I was really nervous to have to tell my doctor that I had decided to take the Truehope product EMPowerplus. I was pretty sure he was going to either laugh or chastise me out of his office. My anxiety about it was so bad that I didn’t want to mention it at all. Of course, that would have been a poor decision. Allowing anxiety to override your logic is never the right call.

So I told him and surprisingly, he was nonplussed. He just sort of said, “Alright then.”

EMPowerplus and My Psychiatrist

As it turned out, my doctor knew all about EMPowerplus. He had communicated with the company and had their literature, discontinuation schedules and other information. He’d seen videos and documentaries and was very well-versed in the supplement. I was pretty thankful that I didn’t have to be a part of that education process.

My Psychiatrist’s Reaction to EMPowerplus/Truehope

Of course, that doesn’t mean that he would recommend EMPowerplus. I asked him outright whether he would and he said, “No.” This isn’t surprising as if he did recommend it, I’m sure he would have done so with me before now.

He also said this, which I consider to be both interesting and important:

  • He has had multiple patients in the past attempt to go on EMPowerplus and go manic or psychotic.
  • He has seen no successful cases of EMPowerplus usage (and believe me when I tell you, this is one extremely experienced and qualified psychiatrist).

Now, the patients he has seen had bipolar I and not bipolar II (like I have) so he and I agree that my risk of becoming manic or psychotic is minimal. Nevertheless, you’ll note that immediately after starting EMPowerplus I did experience a rapid cycle.

Psychiatrist and EMPowerplus by TruehopeHe also said that he does believe in certain nutrient supplementation in psychiatric disorders, he just doesn’t think that the EMPowerplus supplement is special, worth the money or necessarily effective. Part of this opinion is due to the small amounts of many of the nutrients in the supplement. Now, if Truehope were to respond to this I suspect they would say that their blend is critical due to balance. If my doctor were to respond to this, I suspect he would be less generous.

Also, my doctor was very clear in stating that the active effects of EMPowerplus may be due to ingredients not listed or ingredient amounts that are not listed. (Due to the pathetic labelling laws of supplements in the United States, there are many things Truehope doesn’t have to disclose.) Herbs, for example, could be in there and some herbs (like St. John’s wort) are known to produce mania in some people with bipolar disorder.

So, what I think he’s saying is not that it does nothing, but it doesn’t necessarily correct a psychiatric disorder. In my opinion, if the supplement did induce a rapid cycle and giddiness with only half a dose, it seems like taking large amounts could, indeed, be very dangerous to one’s mental state. My doctor confirmed this suspicion and said that he has seen clients abuse this and other “natural” products to purposefully induce mania.

My Psychiatrist’s Attitude towards EMPowerplus

So, in short, he’s not against me trying it but doesn’t think it will work and is not in favour of me getting off my meds in favour of a supplement (duh). He’s fine with the half-dose I was taking but I’ll be pushing that, because, well, that’s just the kind of person I am. If I’m going to see if it works, I’m going to have to actually take a real dose of the stuff.

As always, I do not recommend you follow me on the EMPowerplus journey. Always consult a doctor before adding any supplement to your treatment plan.