By Schuyler Corrigan

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May 14, 2024

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Naturopathic medicine is a comprehensive approach to addressing health and wellness. This means that people come to see our naturopathic doctors for various reasons, whether they have active diagnoses, curiosities about how to practice preventative care in their daily lives, or how to address any imbalances of health they may be experiencing in conjunction with conventional care. One of the many things our naturopathic doctors include in their comprehensive conversations with you will be about your overall state of mental health. This includes your emotional health, spiritual health, and psycho-social health. This well-being area is as important as physical health but may be harder to articulate or address. That’s one of the areas where naturopathic medicine can help to initiate the conversation. 

 

Our naturopathic doctors will ask several questions about your mental health during your time together. These may include questions about your work, home life, stress, social circle, or even your diet. Mostly, they are interested in hearing your own story and how things in your life – health struggles, stress triggers, or what brings you joy or frustration- impact your overall health and behaviors. Assessing and digging deeper into our mental health is important because how we feel emotionally daily influences how we make decisions, how we relate to others in our family or community, how we are influenced to make food choices, and how we manage stressors in our lives. 

 

Read More: Benefits of Pet Therapy for Mental Health 

 

The Naturopathic Approach to Mental Health

Supporting mental health is not achieved with an overnight recommendation but rather by starting a conversation about developing awareness around your emotional and psychosocial health. Some questions to consider here may include: What are the contributors in your daily life that impact your feelings? Do you feel like you have control over your life or health? Do you feel supported in your life in the ways that you need support? What does stress feel like for you, and how do you manage stress? These are some examples of what your ND may inquire into to get you thinking about your mental health and to help them add more color to your overall health picture. 

 

Support for mental health can vary widely, including simple daily exercise, counseling, supplements, medications, and outpatient or inpatient treatment centers. Each person has needs, and their doctors or therapists can help them find the best solution. On an ongoing, daily basis, here are some general suggestions for supporting mental health that you can do at home:

• Light therapy (especially helpful in the winter months)
• Supplementation with vitamin D (once you have assessed your current vitamin D levels)
• Stress management practices such as yoga, meditation, journaling, and mindfulness 
• Pet therapy
• Spending time outside and experiencing nature connection each day
• Maintain a healthy diet. Generally, the Mediterranean diet is excellent for gut health and mental health support. 
• Daily exercise or movement such as walking, swimming, running, yoga, and stretching

Read More: The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise and Movement

 

If you feel like you need support with mental health in your comprehensive care plan, contact our office to connect with one of our naturopathic doctors. They will have an in-depth discussion with you to review your health history, diet, lifestyle practices, stressors, sleep, and any relevant lab work to help support your needs. They may also be an excellent resource for referrals to local therapists or licensed mental health counselors. Don’t hesitate to seek help or ask questions if you feel that you need to support maintaining your mental health at any time. The staff and practitioners at Richmond Natural Medicine are available to help and guide you in finding a solution that works for you.