Mental health disorders are a category of health conditions characterized by behavioral, emotional, and/or cognitive problems. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 30 percent of all Americans suffer from some form of mental health disorder significant enough to require professional medical care. Conventional psychiatric care for people with mental health disorders has, since the 1950s, increasingly been co-opted by the influence of the pharmaceutical industry. As a result, today the primary form of treatment provided by conventional physicians and psychiatrists for mental health disorders is drug-based. Such drugs, however, carry a high risk of negative side effects, including suicide, homicide, and other acts of violence, as well as cognition problems, moodiness, and impotence, loss of libido, and other types of sexual dysfunction. Moreover, increasing evidence suggests that such drugs most often do not work. Similarly, the other traditional treatment for mental health disorders—“talk” therapy—has been shown to provide long-term results in only about five percent of patients, even after they spend decades speaking with their psychiatrists and psychologists as frequently as one to three times per week.
By contrast, practitioners of holistic medicine recognize that there are many factors commonly ignored by conventional practitioners that are at the heart of many cases of mental health disorders. Such factors include biochemical imbalances, toxins, allergies, food sensitivities, and other environmental causes. By addressing those factors they are often able to safely provide effective long-term solutions for their patients, without the need for dangerous drugs and fruitless, ongoing follow-up care.
Although conventional medicine has defined numerous mental health disorders, they all fall primarily within three categories — emotional disorders, personality disorders, and thinking disorders.
Emotional Disorders: Anxiety and depression are the two most common emotional disorders. Deep-seated fears, or phobias, and panic disorders are other mental health conditions that fall into this category.
Personality Disorders: Mental health disorders in this category are characterized by an inability to socially interact with others in a normal fashion. Personality disorders include chronic antisocial behavior, excessive insecurity, narcissism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, paranoia, and passive-aggressive disorders. Alcohol, drug, and/or gambling addictions are other forms of personality disorders.
Thought Disorders: Thought disorders are characterized by behavioral problems, learning disabilities, brain dysfunction, and/or delusional thinking. Conditions in this category include attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bi-polar disorder (manic depression), dementia, multiple personalities, psychosis, and schizophrenia.
Symptoms of mental health disorders can vary greatly, both according to category and degree. Emotional disorders, such as anxiety and depression, are characterized by symptoms that range from feelings of chronic despair, fear, hopelessness, panic, pessimism, sadness, and worthlessness, to physical symptoms, such as racing heartbeat high blood pressure, and gastrointestinal upset. In some cases, people afflicted with emotional disorders can become overwhelmed by feelings of grief and despair to the point of being suicidal.
Symptoms of personality disorders range from the self-destructive behavior that is common with addiction to a chronic inability to properly relate to others, leading to isolation and loneliness. People who suffer from paranoia are often unable to objectively view subjective and objective events in their lives without feeling persecuted and/or in some kind of danger; whereas people with an obsessive-compulsive disorder feel as if they are losing control over their lives if they don’t obsessively perform certain calming behaviors, such as washing their hands over and over again or repeatedly checking to see if they locked their doors before going out.
People who suffer from thought disorders often suffer from cognitive problems and/or are unable to think clearly about issues that concern them. In some instances, such as schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder, they can also exhibit completely different personalities at different times during the day, depending on how they react to external 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: If you or your loved ones suffer from any of the above symptoms to a serious degree, seek the assistance of a trained mental health professional with a background in holistic medicine.
Although the causes of mental health disorders are often relegated by conventional mental health professionals to being solely psychological or genetic in nature, holistic health professionals recognize that many other factors can also be involved, and in many cases are far more significant. Moreover, they also recognize the fact that many times people are misdiagnosed with mental health disorders when in actuality they are suffering from significant biochemical problems caused primarily by poor diet and nutritional imbalances.
Other important factors to consider as causes of mental health disorders are food and environmental allergies, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), stress, chronic physical illness, hormone imbalances, lower than normal histamine levels, and viral infections of the brain. Social and cultural factors, as well as a person’s age and gender, can also contribute to or exacerbate mental health disorders. Ironically, so can the use of prescription drugs, including drugs specifically prescribed and recommended for treating mental health disorders.
Addiction/Substance Abuse: Holistically oriented mental health professionals recognize that a similar mechanism, known as specific adaptation, is often at work in cases of both addiction and mental health disorders. According to mental health doctor Karl E. Humiston, M.D., of Albany, Oregon, in cases of addiction, specific adaptation means that the addict’s body has adapted, both chemically and energetically, to substances to which it is allergic or which are toxic in order to derive temporary feelings of pleasure. Similarly, specific adaptation also forms many various types of mental health disorders, such as anxiety, compulsive behavior, depression, and, in some cases, psychosis, all of which can be triggered by allergy-causing foods and toxic chemicals. Because of the way the body adapts to, and then starts to crave such substances, their lack can trigger heightened negative emotional episodes, making it far more difficult to accurately determine the causes of mental health disorders and, therefore, to effectively treat them. This aspect of the relationship between addiction 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, MD, found that allergic reactions to certain foods and food additives are a primary cause of many types of behavioral problems, such as ADD and ADHD.
Aspartame, a common artificial sweetener, is an especially toxic food additive in this regard because of how it can cause imbalances in brain chemistry once the body digests and assimilates it. Artificial food colorings, flavorings, and preservatives act similarly on the brain, significantly increasing the risk of developing many types of mental health disorders. Foods such as chocolate, corn, dairy products, eggs, milk, refined carbohydrates, sugar and sugar substitutes, tomatoes, and wheat are common allergens, and if allergic, these foods can negatively impact an individual’s mental and emotional well-being.
Amino Acid Imbalance: Amino Acid imbalances can significantly affect mental and emotional states and be at the root of variety of mental problems. Urine testing can be effective in determining amino acid levels. Find an alternative Dr. who is familiar with neuro testing. Amino Acid Therapy can be a turning point in many cases as balancing one’s brain chemistry is very important and is often overlooked when treating most mental disorders.
Chronic Physical Illness: The experience of being chronically ill can often result in mental health problems, especially when a person is beset by serious forms of illness that can potentially be life-threatening. Over time, as people fail to experience relief from their physical symptoms, they can grow increasingly anxious or depressed. In cases of severe chronic pain, they can even become suicidal. Compounding this problem is the fact that many pharmaceutical drugs that are commonly prescribed to treat physical illnesses can adversely affect brain chemistry and disrupt immunity, opening the door for biochemical imbalances and immune dysfunctions to occur, which can have a profound negative impact on a person’s mental and emotional health. Candidiasis is another chronic health problem that can cause or worsen mental health disorders, due to the way that systemic yeast overgrowth can create nutritional deficiencies. Research conducted by allergy specialist Doris Rapp, M.D., has proven that just a few drops of allergenic food substances can trigger anger, confusion, and hyperactivity, especially in children. A long term Candida diet can be used specifically for the purpose of lifting the emotional pain and simultaneously clear Candidiasis.
Diet: Poor diet is a serious cause of mental health disorders because of the nutritional deficiencies and imbalances it results in. In addition, certain foods, as mentioned above, can trigger allergies that can cause or worsen mental health problems. This is especially the case with diets devoid of fresh, organic fruits, vegetables and other organic whole foods. To make matters worse, diets neglecting whole foods are often high in commercially packaged and processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and sugars. Such a diet not only lacks the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients essential for good health, but it is also high in unhealthy food additives, preservatives, and other chemicals that can seriously impair mental health.
Environmental Toxins and Other Environmental Factors: Heavy metal poisoning, as well as exposure to toxic chemicals contained in exhaust fumes, paints, solvents, and other substances, have all been shown by research to be capable of causing a variety of mental health problems, such as depression, thinking disorders, and even violent behavior. This is especially true when such exposure leads to elevated levels of cadmium, copper, lead, manganese, mercury and/or tin.
Living near or otherwise being regularly exposed to high voltage lines can also pose serious mental health problems, including chronic depression and suicide. The link between close proximity to power lines and depression, for example, has been clearly established by scientific research.
The quality and quantity of light can also influence mental health. This scientific fact was first established by John Nash Ott, Sc.D., a photobiologist who discovered that fluorescent and incandescent lighting impairs the body’s ability to properly absorb and assimilate nutrients and can trigger a variety of mental health problems, including alcoholism, depression, drug abuse, hostility, hyperactivity, and irritability, as well as contributing to lowered immune function, a shortened life span, and chronic degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. People who spend the majority of their time indoors in buildings with artificial light are particularly susceptible to these types of health risks.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is caused by a lack of sunlight, especially during the winter months, can also cause or worsen mental health disorders, as can exposure to mold and pollen.
Histamine Imbalance: Lower or higher than normal histamine levels can also be a factor in mental health disorders, especially schizophrenia. This was first shown in the 1950s by the late Carl Pfeiffer, Ph.D., M.D., a pioneering orthomolecular physician who found that nearly 50 percent of the schizophrenic patients he examined had lower than normal histamine levels, while approximately a third of them had elevated histamine levels. Dr. Pfeiffer also found histamine imbalances to be a factor in many cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder, severe depression, paranoia, suicidal tendencies, and thinking disorders. Typically, such patients also showed abnormal levels of basophils, a type of white blood cell that stores histamine in the body. They also usually suffered from nutritional imbalances, especially of folic acid and zinc.
Hormonal Imbalances: Hormonal imbalances can also contribute to mental health problems, especially in women who rely on birth control pills and/or who take synthetic progesterone, both of which can cause overall hormone levels to become imbalanced. In addition, birth control pills and synthetic progesterone can also result in systemic yeast overgrowth (candidiasis), further exacerbating mental health issues.
Hypoglycemia: Many patients who suffer from mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, unexplained or irrational fear, hyperactivity, and irritability also suffer from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). In certain instances, hypoglycemia may even be the sole cause of such conditions. For such patients, stabilizing blood sugar levels is essential for proper treatment.
Nutritional Deficiencies and Imbalances: Nutritional deficiencies and imbalances represent two of the most important causes of mental health disorders, and are nearly as significant as the genetic factors that can predispose people to suffer from mental and emotional problems. Since the 1950s, leaders in the field of orthomolecular medicine, such as Linus Pauling, Carl Pfeiffer, and Abram Hoffer, have shown that deficiencies in any nutrient can cause mental health problems, ranging from anxiety, attention deficit disorders, depression, and hyperactivity to impaired mental function, schizophrenia, thinking disorders, and habitual violent behavior.
Among the nutrients most commonly found to be deficient or imbalanced in people with mental health disorders are B complex vitamins—especially vitamins B1, B3 (niacin), B6, and B12—vitamin C, calcium, copper, iron, lithium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium, and zinc. Low levels of stomach acid (hydrochloric acid, or HCl) are also commonly found among patients with mental health problems. A lack of HCl can significantly interfere with the body’s ability to digest and assimilate nutrients contained in food.
Scientific samplings of thousands of people in prison conducted by William Walsh, Ph.D., a former research scientist at the Argonne National Laboratories, revealed that 95 percent of them suffered from pronounced nutritional and biochemical imbalances, and often also had elevated levels of potential toxic minerals such as lead. This was particularly true of prisoners who exhibited severe antisocial behaviors, as well as those who were convicted of homicide, rape, and other violent crimes, as well as those most prone to suicidal tendencies.
Psychiatric Drugs: In the last few decades, the field of mental health has been increasingly co-opted by the pharmaceutical industry. As a result, so-called psychiatric drugs are now the primary treatment approach used by practitioners of conventional medicine for mental health disorders. This trend has been exacerbated by the fact that emphasis is now placed more on cost-saving measures when it comes to health care, than on treatment methods that actually work, particularly 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 recommended and prescribed for children despite the fact that their young brains are not fully developed and are therefore less capable of resisting the drugs’ serious side effects. Moreover, no data has ever been compiled that shows such drugs are safe or effective for younger age groups (and in fact little convincing data exists showing that they are safe and effective for adults). So influential has the pharmaceutical industry become in this regard that all across the United States, parents now risk having their children taken from them to be placed into foster homes if they refuse to use drugs such as Ritalin, which can cause very serious side effects, to treat their children. Thus far, an estimated 100,000 children across America have been taken from their parents for this reason, with the full support of both state and federal judicial courts. This, despite the fact that psychiatric drugs are known to carry serious health risks, including suicidal and homicidal tendencies, as well as other psychotic behaviors.
Psychiatric drugs primary fall into four categories: stimulants, antidepressants, anti-psychotic medications, and sleep aids. What follows are various health risks associated with each class of drug.
Stimulants — Stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderal, which are routinely prescribed for ADD and ADHD, has been shown by research to act on the brain in much the same way that cocaine and amphetamine drugs do. Common side effects caused by Ritalin, Adderal, and other stimulant drugs include, but are not limited to, brain damage, unhealthy behavioral changes, dizziness, headache, stomach problems, stunted growth, suicide, and violent and homicidal tendencies. Stimulant drugs also have a strong tendency to leave those who use them feeling listless and “zombie-like,” to the point where their inherent personality seems completely suppressed. Despite these grave health risks, current statistics indicate that approximately 20 percent of all school children in kindergarten through the 12th grade take Ritalin and similar medications, usually because they have been diagnosed as having ADD or ADHD, two so-called health conditions which many scientists and physicians in the fields of both conventional and holistic medicine dispute are even real. Moreover, half of all children in this country who are diagnosed with ADD or ADHD are placed on Ritalin and similar drugs without ever receiving proper psychological or educational testing. In addition, though no child has ever died as a result of either ADD or ADHD, a number of deaths have been attributed to children with these so-called conditions as a direct result of Ritalin and similar stimulant drug use.
Antidepressants — Antidepressant medications, such as Paxil, Prozac, and Zolot, are another class of drugs that can cause serious side effects. Such side effects include anxiety, dizziness, nausea, sexual dysfunction (including impotence and loss of libido), uncontrollable facial and body tics, visual hallucinations, unhealthy weight gain and obesity, withdrawal symptoms, and sexual dysfunction. Other side effects include electric shock sensations in the brain, as well as severe and permanent neurological damage. In addition, some users of antidepressant medications can exhibit suicidal and homicidal tendencies, as well as other forms of violent behavior, and the use of tricyclic medications, such as Norpramin, has even been implicated in the sudden deaths of children for whom it was prescribed.
Anti-Psychotic Medications — Anti-psychotic drug use can result in movement disorders, such as tardive dyskinesia, as well as neurological damage that can lead to such conditions as Alzheimer`s disease.
Sleeping Aids — Side effects associated with pharmaceutical drugs used to treat sleep disorders include overdose, unhealthy lowering of the heart rate (hypotension), depressed respiration, unhealthy changes in mood, diminished cognitive function, and impaired consciousness.
In addition to the above side effects, psychiatric drugs, as well as pharmaceutical drugs in general, can trigger and/or exacerbate a variety of mental health disorders.
Stress: Chronic, unresolved stress can also trigger and exacerbate mental health disorders, as well as negatively impacting the health of your body’s endocrine, immune, and nervous systems. Stress has been implicated by researchers such as Dr. Bruce Lipton of Stanford University as the primary cause of 95 percent of all health conditions, including those which fall under the category of mental health. By weakening your body’s endocrine system, stress can result in hormonal imbalances that are associated with mental health disorders. By weakening immunity, stress opens the door to various disease-causing agents, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi such as Candida albicans (which, unchecked, causes candidiasis), all of which can negatively effect the health of the brain and lead to ongoing feelings of anxiety, depression, and fear, as well as impairing cognitive and mental function. And by affecting the nervous system, stress makes it much more difficult for people to feel relaxed, think clearly, and properly express themselves.
Conversely, mental health disorders, and the life situations that can cause or contribute to them, such as job loss, divorce, or the death of a loved one, can significantly increase a person’s stress levels, setting in motion a vicious cycle that further aggravates and perpetuates mental health problems.
Viral Infections of the Brain: Pioneering holistic physician William H. Philpott, MD, of Choctaw, Oklahoma, has found that all mental health disorders related to organic brain dysfunction are initiated by viral infection of the brain. According to Dr. Philpott, it is the herpes class of viruses that causes the brain to become infected. Viruses in this class include cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus, human herpes virus 6 (HHV6), and infectious mononucleosis. He has found that people who are born with a predisposition for mental health disorders typically have such viruses passed onto them by their mothers while they are 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 and create brain swelling. This, in turn, results in abnormalities in a person’s ability to concentrate, as well as in their judgment and perception, often to a seriously damaging degree.
According to Dr. Philpott, the activity of such viruses in the brain is both chronic and fluctuating, and can make people who are afflicted by brain viruses more susceptible to other factors that can cause or worsen mental health disorders, such as environmental toxins, food allergies, and nutritional deficiencies.
Mental health disorders that can be associated with viral brain infections include bi-polar disorders, hyperactivity, learning disabilities, psychosis, and schizophrenia.
Aromatherapy: The following essential oils can promote calm and soothe stress: chamomile, clary sage, lavender, sandalwood, and ylang ylang.
For depression: bergamot, geranium, jasmine, melissa, neroli, and rose can be helpful, since they act as natural antidepressants.
Bach Flower Remedies:
Back flower remedies, discovered by British homeopathic physician Edward Bach in the early 20th century, are a safe and often highly effective self-care approach for dealing with a wide variety of mental health disorders. According to Dr. Bach, all illnesses are due, at least in part, to underlying mental and emotional issues that interfere with our connection with Spirit or divine energy. His research showed that energetic frequencies of the various 38 flower remedies he identified are able to resolve and heal mental and emotional imbalances to create 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 simply by referencing the following chart:
Agrimony—Suffering covered by a cheerful or brave facade. Distressed by argument or confrontation, may seek escape from pain or worry with addictive behavior through the use of food, drugs, cigarettes, or alcohol.
Aspen — Vague fears or anxiety of unknown origin. Apprehension, foreboding.
Beech — Critical, intolerant, or easily finding fault. May overreact with annoyance or irritability to the shortcomings of others.
Centaury — Willing servant, overly anxious to please, weak willed, or easily exploited/dominated by others. May neglect own needs to serve others. Avoids confrontation, difficulty saying “no.”
Cerato — Lacks confidence in own judgment. Little trust in inner guidance. Constantly seeks advice of others; therefore vulnerable to being misguided.
Cherry Plum — Fear of losing mental or physical control, of doing something desperate or violent. Tantrums, suicidal thoughts, impulse to do something thoughtless or known to be wrong. Fear of letting go. May be near nervous breakdown.
Chestnut Bud — Failure to learn from experience, repeats inappropriate patterns. Difficulty correcting mistakes.
Chicory — Loving, but with expectation of being loved in return. Possessive, emotionally needy, easily hurt or rejected.
Clematis — Lacks concentration, daydreams. Drowsy or “spacey” with a halfhearted interest in present circumstances. Inactive, ungrounded. Trouble materializing dreams.
Crab Apple — Cleansing remedy when feeling toxic, contaminated, or unclean. Ashamed of self-image. Fear of being contaminated. Need for cleanliness. Can be used to assist detoxification, if needed.
Elm — Overwhelmed by responsibilities. Normally capable, now doubts ability to perform tasks. Temporary feelings of inadequacy due to overload. Difficulty prioritizing.
Gentian — Mild despondency or discouragement due to setback, difficulty, or failed expectation. Negativity reverses easily with positive events or successes.
Gorse — Helplessness, hopelessness, sense of futility. Convinced situation will not improve; may not be willing to try remedies. Heather—Self-centered, self-obsessed, or self-absorbed. Seeks the companionship of anyone who will listen to them. Constant chatterer, poor listener, unhappy if left alone.
Holly — Strongly felt negative feelings: hatred, envy, jealousy, suspicion, revenge, or wrath.
Honeysuckle — Dwelling in the past: old traumas, nostalgia, homesickness, regrets for happier times. Little expectation of future happiness.
Hornbeam — Mental fatigue and tiredness; procrastination. Weary before day or task begins, the “Monday morning” feeling. Difficulty starting.
Impatiens — Impatience, irritability, restlessness, or frustration with slow moving people and events. Quick in thought and action, requires all things to be done without delay. May prefer to work alone.
Larch — Lacks self-confidence despite being capable. Feels inferior. Anticipates failure; may refuse to make effort to succeed.
Mimulus - Everyday fear of known things: heights, public speaking, pain, water, illness, flying, poverty, other people, being alone, etc. For the shy, nervous, or timid personality type.
Mustard - Sudden deep gloom, depression, melancholia, or heavy sadness with no known cause. Condition may come and go.
Oak - Struggling on despite difficulties. Does not give up even if ill or overworked. Strong sense of responsibility and determination. Difficulty resting when exhausted.
Olive- Complete mental and physical exhaustion, sapped energy with no reserve-for example, after a long personal ordeal or illness.
Pine - Guilt or self-reproach, feels unworthy or undeserving. May blame self for another person's mistakes. Not satisfied with own success.
Red Chestnut - Fear for the well-being of others, fearing the worst will happen to their loved ones.
Rock Rose - Terror or any great fear (panic, nightmares, etc.).
Rock Water - Self-denial. Strict, perhaps rigid, adherence to a living style or to religious, personal, or social disciplines. Tries to set an example.
Scleranthus - Difficulty in deciding between two choices, seeing value in both. Uncertainty.
Star of Bethlehem - Great unhappiness, grief, loss, trauma, after-effects of shock. Helpful after bereavement.
Sweet Chestnut - Unbearable anguish. Has reached the limits of endurance. Dark night of the soul, facing the abyss.
Vervain - Fixed ideas, over-enthusiasm. Attempts to teach, convert, convince, save the world. Champion of justice. Energetic, intense or driven.
Vine - Overly strong-willed, capable, may become dictatorial or tyrannical. May disregard rights or needs of others. May be power-hungry or merciless.
Walnut - Protection from negative influences or pressures and from the effects of change. Stabilizes emotionally during periods of transition: puberty, adolescence, menopause, aging, job change, new home, relationships, etc. Breaks links to past; facilitates freedom to move forward.
Water Violet - Loners, quiet, aloof, self-reliant. They go their own way and leave others to go theirs. Prefers to bear health or other challenges alone.
White Chestnut - Persistent unwanted thoughts. Mental arguments, worries, or repetitious thoughts that prevent peace of mind and disrupt concentration.
Wild Oat - Career uncertainty, unfulfilled ambition, or boredom with present status and course in life. Although capable and talented, is unclear on which of many paths to take. Frustration or dissatisfaction may result.
Wild Rose - Resigned or apathetic. Indifferent to life's circumstances. Will surrender to health or other problems. Rarely complains. Little effort to improve things or find joy. Emotionally flat or dull.
Willow - Resentful or bitter toward life, blames others. Self-pity over misfortune (“Poor me!”). Sees self as victim.
Rescue Remedy®, an all-purpose flower essence treatment developed by Dr. Bach for general feelings of mental and emotional upset and stress, can also be useful.
The Bach flower essences, in addition to being safe, can also be used in conjunction with other therapeutic approaches, and have been shown to make remarkable differences in patients who initially failed to respond to other treatment approaches.
Biofeedback Training: Biofeedback training can result in dramatic improvements in patients' ability to manage stress, thereby improving overall mental health symptoms. In addition, research has shown that biofeedback is also helpful for dealing with various mental health problems, including anxiety, chronic phobias, and hyperactivity.
Biological (Holistic) Dentistry: According to pioneering biological dentist Hal A. Huggins, D.D.S., many mental and emotional problems, including anxiety, depression, irritability, and suicidal tendencies, can significantly be improved, and in many cases completely eliminated, by removing toxic dental amalgams that contain mercury.
Diet: A healthy diet is a vital component of any overall program for addressing mental health disorders. If you suffer from mental health problems, be sure to get tested for food allergies. Also avoid all foods that contain additives, coloring, flavoring, pesticides, and preservatives, as well as foods that are commercially processed and refined, including all refined carbohydrates, sugar and sugar substitutes, trans fats and hydrogenated oils. Also minimize your intake of milk and dairy products, as well as alcohol and caffeine.
It is essential to eat a steady and diverse daily diet of health enhancing fruits such as apples, berries, stone fruits, and vegetables, especially dark greens, salads, small daily quantities of high quality protein sources, such as wild fish, organic poultry, bison, lamb, eggs, beans, legumes, tempeh and tofu, essential fatty acids, whole grains, such as quinoa and brown rice, nuts and seeds (preferably soaked), and wholesome, rather than refined treats. Be sure to vary the foods you eat at each meal to ensure a plentiful supply of nutrients and enzymes and to avoid the risk of developing food sensitivities, and be careful not to overeat during meals. Also drink plenty of pure, filtered water throughout the day.
If you suffer from hypoglycemia, avoid high glycemic carbohydrate foods. Eat meals that are high in a variety of vegetables, small and consistent portions of quality proteins and low in carbohydrates. In addition, eat healthy snacks such as all vegetable juices or raw vegetables with a handful of soaked nuts or seeds, or a hard boiled egg, a slice of protein such as turkey wrapped in lettuce leaves, or a fresh fruit smoothie mixed with essential fats and a quality protein powder, such as Hemp or raw organic whey protein powder. Eat something every two to three hours between meals to keep your blood sugar levels stabilized.
Energy Psychology: Energy psychology combined with techniques from acupressure and kinesiology, often in conjunction with affirmations and healing breathing techniques can resolve blockages or disturbances in a person's “bioenergy field,” sometimes referred to as the “aura.” According to the theory behind energy psychology, a large degree of mental and emotional problems have their root in the bioenergy field, where they affect us in much the same way that faulty software can cause problems in a computer's hard drive. Practitioners of energy psychology have their patients think about or emotionally re-experience the mental and/or emotional problems that are causing them difficulties. As they do so, they also tap specific acupuncture meridian points in order to balance out and free trapped energies. Once this occurs, patients often find that they are completely free of their problems.
There are a variety of healing therapies that fall under the energy psychology umbrella, such as emotional freedom technique (EFT), Thought Therapy, and Energy Diagnostic and Treatment Methods (developed by Fred Gallo, Ph.D., who coined the phrase “energy psychology”). In recent years, such therapies have gained widespread acceptance among mental health professionals in the fields of both conventional and alternative medicine because of how effective they are for rapidly resolving a wide variety of mental health disorders.
Energy psychology has been shown to be particularly useful for treating addiction, anxiety, depression, panic disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorders, and unhealthy feelings of chronic anger, guilt, loneliness, rage, and rejection.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro, Ph.D., in 1990, EMDR has become one of the most rapidly growing therapies in the field of mind/body medicine, and is used by more than 20,000 psychotherapists as a primary treatment for a variety of mental health disorders, including addiction, anxiety, stress, and, most especially, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research has shown that EMDR has up to a 90 percent success rate for resolving PTSD caused by rape, natural disasters, catastrophic illness, the loss of a loved one, or other traumas. In most cases, complete resolution of PTSD occurs with three sessions or less of EMDR.
Herbal Medicine: Useful herbal remedies for treating mental health problems include St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum), which has been shown to act as a mild anti-depressant and to be useful for cases of anxiety and mild depression, as well as for sleep problems related to mental health disorders, and walnut tea, which contains high amounts of serotonin, a natural mood elevator. Other herbs that may be helpful include chamomile, ginkgo biloba, milk thistle, passion flower, Siberian ginseng, and valerian root, all of which promote calm and can help mitigate against the effects of stress.
Hydrotherapy: Contrast applications of hot and cold water can be helpful to relieve stress, as can soothing hot baths.
Journaling: By regularly writing down your thoughts, beliefs, and emotions in a journal, you can help yourself to better understand the underlying issues in your life that can be contributing to your mental and emotional problems, gaining new insights in the process that can empower you to heal. Research has also shown that the daily practice of journaling can also help to improve physical health symptoms.
In addition, journaling can be an effective way for releasing yourself from the chain of negative emotions linked to past traumas, as well as phobias. A specific journaling technique known as desensitization can help you to accomplish this. To deal with traumas, simply allow yourself to re-experience all that you can recall of the traumatic event. Write down everything that occurs to you as vividly as you can, so that you use all of your senses. Initially, you may feel the fears and other emotions you associate with the event. By writing about the event on a daily basis, however, eventually you will find yourself becoming detached from or desensitized to the event so that it no longer affects you. In the process, you may also discover elements of the experience that escaped you when the event happened, which can provide you with further clarity and peace of mind. You can work with phobias in a similar fashion. Instead of “reliving” a past event on paper, imagine an experience that would typically trigger your phobia. Over time, you will find that whatever you imagine has only the power over you that you give it, making it easier to let go of your fears.
Cleansing and Detoxification: Moderate cleanses are an excellent way to lift mental stress and depression. It is very important to cleanse after one has stabilized into eating a primarily organic whole foods diet. Read through the cleanse section and consider a 3-30 day colon cleanse as a healing protocol.
Juice Therapy: It is highly recommended that one does colon cleansing prior to juice therapy. Juice therapy involves juice fasting under the supervision of a holistic health practitioner. These short fasts can often improve overall mood, as well as aid the body in eliminating toxins that can trigger mental health problems.
Magnetic Therapy: According to Dr. Philpott, M.D., a variety of mental health disorders can be caused by electromagnetic imbalances in the body. If this is the case, then you can use magnetic therapy to correct and restore balance to your body's electromagnetic system using magnets that are placed on various acupuncture meridian points on the body. In the field of psychiatry, magnetic therapy is replacing electro-convulsive therapy for depression and other major mental disorders. In addition, magnetic therapy is replacing tranquilizers, antidepressants and anti-seizure medications in the treatment of major mental disorders. Anxiety, tension, depression, obsessions and compulsions can be alleviated with a negative magnetic field application to the brain.
What follows are guidelines for using magnet therapy to help resolve mental health disorders:
The treatment for mental illnesses is, first and foremost, to eliminate all exposure to any and all foods, chemicals, and inhalants that cause allergic reactions, and to simultaneously improve nutrition levels. It is also important to calm the electrical activity and excessive dopamine production in the brain. In order to accomplish this, bilateral placement of a negative magnetic field on the right and left temporal areas provides maximum control. Usually, most mental symptoms can be controlled within ten minutes by using ceramic or neodymium disc magnets in this manner.
All those with mental illnesses should sleep on a magnetic bed pad, composed of 1 7/8 x 7/8 x 3/8 inch mini-block magnets placed 1½ inches apart. Also, place magnets at the crown of the head (four 4 x 6 x 1 inch magnets placed ¾ inches apart). 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.
At night, sleep with a 5 x 12 inch multi-magnet flexible mat crosswise on the lower abdomen. In the center of this mat, place a 4 x 6 x ½ inch magnet lengthwise on the body, held in place with a 4 x 52 inch body wrap. This placement will help rid the body of any viral, fungal, or parasitic infections anywhere in the pelvic area. It will also stimulate the intestinal wall to produce melatonin, an important hormone for sleep and mood. At night, place a 5 x 12 inch double magnet, multi-magnet flexible mat with six mini-blocks 1½ inches apart on the positive pole side over the front of the chest; hold in place with a 4 x 52 inch body wrap. This treats the heart, lungs, thymus gland, and, in women, the breasts.
It is important to treat the heart with magnets because the water and oxygen flowing through the heart will be magnetized and carried to the entire body. Also, when sitting down, use a comfort chair pad with magnets in the seat and back.
For treating most mental symptoms, use the 1½ x ½ inch ceramic disc magnets; a headband can align the magnets bi-temporally. This treatment usually requires about ten minutes to relieve major symptoms, but the more hours of negative field magnetic exposure, the better. For obsessive-compulsiveness, place a 4 x 6 x ½ inch ceramic magnet on the back of the head. An alternative is to place a 4 x 6 x 1/8 inch plastiform magnet directly over the occiput (base of the cranium at the back of the head), with a neodymium disc magnet over the center, as well as a ceramic disc on the left temporal area.
For anxieties and phobias, place a 1½ x ½ inch ceramic disc magnet on the left temporal area and another on the forehead. A negative magnetic field applied to the forehead encourages relaxation, increases alertness, and improves memory. The usual treatment is bi-temporal 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 headband. This treatment is also effective for tension, depression, and obsessions.
Depression, delusions, and hallucinations are usually best handled with bi-temporal (in front of and near the top of the ears) placement of ceramic disc magnets. Centered in the temporal areas of the head are the amygdala; treating the amygdala can calm down the entire brain.
Nutritional Supplements: Useful nutritional supplements for mental health disorders include B complex vitamins, especially vitamins B1, B3 (niacin), B6, and B12, as well as vitamin C, calcium, magnesium potassium, and zinc. Omega 3 oils and other essential fatty acids, such as evening primrose oil, are also recommend to ensure good brain health. Amino Acid formulas as well as specific Amino acid therapy 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 of other nutrients. There are a wide variety of specialized amino acids available from alternative Drs. that focus exclusively on mental health issues. Specific amino acid testing is recommended.
Orthomolecular Medicine: Orthomolecular medicine uses diet and nutritional supplements to treat mental health disorders. The term itself was first coined in 1968 by two-time Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling, Ph.D., to explain the connection between proper nutrition and mental health. However, the use of nutritional supplements to treat mental health conditions dates back to the 1950s and the work of physicians such as Carl Pfeiffer, Abram Hoffer, and Humprhey Osmond, who discovered that nutritional imbalances were often involved with mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, which is often accompanied by deficiencies of vitamin B3 (niacin). Since that time, numerous scientific studies have demonstrated the link between nutritional deficiencies and mental health problems, and have also shown that proper nutritional supplementation-sometimes at dosages far beyond those of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI)-can significantly improve overall mental and emotional health, as well as cognition and mental function, and can also result in healthier personal behavior. Despite the abundance of research that validates orthomolecular medicine's effectiveness in this regard, conventional physicians and mental health specialists continue to ignore the powerful, positive effects it can provide.
Orthomolecular medicine requires the help of a health care professional trained in this field. In addition, the supplements that are used, along with their dosages, are individualized and based on each person's unique biochemical and nutritional needs. To determine each patient's nutritional requirements, orthomolecular physicians employ a variety of diagnostic tests to ascertain the values of as many as 120 different nutritional factors, based on blood, urine, and hair analysis, as well as such other factors as amino acid, protein, vitamin, mineral, enzyme, electrolyte, and histamine levels, as well as thyroid, kidney and liver function, and any possible food and environmental allergies.
Alternative Professional Care
Other helpful therapies for treating mental health disorders include Acupressure, Acupuncture, Applied Kinesiology, Bodywork (Massage, Reflexology, Shiatsu, Feldenkrais, and Rolfing), Chiropractic, Craniosacral Therapy, Detoxification Therapy, Energy Medicine (electrodermal screening, Ondamed), Environmental Medicine, Guided Imagery, Hypnotherapy, Mind/Body Medicine, Naturopathic Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, Sound Therapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Yoga. See Glossary for descriptions.