Tag Archives: holistic

For Alzheimer’s Disease Limitations of Conventional Treatment Invite Complementary and Alternative Therapies

This is the second post in a series on complementary and alternative treatments of dementia. The previous post examined the evidence for diet in reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This post begins with a short review of the … Continue reading

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The amino acid 5-HTP is a natural, safe and effective treatment of anxiety

The brain needs L-tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) to manufacture serotonin L-tryptophan and 5-HTP are widely used alternative treatments of generalized anxiety. Both amino acids are essential for manufacture of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays a … Continue reading

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Energetic Therapies in Mental Health Care

Energetic Therapies in Mental Health Care: A Short Introduction This blog post is intended as a short introduction to diverse ‘energetic’ therapies and their uses in mental health care. Future posts will review the evidence for individual energetic therapies in … Continue reading

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Cranioelectrotherapy Stimulation (CES): An Important Emerging Therapy

How cranioelectrotherapy stimulation works Cranioelectrotherapy stimulation (CES), also called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) or microcurrent electrical stimulation, is based on the application of extremely weak electrical current to the head and neck to treat anxiety, depressed mood, insomnia, and … Continue reading

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Exercise improves depressed mood, reduces anxiety and helps prevent dementia

How exercise works to improve depressed mood Many studies show that infrequent physical activity increases the risk of developing depressed mood. Physical exercise increases the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and may enhance neural plasticity and new synapse formation. … Continue reading

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DHEA is effective against depressed mood but not cognitive impairment or psychosis

What it is and how it works in the brain Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a precursor of testosterone and other hormones. The sulfated form of DHEA—DHEA-S—is the most abundant steroid in the body. DHEA is an important neuroactive steroid and modulates … Continue reading

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Urgent Need for Transforming Mental Health Care

Existing models of care and conventional therapies are limited Existing models of care and available conventional treatment approaches fail to adequately address the global crisis of mental health care. Mental illness accounts for about one-third of the world’s disability caused … Continue reading

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Increasing Use of Alternative Therapies for Mental Health

Persons diagnosed with a major psychiatric disorder are significantly more likely to use CAM treatments than the general population, and the majority of people who use CAM to self-treat a mental health problem take prescription medications concurrently. Almost one-half of … Continue reading

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Steady Growth in Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

In the North America, Europe, and other industrialized world regions, an increasing percentage of the population is using complementary, alternative, and integrative approaches to treat or selftreat medical and mental health problems. A large patient survey (N = 7,503) found … Continue reading

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QiGong and Tai-chi may reduce the severity of generalized anxiety and promote emotional well-being

Qigong and Tai-chi are ancient Chinese practices used for maintaining emotional well-being and promoting mind-body balance. A review of QiGong in mental health care identified five studies on QiGong in the treatment of anxiety but only one small uncontrolled study … Continue reading

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