Coping with Stress during Covid
What does Covid 19 have to do with eating disorders, depression, domestic violence and the opioid crisis? All of these mental health problems are on the rise during the pandemic.
Lifestyle Choices and Mental Health
Identifying healthy lifestyle choices that promote psychological well-being and reduce mental problems is useful to prevent mental disorders. A study of German and Chinese students published in 2018 evaluated the values of a broad range of lifestyle choices to enhance mental well-being. In this study, physical activity was a crucial lifestyle habit for positive mental health, while smoking was correlated to mental health problems.
One Size Does Not Fit All
People struggling with depression and anxiety commonly receive mental healthcare based on a traditional or allopathic medical model. This means everyone gets the same treatment; a psychiatric diagnosis, a prescription of psychotropic medications, and talk therapy. The medical-disease model of distress can result in frustration, alienation, and feelings of hopelessness among young adults.
Research shows young adults have a preference for alternative holistic options that are tailored to the individual. A drug-free mental healthcare study of mood-related distress in young adults was started in 2018. It includes education, peer support, nutrition and lifestyle counseling, and recreation-based social networking, and grew around the idea that what really matters for mental health includes self-care, feeling heard and validated, connection and support, self-exploration, activity, and empowerment.
Homeopathy for Mental Health
Homeopathy is a holistic approach that harnesses the body’s natural self-healing abilities. A review of studies on homeopathy for mental health which was published in 2019 showed promising results. Improved levels of mental health in cases of depression, anxiety and mood disorders, OCD and sleep disorders were found, with no harmful side-effects.
Another study on the effects of homeopathy in eating disorders conducted in 2016 showed a decrease in severity and frequency of binging, along with concurrent improvements in general health. Still another study on the effects of homeopathic medicine on anxiety and depression published in 2014 showed statistically significant reduction in anxiety and depression.
Conclusion
How we approach a case of mental suffering is a lifestyle choice. Educating people into how a healthy lifestyle can help them during times of stress is key to physical, emotional and mental well-being. Homeopathic medicine works as an adjunct to a healthy and holistic lifestyle.
If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, click here to find out more about my services at Full Circle Healing can help you help yourself.