WHY TAKING A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO MENTAL HEALTH RECOVERY IS IMPORTANT

By Katie Pierce

Life is an amazing journey, but sometimes the many challenges we experience in our day-to-day lives can make coping with those challenges seem impossible. Mental health recovery takes work, patience and understanding from all aspects of life. It not only includes talking to a therapist or psychiatrist but taking a holistic approach to healing will also require changes in diet and exercise as well as how you approach your relationships with friends and family. Here's why a holistic approach to mental health recovery is important.

WHY IS A HOLISTIC APPROACH REQUIRED IN MENTAL HEALTH RECOVERY?

Mental health struggles can affect many aspects of your life, from the amount of energy you have throughout the day to how you approach relationships and interactions with your family, friends and coworkers. It's more than just finding ways to deal with stress. 

A holistic approach to mental health recovery will consider all aspects of your life as a whole as opposed to just addressing the symptoms or issues that arise. For example, if you experience depression, it may affect your ability to sleep at night. But if the depression is so severe that you don't want to get out of bed or are unable to sleep for more than a few hours at a time, then your sleep pattern will also be affected.

Your body, mind, and spirit are complexly interconnected—more so than you might think. A holistic approach to mental health recovery will help you get to the root of the issues that are causing your mental health struggles so you can address them more effectively.

TREATING MENTAL ILLNESS HOLISTICALLY

To treat mental illness holistically, it's necessary to find a therapist who will provide the best treatment for your particular mental health needs. Your therapist should take into account your situation, symptoms and diagnosis to determine whether cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, ketamine therapy, or another type of treatment is what's best for you. Your therapist will also evaluate your ability to commit to therapy and deal with deadlines as well as make adjustments so that you continue to make progress.

To do this kind of healing, you'll also need to prepare yourself for the process of healing. Your purpose in recovery – which is different from simply getting better from the symptoms of mental illness – is what will help you to heal from mental health struggles.

BENEFITS OF A HOLISTIC APPROACH

In the past, mental illness was often treated by simply removing the symptoms. But with a holistic approach, it's possible to go deeper and treat the root causes of a person's mental health struggles so that they can make real progress in their journey to full recovery. Here are its benefits:

Promotes Relaxation

A holistic approach to mental health recovery works because the mind, body and spirit all have a significant influence over each other. Through meditation, you can learn to identify emotions or triggers that make you feel stressed or anxious. Then you can try to work on healing those issues so they won't affect your body as much in the future. Meditation affects your whole body, not just parts of it.

Develops Coping Skills

After years of struggling with mental health issues, people may develop unhealthy coping mechanisms or even start using substances. A holistic approach to mental health recovery can help you get rid of these habits and develop healthier ones that don't involve alcohol, drugs or other addictive substances.

Provides More Effective Support Systems

It's important to build healthy relationships with all aspects of your life, not just your family and friends, but also your coworkers and community. Many people feel like they have no one to turn to when they're going through a hard time. You can develop support systems with others who understand what you're going through.

Encourages a Healthy Lifestyle

A holistic approach to mental health recovery is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Regular exercise, proper nutrition and a balanced lifestyle can help you manage your stress, stay mentally and physically healthy, and reduce the potential that you'll experience mood swings or other symptoms of mental illness.

Mental health wellness is not something you should avoid experiencing or ignoring, but rather treat it as an essential aspect to include in your life. A holistic approach to mental health recovery will help ensure your happiness.

THE TAKEAWAY

Mental health recovery is possible with a holistic approach to treatment. This approach considers all aspects of your life and helps ensure that you tackle the root causes of your mental health issues and not just the symptoms.

The process of mental health recovery takes time, patience and hard work, but many people have successfully recovered and thrived after receiving holistic treatment. If you or a loved one need help addressing mental health issues, call to speak with a professional today.