Health & Wellness
Health & Wellness
Alternative Mental Health Care Solutions
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A patient of psychological disorder would usually get his treatments through medication and services of a mental health institution or facilities. However, advocates of Complementary and Alternative Medicine believe that there are less intensive, more holistic approaches that could be rendered to these patients in conjunction to their medical treatments. While they do not have approved therapeutic claim and there are no conclusive proofs that these alternatives really work they have been practiced for years and have yielded significant positive results in their own fields. Here are the suggested alternative solutions to mental health care:
Slowing down
Daily stressors contribute to the development of several mental health disorders. In fact, stress itself is considered as a threat to mental health. It disrupts sleep, thinking and rest and it usually affects the way we function everyday. Thus it is suggested to adopt several methods that will help lessen and manage the negative stressors we are exposed to everyday.
Biofeedback – This method is normally used in treating mental health disorders such as phobias, panic and anxiety. This works by controlling the involuntary muscle functioning such as skin temperature and heart rate and by controlling muscle tension.
Massage therapy – This method advances the belief the tapping, rubbing, and brushing the skin and muscle groups could relieve pent up emotions and internal tension. People suffering from severe cases of stress and post-traumatic disorders are usually advised to take get massage therapy regularly.
Visualization – Another method to lessen tension and stress is to redirect the perception and the individual techniques on visualization. This works by entering into a deep state of relaxation where the person could create relaxing and “friendly” images that will contribute to his well-being and lessen the occurrence of unwanted thoughts that are detrimental to one’s mental health.
Traditional alternative approaches
Ayurdeva – Imported from Indian Traditional Medicine, Ayurdeva is a holistic approach to caring your mental health. This seeks balance on the body energies rather than on the symptoms that affect the body. This system of traditional treatments includes yoga, a widely practiced alternative solution in the Western world these days. Yoga makes use of postures, exercises, stretches and meditation to achieve the balance of body energies.
Native American approaches – Cleansing rituals and chants are part of the Indian Health Services Programs that are focused on treating people suffering from depression, stress-related disorders and anxiety disorders.
Acupuncture – Used in treating many other ailments in the body, acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical approach that could also be used as treatment to mental disorders. This makes use of needles with various sizes that are inserted to different pressure points in the body to be able to control its flow of energy.
Diet and Nutrition
According to studies, diet and nutrition affects the manner by which our brains work. If it is deprived with certain nutrients, the brain may fail to function the way it should be.
Vitamin and nutrient intake – According to some studies, there are specific vitamins that our brain needs in order to produce other chemicals that are crucial in maintaining our moods. Also, some vitamins are important in preventing the development of neurological and degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Thus, proper intake of these vitamins and minerals plus supplementation of essential nutrients are highly recommended to maintain mental health.
Mental health care does not only need to include medical treatments, support of other approaches is also needed to maximize the possibility of patient recovery.
Natural Treatments for Acid Reflux
Acid-blocking drugs are widely promoted in the media and on social networking sites as a remedy for acid reflux but these medications only provide temporary relief and are not a long-term cure. However, it may be better to try these natural cures for acid reflux and heartburn:
1. Fix your Hiatal Hernia
In addition to acid reflux, do you ever get the feeling of being bloated after a few morsels of food? Do you burp up some stomach acid following a meal? These could mean a Hiatal Hernia.
There is a dome-shaped muscle underneath the diaphragm that separates organs in the top half of the body from the bottom half. In the back part of the diaphragm, there is a hole the size of a button that enables the esophagus to progress from the throat to the stomach. If this hole ever becomes swollen and the stomach gets into it, you can suffer from Hiatal Hernia.
There are steps to improve this:
- Drink a glass of room-temperature water upon rising in the morning.
- When standing, bring your arms out from your sides and bend your elbows so that they touch your chest.
- Stand up on your toes and elevate yourself as high as possible and drop down. Do ten cycles of this.
- Do short quick breaths while standing for 15 seconds. That’s all.
The warm water relaxes the stomach and the stretching of your arms opens up the hole in the back and dropping on your heels brings the stomach out of the hole and shuts it.
2. Ginger
Ginger root powder, in a teaspoon format, has some very good healing properties and can neutralize acids. Freshly grated ginger root is best, although taking it in capsule-form or buying it in bulk is also an option.
3. Reduce your intake of salt
Eminent researchers in Norway found out that people who regularly added salt to their meals doubled their risk of experiencing acid reflux. So to reduce acid reflux, reduce your salt intake, which is fairly simple. Some people may claim that an absence of salt leaves food to be too bland, then seasoning and spices can do this job equally well at no cost to their health. There are many tasty alternatives to season food instead of salt.
4. Chewing gum
When the acid reflux begins, chewing gum is quite an option. The gum can increase the amount of saliva in the mouth by around 140 per cent. Saliva encompasses a lot of compounds that protect the lining of the esophagus. These certainly certify chewing gum as an effective measure to prevent acid reflux.
5. Licorice
Licorice root is a good treatment for ulcers and can be used as an antidote in tablet form, when taken in a dosage of two, twice daily. It can be taken before meals or just before retiring to bed. It should be chewable so that it can be mixed with saliva and the chemicals which it contains can be filtered to the blood.
6. D-Limonene Extract
It seems that an extract that can be derived from citrus peel which is called d-limonene can coat the stomach and esophagus. It is not known why it does this, but it is an effective cure for acid reflux, having been scientifically proven. In capsule form, subjects found that the relief they got from the extract in tablet form lasted for up to six months.
Avoid Vaccines
Independent scientists have set forth with the Cochran study, a completely comprehensive and in depth study that has come to a final conclusion: Flu vaccinations do not work.
Many people do not know about this, and that is understandable. In 2010, the Cochran Collaboration studies were published without any fans from the more mainstream media. Eventually, Heidi Stevenson from Gaia Health gained light of it. Jon Rappoport cited her article in a Natural News article that can be found at http://www.naturalnews.com/037471_vaccines_mythology_fairy_tale.html
The study dismisses the “herd immunity” myth and tells readers that minor influenza is normally without any outside influences, after a report that 1.5 per million flu shot recipients were diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). This is a condition that causes major defects throughout the rest of the person’s life. They will experience seizures immediately after vaccination.
The Cochran study made use of VAERS, also known as vaccine adverse event reporting system, to evaluate the GBS incident rate. However, VAERS is not a great system and keeps a number of cases in the shadows.
The number of cases reported could be multiplied by 10 for the actual number of cases. This disease is a horrible vaccine reaction and is not to be chanced if you value your health. Some additional adverse reactions include symptoms of brain damage and autoimmune diseases.
The main point is that you are paying your hard earned money to take a chance on your overall health. It would be wise to protect yourself against influenza through safer and more natural means.
There are four easy things you can do to strengthen and protect your immune system:
Vitamin D3. We’re not talking about D2, as it is toxic and extremely harmful. It is important not to rely on any pharmacies for vitamin D, but to get it from natural food stores. Vitamin D3 is known as a pre-hormone and gives your immune system a beneficial shock if you have enough in your blood stream. If you are not receiving a lot of sunlight in order for your body to manufacture it, then you need to supplement it gradually.
Take 4,000 – 10,000 IU supplements to give yourself a sustainable dose.
Astragalus. This is an ancient herb found in India and China. There, it is used as a adaptogenic tonic, meaning that it adjusts your immune system so that it gets more of what it needs. This is similar to vitamin D3, and acts as an immune regulator. It is smart to take astragalus before the flu season, at any time during the day. You can get astragalus online at a bulk herb powder store.
You can also use golden seal and/or echinacea. These are very dependable herbs that help prevent flus and colds. You can get them in tinctures or capsules, and speak with a knowledgeable herbalist who can determine which one is better for you.
Improve your lifestyle and diet. Avoid processed food with toxic additives, oils, sweeteners, and GMOs. Ingesting a good amount of raw garlic with organic foods will help you fight toxins. Hydrate yourself with purified non-fluoridated water, or spring water if you have access to it.
You can also get reverse osmosis filtered water to destroy 35% of fluorides, and add lime or lemon to balance out the acid.
It’s important to keep stress at bay and to get plenty of deep sleep. Don’t allow light into your room and keep electronic devices away from where you sleep. Keeping stress out of your life can be achieved by giving yourself time to meditate, laugh and exercise.