Did you know that in many research studies, scientists find one stark difference between happy people and depressed people? Happy folks set goals and work toward them every single day. Their goals are rational and immediate. They wake up with a purpose and a list of things to do before the day ends. But what if you are biochemically depressed and unable to do these things? Most of our patients suffering from depression find it difficult to cope. Just coming to see us for your initial appointment was a tremendous effort for you. We understand this completely. You are not alone if this is how you felt before your initial visit.
New Patients, These are your Goals for the Next Year:
Step one, you need to get your lab testing done.
Some patients take a couple weeks to get their initial lab tests done. Often times they don’t realize that our results are sent out approximately 6 weeks from the date we receive the results of your lab testing.
Step two is waiting for your nutrient program to arrive.
When it arrives the pharmacy should call you to discuss your prescription. If you haven’t heard from the pharmacist at Village Green Apothecary within 72 hours, go ahead and give them a call.
Step three, you’ve got to be compliant with your nutrient program every day.
Have easy-to-grab healthy food available to take with each dose of your supplements. It is very important to stay compliant. Make sure to bring your supplements with you if you travel or plan to be away from the house for an extended period.
Understand that a biochemical imbalance takes time to correct
If you are a new patient beginning your commitment to using targeted nutrient therapy we’d like to give you some tools to help you become more successful.
New patients often show concern about their new protocol and its effectiveness. Your goals are to achieve mental wellness in the next 12-18 months. To help our patients stay motivated and compliant during Phase 1, which is roughly the first six months of treatment, we’ve created a Phase 1 Patient Compliance Calendar for you to print out and display at home:
During the next six months, you need to stay compliant daily to complete Phase 2. The start of Phase 3 is roughly about 12 months from the start date of your supplementation program. When you make it to this date with complete compliance you will feel a marked difference in your physical and mental health. We’ve created a Phase 2 Patient Compliance Calendar for you to print out and display at home:
Each Patient’s Progress is Individual, and Each Time Frame for Healing is Varied
The time frame I’ve laid out for you is very general. In phase 1, start with the discipline of taking all prescribed supplements for a complete week. This is a good initial goal. When you achieve this for an entire week, you need to celebrate your success. Set your next goal for 100% compliance for two full weeks. Take it one day at a time, one dose at a time.
Understand that therapeutic levels are not reached in the first month.
Targeted nutrient therapy takes time. Be disciplined about filling up our patient progress reports, especially at the three-month mark. Getting to the three-month mark is significant. You are a successful patient when you’ve been compliant for three months and have filled out your progress report. At this stage, you will see a mild but progressive change in yourself.
Your next goal is to continue being compliant for the next three months. In months 4-6, we see more improvements. Mood swings will begin to show improvement, and stress levels will be slightly reduced due to increasing shifts in chemistry. Stay the course even if you are having bad days.
At six months you’ve advanced to Phase 2 and you will have your first follow-up. Most patients show progressive levels of improvement at the sixth-month visit. Now you can look back and say you are doing better. You still have more improvements to go, but have made some gains.
I promise you, if you can stay compliant for the initial six months of Phase 1 you will be able to say, “I put together a plan with the help of Mensah Medical and I met my goal. Today I feel better.”
At the sixth-month follow up you’ll be in the middle of your marathon. Phase 2 will still see significant gains. You’ll need to get our program fine-tuned and get your labs retested before the start of Phase 2.
Getting through phase two requires commitment. You will begin to pick up steam and make even more gains. For the next six months, you can get excited about future goals. Now you have the mental capacity to make daily goals, life goals. Now you can begin the process of putting together a plan.
As a Mensah Medical patient, you are partnered with us on your road to wellness. Being compliant daily requires dedication and firmness of mind and resiliency.
Where does resiliency come from when you are anxious, depressed, or have bipolar? It is in the commitment to stay the course with your targeted nutrient therapy every single day.
The cognitive journey of being able to plan and dream again will come when you have made a conscious commitment and partnership with Mensah Medical to stay compliant daily through Phase 1 and Phase 2. Once you are compliant with the nutrients you have already won. That consistency is the first step. This will create self-discipline that will spread into other areas of your life.
Once in Phase 3, you will begin to take off. The goals you were only practicing within Phase 2 you will be able to actualize one year later. You will be able to say to yourself, “Look how far I have come because of my commitment to do better. I am no longer that person that couldn’t focus or pay attention, I am no longer depressed, or no longer afraid to leave the house. Maybe I can have a sit-down meal with my family, the ones I like and the ones I don’t like. I am no longer in self-exile. I can tolerate all those things better. It may not be for long periods of time, but it is significantly better. Now I can go back into that career I love. I am now a successful person.”
Success is not always measured by how much money we make. It is an internal value construct. Ask yourself, “Did I do well, mediocre, or do at all?” If you can say that you not only did but did well, then you have proof you were successful.
In Phase 3, one year from the onset of your supplementation program, you will be ready to make more serious resolutions for yourself. You will be ready for the next challenge. The outside world will no longer be a hindrance to your internal capacity. In Phase 3 you won’t just walk. You will be running. In Phase 3 you will be ready for your next set of goals and personal success. Mensah Medical will be there cheering you on, every step of the way. Our wish for 2016, is for each and every one of you to have a better year than the last, one day at a time, one dose at a time.
Albert Mensah, MD
As a physician in this specialized field since 2005, Dr. Mensah, board certified in integrative pediatrics by the American Association of Integrative Medicine, has treated over 3,000 patients with advanced targeted nutrient therapy. He serves on the board at Walsh Research Institute and serves as a clinical instructor for WRI’s international doctor training programs around the world. Dr. Albert Mensah received his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois) and his medical degree from Finch University of Health Sciences-Chicago Medical School. Dr. Mensah’s residency was in Family Medicine at Swedish Covenant Hospital (Chicago). Following residency, he completed additional fellowship training in academic development at JHS Cook County Hospital (Chicago). From 2005 to 2008, Dr. Mensah treated patients at the former Pfeiffer Treatment Center, a not-for-profit organization and outpatient clinic specializing in the treatment of biochemical imbalances including children with autism. Prior to joining Pfeiffer, Dr. Mensah was a physician at Melrose Park Clinic in Illinois. Dr. Mensah co-founded Mensah Medical in 2008 with Dr. Judith Bowman.