Mental Health

Identity Crisis in Health

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Talking to mirrorMany do not realize the large impact that one’s mental health has on their physical well – being. I begin this blog by saying this, because it is so important that we understand how impactful our mental health is on our overall health. If you believe you will not get any better, chances are you will not. However, if you believe that you will get better, and hope for that, chances are you will get better or feel better overall.

Though this does not apply for all cases, many a time I have seen what I call an “Identity Crisis” in health, which has a negative impact on one’s healing. Generally an identity crisis would consist of an individual not knowing who their true self is. What I define as an Identity Crisis in Health is where one identifies with their disease, and not their true self. So, for example, someone may say and identify with “I have Arthritis” as opposed to “I am Jane”. This may sound very strange, and you may be saying, “even if I had arthritis I would say my name is Jane, so what are you talking about?”

In some cases, individuals may get burdened with a condition or ailment that they suffer from. This can lead to depression and entering into a state of acceptance of this condition and one’s current quality of life. This state is often accompanied by thoughts of “I will never get better” and “there is no hope for me”. This can result in an Identity Crisis, where one begins to identify with that condition and accept the terms of that conditions. This can be problematic for some as it begins to alter how they live their lives and change how they relate to others. One may not want to do activities that they used to enjoy, without even trying, simply because they have a condition. The identity crisis can also impact how you feel about yourself and what you may say towards yourself (For more information regarding self-talk, please see my previous blog Positive Self-Talk, which explains how self-talk can impact you).

Though this state may seem harmless, it can impact an individual’s road to recovery. For some, it is hard to think of yourself as anyone but an individual with arthritis for example. It may be hard to imagine life as an individual outside of this condition. As a result, successful recovery may only come from an appropriate treatment plan in addition to changing your thought process. I often encourage individuals to believe that they have control and they can have a choice as to what they think. It takes a lot of effort and it is not easy, but it is possible with time and self – discipline. Focusing on the solution, where you will end up, and the state you hope to be in, may be more beneficial then continuing to think in previous ways that you have. And so, I challenge you to be the optimist and believe in recovery and hope for it. Challenge the thought that “you will never get better”, and start thinking “I can defeat this”. Do not let your condition define who you are and rob you of your true self.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

 

 

 

Adapting to the Season

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A Climate Change Concept ImageRecently, I stumbled across some articles that pointed out some interesting information regarding the changes that occur within our bodies based on the season. The articles pointed out that our immune systems go through several different changes depending on winter versus summer months. Vitamin D levels are very much impacted based on the amount of sun provided, and so, levels are increased in the summer versus the winter. One of the studies also suggested that inflammation in the body is increased in the winter versus the summer. These changes could be due to a number of different things. Many instinctively suggest that the sun causes the changes, but I would also think that the changes that we make as individuals has a part to play as well i.e. diet and lifestyle changes. For example, exercise has a profound effect on our immune systems and level of inflammation in the body. I think it is safe to assume that many individuals are more active in the summer than they are in the winter.

Despite all of this, the article also expressed something very interesting. It stated that different immune system genes are turned on/off based on the season that an individual is in. My interpretation of this is that our bodies know how to respond and prepare for the season ahead of us. I think that this is something that we can take a little further when we discuss an individual’s health as a whole: body, mind, and spirit. Many of us try to keep up with the constant demands on us, regardless of the season. But similar to our bodies, it is important to adjust and adapt to our needs for that season. For example, in winter months, our immune systems may have to prevent a cold as opposed to in summer, we may be more susceptible to parasites because we are outside more. We need to take a similar approach when it comes to our mental health, and appreciate and allow ourselves to accommodate those different seasons. What I am suggesting is that it is okay to slow down, rest, breath and be at peace. However, it is also okay to have stress (in moderation) and be on the go. We need both and we need a state of balance. So often we do not take the time to slow down our pace and rest. If we are always in “fifth gear”, this mentality can only lead to burn out.

With this I prompt you to ask yourself “What season am I in? How do I need to respond to it?”, and to ask your body “What do I need?”, and provide that for yourself.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

 

Positive Self – Talk

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Talking to mirrorWhat is Self – Talk?

Self – talk can be defined very simply, as talking to oneself either internally or externally. Unfortunately, many individuals speak to themselves in a negative way and do not realize it. Many speak such things to themselves as, “well that was stupid”, “how could I be such an idiot”, etc. This form of negative self – talk is not healthy, and can often contribute to and aggravate depression and anxiety. As such, it is important to consider what you are speaking to yourself, and adjust it to have a more positive connotation to it. When individuals engage in positive self – talk, it can have many positive effects including decreased anxiety, decreased depression, increased self- acceptance, increased self – esteem, increased resilience, and improved recovery following traumatic events. Speaking positive and loving words to oneself can often seem weird and be challenging initially, but can begin the steps necessary to recovery from various health concerns. Sometimes you have to “fake it until you make it”. Below, are provided for you various positive affirmations that you can begin speaking to yourself. Choose the ones that you feel you are in most need of hearing, and speak these to yourself at least once per day.

Different Positive Self – Talk Affirmations

The following is a list of different affirmations that you can begin speaking to yourself daily or whenever you need to hear love and encouragement from yourself.

“I am fearfully and wonderfully-made.”

“I am a unique person.”

“I am created an original person.”

“I am created for a specific purpose.”

“I will find my purpose and fulfill it.”

“I will not settle for copy status.”

“I was created to live in wholeness.”

“I am superior, not inferior.”

“I am efficient, not deficient.”

“I am effective, not ineffective.”

“I am competent, not incompetent.”

“I am not my mistakes, I am a competent person.”

“I am sufficient, not insufficient.”

“I am uncommon, not common.”

“I will not be afraid of the day I have never seen.”

“I will not allow fear to rob me of my purpose.”

“I will not condemn myself if I make a mistake.”

“I will find, accept, and work my purpose.”

“I will make right choices but things may never work the way I want them to.”

“Shame and inferiority will not defeat my purpose.”

“I am created to be an answer and I will be.”

“I do not have to let my emotions control me.”

“I am in control of my emotions.”

“I am good enough.”

“I am strong, confident, capable, and able.”

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC (416-498-9763), and let me help you achieve your health goals.

 

Naturopathic Approaches for Depression

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Depression - Narrative photoDepression can be a very crippling condition to experience despite it being classified as a mental health condition. However, there are treatments that can help, that can be provided through your naturopathic doctor. A Naturopathic doctor can use the following therapies to achieve therapeutic benefits in depression:

  • Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture
  • Botanical Medicine
  • Nutrition, Diet and Lifestyle
  • Hydrotherapy
  • Homeopathy
  • Physical Medicine

Ultimately, the goal of treatment will be to treat the root cause of disease. This will be different for each individual based on the cause of depression for that specific individual, eg nutrient deficiency vs. grief. As a result, the following list offers examples as to what goals might be developed for a treatment plan for an individual:

  • Correct for deficiencies
  • Reduce stress or Improve stress management
  • Improve coping mechanisms
  • Improve mood
  • Alter lifestyle and diet to increase mood and reduce stress
  • Improve gut microbiology and digestion

How can Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) help?

TCM views the body differently than western medicine. TCM theory suggests that when there is an imbalance in the body system, disease manifests. Each “organ” is associated with an emotion: Heart with joy and is the center of one’s personality, liver with anger, spleen with worry, lungs with grief, and kidneys with fear. As one can see, all of these organs could play a part in depression, and so, individual cases are taken, and the root cause is determined. Once a specific diagnosis is made, a treatment plan is created, and may involve using acupuncture, herbal formulas, diet, or lifestyle, all with the purpose of bringing the body back into a state of balance.

Specifically regarding acupuncture, acupuncture has been shown in some studies to be beneficial for depression and decreasing symptoms associated with depression. The following link offers one such study where benefits were received from acupuncture. http://www.i-healthbenelux.nl/pages/comp.concept/Clin_Psychiatry_2006.pdf

How can Botanical Medicine help?

Botanical formulas have similar effects to medications, often without the side effects, however this is not true for all herbs and plants. Specific herbs or plants will be selected based on their properties and combined based on the specific individual’s presentation of depression. For example, one person may need help with sleep, where as one may need help with stress, both in combination with needing help with mood. Some beneficial properties that some useful herbs may have include: nervine, anti – depressant effect, sedative and adaptogenic.

There are several plants that have more research behind them in regards to their use in depression, but other plants exist that are effective as well. Research has shown that such plants are beneficial for various degrees of depression. The following link offers one such study where the benefits of various plants were outlined: http://www.europeanneuropsychopharmacology.com/article/S0924-977X(11)00071-X/abstract

How can Nutrition and Diet help?

Depression can be aggravated or caused by various nutritional deficiencies. Therefore, it may be necessary to correct for these deficiencies in order to treat the root cause of the depression. In addition, various changes to one’s diet can help to improve mood and decrease inflammation (and thereby decrease inflammation in the body, which may contribute to the depression). Based on your specific case, several classes of action may be recommended for you, and thus foods or supplements recommended. These actions might include: anti-oxidant, mood – boosting, or anti – inflammatory.

Research has shown that not only are nutritional deficiencies associated with depressive symptoms, but specific dietary patterns can be associated with depression. For example, diets that were higher in fruits and vegetables were associated with less depressive symptoms, where as diets that were deemed lower in fruits and vegetables were more likely to be associated with depression (http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1475-2891-8-31.pdf).

How can Hydrotherapy help?

Hydrotherapy involves alternating hot and cold water applications to achieve the following goals: promote detoxification and relaxation, increase circulation, improve immune system functioning, promote digestion, and decrease pain. Based on all of the following actions, hydrotherapy could be beneficial for depression based on different root causes. For example, if an individual is depressed because they are stressed, hydrotherapy may be beneficial by helping the individual to relax.

Hydrotherapy can be performed via a number of methods: constitutional hydrotherapy, sauna, peat bath, Epsom salt baths, or alternating hot and cold showers. These therapies may not be available at every naturopathic doctor’s clinic, but if you are interested in these therapies, they can be performed by myself, Elisha Cook, at the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic (416-498-9763).

Very little evidence has surfaced for the efficacy of hydrotherapy to treat depression, however, the research that has surfaced has been quite promising. The article link provided below shows a study where depressed patients were given hydrotherapy treatments ending in cold (most hydrotherapy ends in cold for approximately 30 seconds), that caused anti – depressive effects soon following treatment (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030698770700566X).

How can Homeopathy help?

Homeopathy is an energy medicine that involves finite doses of a substance that are diluted in water, which amount to a higher therapeutic dose overall. In this form of medicine, individualized remedies are chosen based on the individual’s specific symptoms and presentation. Each person requires a different remedy based on their unique presentation. Homeopathy does not interact with any medications, making it quite useful especially if you are taking other medications.

In recent studies, homeopathy has been shown to be just as effective as anti – depressant medication in the relief of depressive symptoms. In addition, other studies have shown homeopathy to be 58% effective (http://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1111%2Fj.20427166.2012.01163_5.x?r3_referer=wol&show_checkout=1).

How can Physical Medicine help?

Physical medicine involves a number of different potential therapies. These therapies might include massage, naturopathic manipulation, ultrasound, laser therapy, electroacupuncture, or Gua Sha. The general effect of these therapies includes relaxation, increased circulation, decreased pain, and decreased inflammation. Similar to what was mentioned above, depression may be decreased or alleviated based on these potential effects.

Research has shown that patients with depression may benefit from massage therapy (http://journals.lww.com/jnrtwna/Abstract/2004/03000/The_Effect_of_Acupressure_With_Massage_on_Fatigue.7.aspx).

How can Lifestyle changes help?

Various lifestyle factors can play a role in depression. By improving sleep, exercise, scheduling, and stress management, it is possible that some individuals may have reduced depressive episodes. In addition, the way that an individual thinks can influence mood. By addressing negative thought patterns, poor sleep patterns, lack of exercise, or stress management concerns, one may experience decreased depressive episodes. Naturopathic doctors are trained to help individuals through lifestyle counselling, and can use methods use as motivational interviewing or cognitive behavioural therapy to do so.

Research is quite extensive regarding exercise and its benefit on depression. Even as little as two times per week has been shown to benefit depression (http://condor.depaul.edu/hstein/NEMSSAH.pdf).

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC (416-498-9763), and let me help you achieve your health goals.