What Can Holistic Psychiatry Do For You?

Updated February 9, 2023by MyTherapist Editorial Team

When seeking help for your problems, some people turn to alternative branches of medicine. One such alternative sounds like it would be a part of mainstream psychiatry, but it's not. This is called holistic psychiatry. In this post, we will discuss what holistic psychiatry is and what it can do for you.

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What Is Holistic Psychiatry?

To figure out what holistic psychiatry is, we must first break down the terms. We know what psychiatry is. It's the medical branch that diagnoses and treats mental illness. Psychiatry typically tries to treat mental illness using medications, but many people have problems with relying on pills. Holistic psychiatry is an alternative form of psychiatry that uses holism as its principles.

Well, what's holism? Holism believes that the whole part of your body is connected. Your body, emotions, and any other aspect have a connection. When treating mental illness, a holistic psychiatrist doesn't just want to look at the symptoms you have or your brain, but instead everything else that surrounds it. As well as what you do outside of your daily lives. A holistic psychiatrist may look at your diet, health, emotional state, and so on, to get the biggest picture possible before treatment. Sometimes, there may be a life choice you don't realize that is causing your disease, and you may not even recognize it.

The Problem With Drugs

Don't get us wrong; psychiatric drugs can be a lifesaver for many people. The problem is that many people in the medical field prescribe prescription drugs first without trying other methods. There may be some serious side effects to these drugs, and a holistic psychiatrist tries to avoid them.

Another problem is that medications usually just relieve the symptoms, and it doesn't change the cause. Someone may depend on the drugs for their symptoms instead of trying to figure out what the ailment is in the first place. For example, there may be life and lifestyle choices that give you insomnia, but instead of tackling them, you end up being dependent on sleeping pills, which is never good.

Again, medications can be an effective way to treat your mental illness, but a holistic psychiatrist believes there is a problem in the whole body, and if they solve it, they can be able to eliminate the cause and get you back on your feet.

Where To Find A Holistic Psychiatrist

A holistic psychiatrist isn't typically found in hospitals or counseling centers. They usually operate their own business. Often they set up their office to be friendlier than a normal psychiatrist's office. With a regular office, you may feel like it's cold or corporate. With a holistic psychiatrist, you'll feel much more at home and in peace.

The Education Of A Holistic Psychiatrist

Like a normal psychiatrist, a holistic psychiatrist is highly educated. In high school, and in higher education, they must get good grades if they want a chance at med school. A holistic psychiatrist will take all sorts of classes dealing with anatomy, psychology, and biology, and if they can, they take alternative medicine classes as well.

Once they get their bachelor's degree, they enter med school, and they are educated for four-to-five years. They obtain a Doctor of Osteopathy degree, instead of the usual medicine. Osteopaths have an emphasis on alternative and holistic medicine. They may also participate in a psychiatric residence for several more years.

A holistic psychiatrist, in residency training, learns all the techniques about psychiatry. Not only will they work with holistic techniques, but will work with traditional psychiatrists as well. This allows them to prescribe medicine when needed and gives them a chance to treat the body too.

Like a normal psychiatrist, a holistic psychiatrist requires a license, and they must pass an exam. The exam and licensing requirements will differ depending on the state you're in, but they are all stringent.

The Qualities Of A Holistic Psychiatrist

A holistic psychiatrist needs to be empathetic and should be inviting towards any patient. Many patients have a hard time talking about their problems, and because of this, a holistic psychiatrist needs to be as sympathetic as possible, while providing an honest diagnosis.

The Beliefs Of A Holistic Psychiatrist

A holistic psychiatrist has many beliefs, techniques, and principles. Here is a list of a few of them.

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  • A holistic psychiatrist uses all forms of medicine to treat someone. Conventional medicine, such as psychiatric drugs, have been proven to work, but many of them may have side effects. A holistic psychiatrist may look to herbal medicines to help the patient out. Many patients swear by herbal medicines, and although they may not have the same amount of research as a traditional medications, they are still worth looking at and observing. They may have many benefits that you don't recognize.
  • A holistic psychiatrist believes that a patient should study themselves before they treat themselves. They may look to Socrates and his belief of knowing thyself for an answer. You may find that by examining all your symptoms, you can find the answer you need.
  • A holistic psychiatrist may believe that there are multiple minds that one must study. They may look at events, which are memories you can't forget. Then there's the lower mind and higher mind, which is how we perceive and reflect. A holistic psychiatrist believes in training all three of these aspects.
  • A holistic psychiatrist will then help by charting your mind and finding any flaws in your thinking. For example, if you're having a hard time with your thinking, a holistic psychiatrist may be able to point you in the right direction.
  • A holistic psychiatrist may use breathing techniques to help you. Breathing techniques can calm you down, purify the body, and clear up your mind. Some people use breathing techniques for religious reasons, while others may just use it to calm themselves down after a long day. Breathing is something we all take for granted. It's an automatic process, however controlled breathing can change your life in many different ways.
  • A holistic psychiatrist believes that many of your problems can be solved by increasing your endurance. For example, exercise can treat depression, anxiety, and many more symptoms. Running makes your heart strong and keeps the weight off. There are many options for you to take. A holistic psychiatrist also believes in strength training as well. There's also flexibility. Flexibility exercises such as stretching allow you to work with less chance of injury, but stretching can improve your mind as well. This is because of our whole self. Many parts of our brain are stimulated when we stretch, and stretching can allow you to feel less negative about life. Give it a try.
  • A holistic psychiatrist believes in strengthening one's mind. Many people do not stimulate their minds, and this leads them to a problematic lifestyle. Someone can strengthen their mind by learning a new language, picking up a hobby, and much more. New experiences, as well as reading, can promote growth in the mind. For example, you may be able to learn new vocabulary through assigned reading. You can write down any words you don't understand and look up the definition later. Easy stuff, but effective.
  • A holistic psychiatrist can teach you how to meditate. Meditation, along with other forms of breathing exercises, can calm you down and treat your anxiety, insomnia, and many other types of problems you may have. Meditation is hard to master, but a good holistic psychiatrist can teach you.

Is It Effective?

Some of the techniques used by holistic psychiatry have studies to back them up. There's no doubt that breathing and meditation can calm you down. There's no denying the effects of some of the herbal medications. With that said, a holistic psychiatrist does use traditional medicine as well. A holistic psychiatrist can be good if you want to solve your problem effectively without having someone push pills on you.

There is no shame in talking to a therapist or holistic psychiatrist if you want to fix your issues. By admitting you have a problem, you can be on your way to treat it. Speak to someone today and see what they can do for you.

FAQs

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