Overview
Mental health disorders are a category of health conditions characterized by behavior, emotional, and/or cognitive problems. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 30% of all Americans suffer from some type of mental disorder substantial enough to require professional medical care. Traditional psychiatric treatment for people with mental health disorders has, since the 1950s, progressively been influenced by the impact of the pharmaceutical industry. Consequently, today the primary form of treatment provided by conventional physicians as well as psychiatrists for mental health disorders is drug-based. These kinds of drugs, nevertheless, carry a high risk of harmful side- effects, such as suicide, homicide, and other acts of physical violence, as well as cognition problems, bad moods, impotence, loss of libido, and other types of sexual dysfunction. Furthermore, increasing proof suggests such drugs most often do not work. Similarly, another traditional treatment for mental health disorders—“talk” therapy—has demonstrated an ability to provide long-term results in only about 5% of patients, even after they spend decades talking to their psychiatrists and psychologists as frequently as 1-3 times per week.
By contrast, professionals of alternative medicine identify numerous factors generally ignored by conventional professionals that are at the heart of many instances of mental health disorders. Such factors include biochemical imbalances, poisons, allergies, and other environmental causes. By addressing those factors they are often in a position to safely provide effective long-term solutions for their patients, without the need for dangerous drugs and fruitless, ongoing follow-up care.
Types of Mental Health Problems
Although traditional medicine has described numerous psychological health problems, they all fit primarily within three categories—emotional disorders, character disorders, and cognitive disorders.
Emotional Disorders: Anxiety and depression are the two most common emotional disorders. Deep-seated fears, and anxiety disorders are also mental health problems that fall under this class.
Personality Problems: Mental health disorders in this category are characterized by an individual’s inability to socially interact with other people in a regular fashion. Character disorders include chronic antisocial behavior, extreme insecurity, narcissism, obsessive–compulsive disorder, paranoia, as well as passive-aggressive problems. Alcohol, medication, and/or gambling addictions are also forms of character disorders.
Cognitive Disorders: Cognitive disorders are characterized by behavior problems, understanding disabilities, mind dysfunction, and/or delusional thinking. Conditions in this category consist of attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bi-polar disease (manic depressive disorders), dementia, multiple personalities, psychosis, and schizophrenia.
Symptoms of Psychological Health Disorders
Symptoms of psychological health problems can vary significantly, both according to category and degree. Emotional disorders, such as anxiety and depression, tend to be characterized by symptoms that range from feelings associated with chronic fear, hopelessness, panic, pessimism, sadness, and worthlessness, in addition to physical symptoms, such as racing heartbeat, high blood pressure, and intestinal upset. In some instances, people suffering from emotional problems can become so miserable that they may take their own lives. (suicide)
Symptoms of personality disorders range from the self-destructive conduct that is normal with addiction to the chronic inability to properly relate to others, resulting in isolation as well as loneliness. Individuals who suffer from paranoia are often not able to objectively look at subjective and objective events in their life without feeling persecuted or like they are losing control over their lives when they don’t frantically perform certain calming behaviors, such as washing their hands over and over again or repeatedly checking to see if they locked their doors.
Individuals who suffer from mental disorders frequently suffer from intellectual problems and are unable to concentrate on problems that concern them. In some instances, such as schizophrenia as well as multiple personality disorder, they can also exhibit completely different personas at various times throughout the day, depending on how they react to exterior stimuli or their own thought processes. Similar changes in personality also characterize people who suffer from bi-polar disorder, ranging from euphoric mania to listless depression.
Caution: In the event that you or your family member, suffer from the above symptoms to a serious degree, seek the help of an experienced mental expert with a history in alternative medicine.
Causes for Mental Health Disorders
Even though the causes of psychological health problems are often slated by conventional mental health professionals as being solely psychological or genetic in nature, alternative health professionals recognize that many other elements can also be included, and in many cases tend to be far more significant. Moreover, they also recognize the truth that many times people are misdiagnosed with mental health disorders when in actuality these people are suffering from substantial biochemical problems caused primarily by poor diet and nutritional imbalances.
Other important factors to consider as possible causes of mental health disorders are food and environmental allergies, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels), stress, persistent physical illness, hormone imbalances, lower than normal histamine levels, and infections of the brain. Social as well as cultural elements, a person’s age and gender, may also contribute to or exacerbate psychological health problems. Ironically, so can the use of prescription drugs, such as drugs particularly prescribed and recommended for dealing with mental health disorders.
Dependency/Substance Abuse: Holistically oriented mental health professionals recognize that a similar mechanism, referred to as specific adaptation, is often at work in cases associated with both addiction and mental health disorders. According to psychological health physician Karl Humiston, M.D., of Albany, Oregon, in cases associated with addiction, adaptation ensures that the addict’s body has adapted, both chemically as well as energetically, to substances that it is hypersensitive or toxic to so that you can derive short-term feelings of pleasure. Similarly, specific adaptation also forms numerous types of mental health disorders, for example anxiety, addictive behavior, depressive disorders, and, in some cases, psychosis, which can be brought on by allergic reaction-causing foods as well as toxic chemical substances. Because of the way your body adapts to, and starts to crave such substances, their absence in the body can bring about heightened emotional episodes, making it far more difficult to accurately determine the causes of mental health disorder and, therefore, effectively deal with them. This connection between dependency and mental health is often ignored by conventional health professionals.
Allergies: Allergies, especially those caused by foods and food additives, can contribute to a number of mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. The late Benjamin Feingold, M.D., found that allergic reactions to a particular food and food additives are responsible for many types of behavioral problems, such as ADD and ADHD.
Aspartame, a common synthetic sweetener, is an especially poisonous food additive in this regard due to how it can cause imbalances within brain biochemistry once the body digests as well as assimilates it. Artificial food dyes, flavorings and preservatives work similarly on the mind, significantly increasing the risk of developing many types of mental health disorders. Foods such as chocolate, corn, dairy products, eggs, milk, processed carbohydrates, sugars and sugars substitutes, tomatoes, and whole wheat are common things that trigger allergies, and if allergic, these foods may negatively impact an individual’s mental and psychological well-being.
Amino Acid Imbalance: Protein imbalances can significantly impact mental as well as emotional states and are often at the core of a variety of mental problems. Urine screening can be effective for identifying amino acid levels. Find an alternative health practitioner that is familiar with neuro testing. Amino Acid Therapy can quite often be a turning point in improving the brains chemistry and is very important and is often overlooked when treating most mental disorders.
Chronic Illness: Being chronically ill can result in psychological health problems, especially when a person is beset by severe forms of sickness that can possibly be life-threatening. Over time, as people fail to experience relief from their physical symptoms, they can grow progressively anxious or depressed. In the event of severe chronic pain, they can even turn out to be suicidal. Compounding this problem is the fact that many pharmaceutical drugs which are commonly recommended to treat physical illnesses may adversely impact brain chemistry and interrupt immunity, opening the door to biochemical imbalances and immune dysfunction, which can have a profound negative impact on an individual’s mental as well as emotional health. Candidiasis is yet another chronic health condition that can trigger or worsen mental wellness disorders, because of the way that systemic yeast overgrowth can cause nutritional deficiencies. Research conducted by allergy professional Doris Rapp, M.D., has confirmed that just a few drops of allergenic food substances may trigger anger, confusion, as well as hyperactivity, especially in children. A lasting Candida diet plan can be used specifically for the purpose of reducing psychological pain and simultaneously clearing Candidiasis.
Diet plan: Poor diet is a severe cause of mental health disorders because of the lack of nutrients provided and the imbalances this leads to. In addition, certain foods, as mentioned above, can trigger allergic reactions that can cause or worsen mental health issues. This is especially the situation with diets void of fresh, organic fruit, vegetables and whole foods. To complicate matters, diets neglecting whole foods, in many cases, are high in commercially packaged and processed foods, refined carbs, and sugars. Such a diet is not only lacking in nutritional vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients essential for good health, but it is also full of unhealthy food additives, preservatives, and other chemical substances that can seriously impair mental health.
Environmental Toxins and Other Environment Factors: Heavy metal poisoning, in addition to exposure to toxic chemicals found in exhaust fumes, paints, solvents, and other ingredients, have all demonstrated an ability to be capable of causing a variety of mental health problems, such as depression, cognitive disorders, and even chaotic behavior. This is also true when such exposure leads to elevated amounts of cadmium, copper, lead, manganese, mercury and/or even tin.
Residing near or being frequently exposed to power lines may also pose serious mental health issues, including persistent depression as well as suicide. The link between proximity to power lines and depression, for example, has been clearly established through scientific research.
The quality as well as quantity of light can also impact mental wellness. This scientific fact was initially established through John Nash, a photo biologist who discovered that fluorescent and incandescent lighting impairs the body’s capability to properly soak up and assimilate nutrients and may trigger a variety of mental health problems, including alcohol addiction, depression, substance abuse, and hostility, ADHD, in addition to lowered immune function, shortened life-span, and chronic degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, and Osteoporosis. Individuals who spend nearly all their time indoors in artificial light are particularly susceptible to these types of health risks.
Periodic affective disorder which is caused by a lack of sunlight, particularly during the winter months, can also cause or worsen mental health disorders, as can exposure to mold and plant pollen.
Histamine Imbalance: Lower or higher than normal histamine levels can also be a contributing factor in mental health disorders, especially schizophrenia. This was first shown in the 1950s by the late Carl Pfeiffer, Ph.D., M.D., a groundbreaking orthomolecular doctor who found that nearly 50% of all schizophrenic patients he analyzed had lower than normal histamine levels, while several others had higher than normal histamine levels. Dr. Pfeiffer additionally found histamine imbalances to be contributing factors of obsessive-compulsive disorder, severe depression, paranoia, suicidal habits, and cognitive disorders. Typically, such sufferers also demonstrated abnormal amounts of basophils, a type of white blood cell which stores histamine in the body. They also usually experienced nutritional imbalances, especially associated with folic acid and zinc.
Hormonal Imbalances: Hormone imbalances may also contribute to psychological health problems, particularly in women that rely on birth control pills and/or who take synthetic progesterone, each of which can cause overall hormone levels to become unbalanced. In addition, birth control supplements and artificial progesterone may also result in systemic yeast overgrowth (candidiasis), further exacerbating mental health issues.
Hypoglycemia: Many sufferers of mental health problems such as anxiousness, depression, unexplained or illogical fear, ADHD and irritability also suffer from hypoglycemia (reduced blood sugar). In certain instances, hypoglycemia may even be the sole reason for such problems. For this type of patient, testing blood sugar levels is important for proper treatment.
Nutritional Deficiencies and Imbalances: Lack of nutrients and imbalances are two of the most important causes of mental health disorders, and therefore are as significant as the genetic factors that can predispose someone to suffer from mental and psychological problems. Since the 1950s, frontrunners in the field of orthomolecular medicine, such as Linus Pauling, Carl Pfeiffer, and Abram Hoffer, show that any nutrient can cause mental health problems, which range from anxiety, ADD, ADHD, depression, schizophrenia, and cognitive disorders, and habitual chaotic behavior.
Among the nutrients most often found to be lacking in individuals with mental health disorders are B complex vitamins—especially nutritional vitamins B1, B3 (niacin), B6, and B12—vitamin C, calcium, copper, iron, lithium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium, and zinc. Low levels of gastric acid (hydrochloric acid, or HCl) are also generally found among patients with mental health issues. A lack of HCl can significantly interfere with our body’s ability to digest and assimilate nutrients contained in food.
Medical samplings of thousands of individuals in jail conducted by William Walsh, Ph.D., a former research scientist at the Argonne National Laboratories, revealed that 95% of them suffered from pronounced nutritional and biochemical imbalances, and often also had elevated levels of possible toxic mineral deposits. This was especially true of prisoners who displayed severe anti-social behaviors, in addition to those who had been convicted of homicide, rape, and other violent crimes, as well as individuals most vulnerable to suicidal habits.
Psychiatric Medicines: In the last few decades, the field of psychological health has been increasingly company-opted by the pharmaceutical industry. As a result, so–called psychological drugs are actually the primary treatment approach utilized by practitioners of conventional medicine for mental wellness disorders. This trend may be exacerbated through the fact that focus is now placed more on price-preserving measures when it comes to health care, than you are on treatment methods that actually work, especially on the part of HMOs, PPOs, and other managed care health organizations.
Further compounding this problem is the fact that pharmaceutical drugs are increasingly being suggested and recommended for children even though their young brains are not fully formed and are less able to resist the drugs’ severe side effects. Moreover, no information has ever been compiled that shows such drugs are safe or effective for younger age groups (in fact little convincing information exists displaying that they are safe and effective for grownups). The pharmaceutical industry has become so powerful in the United States that parents now risk having their children taken from them to be placed into foster homes if they refuse to allow their children to use medicines such as Ritalin, which can trigger very serious unwanted effects. Thus far, an estimated 100,000 children across America have been taken from their parents because of this, with the complete support of both local and federal judicial courts. This is still occurring even though psychiatric drugs are known to have serious health risks, including suicidal and homicidal tendencies, along with other psychotic actions.
Psychiatric drugs primary fall under four groups: Stimulants, MAO inhibitors, anti-psychotic drugs, and sleep aids. Below are numerous health risks related to each class of drug.
Stimulants—Stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall, which are both routinely recommended for ADD, have been proven by research to have the same effect on the brain as cocaine and amphetamine drugs do. Typical side effects caused by Ritalin, Adderall, and other stimulant drugs include, but are not limited to, brain damage, unhealthy behavioral changes, dizziness, headache, nausea, stunted growth, suicide, as well as violent and homicidal tendencies. Stimulant medicines also have a strong tendency to make those who rely on them feel listless and “zombie-like,” to the point where their inherent personality appears completely suppressed. Despite these grave health risks, current data indicates that approximately 20% of all young children from elementary school through high school take Ritalin and similar medications, usually because they have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, two health conditions that many researchers and physicians in the areas of conventional as well as holistic medicine dispute tend to even exist. Moreover, half of all children in this country who are diagnosed with ADD or even ADHD are placed on Ritalin and similar drugs without actually receiving proper psychological or educational screening. In addition, although no kid has ever died as a direct result of either ADDD or ADHD, a number of fatalities have been attributed to children with these so-called conditions as a result of Ritalin and other stimulant drug use.
Antidepressants—Antidepressant medications, such as Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft, are another class of drugs that can cause serious side effects. Common side effects consist of anxiety, dizziness, nausea, erectile dysfunction (including loss of libido), uncontrollable facial and body tics, visible hallucinations, unhealthy weight gain, obesity, depression, and sexual dysfunction. Other effects consist of electric shock sensations in the brain, in addition to severe as well as permanent nerve damage. Additionally, some users of antidepressant drugs can display suicidal and homicidal habits, as well as other types of violent behavior. The use of tricyclic drugs, such as Norpramin, has even been suggested as a factor in the unexpected deaths of children for whom it was prescribed.
Anti-Psychotic Medications—Anti-psychotic medication use can result in movement problems, such as tardive dyskinesia, in addition to neurological damage that can lead to such conditions as Alzheimer`s disease.
Resting Aids—Side effects associated with pharmaceutical drugs used to treat sleep disorders include overdose, unhealthy lowering of the heart rate (hypotension), difficult breathing, harmful emotional changes, diminished cognitive function, and impaired awareness.
In addition to side effects, psychological drugs, as well as pharmaceutical medicines in general, can trigger and/or exacerbate a variety of mental disorders.
Stress: Chronic, conflicting stress may also trigger and exacerbate mental health problems, as well as negatively impact the health of your body’s endocrine, immune, and nervous systems. Tension has been identified by researchers such as Dr. Bruce Lipton of Stanford University, as the primary cause of 95% of all health problems, including those that fall under the category of mental health. Through weakening of the body’s endocrine system, tension can result in hormonal imbalances which are associated with psychological health disorders. By deteriorating immunity, tension opens the door to numerousdisease-causing agents, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi such as Candida albicans (which, unchecked, causes candidiasis), which can negatively affect the health of the mind and lead to ongoing feelings of anxiousness, depression, and fear, in addition to impairing cognitive and psychological function. By affecting the nervous system, tension makes it much more difficult for people to feel calm, think clearly, and properly fall asleep.
Conversely, psychological health problems, and the life situations that can trigger or contribute to them, such as job loss, divorce, or the death of a loved one, may significantly increase a person’s stress levels. Stress is a vicious cycle that aggravates as well as perpetuates psychological health problems.
Infections of the Brain: Pioneering holistic physician William H. Philpott, M.D., of Choctaw, Oklahoma, has discovered that all mental health disorders related to mind dysfunction tend to be initiated by a viral infection of the brain. According to Dr. Philpott, it is the herpes family of viruses that causes the mind to become infected. Viruses in this class include cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus, human herpes virus 6 (HHV6), and contagious mononucleosis. He has found that people who are born with a predisposition for mental health problems typically possess such infections passed onto them by their mothers while they’re gestating in the womb. Or viruses will often invade the brains of young children early on in life. Once the viruses take hold in the brain, they begin to infect the brain’s neurons that will create brain inflammation. This, in turn, results in irregularities in an individual’s ability to concentrate, as well as in their judgment and perception, often to a seriously damaging level.
According to Dr. Philpott, activity associated with such infections in the brain is both persistent and fluctuating, and can help to make people who are suffering from brain infections more vulnerable to other factors that may cause or worsen psychological health problems, such as environmental toxins, food allergic reactions, and nutritional deficiencies.
Mental health disorders that may be associated with virus-like brain bacterial infections include bi-polar disorders, ADHD, learning disabilities, psychosis, and schizophrenia.
Natural Cures
Aromatherapy: The following essential oils can promote relaxation and soothe stress: Lavender, clary sage, sandalwood, and ylang ylang.
For depression: Bergamot, geranium, jasmine, melissa, neroli, and rose can also be helpful, given that they act as organic antidepressants.
Bach Flower Treatments:
Bach blossom remedies, found by UK homeopathic physician Edward Bach in the early 20th century, are a safe and often highly effective personal-treatment approach for dealing with a wide variety of psychological health disorders. According to Dr. Bach, all illnesses are caused in part, by underlying mental and emotional issues that hinder our connection to God or divine energy. His research showed that energetic frequencies of the various 38 blossom remedies he identified are able to resolve and heal psychological and emotional imbalances to produce overall health. The remedies are very easy to work with and in most cases patients can determine which remedies are most suited for their needs by simply referencing this chart:
Agrimony—Suffering masked by a cheerful or even brave facade. Those distressed by arguments or confrontation, might seek escape from pain or worry with addictive behavior by using food, medicines, cigarettes, or alcohol.
Aspen —Vague fears or anxiousness of unknown origin. Apprehension, and foreboding are also common feelings.
Beech—Critical, intolerant, or even easily discovering fault. Sufferers might overreact with annoyance or irritability to the shortcomings of others.
Centaury—Willing servant, excessively anxious to please, fragile willed, or easily used by others. Sufferers might neglect their own needs to benefit others. Often has a hard time saying, “no,” to people.
Cerato—For those who lack confidence in their own common sense. Sufferers rarely rely on their own inner guide and constantly seek the approval of others.
Cherry Plum—Fear of losing mental or physical control, of doing something desperate or violent. Tantrums, thoughts of suicide, impulse to complete something thoughtless or known to be wrong. Fear of letting go. Sufferers may be close to having a nervous breakdown.
Chestnut Bud—For those who fail to learn from experience, and repeat inappropriate patterns. Difficulty correcting mistakes is a common characteristic.
Chicory—Loving, but with no expectation of being loved in return. Possessive, emotionally needy, easily hurt or rejected.
Clematis—Lacks concentration, daydreams. Appears drowsy or “spacey,” with a halfhearted interest in present conditions. Inactive, ungrounded and trouble focusing.
Crab Apple—Cleansing treatment for when one is feeling toxic, polluted, or dirty. Common feelings include shame, or fear of becoming contaminated or dirty. May be used to assist detoxification, if required.
Elm—For feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities. Performance anxiety related to feelings of inadequacy due to being overburdened.
Gentian—For feelings of mild despondency or dejection due to setback, difficulty, or even failed expectations. Negativity removes feelings associated with positive events or achievements.
Gorse—For feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and a sense of futility. A person experiencing these types of feelings may be unwilling to seek treatment.
Heather—For those who are self-focused, self-obsessed, or self-absorbed. These people seek the companionship of anyone who will listen to them. Common traits include continuous talking, poor listening, and hating being alone.
Holly—For strong negative feelings such as hatred, envy, jealousy, suspicion, revenge, or wrath.
Honeysuckle—Dwelling on the past such as old traumas, nostalgia, homesickness, longing for more happy times. Small expectation of future joy.
Hornbeam—For mental fatigue and procrastination. Tired before work begins, the actual “Monday morning” feeling. Difficulty waking in the morning.
Impatiens—Impatience, irritability, restlessness, or frustration with slow moving people and occasions. Quick in thought as well as action, demands all things to be done without delay. May prefer to work alone.
Larch— Lacks self-confidence despite being capable. Feels inferior and anticipates failure; may refuse to make effort to succeed.
Mimulus—Everyday concern with everyday things: heights, speaking in public, pain, water, illness, flying, poverty, others, being alone, etc. For the shy, nervous, or timid personality type.
Mustard—Sudden heavy gloom, depressive disorders, melancholy, or heavy sadness with no recognized cause. Condition may come and go.
Oak—Marching on despite difficulties. Does not give up if ill or overworked. Strong feelings of obligation and determination. Difficulty sleeping when exhausted.
Olive—Complete mental and physical exhaustion, sapped energy without any reserve usually following a long ordeal or illness.
Pine—Guilt or self-loathing, feeling unworthy or undeserving. May blame self for another additional person’s errors. Not satisfied with their own achievement.
Red Saying—Fear for the pain of others, fearing the actual worst may happen to themselves.
Rock Rose—Horror or any kind of great fear (panic, bad dreams, etc.).
Rock Water—Self-denial. Rigid, perhaps firm, adherence to some lifestyle, piritual, personal, or social professions. Tries to set an example.
Scleranthus—Trouble picking between two choices, and seeing value both in. Uncertainty.
Celebrity of Bethlehem—Overwhelming unhappiness, suffering, loss, and stress. Helpful following the death of a loved one.
Sweet Chestnut-Unbearable anguish. For someone who has reached their limits and feel as though they are in a dark abyss.
Vervain—Attempts to teach, convert, persuade, save the world. Champion of justice. Lively, intense or even driven to success.
Vine—Very strong-willed, capable, may become dictatorial or tyrannical. May overlook rights or needs of others. May be power-hungry or merciless.
Walnut—Protection from bad influences or pressures. Balances emotions throughout periods associated with transition such as, puberty, adolescence, menopause, aging, work change, new home, associations, etc.
Drinking water Violet–Loners, quiet, aloof, personal-reliant. They go their very own way by leaving others to visit theirs. Prefers to bear wellness or additional challenges on their own.
White Saying—Continual unwanted ideas. Mental arguments, worries, or repetitious ideas that prevent peace of mind and disrupt focus.
Wild Oat—Career uncertainty, unfulfilled ambition, or even boredom with current life. Although capable as well as talented, is unclear on which of many pathways to take. Frustration or dissatisfaction may outcome.
Wild Flower—Resigned or apathetic. Indifferent to life’s circumstances. Will submit to health or other issues. Rarely gripes. Little work to improve things or find joy. Emotionally flat or dull.
Willow—Exacerbated or bitter toward life, blames other people. Self-pity over misfortune (“Poor me!”). Sees self as target.
Rescue Remedy®, an all-purpose blossom essence remedy developed by Dr. Bach for general emotions of mental and psychological upset as well as stress.
The Bach blossom essences, in addition to being safe, can also be used in conjunction with other therapeutic approaches, and are said to make remarkable differences in sufferers who at first failed to respond to other treatment approaches.
Biofeedback Training: Psychophysiological feedback training can lead to dramatic enhancements in patients’ ability to handle stress, therefore improving general mental health symptoms. In addition, research has shown that biofeedback is also useful for dealing with various mental health problems, including anxiousness, chronic phobias, and hyperactivity.
Biological (Holistic) Dentistry: According to pioneering natural dentist Hal A. Huggins, D.D.S., many mental and emotional difficulties, including anxiety, depression, irritability, and suicidal tendencies, can significantly improve, and in some cases become completely eliminated, by getting rid of toxic tooth amalgams that contain mercury.
Diet plan: A healthy diet is a vital component of any general treatment for addressing mental health problems. If you suffer from mental health problems, be sure to get tested for food allergic reactions. Also avoid all meals that contain chemicals, coloring, flavor, pesticides, and preservatives, as well as foods that are commercially processed and refined, such as all refined carbohydrates, sugar and sugars substitutes, trans-fat and hydrogenated natural oils. Also reduce your intake of whole milk and milk products, alcohol and caffeine.
It is essential to consume a steady and diverse daily diet of healthy fruits and vegetables such as apples, berries, dark greens, and salads. Small daily quantities of high quality protein sources, such as wild seafood, organic chicken, bison, lamb, eggs, beans, legumes, tempeh and tofu are also recommended. Include whole grain products, such as amaranth, brown rice, nuts and seeds (preferably soaked), and healthful, rather than refined treats. Make sure to vary the meals you eat from each meal to make sure you receive an abundant supply of nutrients and enzymes and to prevent the risk of developing food related breathing difficulties, and be careful not to overeat during meals. Additionally drink plenty of pure, filtered water throughout the day.
If you suffer from hypoglycemia, avoid high glycemic carbohydrate meals. Eat foods that are high in a variety of vegetables, small and constant portions of quality meats and lower in carbohydrates. In addition, eat wholesome snacks such as veggie juices, raw vegetables with a handful of soaked nuts or seed products, a hardboiled egg, a slice of protein such as turkey wrapped in lettuce leaves, or perhaps a fresh fruit healthy smoothie mixed with a quality protein powder, such as Hemp or even raw organic whey protein natural powder. Eat something every two to three hours in between meals to maintain your blood sugar levels.
Energy Psychology: Power psychology coupled with techniques from acupressure and kinesiology, in conjunction with affirmations and recovery breathing methods can solve blockages or even disturbances inside a person’s “bioenergy field,” sometimes referred to as the “aura.” According to the theory behind energy psychology, a sizable degree of mental and psychological problems have their root in the bioenergy field, where they affect us in much the same way that faulty software programs can cause problems in a pc’s hard drive. Professionals of power psychology ask their patients to think about or psychologically re-experience the psychological and/or emotional problems that are causing them difficulties. As they do so, additionally they tap particular acupuncture meridian points so that you can balance out and release negative energies. Once this occurs, sufferers often find that they are completely free of the problems.
There are a number of recovery therapies which fall under the energy psychology umbrella, such as the Psychological Freedom Method , Thought Therapy, and the Energy Analysis and Treatment Methods (developed by James Gallo, Ph.D., who coined the actual phrase “energy psychology”). Recently, such therapies have acquired widespread popularity among psychological health professionals in the fields of both traditional and alternative treatment because of how effective they’re for rapidly resolving a multitude of mental health disorders.
Power psychology has been shown to be especially useful for treating addiction, anxiety, depression, fears, post-traumatic stress disorders, and unhealthy feelings of persistent anger, shame, loneliness, and rejection.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro, Ph.D., in 1990, EMDR is one of the most rapidly growing therapies in neuro-scientific mind or body treatments, and is used by more than 20,000 psychotherapists as a main treatment for a variety of mental health disorders, including addiction, anxiety, tension, and, most especially, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research has proven that EMDR has up to a 90% effectiveness rate for managing PTSD caused by rape, natural disasters, catastrophic sickness, the loss of a family member, or other traumas. Generally, complete healing of post -traumatic stress disorder occurs with three periods or less of EMDR.
Natural Medicine: Helpful herbal remedies for treating mental health problems include St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum), which has been shown to behave as a mild anti-depressant and to be useful for instances of anxiety and moderate depression, as well as for sleep problems related to mental health disorders. Another popular homeopathic remedy includes walnut tea, which contains high levels of serotonin, an all-natural mood elevator. Other herbal treatments that may be useful include chamomile, ginkgo biloba, milk thistle, passion blossom, Siberian ginseng, and valerian root, all of which promote relaxation and can help alleviate the feelings of stress.
Hydrotherapy: Alternating between applications of hot and cold water or immersing oneself in a hot bath can be quite calming.
Journaling: By regularly writing down your thoughts, beliefs, and feelings in a diary, you can help yourself to better understand the underlying problems in your life that can be contributing to your own mental and emotional problems. Gaining new insights in the process can empower you to recover. Research has additionally shown that the daily practice of writing can help to improve physical health symptoms.
In addition, journaling can be an efficient way of releasing yourself from negative emotions linked to past traumas, as well as phobias. A particular journaling technique known as desensitization can help you to make this happen. To deal with traumas, simply permit yourself to re-experience just about all that you can recall of the distressing event. Write down everything that occurs to you, thinking as vividly as you can, so that you use all of your senses. Initially, you might feel fears along with other emotions that you associate with the particular event. By currently talking about the event every day, however, eventually you will find yourself becoming unattached or even desensitized to the event so that it no longer affects you. In the process, you may even discover elements of the experience which escaped you when the event happened, which can provide you with additional clarity as well as peace of mind. You can work with fears in a comparable fashion. Rather than “reliving” a past occasion on paper, imagine an experience that would typically trigger your fear. Over time, you will find that anything you imagine only has the power over you that you give it, making it easier to let go of your worries.
Cleansing and Detoxification: Moderate cleanses are an excellent way to lift mental stress and depression. It is very important to cleanse after one has mentally stabilized by eating a primarily natural whole foods diet plan. Read through the cleanse section and consider a 3-30 day colon cleanse as a healing tool.
Liquid Therapy: It is highly recommended that one perform a colon cleansing prior to juice therapy. Juice therapy involves juice fasting under the supervision of a holistic health practitioner. These brief fasts can improve general mood, as well as aid the body in eliminating toxins that can trigger mental health problems.
Permanent magnetic Therapy: According to Dr. Philpott, M.D., a variety of psychological health disorders can be brought on by electromagnetic imbalances in the body. If this is the case, you can use permanent magnetic therapy to correct and restore balance to your electromagnetic system using magnets placed on various acupuncture meridian points on the body. In the field of psychiatry, magnetic therapy is changing electro-convulsive therapy for depression and other major mental disorders. In addition, permanent magnetic therapy is replacing tranquilizers, MAO inhibitors and anti-seizure medications in the treatment of major mental disorders. Anxiety, tension, depression, obsessions and compulsions can be alleviated with a magnetic field application to the brain.
What follows are guidelines for using magnet treatment to help solve mental health disorders:
The first step in magnet treatment of psychological illnesses is to get rid of all exposure to any and all foods, chemicals, and inhalants that cause allergic reactions to improve nutrition levels. It is also important to calm the electric activity and excessive dopamine production in the brain. To accomplish this, bilateral placement of a negative magnetic field on the correct temporal areas provides maximum control. Usually, most psychological symptoms can be controlled within ten minutes by using ceramic or neodymium disc magnets in this manner.
Those with mental illnesses should sleep on a magnetic mattress pad, composed of 1 seven/eight x seven/eight x three/8 inch small-prevent magnets positioned 1½ inch apart. Additionally, place magnets over the bed (four four x 6 x one inch magnets placed ¾ inches aside). These can be raised or lowered, depending on the height of the pillow, with the top of the head as close as possible to the magnets.
Throughout the night, sleep with a 5 x 12 inch multi-magnet flexible mat crosswise on the lower abdomen. In the center of this pad, place a 4 x 6 x ½ inch magnet lengthwise on the body, held in place with a 4 by 52 inch body wrap. This positioning will help rid the body of any virus-like, fungal, or parasitic infections anywhere in the pelvic area. It will also help the intestinal wall to produce melatonin, an important hormone with regard to sleep and mood. At night, place a 5 x 12 inch double magnet, multi-magnet versatile mat with six mini-blocks 1½ inch apart about the positive post side within the front from the chest; hold in place with a 4 x 52 inch body cover. This treats the heart, lung area, thymus gland, and, in females, the breasts.
It is important to treat the heart with magnets because the water and air flowing within the heart become magnetized and carried to the entire body. Additionally, when seated, use a comfort chair mat with magnets in the seat and back of the chair.
For dealing with most mental symptoms, make use of the 1½ x ½ inch ceramic disk magnets; the headband may align the actual magnets temporally. This treatment generally requires about ten minutes to relieve symptoms, but the longer you expose yourself to negative area magnetic waves the better.
With regard to obsessive-compulsiveness, place a 4 x 6 ½ inch ceramic magnet on the back of the head. An alternative is to place a 4 x 6 and 1/8 inch magnet directly over the occiput (base of the cranium at the back of the head), with a neodymium disc magnet over the middle, as well as a porcelain disc on the left temporal lobe.
For anxieties and phobias, place a 1½ x ½ inch ceramic disc magnet on the remaining temporal area and another on the forehead. A negative magnetic field put on the temple encourages rest, increases alertness, and improves memory. The usual treatment is temporary placement (just above and in front of the ears) of 1½ x ½ inch ceramic disc magnets, held in place with a 2 x 26 inch headpiece. This treatment can also be effective for tension, depressive disorders, and obsessions.
Depression, delusions, and hallucinations are usually best handled with bi-temporal (in front of and close to the top of the ears) placement of porcelain disc magnets. Centered within the temporal areas of the head would be the amygdala; treating the amygdala can calm down the entire brain.
Nutritional Supplements: Helpful nutritional supplements for mental health disorders include B-complex vitamins, particularly vitamins B1, B3 (niacin), B6, and B12, in addition to vitamin C, calcium, magnesium blood potassium, and zinc. Omega 3 fish oils and other EFA’s such as evening primrose, are also suggested to ensure good brain health. Amino Acid formulations as well as specific amino acid treatment can also provide relief of symptoms. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) supplements should also be used for people with low stomach acid in order to promote effective digestion and assimilation associated with other nutrients. There are a wide variety of specialized amino acids available from alternative practitioners which focus exclusively on mental health issues. Amino acid screening is recommended.
Orthomolecular Treatments: Orthomolecular treatments use diet plan and nutritional supplements to treat psychological health disorders. The term itself was first created in 1968 by two-time Nobel Laureate winner, Linus Pauling, Ph.D., to explain the bond between proper nutrition and mental health. However, the use of nutritional supplements to deal with mental health conditions dates back to the 1950s and also the work of physicians such as Carl Pfeiffer, Abram Hoffer, and Humprhey Osmond, that discovered that dietary imbalances had been often involved with mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, which is often accompanied by inadequacies of vitamin B3 (niacin). Since that time, numerous scientific studies have demonstrated the link between lack of nutrients and mental health problems, and also have proven that proper nutritional supplementation may significantly enhance overall psychological and emotional health. In addition to these benefits, other improvements include cognition and mental function, and may also result in healthier individual behavior. Regardless of the abundance of research which validates orthomolecular medicine’s usefulness in this regard, traditional physicians as well as mental health specialists continue to ignore the positive effects it may provide.
Orthomolecular medicine requires the help of an alternative healthcare expert trained in this field. In addition, the supplements which are used, along with their dosages, are individualized and based on each person’s unique biochemical and dietary needs. To determine each patient’s nutritional needs, orthomolecular doctors employ a number of diagnostic tests to ascertain the values of as many as 120 different dietary factors, based on blood, urine, and hair analysis, as well as such additional factors as protein, protein, supplement, mineral, molecule, electrolyte, as well as histamine levels, as well as thyroid, kidney and liver function, and any possible food and environmental allergies.
Alternative Professional Treatment
Other helpful therapies for treating mental health problems include Acupressure, Acupuncture, Kinesiology, Bodywork (Massage, Reflexology, Shiatsu, Feldenkrais, and Rolfing), Chiropractic, Craniosacral Therapy, Detoxing Therapy, Power Medicine (electrodermal screening), Environmental Medicine, Guided Imagery, Hypnotherapy, Mind/Body Medicine, Naturopathic Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, Sound Therapy, Chinese medicine and Yoga.(See Resources for additional information regarding these and other alternative treatments).