As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, my clients often ask me “Will I ever be without medication in my life?”
My answer is not always as simple as they would like to hear, however with a more integrative, holistic approach I describe to them alternatives that they can implement into their daily life which may help them slowly deviate away from psychopharmacological drugs (with consent of your prescribing doctor…Of course) According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Health is defined as “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” 1.Integrative alternative medicine is derived from this term in the way that it seeks to improve and support health and wellness across a person’s lifetime by identifying the full array of physical, emotional, spiritual, and environmental influences that affect one’s health.
Three key ways to start the alternative medicine approach:
- Prevention– This includes taking the preventative step in promoting a healthy lifestyle
- Natural healing– Knowing that your body has the ability to heal itself, thinking about ways that you can implement natural healing like aromatherapy, massage therapy, herbal supplements
- Holistic Care– Treating the mind, body, and spirit as a whole
Going back to answering my client’s question, I always encourage the thought that good health, including maintaining mental illness, begins with GOOD CHOICES. The fact is that if you spend most of your day laying on the couch eating high caloric foods and relying on your prescribed medication to help your depression or anxiety, I guarantee it isn’t going to do you any good.
Instead some alternative approaches you can implement include:
- Yoga– with deep breathing and movement of your body you are taking a preventative, natural healing, and holistic stance in treating your mind, body, and spirit. Yoga is promoted to help with lifting mood, decreasing anxious feelings, and improving respiration, energy and vitality.
- Herbal Medicine– speak with your psychiatrist in decreasing some of your psychopharmacological drugs and utilizing herbal medicine to stabilize hormones and metabolism instead. (*WARNING- do not go off medication by yourself without the use of your prescribing doctors’ consent) Benefits include fewer side effects and it is highly cost effective.
- Eating for your health– Finding the foods that are rich in antioxidants, low in saturated fats and cholesterol, and of course eating mood boosting foods is the first thing to implement into a healthy lifestyle. Substituting foods that will provide energy you need to keep active throughout the day is important.
SO figuring out if this works for you—the answer should be clear and simple…
Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19–22 June 1946; signed on 22 July 1947 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records of the World Health Organization, no. 2, p. 100); and entered into force on 7 April 1948. Constitution of the World Health Organization — Basic Documents, Forty-fifth edition, Supplement, October 2006.