Functional Medicine? Functional Medicine, (also known as Integrative Medicine, Natural Medicine, Holistic Medicine, Complementary and Alternative Medicine), is an integrative, science-based approach to health care with a focus on patient-centred care.  It provides alternative therapies by blending natural medicine and the latest scientific research to address the underlying causes of disease. Rather than…

Anxiety disorder can significantly impact your quality of life. If you have a MTHFR gene mutation, it is probable that you have suffered from anxiety and depression at some time in your life.  Many of our patients at our Perth clinic of Advanced Functional Medicine have tried different antidepressants with little or no effect, often…

In Australia, it’s estimated that 45 percent of people will experience anxiety or another mental health condition in their lifetime. In any one year, over 2 million Australians have anxiety. 1 It is in our nation’s best interest to look for ways to reduce anxiety and improve the overall wellbeing of the population. An increasing…

Nutritional psychiatry is an emerging field that achieves outstanding results in improving and resolving mental health conditions. Most of us can easily understand the connection between nutritional deficiencies and physical illness. Many people, however, are unaware of the impact nutrition has on mental health. Nutritional psychiatry is an emerging discipline shedding light on the fact…