Tag: Narrative Medicine

Collage of pictures with the themes of mind, body, spiritual, healthy lifestyle, and connectedness for transformation

Lifestyle Psychiatry: A New Paradigm for a Holistic Approach to Mental Health and Well-Being

Written by Ron Parks, MD on January 11, 2026. Posted in Holistic Approaches to Prevention and Recovery, holistic mental healthcare, Integrative Therapies, Mental Health. No Comments on Lifestyle Psychiatry: A New Paradigm for a Holistic Approach to Mental Health and Well-Being

Cultivating Lifestyle, Connectedness, and Embodiment for Sustainable Change and Transformation

A Beginning and the Foundation

Early in my career, I completed a residency in internal medicine and then in psychiatry. The most notable aspect was the teaching and academic component, which required absorbing a large volume of information and concepts about the practice and administration of care and treatment, based on the consensus of the day’s educational and scientific community. The second component, initially interwoven with the first, involved working with patients, practicing the art of diagnosis and care, and setting up treatment plans—mostly centered on the psychotherapies considered mainstream at the time, and prescribing medication and other physical-oriented therapies.

There was hope and intention on the part of the residency programs and senior faculty that the teachings, concepts, and wisdom from experienced teachers would be incorporated into our memories for future application. It was further expected that the blending of the remembered with hands-on experience would be more deeply embodied and shaped into remembered, actionable, and ethical behavior to best serve future patients.

Befriending the Inner Voice

Written by Ron Parks, MD on November 14, 2021. Posted in Commentary on Health and Well-being, Depression, Happiness, Holistic Approaches to Prevention and Recovery, holistic mental healthcare, Holistic Views on Mental Health Issues, Integrative Therapies, Meditation/Mindfulness, Mood, Public Health Issue, Recovery, Spirituality & Health, Trauma, Viral Pandemics.

The willingness to challenge our firmly held beliefs and established narrative identity is a gateway for change, gaining wisdom, and better adaptability to life’s challenges.

Simon’s Story

I’m Simon, and I have bipolar disorder. I like to joke that I was a late bloomer, very tongue in cheek, because that was far from the truth. I was in my mid-forties when I physically collapsed. Life and everyone in it just became too much and my mind and body had come to a place where something had to give, or in my case, both gave way at the same time.

I spent a long time in bed thinking that the heart palpitations, cause by my excessive drinking, were killing me. Eventually, I took a stupid Am I Bipolar? test in a magazine, and found that I ticked all of the boxes. That led me back to my GP, who set me up with an appointment with Arno, my first psychiatrist. Within an hour, and with prescription in hand, I entered life after diagnosis and the circus show that comes when dealing with extended family and friends. Luckily, I had Jax to help me...