Alternative Therapies

It is often the case that people come to me when they are feeling desperate and believe they have no other remaining avenues to explore.  While I would love to see someone sooner in their mental health decline, I appreciate the fact that therapy is often difficult for people to seek out due to the stigma against mental health issues and the time commitment involved in change.  These individuals are often looking for answers to things that will help them feel better quickly that will then allow them to work through deeper longer term solutions.  Unfortunately, changing thought patterns and learning new coping mechanisms is a process that takes time and the longer you have been solidifying your behavior patterns the longer it can take to unlearn them.  However, if people are open to alternative solutions there are many to choose from that may offer some relief while working through larger issues.  Today I would like to share two of them that I suggest regularly.

Vitamin D has been linked to many overall health benefits but most people are unaware that it is also a strong combatant when facing depression.   Multivitamins and certain foods are a good source of vitamin D but often not enough to cause a substantial difference.  There are two sources of increased vitamin D that I highly recommend.  The first is a vitamin D drop.  It is a natural additive that you can drop into any food or beverage.  It is odorless, tasteless and safe enough for children as long as dosage instructions are followed.  The second is the sun.  Being out in the sun for at least thirty minutes a day increases your vitamin D and can be enough to help combat depression.  If you cannot be out in the sun because of the weather, an indoor sun lamp can often have the same effect biologically even though it doesn’t feel as uplifting emotionally. 

Another recent discovery of mine is the use of essential oils.  When a massage therapist friend of mine recently shared with me that she was using a diffuser filled with water and essential oils to help her children sleep and boost their immune system I was skeptical.  However, I never turn down an opportunity to test something that may be helpful to the people I treat, so I bought a few diffusers and began to use them in every bedroom of our house.  My kids and I quickly became fond of their effects.  Lavender oil truly does seem to help them sleep better and I am falling asleep faster and sleeping more soundly.  Rosemary does seem to be helping my son with his memory.  The true test was a diffuser necklace that I bought to wear during the day.  I wanted to see if the calming oils really did help me lower my stress level.  While none of these scents completely takes stress away, I can say it seemed to have a marked effect on helping me stay calm.  I found it extremely soothing.  My friend keeps suggesting different oils for different problems and I have not tried them all, but I do believe this is a viable way to help improve mood and sleep.

So treat yourself to something that appeals to you and can help you as well.  While neither of these treatments replaces the need for therapy or other medical interventions, they are different tools that can help you manage in the interim while you do the long term work. 

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