Complementary and Alternative Therapy: What You Need to Know

Complementary and alternative therapies entail a holistic strategy for both mental and physical health. The strategies are focused on each aspect of emotion and physical well being instead of individually treating each symptom separately. Most complementary and alternative therapies are concerned with how the energy flows through an entire body; thus stressing the importance of seeking to attain a sound body mind and spirit. Most of the complementary and alternative strategies stem from the early philosophies of the Eastern world. Lindquist, Tracy, and Snyder (2018) hold aspects of complementary and alternative therapies to have existed long before the creation of modern treatment models implemented by the NHS. The NHS treatment models are highly distinct from the complementary and alternative approaches as they rely on academic studies as well as clinical evidence. 

Distinguishing “Complementary” and Alternative Therapy 

Complementary therapies are used alongside the research-based, clinically evidenced NHS treatment provided by the doctors to enhance the healing process. Complementary strategies include meditation, massage, as well as yoga among others. Rhee et al (2017) describe the approaches as keen on helping individuals feel better and manage their condition rather than curing them completely. Hussain et al (2017) maintain that although the alternative approaches have not been scientific, alternative illnesses are treated as superior to contemporary medicine and when being used, conventional medicine is not given. On the other hand, alternative therapies generally replace the doctor's treatment. A good illustration would be using traditional medicine, traditional practices, as well as herbal products to cure illnesses. An example would include Chinese traditional medicine, St. John's wort, as well as Ayurvedic medicine, among others. However, Hussain et al (2017) observed that the terms are widely used interchangeably to provide a broad description of other forms of treatments that are not available within the context of the NHS. 

Examples of complementary and alternative approaches that are available away from conventional medicine entail; the use of herbal medicine, nutritional supplements; meditation, breathing techniques as well as relaxation; massage therapy, homeopathy as well as Acupuncture. 

Acupuncture 

Acupuncture is an early Chinese medicine that works by stimulating certain areas of the body to energy flow imbalances through the meridians. According to Lindquist, Tracy, and Snyder (2018), the traditional practice is based on the belief that the body interacts closely with the body, causing a physiological response on the body. The five elements of emotions include water; which represents fear, wood; representing anger, fire; representing happiness, Earth; representing worry, and metal; representing grief. 

Meditation 

Hussain et al (2017) describe meditation as practicing deep thinking and focus on the mind for a given time to achieve ultimate relaxation as well as inner peace; consequently, improving mental health. 

Massage Therapy 

Lindquist, Tracy, and Snyder (2018) maintain that massage decreases the level of cortisol in the body. The hormone cortisol is a stress-related hormone that causes anxiety, depression as well as impaired memory, as well as high pressure among others. The practice is a deep, versatile healing procedure that has demonstrated an ability to treated mental and physical distress; thus, playing a significant role in elevating mental disorders. 

Homeopathy 

Homeopathy is the use of traditional herbs to treat chronic anxiety, gastrointestinal symptoms as well as depression. Examples of homeopathy treatment include Arsenicum album, which is a herbal substance that helps with depression and anxiety. (Hussain et al, 2017). 

Depression 

According to Smith et al (2018), one in five people is likely to get clinical depression once in their life. Smith and colleagues defined clinical depression as a prolonged intense cognitive, emotional and physical state that negatively impacts personal daily activities to a large extent. Its symptoms include losing interest in pleasurable activities, negative thoughts and feelings, exhaustion, irritability and agitation, change of sleep pattern, hopelessness and suicidal thoughts. 

Conventional Treatments for depression 

According to Freeman et al (2017), conventional treatment involves the use of clinical approaches to treat mental disorders. Examples include the use of antidepressants to heal symptoms of severe and moderate depression as well as the behavioral approach. 

Antidepressants : Antidepressants are tablets prescribed by the doctor to calm the body and deal with the symptoms of depression. The tablets work by relieving the nerve cells of the brain so they can pass on impulses more effectively. 

Behavioral strategies: Behavioral therapy entail various forms of behavioral strategies to treat depression. The strategies focus on the identification of potentially unhealthy self-destructive habits and attempts to change them for mental health. 

CAM Treatments Used to Cure Depression 

Acupuncture 

The Chinese traditional belief regards depression as a problem that relates to the circulation of emotional imbalance around the body. The organs held as responsible for circulating emotional imbalance in depression are the liver, the heart as well as the spleen. The Chinese acupuncture treatment uses the principle of The Four Gates to improve the flow of emotional imbalances (Smith et al, 2018). The principle involves stimulating the source points that are located in the palm between the index finger and the thumb of both hands as well as the point between the big and the second toe of the left and the right feet. 

Meditation 

Meditation can treat depression as a regular practice helps the brain to better manage the depression causing anxiety and stress. Hussain et al (2017) observed that regular practice of meditation transforms how the brain responds to anxiety and stress by training the brain to attain a sustained focus to the level which negative physical sensations, emotions, as well as negative thinking, are directed to the point of focus. 

Reflection 

Given the evidence of the effectiveness of both CAM and conventional approaches to mental health, there is no specific right way of treating mental health disorders. In dealing with patients, clinical methods need to be combined with complementary and alternative approaches to attain greater success. However, the CAM should be selected carefully to protect a patient from being harmed by the procedure. 

References 

Freeman, D., Reeve, S., Robinson, A., Ehlers, A., Clark, D., Spanlang, B., & Slater, M. (2017). Virtual reality in the assessment, understanding, and treatment of mental health disorders. Psychological medicine , 47 (14), 2393-2400. 

Hussain, S. T., Mostaghimi, A., Barr, P. J., Brown, J. R., Joyce, C., & Huang, K. P. (2017). Utilization of mental health resources and complementary and alternative therapies for alopecia Areata: a US survey. International journal of trichology , 9 (4), 160. 

Lindquist, R., Tracy, M. F., & Snyder, M. (Eds.). (2018). Complementary and alternative therapies in nursing . Springer Publishing Company. 

Rhee, T. G., Evans, R. L., McAlpine, D. D., & Johnson, P. J. (2017). Racial/ethnic differences in the use of complementary and alternative medicine in US adults with moderate mental distress: results from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey. Journal of primary care & community health , 8 (2), 43-54. 

Smith, C. A., Armour, M., Lee, M. S., Wang, L. Q., & Hay, P. J. (2018). Acupuncture for depression. Cochrane database of systematic reviews , (3).