Mental health disorders are not limited to depression or anxiety, there are many other disorders that can be more severe and life-threatening. These are psychotic disorders that are pretty common these days, still less known.
Bipolar disorder happens to be one such disorder. It’s a psychotic disorder that brings along severe symptoms and can alter your day-to-day life, making it worse. Although many people know bipolar disorder by name, not even half of them understand what it really is and how it affects you.
Well, bipolar disorder manifests in three different episodes:
- Mania
- Hypomania
- The major depressive episode
The symptoms of bipolar disorder vary according to the episode you’re experiencing; hence, different for everyone. Now the question is, is it possible to treat bipolar disorder naturally? Well, there are several natural remedies that can help you return to normal and get rid of the stress, anxiety, fatigue, and body aches bipolar disorder brings along.
However, to treat the psychotic symptoms, you need to take antipsychotics. Not the best choice, but it’s mandatory. The natural remedies that can make the treatment easier are as follows:
Regular Exercise
First and foremost, you need to understand that an active lifestyle is the key to beating mental health disorders naturally. Therefore, adding exercise to your everyday routine is crucial. As soon as you’ll get moving, you will automatically feel 10 times better than you do at the moment.
Psychotic ailments such as bipolar disorder can make you slow, causing fatigue and sucking out the remnants of energy left in you. Increased physical activity is one thing that can fix this problem naturally. Other than that, it is also going to uplift your mood and eliminate stress by producing more endorphins in your body.
Herbs and Plants
Bipolar disorder comes with many symptoms and although they are different for everyone, a few symptoms remain constant. They include fatigue, anxiety, stress, appetite issues, and over sleeplessness or inability to sleep.
For all such issues, psychiatrists usually prescribe antidepressants and benzodiazepines that are extremely harmful. That’s right, guys. Antidepressants and benzodiazepines have plenty of side effects. They not only make you slow but also cause drowsiness and confusion.
Not to mention, their long-term use can negatively affect your liver. Thus, I always recommend going for herbs and plants. Ashwagandha, lavender, saffron, passionflower, and blue honey mushrooms are a few herbs and plants that come with natural healing properties; thus, are considered great for the treatment of bipolar disorder.
Body Massage
Ranking third is body massage. Whether you have a headache, fatigue, anxiety, stress, digestive issues, or insomnia, there’s nothing that a relaxing body massage cannot fix. Regular massage therapies can regulate your digestive system, relieving appetite issues.
Apart from that, massage therapies can help relax both your mind and body. It is further proven that the gentle strokes of body massage help release oxytocin in the bloodstream, which naturally alleviates anxiety and stress and boosts your mood.
For this, you can either visit a spa once or twice a week, depending on the severity of your symptoms. If not that, you can buy a massage chair for your home. Chair massage therapies are as beneficial as human-administered massages; therefore, massage chairs are worth giving a try.
Meditation
Another effective way to counter the symptoms of bipolar disorder naturally is meditation. It’s a renowned healing method that is now practiced everywhere in the world due to its phenomenal health benefits.
The great thing is that meditation not only promotes your physical and mental health but spiritual wellbeing as well, unlike any other holistic treatment. When treating bipolar disorder naturally, you must practice mindfulness-based meditation at least twice a day, once in the morning and once right before bedtime for a peaceful sleep.
A Healthy Diet
Whether it’s a mood disorder or a psychotic disorder, your diet plays a critical role in them all. Yes, you need to maintain a balanced and healthy diet in order to stay on the safer side. Evaluate your diet plan today and check what’s wrong with it.
Are you consuming too many carbs and added sugar? Do you often go out for junk food? If yes, it’s time you turn the table and cut such things loose as they do more harm to your body than you can imagine. Instead, you must switch to fresh fruits and vegetables. The more vitamins, minerals, and protein you will take, the better you will feel.
Appropriate Sleep
Last but not least, having a healthy sleep cycle is mandatory if you wish to alleviate mental health issues and take care of your mental wellness naturally. While you may not know it, lack of sleep is one of the primary reasons behind bipolar disorder.
Yes, sleep deprivation can put your body in survival mode and it’s one of the major reasons why people develop psychiatric illnesses. If you’re among those who tend to compromise their sleep for little things in life, you need to change that habit right away and ensure that you take 7-8 hours of sleep every day.
The Takeaway
Lastly, if nothing else works, please consult your physician for professional help. I’m confident they will guide you better about the disorder and its management. Still, here’s a piece of advice that I would like to give you: make sure to take the minimal dose when it comes to allopathic medicines. They have severe side effects, some even as serious as infertility. You may feel better now when taking such allopathic medicines, but they will have side effects in the long term; thus, you must think 10 times before going down that lane. I hope you get well soon, my friends!