Health can be measured in many ways and is often broken down into a variety of forms and diagnoses that don't always provide the best picture of what a truly healthy body and mind looks like. Western medicine has made great advancements making the world a safer place for everyone, but many of us still feel that it lacks a crucial component.
Modern-day western medicine focuses on treating individual symptoms and diseases. When the root cause or illness is specific, such as a such as a broken bone, there effective, conventional treatments that can be given. But not all medical conditions are black and white. Some issues may stem from a number of different underlying factors that won't necessarily be fixed by these conventional methods, and that's why holistic wellness is so important, even in conjunction with western medicine.
Treating The Whole You
Holistic Wellness focuses on the entire person; body, mind and spirit. This approach is meant to improve the emotional and bodily well being of a person instead of just treating the specific symptoms of an illness.
SAMHSA’s Eight Dimensions of Wellness promotes whole-person wellness by focusing on eight key aspects that contribute to overall well-being:
A Holistic Approach To Mental Health.
Each person seeking help is unique so using a one-size-fits-all treatment plan is not an option. A holistic approach to mental health will treat all these elements as pieces of a larger puzzle that must be individually addressed to achieve optimum balance.
While traditional avenues such as prescription medications can be highly effective for treating mental health conditions like anxiety, depression and PTSD, integrating alternative therapies with these conventional methods prove to be beneficial because we foster a mind-body connection.
A holistic practitioner may use conventional medicine or methods, but they will take the these eight elements into account when treating an individual. They take time to understand their client and work to treat the underlying cause of the condition, not just the symptoms.
Consider trying some of these :
Yoga - Yoga can help mental wellness in many ways and there are several types of yoga to choose from. These are said to help connect mind and body, and to a relaxed and calm state.
Meditation - This practice helps to focus thoughts on the present moment and can lead to a peaceful and relaxed state.
Aromatherapy - Essential oils are derived from certain parts of plants and flowers. For mental health, lavender, orange, rose, ylang ylang, bergamot, and chamomile oils are good for lifting mood. These oils can also induce calm and help you relax.
Breath work - Practice focused breathing to quickly reduce stress. This is an easy technique that can be done any place at any time. Within moments the body and mind will become relaxed. Repeat the pattern 5-10 times. Breathe in slowly to a count of 5; hold the breath for 5; slowly release the breath for 5.
Wellness matters. When complementary therapies come together for holistic healing, a person is much more likely to experience wellness on a deeper level that allows for a more truly healthy way of living.