Holistic depression therapy takes an enormous number of treatment modalities. Complimentary and alternative medicine is rapidly gaining respect in the medical world, but conventional mental health institutions are frequently far behind the curve concerning the acceptance of alternative or holistic treatments for anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric disorders.

The FDA and the medical institution often have a tendency to hold back and disregard alternative medicine as a feasible option. Their most common disagreement against holistic depression therapy or holistic treatment for any other disorder is that there is no adequate research or hard proof to show their efficacy.

A lot of the required drug studies that are written are done through the same drug companies that produce them, which is a slight conflict of interest if considering billions of dollars at risk. People should not blindly accept the claims of alternative medicine either; there are limitless alternatives out there and some are very promising, probably even miraculous, but others are also ineffective and even dangerous at times. In general, nonetheless, alternative medicine or holistic depression therapy are vastly safer than conventional drugs.

A holistic depression therapy should not leave out any available treatment that works, and that may include mainstream medications such as mood stabilizers or antidepressants, specifically for Bipolar disorder and Major Depression. It is always essential to weigh the advantage and disadvantages because these disorders are serious and life-threatening illnesses.

Holistic depression therapy treats the person as a whole, based on System Theory which makes out that ?anything done to one part of us, affects all other parts of us?. Whichever treatment that is in agreement with life, will advantage the individual on numerous levels, even far past the target symptoms. Through using holistic depression therapy, it is probable that a person will also experience healing in other areas as well.

Holistic depression therapy is divided into three categories namely body, mind, and spirit:

Body Physical interventions or physical modalities include body-oriented psychotherapies as well as physical healing methods such as Message Therapy and Chiropractic Medicine. Other approaches include dietary/nutritional consultation, herbal therapy, ayurveda, acupuncture, acupressure, Rolfing, martial arts, chi gung, hatha yoga, drumming therapy, and a lot more.

Mind This involves working with the emotions and thought process or intellect, which include psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, journaling, art therapy, music therapy, sound therapy, dream work, yoga, and mindfulness meditation.

Spirit This involves treating the spiritual dimension or accessing the wisdom of the essential soul or self, which include yoga, Buddhist meditation, shamanism, energy healing/pranic healing/Reiki, mindfulness meditation/Vipassana, transpersonal psychotherapy, the drumming therapy, tai chi/aikido/kung fu, and prayer. These spiritual modalities engage the body and mind, but also go beyond these levels and develop into more subtle levels of consciousness.

Holistic depression therapy is not a one-size-fits-all prescription, and it is always essential to be open-minded yet careful when choosing a treatment approach whether it is a traditional or alternative treatment for depression.

Have you been for a holiday retreat lately?

And when we meant by a holiday, we don’t mean a rushed 5-days, 6 countries type of holiday which leaves you more tired than before you start your holiday!

No, when we say a holiday retreat, we mean a holiday that lets you become fresher and rejuvenated rather than more tired after a holiday.

Holiday retreats has been popular for many decades. Basically, you land in one holiday spot and spend the next 1-2 weeks in one place; without having to rush from place to place nor more planes or trains to catch. Typical of these holidays are golf, spa, seaside, nature or sports retreat holidays.

Once the domain of the rich and famous, holiday retreats are now also popular with the ordinary people as more people seek to retreat away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

One of the newest type of holiday retreats are detox and spa holidays, which basically include a quiet holiday spot with additional holistic treatments that may include a health diet, spas, massage, medidation, exercises, detox. cleansing and accupuncture treatments. Typically, these holiday retreats are located in sunny beaches or cool mountain tops.

These holistic treatment holiday spots can be anywhere in the world but seem to be primarily concentrated in the Far East and can be found in Thailand, Indonesia, India, Maldives, Philippines, Australia and Goa.

Along with Yoga and massages, detox and cleansing treatment is gaining popularity. Basically, you are given a healthy vegetarian diet throughout your holiday in a holistic retreat and subjected to various detox and cleansing treatments that can include colon cleasing, reflexology and accupuncture treatment, ear candling and suana and deep massages. There may also be Yoga or Tai Chi exercises to help you calm and clear your minds and soul as well.

It is believed that our bodies include toxins accumulated over the years due to the food we eat and the air we breathe. These toxins in our bodies cause us to become unwell, fall sick easily or feel stressed even if we do not exactly fall sick.

Detox and cleansing gets rid of such toxins in our body. With additional strict diet control, deep massages and healthy exercises; one invariably comes away clean, relieved, rejuvenated and refreshed from such holistic retreat holidays.

If and when you can, make time and budget for such a holiday. You will be surprised how much such holistic treatment can do for the good of your body and soul. You will simply feel the change in your life, especially if you come from a stressful work or home environment.

So, the next time you make holiday plans, do consider looking into a holistic holiday retreat. You may just save your body and soul yet!

About the Author:

Sarah Hutts is the editor of two websites, http://www.health-wellness-care.com and http://www.beauty-fitness-secrets.com. There are more similar health, beauty and fitness articles at these websites. You may distribute this article as long as you mention her websites.

Holistic or wholistic is philosophy of well-being that considers the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of life as closely interconnected and balanced. To clearly understand the meaning of holistic health we must first understand the meaning of health as well as the meaning of wellness.

Defining Health

Health is defined as the functional and/or metabolic efficiency of an organism, at any moment in time, at both the cellular and global levels. In any organism, health is the ability to efficiently respond to challenges (stressors) and effectively restore and sustain a “state of balance,” known as homeostasis. Illness is merely the absence of health. All organisms, from the simplest to the most complex, reside on a spectrum between 100% health and 0% health.

So, what does this mean to you and I? We can define healthy as a state of balance and unhealthy as a state of imbalance. Healthy is individual and is considered the optimum state of wellness for a given person based on their potential.

In other words an 80 year old man may be just as healthy as a 25 year old man, although the 25 year old man may be stronger, faster or have more stamina, but this does not mean the 80 year man is unhealthy. An 80 year old man may be free of illness and for his given potential be functioning optimally at 100%.

Defining Holism

To understand holistic, we must define the word holism. Holism can be viewed in metaphysical terms as the concept that all the properties of a given system or organism cannot be determined or explained by the sum of its component parts alone. Instead, the system as a whole determines in an important way how the parts behave. Aristotle best summarises this as “The whole is more than the sum of its parts”.

Defining Holistic Health

Applying he concept of holism to health we understand that the essential aspects of our being; physical, mental/motional and spiritual are not separate but are interwoven and so closely interrelated as to form one, which is our essential being. Each aspect of our essential being operates as a finely tuned system, one dependent on the other, each affecting the other in health or illness.

The triangle is used for visualization of holism, which is an equilateral triangle and the positioning of each aspect is relative as all are equal and optimal health represents a balance of the three essential aspects of physical, mental, spiritual.

Although each essential aspect of our being is interrelated to understand them we must define them individually. What is the meaning of physical health, mental health and spiritual health? According to the definition of holism, to be unbalanced or unhealthy in any essential aspect of our being causes illness of the self as a whole. Generally the
state of holistic balance can be referred to as wellness as health often refers to the physical but can also be applied to our emotional and spiritual components.

Physical Wellness

When defining physical health we refer to the state of our physical body, that which is tangible, our biological, physiological being. Physical health is strictly an organic concept which is focused on intensely by allopathic medicine such as western physicians and medical providers.

The human body and accompanying physiology (how it works) is a miraculous, self repairing and highly complex system. Specialist in the medical sciences, doctors, nurses and professional therapists study in depth the many aspects and systems of the physical body and how it may become ill and be brought back to wellness through science.

The mindset of the past is slowly changing as people are realizing that prevention of illness is the key is wellness, not waiting for illness to strike then seeking a doctor. Prevention of physical illness has become a major industry as more and more people seek ways of staying healthy through nutrition and exercise. The majority of illnesses which effect our population day such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and stroke are related to unhealthy lifestyle choices and lack of prevention.

Emotional/Mental Wellness

Emotional/mental wellness is based on our own personal sense of self, of who we are. Self worth involves our sense of self esteem or how valuable we feel we are to ourselves and others. Emotional wellness involves our ability to feel joy and happiness in life on a consistent basis as well as our ability to cope with and move beyond emotional stress, pain and loss. This is not to say that during period of sadness, we are unhealthy, but it is our ability to recover from these states which determines emotional wellness.

Emotional/mental wellness also involves our awareness of our own individual emotions, the ability to identify what we are feeling and the awareness of how it affects our lives, relationships and those around us. This includes happiness, joy and anger, fear and sadness, an emotionally healthy individual has the ability to consciously recognize
a negative or destructive emotion and cope with it in a manner which prevents illness or difficulty for them.

Spiritual Wellness

Spirituality is often defined as ones personal connection with the divine or with humanity as a whole. Spirituality is also an intensely personal issue and may mean many different things to different people. Spirituality is closely related to aspects of love, the ability to love and to be loved as well as the ability to spiritually nourish and give to others.

The concept of “divine” may also be defined differently by many people; divine refers to a force, power or entity that is transcendent. Exactly what is divine may indefinable but is a concept present in all spiritual traditions, religions and disciplines. Transcendent means a power which is greater than we are and most often considered benevolent or a source of strength and support.

Less traditional religious belief systems refer to divine as the connection to all life that exists or a connection with life force energy in the universe. Monotheistic religions such as Christianity and Catholicism assign specific identities to what is divine such as God, Jesus, Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary. Greek mythology, a pantheistic belief system, also assigns identities to what is divine in the form of multiple gods and goddesses.

Although we have separated and defined each essential aspect of our holistic being, remember that each aspect is one, not separated. Imagine that you have three glasses of water from three different oceans, each represents the body, mind and spirit and then you pour all three into one vessel, they then mix together to the point where it is impossible to determine which ocean each came from or separate them, yet they are each made up of unique and distinct aspects.

Practicing Holistic Health

Practicing holistic health is primarily focused on the prevention of illness and maintenance of balance with an awareness of the essential aspects of our being. Practicing holistic wellness becomes a way of life a way of being in which we are mindful of behaviors and actions which nourish and support the wellbeing of our body, mind and spirit. Everyone may develop a unique and individual way of being that suits them and their uniqueness, one that is healthy and balanced.

An Example of Holism in Daily Life

A good example of a practice which promotes holistic wellness is a ritual of mealtime. Although this may not always be possible it is an example of a practice which nourishes all aspects of our being.

Selecting healthy and nutritious foods for our meal nourishes our physical self, if possible spend some time eating this meal with people you love and care about such as friends and family or maybe someone who is less fortunate than yourself and does not have the company of others, before we begin to eat, give thanks for the food we have, that we are fortunate to have this food.

Depending on our individual spiritual beliefs we may thank what is divine or transcendent to us. In sharing ourselves and our food and recognizing our good fortune we are nourishing ourselves and hopefully others emotionally and spiritually.

There are also many practices such as Yoga or T’ai Chi which encompass mental and spiritual components, but any activity can really become a holistic practice such a running and swimming if we use our imagination and stay mindful of our essential aspect of self.

Garland Valley is a Registered Nurse specializing in Oncology Nursing and complimentary healing modalities. Visit HOUSE OF GAR at http://www.houseofgar.com for more wellness articles and news

Distance Learning and Online Holistic School, college, and university programs provide for learning natural health skills and techniques in convenient home-study settings. Online programs allow for integrating holistic education into busy schedules without the hassles of commuting and meeting external schedules.

The holistic health philosophy promotes the care of the entire person, with the inclusion of spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical factors. Online Holistic Schools and colleges adhere to this basic principle and teach accordingly, by providing natural health holistic programs for healing by teaching the necessary intake of the healthful natural elements of fresh air, sunlight, proper diet, and pure water, and the regulation of exercise and rest.

Online Holistic School students can choose varying measures of study. Options include certificates, AS, BS, MS, PhD, and Post-Doctoral distance learning programs. Students can gain licensure as massage therapists, counselors, herbologists, nutritionists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, and more. Bachelor and master degrees offer additional options for licensed therapists or counselors, life coaches, teachers, healers, and mentors.

Online Holistic School programs provide students with knowledge and skills for philosophical and practical applications of natural health and healing methods. Students in holistic schools can choose from several degree programs to satisfy gaining the skills and knowledge desired. Students can choose to concentrate in areas of herbology, nutrition, treatment, and lifestyle health. Courses can teach traditional naturopathy, natural health, and integration of natural health methods into an existing holistic or traditional healthcare practices.

If you are interested in learning more about Online Holistic Schools and other types of schools, please search our site for more information and resources.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.

Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved Michael Bustamante, in association with Media Positive Communications, Inc. for SchoolsGalore.com

Notice to Publishers: Please feel free to use this article in your Ezine or on your Website; however, ALL links must remain intact and active.

About the Author

Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. in association with SchoolsGalore.com. Find Colleges, Universities, Vocational Schools, and Online Colleges at SchoolsGalore.com; your educational resource to locate schools.

When your hot buttons are pushed, it triggers an initial emotional reaction which is fueled by your fears and influenced by your perceptual style: Audio, Feeler, Visual and Wholistic. For instance, the first emotion that Audios feel is anger when they think someone is trying to control them. Maintaining personal control is of utmost importance to them.

For Feelers, their initial reaction is indignation because they feel unappreciated for all they’ve done for you. Not being taken for granted and your showing that you appreciate their thoughtfulness are of utmost importance to them.

The first emotion Visuals feel is frustration when they can’t get you to see their reasons for doing things in a structured, step-by-step fashion. Perfectionism, or having high standards as they see them, is of utmost importance to them.

For each of the perceptual styles, there are four major fears that stimulate the reactive emotion. The initial reaction Wholistics feel is resentment. This article is devoted to the fears that stimulate Wholistics’ reactions.

Fear: Wholistics are afraid of not being given a chance to excel. Wholistics are born with the feeling that they are destined for excellence. Therefore they somehow know if given the chance, they can rise to the occasion.

Reaction stimulated by the fear: They can see the shortest distance between two points, so may feel resentment when others don’t want to follow their recommendation on how to do something more efficiently. They feel shackled by those who pull back because they want to do something their own way rather than the easier way that he could prove is faster and easier, if given the chance.

Fear: Wholistics are afraid of life passing them by before they show the world what they are capable of being/doing. They want the opportunity to try new things, to think outside the box, to be a risk taker.

Reaction stimulated by the fear: If they expected others to open doors for them rather than pursuing their dreams or if they were passed over for promotions or opportunities, Wholistics may become bitter. They make excuses by blaming others for losing their dreams. However, the excuses don’t soften the disillusionment they have in themselves.

Fear: Wholistics are afraid of failure and not reaching their full potential. They want to leave a legacy, not an obituary that reads “He existed for 82 years and died.”

Reaction stimulated by the fear: Wholistics are risk takers when they have confidence in themselves. But if they have low self-esteem because they perceive that people do not value their ideas/feelings/beliefs, they become cynical and give up on trying anything new: “Why bother, nobody cares about what I think or do anyway.”

Fear: Wholistics are afraid of restrictions. They want to be free to go with the flow, be spontaneous. They don’t want to be tied down. They like work environments where they are encouraged to be leaders and try new ideas.

Reaction stimulated by the fear: They don’t like to feel hemmed in by unreasonable demands or expectations that they consider a waste of time. If management does not appreciate initiative or innovation, they might quit their jobs or just put in their time doing what is minimally expected of them. They can become negative and moody.

Charles Finn shows us in his poem, Please Hear What I’m Not Saying, that we all wear masks to hide our fears. (His poem is printed with permission in Stop When You See Red.) Wholistics are the most adaptable of the four styles. This is why they are so adept at switching masks. They are chameleons, quickly changing masks as needed for the moment.

How can you help Wholistics remove their masks? The masks allow them to put on a persona of bravado, which hides the desperate feeling that they’ve failed to reach their full potential and will never amount to anything. By accepting them as they are and encouraging them that it’s never too late to be all they are capable of being, the masks will fall one by one. Your faith in them will renew their faith in themselves.

Your fears will dissipate if you believe in yourself and know that you are here on Earth for a reason. At times you may reach for your masks to provide a temporary retreat. However, when you let go of discouragement by courageously facing your fears, the masks will disintegrate. Your life will be more meaningful and rewarding because you will be in control rather than your fears controlling you.

About the Author

Carol Welsh, M.S,. is the author of “Stop When You See Red.” She has over 25 years of experience as a speaker and is a frequent guest on talk shows. Her Web site is stopred.com. She can be contacted at carolwelsh@stopred.com

Do you have gastrointestinal problems such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Colitis, Crohns Disease, Acid Reflux Disease, among many others? Are you sick (literally) and tired of going from doctor to doctor only to be handed a prescription slip and pushed out the door? Do you enjoy the many side effects these prescriptions cause? Are you looking for a solution to the problem instead of covering it up with drugs, or removing it with surgery? Then try holistic medicine.

I am very happy to see our nation slowly catching on to the idea that natural medicine is the better way to go. It angers me however that insurance companies (who we pay premiums to) do not give us the choice to choose what path we want to take to heal ourselves. Holistic medicine is not cheap because there are very few insurance companies that cover your office visits, and none that I am aware that assists with nutritional supplements used by holistic doctors. Now don’t get me wrong, modern medicine has its place in this world, and heaven knows all the good it has done for mankind, but there is a limit to how far it should go in the treatment of health conditions. Modern medicine knows next to nothing about the digestive system and how to fix it when it is in duress. Just ask any person suffering from any of the conditions listed above. The old saying of you don’t have anything if you don’t have your health is a very true statement.

I suffered with Crohn’s Disease for 5 years before I started going to a holistic doctor. I went through 2 colonoscopies, and visited 3 different gastroenterologists. The first doctor performed my first colonoscopy, and found a mass of tissue close to my ileocecal valve. The tissue biopsy that he took came back negative for cancer (thank the Lord), but they could not tell what the tissue was. He referred me to another gastroenterologist who on my first visit, told me flat out that all he wanted to do was cut me open and remove the mass so he could try to figure out what it was. Needless to say my wife and I left his office never to return! Only later did we find out that he was a surgical gastroenterologist, so that’s all he knew how to do was cut people open and remove their insides (comforting I know). The third doctor I visited was a medical gastroenterologist. He also wanted to perform a colonoscopy, and found more tissue masses etc. When I asked him what caused my condition, he said that medical science does not know what causes these kinds of conditions, but knows how to control them somewhat. He wrote me a prescription for a steroid medication, and sent me out the door.

Thus began my crusade to figure out what was going on with my body and why. I never did take any of that steroid medication that last doctor prescribed me, because I had enough sense to get online and start researching what it was he was wanting me to take and what it did. The drug is an immune suppressant. You see people with digestive problems often times have an over active immune system, thus triggering inflammation throughout the digestive system. The steroid suppresses the immune function to reduce inflammation. It does nothing to get rid of what is causing the inflammation, just masking the effects.

To fully understand how the body gets afflicted with these digestive problems you need to understand how the digestive system works in conjunction with the rest of your body. The digestive tract has been called the body’s second brain because there are more nerve endings in the digestive tract than the brain itself. Think about what the digestive system does for you….it is the extracts of all vitamins, minerals, and other materials your body needs to function from the foods you eat. Without it were dead! New research indicates that most diseases of the body are a result of a failure somewhere in the digestive system. So if you are afflicted with a serious digestive problem, and you take a drug that masks the problem instead of fixing (and has the potential of serious side effects which include may other diseases), sure you symptoms may subside for a while, but in the meantime your condition will worsen or spread!

Finally I decided to go to a holistic doctor. It was the smartest thing I have ever done for my health! My doctor knew more on how the body works, and all the organic compounds it uses and more specifically what organs used them, than any medical doctor I have ever been to! I was on my way to recovery after my first visit. I had a plan on how to recover my health. It wasn’t a prescription for some drug that he gets kickbacks from the drug companies for prescribing, it was a professionally planned regiment of natural compounds that would kill parasitic infections, reduce my inflammation, assist in digestion of foods, and nourish my body with the critical vitamins and minerals I was seriously lacking. Yes it took me well over a year to get myself back to normal. You have to take into account the fact that I had been living with several parasites in my digestive system for several years to get to the point I was at, so there is no way I would heal overnight. You know its funny how over the years all my doctors told me that I had IBS, and that I needed to eat more fiber. If only I had known about holistic medicine back then! Sure holistic medicine is expensive, but can you truly put a price on your health and well being? I sure can’t, it has been worth every penny.

Do your research! No matter where you go and what you do, there is always going to be someone with a horror story about a holistic doctor, or even a modern medicine MD. It’s just unavoidable, people make mistakes every day. All I can say is this: do your research! Find a holistic doctor that is highly recommended, Answer any of their questions with total honesty, stick to the regiments they give you (to the T) and always be a well informed patient! If the doctor you go to makes you uncomfortable, don’t go back! Find someone you are comfortable with. Trust your instincts! Your reading this aren’t you? Your instincts have brought you this far, searching for answers a medical doctor could not give you. Keep going! Keep digging! You deserve to feel normal again!

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About the Author

After suffering with Crohn’s disease for 5 years, I finally trusted my instincts that there was something very wrong with modern medicines approach to digestive disorders, and used a holistic approach to heal myself. No scars from surgery, and no side effects from dangerous drugs!

Learn how to treat the “whole” person with bipolar disorder.

Bipolar Disorder is one of the most difficult to treat. Not only is it difficult to find the right medicine recipe for each person, patient compliance is a major obstacle. Some people suffer debilitating side effects or cannot tolerate the high dosages of some medications. Some start feeling better and make a conscious decision to stop taking their medications. Others simply don?t like taking medication at all. Some of these same people will turn to vitamins, health supplements and holistic answers instead. Herein lies the problem. It seems to me that the general population is much more willing to trust the claims on vitamins bottles and health supplements than that of prescription medications that are governed by the FDA. Who is it that regulates vitamins and health supplements? the ?natural healing fairy?Well, come to find out, many studies are being conducted on holistic approaches to bipolar treatment and they are being funded by organizations like The Stanley Organization, National Institute of Health and the National Institute of Mental Health. Some important organizations are taking notice that maybe there is something to this ?natural? approach. Maybe there is and maybe there isn?t. I am convinced that doing everything possible to make this illness more bearable is worth a shot, but I?m not willing to give up my medication yet and neither are any of the organizations funding the studies.

Nothing that you read here is meant to replace any advice that you are given by a trained professional. The information is simply what I researched and the claims may or may not be accurate. Please do not try any holistic approach without consulting with your physician or psychiatrist first. Also, all of these approaches, by their own admission are to be used as an adjunct to psychiatric medications. In other words, they are meant to help reduce the dosage, not replace the medicine all together.

VITAMINS & MINERALS

Mood Stabilizing SubstancesLecithin (Phosphatidyl Choline)L-Taurine (Amino Acid)GABA (Amino Acid)To Fight DepressionB- ComplexFolic AcidB1 (Thiamin)B6B-12Magnesium & CalciumManganeseZincL-TyrosineMethionineL-Phenylalynine & DL-PhenylalynineL-Triptophan (Amino Acid)Most of these vitamins and minerals can be found in a good multivitamin. The ones that are separate supplements should be verified with your doctor before you go spend a lot of money on them. I didn?t even start taking my multivitamin without checking it out with my psychiatrist first ? but then I?m a little anal when it comes to managing my bipolar and my money. I don?tknow about your insurance but mine doesn?t cover vitamins.

ST JOHN?S WART

This is the supplement that we?ve all heard does wonders for depression. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but marketing and advertising people create all that hype. I know this, because I work in advertising. I found tons of information on St John?s Wart (SJW) and most of it echoed the same warnings, that bipolar patients should use extreme caution and consult their physicians before attempting to use it. I know I won?t be adding it to my recipe. The only time it seems to be recommended is for people with very mild depression who almost don?t need to take prescription medication and they still suggest checking with your doctor.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School believe that SJW could be a mania trigger for those who are bipolar but who haven?t experienced a manic episode yet. This is similar to what some antidepressants do to people with bipolar. It can also precipitate hypomanic states or rapid cycling. They mentioned that if you have bipolar you should use extreme caution and confer with your doctor before hand.

In Feb 2000, the FDA released a public health advisory warning that there was a risk of dangerous interactions between SJW and certain prescription medications. Bipolar meds included mainly the Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCA?s) Tofranil, Asendin & Elavil and the anticonvulsant Tegretol. It is assumed that the similar TCA?s Vivactil and Palemor and the similar anticonvulsant Trileptal could also be in the risk group.

There are also reports that when SJW is combined with Serotonin Selective Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI?s) it can cause Serotonin Syndrome. Symptoms of Serotonin Syndrome symptoms can include dizziness, cognitive difficulty, faintness when standing or walking, unsteadiness when walking, muscle spasms and a racing heart beat. Do not combine SJW with any SSRI?s or with the newly FDA approved Tamoxifen that is usedfor depression.

OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS

Omega-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omega-3) are found in fish, fish oil and flaxseeds. Yummy! You can bet I was not too excited about the thought of fish oil as a cure for bipolar. Oddly enough, every bit of information I found on Omega-3 was positive. Positive that is as an adjunct to standard bipolar medications. So for people who cannot tolerate high doses or the side effects of their medications, this is something to check out with your doctor.

Many studies have been done, but the one I read most about was a 4 month double-blind placebo controlled study comparing 9.

6 g/day of Omega-3 vs. olive oil in 30 patients (Stoll et al., 1999). 8 co-authors concluded that not only were the Omega 3?s well tolerated, but the improved the short term course of the patients with bipolar. They would not suggest using Omega-3 as a first line treatment but would try it for patients who had failed with other medications. Omega-3?s should only be used alone in patients with a very mild form of the illness.

Patients seem to be quite interested in the Omega-3?s because they are a natural supplement with very few side effects and little or no toxic effects. The only reported symptom was mild gastrointestinal distress ? generally characterized by loose stools. Many psychiatric medications have this same effect along with a myriad of other more unpleasant ones. If mymeds plagued me with a tremendous number of side effects, I would certainly be looking into this one myself.

TRUEHOPE (Synergy Group of Canada, Ltd.)

If you haven?t heard about this one, it?s pretty interesting ? depending on how you look at it. Personally I thought they were a couple of quacks until I started investigating it deeper. I mean, when all you know is that it started out with supplements that they give to pigs who are prone to ear and tail biting, you have to be a little skeptical. Don?t you?Well, they didn?t start with actual pig nutrients; the biologist of the pair, David Hardy created a supplement for humans that were then given to Anthony Stephan?s 2 bipolar children. You can read the entire story at their website, referenced below. The supplement was named EM Power and consists of common minerals, vitamins and amino acids. In fact, the ingredients are so common that they cannot receive a patent for their work.

Several small independent studies were done through individual doctors with small numbers of patients. The results were good ? up to a 50% reduction in symptoms compared to when the patients were on psychotropic drugs. Then Harvard psychiatrist Charles Popper monitored 15 patients within his own practice and the results were reported in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. Of the 15 patients that were treated, 11 were stable for 6 ? 9 months without taking psychiatric medications. They also did research with Dr. Bonnie Kaplan, PhD. This helped get a grant of a half million dollars to do a placebo-controlled double blind study of 100 bipolar patients at the University of Calgary.

The two drawbacks with EM Power (besides it?s oddorigins) are that it isn?t cheap and it?s a lotof pills to take. Initial treatment requires 32 capsules per day until your symptoms disappear and the cost is approximately $220.00 a month. The maintenance dose averages 16 capsules a day. It is safe for children as well ? as long as they can take that many pills.

ACCUPUNCTURE

Boy did I find a ton of information on the treatment of depression and bipolar with the ancient Chinese art of acupuncture. What I didn?t find was any proof. No real trials with quantifiable results. I did find one small study done at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, which simply reported positive results using it for major and unipolar depression. That was it.

That was it except for 2 major grants being given to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas (where I am trying to get in on some studies!). Both the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute of Health have awarded UT Southwestern significant grants to study the effects of acupuncture. NIMH?s grant with be used to study bipolar patients in their depressive states. The NIH grant will be used for a study similar to the one done at the University of Arizona.

The NIMH trial is the first being conducted regarding acupuncture as an adjunct to medication for bipolar disorder. Once again, not a full cure, but the possibility of reducing medications to tolerable levels.

So, after all of this am I still a skeptic? Sure I am. I?m skeptical of everything until I see proof ? but that?s just me. Am I skeptical of ?Wholistic Healing? ? using holistic methods with psychiatric medications and anything else you can do to make your life better? No. I thinkthere are some great alternative options available for those who cannot handle the symptoms or for those who seem to get little or no results from psychiatric medications. My biggest concern is that if you try any of these, please check with your doctor so that you canwork together at managing your bipolar. Don?t go it alone!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

People tend to think of their skin as a covering, like they think of their clothes, something that covers their bodies to make them more attractive and protect what lies beneath it.

Actually, our skin is an organ of the body, the largest organ. One of its purposes is to deliver an oily substance called sebum to the surface of the skin via fine hair follicles, through the openings called pores. This is part of our bodies’ cleansing process.

The hair, sebum and the cells that line the follicle can form a plug which prevents sebum from reaching the surface; this is the beginning of acne.

The mixture of oil and cells allows bacteria Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) that normally live on the skin to grow in the plugged follicles. These bacteria produce chemicals and enzymes and attract white blood cells that cause inflammation.

When the wall of the plugged follicle breaks down, it spills everything into the nearby skin - sebum, shed skin cells, and bacteria - leading to lesions or pimples.

What is acne?

Acne is an imbalance believed by doctors to result from an increase of male sex hormones in both males and females, which causes the sebaceous glands to enlarge and make more sebum. Some research indicates genetics can affect the tendency to develop acne, also using certain drugs or greasy cosmetics.

Acne can occur during puberty, pregnancy, or while starting or stopping birth control pills. Acne is most commonly found in teenagers, usually disappears by the 20’s or 30’s, but has been known to extend into the 60’s in some people.

Acne is usually not a serious health threat, but it can be accompanied by both emotional distress and physical discomfort. Permanent scarring can result in severe cases.

How can acne be treated?

Acne, like all chronic health problems, requires a systemic,wholistic approach for its control, and in some cases cure.

The goals of treatment are to heal existing lesions, stop new lesions from forming, prevent scarring, and minimize the psychological stress and embarrassment caused by this disease. Treatment options include drug treatment, skin treatments, diet, and lifestyle changes. Any and all treatment should be conducted under the supervision of a doctor.

Drug treatment is aimed at reducing several problems that play a part in causing acne:

* abnormal clumping of cells in the follicles
* increased oil production
* bacteria
* inflammation.

Be forewarned, all medications can have side effects. Check with your doctor and pharmacist.

Tea tree oil has been proven effective at killing acne bacteria and healing scars, and it won’t clog pores, but many acne sufferers are very sensitive to the oil. So start out with a very mild dose. Add only a drop or two of pure tea tree oil to an ounce of pure aloe vera gel, which is particularly soothing and healing to irritated skin. Increase the amount of tea tree oil as you wish.

Limited research indicates that tea tree oil applied to acne lesions on the skin may work slower and may also cause fewer adverse effects (skin dryness, itching, stinging, or redness) than do other commonly prescribed acne drugs. The speed of action depends on the strength of the tea tree oil application.

Aside from individual experiences of irritation, there are no known side effects from using tea tree oil, but the oil may cause excessive drying of the skin when used with some other drugs that are used to treat acne, such as tretinoin (Retin-A, Renova) or isotretinoin (Accutane).

Dietary and lifestyle changes can help

There’s more to this story; more than can be written in a short article. I will briefly touch on research-based information that supports dietary and lifestyle change to limit or help eliminate acne.

Most importantly, your diet will not cause or prevent acne, but if you are predisposed to getting acne, certain eating habits will encourage flareups, other habits will help your body fight the problem.

Firstly, eating refined carbohydrates and sugar leads to a surge in insulin and an insulin-like growth factor called IGF-1. This in turn leads to an excess of male hormones, which encourage the skin to excrete large amounts of sebum.

Secondly, a diet rich in raw foods and antioxidants means that we consume more nutrients and fewer acne aggravating free radicals.

Lifestyle changes eliminate other factors that may trigger or worsen acne outbreaks. These include avoiding oily skin products and grease in the work environment (don’t work in a kitchen where foods are deep fried, for example!), pressure from sports equipment and helmets, backpacks, tight collars, or tight sports uniforms; and environmental irritants, such as chemicals, pollution, and high humidity; touching your skin excessively or squeezing blemishes; hard scrubbing of the sking; and avoiding stress.

About the Author

Kathryn Beach offers extensive information about tea tree oil on her website, Learn About the Tea Tree Oil Phenomenon!. For more detailed information about how you can treat and even cure acne, please visit: A Holistic Cure for Acne

A holistic business approach is a relatively new concept that is increasingly being accepted by the business world. To be a business that uses holistic techniques, it means that the entire organization is considered in its processes and policies, as opposed to focusing only on its specific components. By using the holistic approach to running a business, you will make certain that your business is running at its full potential, as opposed to simply having strong areas and weak areas.

Holistic approaches to business, such as the increasingly popular Six Sigma business strategy developed by Motorola, involve the consideration of the entire business situation instead of only a single time or portion of it.

In order to implement such a process, many businesses choose to reach out to professionals for help, with consultants such as the Six Sigma Champions and Black Belts who will help different team members to see the organization in an entirely new light.

This thinking isn’t simply “out of the box”, but instead it believes that it removes the box altogether. In this sense, holistic business strategies allow business people to develop entirely new mindsets and beliefs about their companies and their roles within them. Dramatic improvements are made to help to maximize the potential of the business, and then take full advantage of that potential.

This type of business strategy is considered by many experts to be fundamental to achieving the successes that are desired. To reach the right goals, a proper foundation must be laid, and according to many, this foundation is a strong holistic business strategy.

The training for a holistic business strategy doesn’t involve only a handful of an organization’s team members, but will instead involve the entire team. After all, since the entire basis of a holistic business strategy is that the entire company and its situation must be considered in order to achieve success, this is only possible if the entire staff of the business is functioning on this same level.

If you are curious about implementing a holistic business strategy in your company in order to bring about its full potential, your first step is likely the internet. Have a look at the different holistic options available. Six Sigma is among the most accepted at the moment, but there are many options out there that will allow you to get the most out of your business and have it perform at its highest ability.

About the Author

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution’s Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

We see the terms Holistic Medicine and Alternative Medicine a lot on the Internet today. They seem to be used interchangeably. But do you really understand the meaning of the terms? What is Holistic Medicine and how is it different from Traditional Medicine? It can be confusing.

The terms ?traditional,? or ?allopathic,? or ?conventional? basically refer to the type of medicine practiced in the Western world. This approach to health is relatively new in human history when compared to the Chinese healing arts of 5000 years ago. Traditional medicine is scientific-based medicine. You must have data, you must have proof, and you must be able to show your proof in a laboratory setting.

Traditional Medicine believes something physical is present to cause disease, like a virus or a bacterium, and you must be treated for that disease by a prescription drug or, if necessary, surgery.

The Holistic Approach to Health Care is quite different. This philosophy states that you become sick when emotional, psychological, or spiritual stresses become overwhelming and weaken the immune system. Holistic Medicine works by finding the cause of the stress in the patient?s life, helping the patient cope with that stress, and supporting the body?s natural healing process with things like proper nutrition, herbal supplementation, and other non-invasive techniques. The treatment always boosts the body?s natural ability to heal itself.

Some refer to Holistic Medicine as ?Alternative? Medicine, as in an alternative to traditional medicine. According to Carolyn Myss and Norman Shealy in their book ?Creation of Health,? the term ?alternative? should actually apply to the various techniques used in the Holistic Health field, such as Acupuncture, Massage Therapy, and Medical Herbalism.

The term ?Holistic? does not refer to a technique. It is an approach to health and healing that emphasizes the connection between mind, body, and spirit. The body is treated as a whole, with each state working in tandem with the others.

The Holistic approach empowers the patient to accept responsibility for his/her own health and treatment. The healthcare provider forms a partnership with the patient so that together they can develop the best possible treatment plan for the patient.

Holistic Health requires a commitment to the healing process. It is not a quick fix; pop a pill, and go home. You?re cured. It is a continuous striving toward optimal health, not just the absence of sickness.

Traditional medical doctors often refer to the ?alternative? techniques they use in their practice, like Physical Therapy or Massage Therapy, as ?complementary? to the drug and surgical procedures they regularly use. The National Institute of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a branch of the National Institutes of Health, has gathered compelling evidence of how well Holistic Health techniques work in treating disease and promoting health and well-being.

As more and more people search for alternatives to prescription drugs and surgery, Holistic Medicine and its natural remedies will continue to offer safe and effective treatments. Traditional Medicine will always be the major player in emergency care and acute, life-threatening illnesses. Ultimately it is up to each individual to decide which treatment option is best for his or her needs.

Recommended reading:
?The Creation of Health: The Emotional, Psychological, and Spiritual Responses That Promote Health and Healing,? by Carolyn Myss, Ph.D., and C. Norman Shealy, M.D.

?Body of Health: The New Science of Intuition Medicine for Energy & Balance,? by Francesca McCartney, Ph.D.