What if I said you didn’t have to feel anxious, depressed or overwhelmed all the time? I bet you wouldn’t believe me. Certainly, the statistics don’t support this argument. Between 2019-21, more than 50 million Americans (just over 20%) suffered from a mental health condition and more than 90% chose not to seek treatment or care for their condition. Mental health professionals have been overwhelmed by pandemic-related increases in anxiety, depression, and trauma and stress-related disorders.
Nearly one-third of adults have been unable to obtain the treatment they needed and more than 40 percent could not afford the care they were seeking. Millions more suffer from everyday anxiety, depression and overwhelm and never seek care or attention due to societal stigma, a preference for self-help, pessimism, financial barriers, inconvenience or lack of availability.
I don’t want to burden you with too many facts and statistics about how bad things have gotten when it comes to mental and emotional health – you already know. In fact, you or your loved ones may be part of this statistic. Subtle body imbalances – as we refer to them in Ayurvedic medicine – are quite common, although their presentations are very unique.
So unique, in fact, that I would say no two people whom we have treated for anxiety, depression, overwhelm, anger, rage or melancholy have been the same. In fact, all of these people required different approaches and different treatment patterns that worked for them.
This begs the question: why does Western medical care approach so many of these symptoms as being exactly the same? Why is there one drug, or a few similar drugs, that treat these imbalances?
There are copious articles and studies that suggest that anti-anxiety and anti-depression drugs are mere placebos – they have no actual effect on the hormonal or chemical response they are trying to elicit, other than making a person believe that a pill is helping them.
And, research shows that many people who aren’t suffering from severe or even moderate anxiety or depression are taking antidepressants that are unlikely to actually help them. This usually happens because most doctors aren’t aware of alternative solutions to help you address the occasional blues – writing a prescription is easy and it’s what most doctors are trained to do, especially in an environment of healthcare overwhelm.
We aren’t here to tell you to stop taking your medication – always consult with your doctor or psychiatrist before you stop taking any medication. But, we are here to encourage you to have the conversation because, according to a study published in October 2022, nearly 85% of people taking antidepressants don’t need them.
We also want to encourage you to seek a different path for treating your mental health, especially if you fall into the category of those who have chosen not to seek help due to societal stigma, pessimism, or a preference for self-help. There is care out there for you if you need it. Contact us at Path Wellbeing today to help you discover a holistic health path that works for you.
Anxiety, Depression & Holistic Healing
Despite the statistics above, your symptoms and feelings are very REAL. Nobody should dismiss these factors in your life simply because a study says a pill isn’t really helping you. What you are feeling is completely valid and, more than likely, requires some form of treatment. These studies just suggest that a prescription pill isn’t necessarily the answer. So, what is?
It is highly likely that a very complex set of circumstances led to your anxiety or depression, which means that you need a more complex form of treatment – a single pill won’t help. From a holistic healing perspective, this “complexity” translates into healing in mind, body and spirit through nutritional and lifestyle changes that help make you feel more like, well, YOU.
In Ayurvedic medicine, when it comes to mental health, healing the body is as important as healing the mind and creating greater spiritual awareness. This doesn’t mean you have to get sculpted abs or adopt a religion in order to get better. Physical body healing means eating according to your constitution and spiritual healing means finding meaning and purpose on your healing path in a way that works for you.
Common causes of anxiety or depression include stress, trauma, genetics among others. Did you also know that a poor diet can lead to mental imbalance? There is essentially a “superhighway” between your gut and your brain that allows one to influence the other. It’s called the Gut-Brain Axis (GBA). In addition to your gut and brain, the GBA also influences your hormones, metabolism and immune responses, which is what makes it so powerful!
For example, the endocrine system, which processes your hormones under the influences of the GBA, helps to coordinate metabolism, growth and development, emotions, mood, sexual function and sleep. In other words, it is this “superhighway” that allows your gut health to influence mood, cognition and mental wellbeing.
Healing Begins With You
Taking this factor into account, it becomes excessively clear that we can’t just rely on a pill to fix our anxiety and depression. It’s like trying to make a cake with just an egg. You’re missing all the other essential ingredients that go into making that cake whole! Like a cake, you are multi-layered and life is multi-dimensional – your healing path should be no different.
A holistic approach to helping people heal from anxiety and depression brings all the ingredients to the table: mind, body and spirit. We provide a comprehensive assessment of your constitution and imbalances and we chart a path forward for you to heal. There are no quick fixes or magic pills that don’t actually work. Receiving expert health when it comes to your health is absolutely essential to creating the conditions for you to heal holistically from within.
If you are ready to start your path to holistic healing from anxiety and/or depression, reach out to us at Path Wellbeing or schedule a 1:1 FREE 15 minute call to see if a holistic healing approach is right for you.
Required Disclosure: The information contained within this article is for educational purposes only and should not replace the direct advice of a doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. Always consult a medical or other professional healthcare provider when considering a new health regime.
