Using Tenets Of Chinese Medicine To Improve Mental Health Conditions
Chinese medicine has long since been known to achieve astonishing results in the healing of illnesses and also management of pain. This is perhaps the most important reason why many a Westerner who is disillusioned with the kinds of medicines prescribed by their physicians will look for new options to explore. The side effects of the medications currently in use to cure anything from blood pressure to high cholesterol are at times so severe that they may cause other health concerns which then in turn will quite possibly require medications. To escape this vicious cycle, the combined modalities of Chinese medicine are oftentimes looked at as an acceptable alternative.
Yet one area of medicine where side effects are not only physical in nature but ay quite literally drive you crazy is the realm of psychiatry and drug assisted psychotherapy. Side effects of psychotropic drugs are the number one cited reason for those in need of psychiatric care refusing to undergo treatment. Granted, a certain amount of trial and error is required to find the right medicine and also the right dosage, but in some cases the severity of the side effects has worsened the conditions at hand.
Nor surprisingly, using tenets of Chinese medicine to improve mental health conditions is gaining popularity in the West, and for those who have not considered this path before, the contemplation of the holistic approach most certainly bears a try. Depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and other problems have long since been treated with Chinese medicine as they have been recognized for the imbalances within the person that they are. Combining meditation, nutritional counseling, acupuncture if needed, and also herbal supplementation, the entire body will undergo a healing touch.
It is this very combination of modalities that is able to help the body and mind once again enjoy the harmony it so desperately needs. Unfortunately, using tenets of Chinese medicine to improve health conditions has led many a Westerner to completely discount the value of Western psychotherapy and therein lays the biggest danger. Some disorders that are currently managed well by medication will not respond as well to a complete and abrupt change in regimen. Similarly, stopping medications may actually pose a danger not only to the patient but also to those around her or him.
The best approach will be a combination of the two disciplines – one that is closely monitored not only by a psychiatrist but also by a practitioner of Chinese medicine. In the best care scenario, both health care providers will work together to affect the patient’s healing with a minimum of discomfort and a maximum of a whole body and mind approach.
Patients need to be aware that if at any point they feel like they are falling back into destructive patterns, or if others point out a decline in the mental health of habits thus far modified, it is time to reevaluate the effectiveness of the current approach and either gradually change course or simply tweak it a bit to make it more effective. This requires complete honesty of the patient to both psychiatrist and practitioner of Chinese medicine.
