Alternatives to Medications for Anxiety and Depression
If you are suffering from anxiety and/or depression, you may be relieved to know that there are many effective treatments that do not involve pharmaceutical medications. A combination of lifestyle changes and therapies can help alleviate these conditions and improve overall health and well-being.
Balance Your Hormone Levels
Almost all our bodily functions are regulated by hormones – the chemical messengers that travel in our bloodstream to tissues and organs. Our hormone systems are delicate and must remain stable for us to feel well, both physically and mentally. If just one hormone is out of “whack,” it can ignite a downstream effect that may dysregulate other hormones, potentially triggering a wide variety of health issues, including anxiety and depression.
How we live, eat, move, and sleep directly affects our hormone levels and overall health and wellness. This is great news because it means that we have the power to significantly improve how we feel and function by adopting healthier lifestyle habits. So, where do we start?
Keep your Blood Sugar in Check
To avoid fluctuations in blood sugar levels, which trigger hormone imbalances and increase anxiety and depression, we recommend:
Eating three balanced meals (with snacks) each day to avoid blood sugar drops.
Limiting sugar and refined carbohydrates (pasta, bread, etc.) to avoid blood sugar spikes.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking enough water is vital to our overall health in many ways, including mood regulation, sleep, and brain function. Dehydration, on the other hand, can contribute to greater tension, depression, and confusion. We recommend drinking at least half your body weight in water ounces every day.
Exercise Regularly
Exercise releases “feel good” endorphins and other hormones that can significantly enhance your sense of well-being. Consistent exercise may also help improve your physical condition and self-confidence. We recommend exercise that raises your heart rate for at least 30 minutes per day.
Prioritize Sleep
Sleep allows the body and brain to heal and recharge. A lack of quality sleep may impair how our brains and bodies function, including how well we manage stress, anxiety, and depression. To improve the quality of your sleep, we recommend getting 6-8 hours of sleep per night. Also, avoid light and electronics at bedtime; it stimulates the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates our circadian sleep/wake cycle.
Take Supplements
If your body lacks important nutrients, or is not naturally producing the hormones it needs, pharmaceutical-grade, high-quality supplements will replenish them to improve your overall health and wellness. Here are a few of our recommendations:
Probiotics - to improve your gut health, which directly affects the production of hormones and neurotransmitters that regulate emotions, including serotonin and dopamine.
Vitamin D – Proper levels of Vitamin D are essential for overall health and psychological well-being. We absorb Vitamin D naturally from the sun, but it is difficult to get enough this way, so supplementation is highly recommended, especially those suffering from anxiety and depression.
IV & IM Therapy – Infusions and Boosters offer a quick, convenient, and safe way to give our body the vitamins and nutrients it needs to function properly. It works by delivering these vitamins and nutrients directly to the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive system, for better absorption and instant benefits.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) – When your body is not producing the hormones you need, BHRT can restore your body to a balanced state. BHRT has identical properties, creates the same effects, and produces the same body responses as the hormones naturally created in our bodies.
Build a Positive Community
Manage your mental health by surrounding yourself with supportive, kind people. Participate in activities you enjoy and avoid people and situations that trigger negative emotions.
Mental Health Therapy
Mental Health Therapists offer highly effective treatment for anxiety and depression. Therapy helps people better understand their condition, the experiences that contributed to it, and utilize tools to cope with their condition.
If you would like to learn more about how to treat anxiety and depression without medication, please contact me at info@belcarahealth.com or call 410-296-0414, or visit our website at belcarahealth.com.
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Interested in Counseling for Anxiety or Depression?
If you’re a Marylander who knows that counseling is the direction you need to take, the therapists at LifeSpring Counseling Services are here to help. We offer online counseling services for mindfulness, depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief and loss. We also offer Brainspotting as a specialized service, and Brainspotting can be done online, too!
Here’s how you can get started! Online counseling for anxiety or depression aren’t the only services offered at our Maryland office
The counselors and social workers at our Maryland office also offer counseling services for trauma, grief and loss, boundary setting, communication skills, and difficult life transitions. We also offer specialized counseling services including Brainspotting and spiritually-integrated counseling. Because we are located next to several local universities, we also work with college students and international students.
Date of Image Downloads: 3/11/2022
