Integrative Health Blog

8 Unusual Methods to Boost Your Mental Well-Being

Posted by on Fri, Jan 27, 2023

If your mental health isn’t 100%, you must take action to improve it now. The first thing to remember is that you’re never alone; many people are struggling like you. One in five young American adults said the pandemic had a significant impact on their mental health, 3.8 million young Americans have had deep suicidal thoughts, and one in six young people has suffered a major depressive episode. Read on for eight unusual ways to address common mental health issues. 

 

1. Make Social Connections with Others 

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Tags: natural options, mental health, holistic health, emotional wellbeing

The Language of the Body as a Path to Healing

Posted by on Tue, Sep 20, 2016

Listening to the Language of the Body as a Path to Healing

Class/Workshop: “The Body as a Laboratory of the Soul”   

When: Oct. 4, 2016

Time: 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Where: National Integrated Health Associates

Presenter: Kuno Bachbauer LMFT

Please join me to explore the power of the Mind-Body Connection in this hands-on, fun and engaging workshop and lecture. 

"Recent rapid advances in the brain sciences and dramatically expanded understanding of the physiology of our emotions have led to a renewed interest in the various modalities of energy work and body-psychotherapy."  - "The Psychotherapy Networker" July 2004 issue

How understanding the "mind-body connection" has changed my life

I am a body psychotherapist. Throughout my career, I have been fascinated by the connection between body, emotions, mind and soul. Everything I do as a holistic practitioner is guided by this perspective. It is just so very powerful! The understanding of how body and mind are intertwined allows a client to take full charge of their own health, and it gives a skilled practitioner an incredibly powerful access to a client's essence.

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Tags: mental health, mind-body, emotional wellbeing

Low DHA Levels Linked to Increased Suicide Risk

Posted by on Tue, Oct 04, 2011

by Chas Gant MD, PhD

In a recent study (August 2011) published online in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, it was found that low levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the major omega-3 fatty acid concentrated in the brain, may increase suicide risk.  A retrospective case-control study of 1600 United States military personnel, including 800 who had committed suicide and 800 healthy counterparts, showed that all participants had low omega-3 levels. However, the suicide risk was 62% greatest in those with the lowest levels of DHA.

According to Joseph R. Hibbeln, MD, acting chief, Section on Nutritional Neurosciences at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, "Omega-3 is already recommended by the American Psychiatric Association as adjunctive therapy for anybody with a psychiatric disorder, especially for those with major depression."

Suicide rates in military personnel have doubled since the start of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and now "rival the battlefield in toll."  Other data and research suggests that nutritional deficiencies in the omega-3 fatty acids may increase vulnerability to combat deployment stress, manifesting as psychiatric symptoms including adjustment disorders, PTSD, substance abuse and alcoholism, major depression, impulsive violence, and suicide. In addition, studies conducted in civilian populations have also suggested that low DHA levels are linked to increased risk for suicide attempts and may contribute to adverse psychiatric symptoms.

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Tags: mental health, omega fatty acids, addiction

3 Ways to Practice Mindfulness Every Day

Posted by on Mon, Jan 17, 2011

Mindfulness is a separate faculty of consciousness totally distinct from cognition (thinking), emotion (feelings), intuition or sensory awareness (the 5 senses).

Mindfulness is not about Mystical Religions, awareness or meditation, although many religious and spiritual paths make use of mindfulness techniques.  Many therapies and psychotherapies are becoming “mindfulness-based” as it is discovered that all healing methodologies get better results if mindfulness is adjunctively applied. 

Mindfulness techniques are primarily taught to improve emotional stability, to manage stress, to expand ones intelligence, to become more productive and to lead a more joyful and meaningful life.

Scientific studies have proven that mindfulness involves about 1/5th of the brain, the frontal lobes, as well as other associated structures.  Like other skills, such as intellectual, musical or athletic, which are associated with the development of other brain regions, mindfulness can be practiced and improved over time.  Educational psychologists are studying mindfulness and devising methods to teach children how to practice and develop this skill. Mindfulness training is being introduced into school curricula around the USA. Future generations will someday be trained to use their whole brain and not just 80% of it.

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Tags: mindfulness, mental health, addiction, mind-body, Dr. Gant

Integrative Medicine Approach to Depression, Anxiety, and Mood Disorders

Posted by on Thu, Jun 03, 2010

Chas Gant MD, PhD

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Tags: depression, mental health, stress, integrative medicine