According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics approximately 1 in 5 Australians have a mental health disorder and considering the stresses we all face on a daily basis it is really no surprise!

Furthermore, a recent study has shown that anti-depressant medication is the most commonly prescribed medication for women in Australia!

There are many causes of mental health disorders and simply using anti-depressant medication to mask the symptoms without addressing the underlying cause(s) may not always be the best approach.

If you are currently on anti-depressant medication, consider the following scenario:

When you went to your doctor and discussed how you were feeling did he or she address any of the possible causes of your depressed mental state? Did he or she offer any suitable lifestyle modifications that may be useful in reducing your negative feelings? Did he or she conduct any tests to see if you were deficient in any nutrients like folic acid, iron or vitamin B₁₂ (which have been shown to lead to mental health issues)? Or did they simply write out a prescription, no questions asked, and say take one of these every morning and you will be fine!

Now, this isn’t an article designed to be disrespectful to doctors; there are many fine doctors out there who do a great job and provide a very valuable service to the community. However, the fact is that most of our doctors are ridiculously overworked, with roomfuls of patients waiting to see them every day and they simply don’t have the time to go through all possible causes and solutions of your mental health issues. It is much easier to simply give you some pills to deal with your feelings and hopefully the causes will magically disappear by themselves!

The causes of mental health disorders may result from stress, nutritional deficiencies, a poor diet, lifestyle factors, illness, life events and various other possibilities. As a result, trying to identify exactly what the underlying cause or causes are can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack!

Nevertheless, there are steps you can take to improve your current mental state and also potentially overcome the causes of your mental health condition.

Overcoming mental health issues often requires a multi-directional approach, which may include addressing lifestyle factors, improving nutritional habits, practicing relaxation techniques, receiving psychological counselling and supplementation.

If you would like to improve your mental health and/or are currently on anti-depressant medication, try using these strategies and then monitor how you feel over time.

** Please note that if your goal is to stop or reduce your medication it should always be done in consultation with your doctor.

1. Nutrition.

The first step you need to take is to improve your dietary habits. There are a number of ways you can improve your eating habits. To discover the basics of good nutrition, visit: www.quick-weight-loss-principles.com

This website offers the fundamentals of nutrition not just for weight loss but also for good physical and mental health.

By improving your nutritional habits you can ensure your body and brain receive most of the nutrients they require every day. Good nutritional habits can also help keep your blood glucose stable throughout the day, which can keep your energy levels up as well as providing a regular supply of glucose to the brain.

2. Exercise.

You should make a habit of performing some exercise every day even if it is only for 15 minutes. It is imperative that you find time to exercise. Squeeze it in to your daily schedule no matter what. 

Exercise stimulates the production of ‘endorphins’- the ‘feel good’ brain chemicals that create feelings of euphoria. Many athletes call this the ‘runner’s high’. Exercise is a simple and easy way to feel good quickly.

3. Relaxation.

By taking some ‘time out’ every day you will be amazed at the positive impact it can have on your mental state. Relaxation helps to lower the level of cortisol in your body. Cortisol is one of the stress hormones that can have an enormously negative impact on bodily organs and systems if its level gets too high in the body.

The type of relaxation technique you use is entirely up to you. It may be meditation, yoga, visualisation, doing one of your hobbies, chatting with family or friends or simply taking a 5-minute break during your work day which involves stopping, closing your eyes and resting.

4. Basic Supplementation

There are some basic supplements that are worthwhile taking every day because it is highly likely that they aren’t being supplied in your diet. These nutritional deficiencies can possibly manifest as a mental health disorder.

The basic supplements include a good quality multivitamin/ mineral supplement like, MultiBoost and an omega-3 supplement like fish oil. Some nutrients are not supplied in the diet and therefore supplementation becomes essential.

5. Psychological Counselling

This can be done individually or in a group format.

Group therapy involves attending sessions whereby people with similar conditions discuss their experiences and how they are dealing with their individual situations. The sessions are facilitated by a psychologist or other mental health practitioner.

By allowing yourself to express the way you feel as well as getting other people’s perspectives on your situation, some of the mental anguish or unpleasant feelings associated with your situation may be alleviated.

If a person’s situation is more complex, individual counselling can be helpful. With the help of a clinical psychologist, a variety of techniques may be used to help overcome a range of mental health issues.

6. Advanced Supplementation

There are some over-the-counter supplements that can help to improve brain function and increase neurotransmitter production. This may be beneficial in overcoming mental health conditions like, depression, anxiety and stress without subjecting the user to the unpleasant side effects that are often associated with pharmaceutical medication.

Some examples include: BCN’s UpLift and SAMe. Both of these products have been shown to be effective at significantly improving mood in a relatively short period of time.

7. Specialised Nutritional Intervention

This is usually conducted by a clinical nutritionist, nutritional doctor or naturopath and involves conducting a variety of assessments to see what specific nutritional deficiencies or excesses are present in a person’s body. Some of the assessments may also indicate if the body has high levels of heavy metals like mercury and lead, or other toxic substances which have been shown to cause a range of mental and physical problems.

Once the test results are received, the practitioner can then design an individualised supplementation and diet plan that can provide the exact quantities of specific nutrients that are required by a person’s body. Also, if necessary, they can provide certain nutrients that can help to ‘chelate’ heavy metals and remove them from the body. Food allergies and intolerances, digestive problems, hormonal imbalances and adrenal impairments may also be treated through nutritional intervention.

** This approach should only be conducted by someone with specialised training in the nutritional treatment of mental health problems.

By following these specific steps exactly as outlined, mental health problems can be overcome without resorting to the use of potentially harmful drugs.  The benefits are not always immediate but over time, improvements in mental (and physical) health are likely!