Mental instability, emotional turmoil have increased during COVID-19. Mental health issues resulting in physical ailments can often be managed by nontraditional approaches. Holistic care is commonly used to treat mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety. Some individuals with depression and anxiety disorders refuse conventional treatment and are more open to non-traditional treatment. Mind-body or holistic care offer a potentially more accessible and acceptable alternative to conventional mental health treatment.
What is complementary alternative and integrative medicine?
This is where complementary alternative integrative medicine or CAIM, comes in. The difference between these three terms are as follow:
CAIM methods are accepted because most people use some form of traditional medicine in their healthcare routine. If you practice yoga, meditate or pray, take supplements, diet and exercise then you are practicing a form of complementary, alternative and integrative medicine.
Clinicians’ approach to complementary, alternative and integrative medicine
Clinicians who practice CAIM are characterized not only by their integration of non-traditional therapies but also by their views of mental health. Their clinical approach includes an emphasis on the long-term safety of mental health treatments; the importance of clinician-patient relationship; education and empowerment of the client; defining health as “optimal wellness” vs the “absence of disease; and prevention of chronic diseases by addressing lifestyle factors such as self-care management. Knowledge of CAIM treatment can benefit particular psychiatric populations, including patients with treatment-resistant disorders, medication-sensitive clients, those taking conventional medications who require augmentation, elderly clients, minority groups with unique pharmacogenetic profiles who may have been underrepresented in drug trials, children and adolescents, pregnant women, military personnel who might have biochemical differences, and depressed patients at risk for suicide attempts via drug overdose.
In mental health, CAIM has been criticized for lack of evidence for efficacy, safety and drug interactions. This is due to the high cost of clinical trials, which cannot be recovered in sales since most natural remedies cannot be patented. However, research into CAIM has grown rapidly in the past decade, most notably in holistic practices. Additionally, governmental agency such as the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) has made the study of supplemental drug interactions one of its priorities through ongoing research.
Applicable use of complementary, alternative and integrative medicine
Psychiatric providers, mental health providers and consumers face a proliferation of CAIM interventions. One method is using supplements to treat various mental health concerns. Methyl-Folate is effective in treating depression so has magnesium supplementation in the treatment of mood instability. Valerian root is also helpful for anxiety and sleep problems. Ginkgo Biloba can help with antidepressant-related sexual issues. Aromatherapy with lavender essential oil is beneficial in relieving anxiety. It’s important to make sure you are under the care of an experienced practitioners when trying new supplements to monitor for side effects and drug interactions. Additionally, some behavioral methods such as meditation, prayer, massage, yoga, acupuncture or other relaxation techniques are great in alleviating mental instability. For people that have tried many medications without much luck or with unbearable side effects, CAIM is worth a try.
On a final note…
It’s imperative to remember that everybody is genetically unique and what works for one individual may not work for another. Living a full, happy, successful life is only possible when there is cohesion between mind, body, soul and environment. It is very important to know that even though CAIM has shown great results in treating mental health issues we should not negate the evidence that supports the use of FDA and highly studied medications for the treatment of mental disorders. Therefore, we sometimes encourage the use of CAIM in addition to prescription medications. Practitioners have noticed great outcomes when conventional and non-conventional treatment are in used together to manage mental disorders. Approaching health from a holistic approach is ideal.
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